MC164 PLAY WITH PURPOSE

Play with Purpose: Tactical Analysis of Collective Attacking in Elite Football.
What makes a team function as a fluid, efficient unit on the pitch? Is it the result of a coach’s planning, the intuition of the players, or a combination of both? In Play with Purpose, Roger Bonet — professional footballer known as “Ruxi” and future coach — offers a unique journey into the heart of football from two angles: the player who lives the game, and the coach who dissects and rebuilds it.

This book explores real offensive situations that illustrate how elite teams create advantages through coordinated movements and player relationships. Through practical examples and thoughtful reflections, Roger reveals attacking patterns that may seem innovative or even born from spontaneous creativity on the field. At the same time, he challenges the idea of how coaches can empower without restricting, enabling players to reach their full expression while maintaining collective harmony.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. WRONG-FOOTED WINGERS’ HORIZONTAL CARRIES AFTER A HALF-SPACE
RUN – SPACE CREATION AND OCCUPATION 

2. OCCUPYING THE HALF-SPACE FROM THE SECOND LINE AFTER A DECOY
RUN – SPACE CREATION AND OCCUPATION

3. OCCUPYING THE HALF-SPACE FROM THE LAST LINE AFTER A DECOY
RUN – SPACE CREATION AND OCCUPATION 

4. WINGER’S RUN INTO THE HALF-SPACE FROM A WIDE POSITION, FOLLOWING FULL-BACK RECEPTION IN DEEP WIDE AREAS – FULL-BACK & WINGER SYNERGY 

5. CREATING AN EXTRA HEIGHT WIDE: ADVANCED MIDFIELDERS MOVING INTO THE WIDE CHANNEL 

6. ADVANCED MIDFIELDERS MOVING INTO WIDE AREAS TO ATTRACT OPPONENTS AND FREE UP CENTRAL CHANNELS – SPACE CREATION AND OCCUPATION.

7. LINKED MOVEMENTS – REGAINING WIDTH AFTER A HALF-SPACE RUN +
HORIZONTAL DRIBBLE TO ATTRACT THE MARKER – SPACE CREATION AND OCCUPATION.

8. CREATING NUMERICAL SUPERIORITIES BY OVERLOADING THE BALL-SIDE WITH A PLAYER COMING FROM THE WEAK SIDE.

9. CENTRE-BACK ADVANCES TO DRAG MARKER AND CREATE PASSING LANES IN THE FIRST LINE – BALL PROGRESSION MECHANISMS TO DISRUPT PRESSING.

10. ATTACKING THE DEPTH AND THE CUTBACK IN LOW CROSSES – BOX
OCCUPATION.

11. ATTACKING THE FAR POST ON AERIAL CROSSES FROM THE EDGE
OF THE BOX – BOX OCCUPATION.

12. HORIZONTAL MOVEMENTS TO RECEIVE BETWEEN THE LINES IN THE SAME CHANNEL AS A TEAMMATE WHO IS PINNING DEFENDERS.

13. DIRECT CONNECTIONS WITH THE LAST LINE: LOFTED PASSES WITH DESCENDING TRAJECTORY + HEIGHT AND CHANNEL CHANGES OF POSITION OF NEARBY PLAYERS – BUILD-UP MECHANISMS TO DISRUPT PRESSING.

14. DIRECT CONNECTIONS WITH THE LAST LINE. CREATING ADVANTAGES
TO WIN THE FIRST OR SECOND ACTION AFTER A LONG BALL.

15. REPEATING CENTRAL-LANE PASSES FROM THE FIRST LINE TO FREE UP SPACE WIDE.

16. THE THIRD-MAN RUN. MECHANISMS TO BREAK THE OPPONENT’S LAST LINE.

17. THE FOURTH-MAN RUN. MECHANISMS TO BREAK THE OPPONENT’S LAST LINE .

18. 2V1 SITUATIONS AGAINST THE OPPOSING FULLBACK. FULLBACK – WINGER RELATIONSHIP.

19. FINDING A FREE PLAYER IN THE WEAK-SIDE POCKET THROUGH A DIAGONAL PASS.

20. BUILDING UP WITH DEEP FULLBACKS. FULLBACK–MIDFIELDER RELATIONSHIP.

21. SHORT-DISTANCE COMBINATIONS TO FACE FORWARD AND CONNECT WITH PLAYERS IN ADVANCED LINES.

22. RUNS TO DRAG THE WEAK-SIDE FULLBACK AND SWITCHES OF PLAY TO FIND A WIDE PLAYER ON THE LAST LINE.

23. FREE PLAYER WITH TIME AND SPACE INSIDE THE OPPOSING DEFENSIVE BLOCK: LOOKING FAR WHEN FACED WITH HIGH PRESSING TO ATTACK THE SPACE BEHIND THE DEFENSIVE LINE.

24. CONNECTING WITH A WRONG-FOOTED PLAYER IN THE WIDE CHANNEL
TO PROVOKE FULL-BACK JUMPS, WITH THE AIM OF STRETCHING AND
ATTACKING THE DEFENSIVE LINE’S GAPS. MECHANISMS TO ATTACK FROM OUTSIDE TO INSIDE .