Short answer: you’re not imagining it, and no, it’s not “trying to play offside”.
But it is a risky, modern set-piece defending idea that looks utterly braindead when the timing or execution is off.
Longer version...
What you’re seeing (the freeze-frame horror show)
You’re describing this exact pattern:
Bodies back: zonal line, men on posts, spare defenders.
Ball gets delivered.
A coordinated step-out happens.
Half the team vacates the 6-yard area.
CBs + maybe one fullback are left contesting.
Clearance isn’t clean.
Second ball drops.
Red shirts gone. Blue shirts everywhere.
Goal conceded. Cue existential crisis.
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That is real. And yes, it looks suicidal.
What the tactic is supposed to be?
This is zonal + clearance compression, not offside.
The idea:
1. First phase
Win or disrupt the first contact (CBs, keeper, near-post defender).
2. Second phase
Everyone else steps out aggressively to:
compress space
attack the second ball
prevent sustained pressure
3. Transition
If you clear beyond the zone, you’re already stepping up to break momentum.
In theory, it:
Stops attackers camping on rebounds
Forces headers under pressure
Allows fast counter-pressing
In practice… 😬
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Why it’s blowing up in our faces
1. The timing is off
If one defender steps late, the line collapses. If two go early, you get exactly the freeze-frame you described.
This system requires perfect synchronisation. Wel currently don’t have it.
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2. Clearances aren’t decisive
This tactic only works if:
the first header is clean and
it travels beyond the penalty spot
We're getting:
glancing headers
flick-ons
half-clears
That turns the step-out into a self-inflicted overload against us.
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3. Opposition are gaming it
Teams have clocked this.
They now:
aim deliveries between zones
overload the second ball
delay runs rather than attacking the first header
So when we step out: attackers step in.
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4. Personnel mismatch
This system needs:
dominant aerial CBs
a keeper who commands the 6-yard box
midfielders who read second balls instantly
Right now, we don’t consistently tick all three boxes.
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Why it looks worse than Arsenal (yes, that irony)
Everyone mocked Arsenal’s set-piece coach.
The difference?
Arsenal committed to the structure
Rehearsed it relentlessly
Built personnel around it
We are in a half-way house:
zonal instincts
man-marking reactions
step-out behaviour
but without full cohesion
That’s the danger zone.
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The brutal truth
No, they are not trying to play offside. Yes, it is tactically defensible in theory. But executed like this?
It becomes:
defenders abandoning the kill zone
attackers owning the rebound
chaos masquerading as control
Which is why it feels idiotically stupid, because at the moment, it is being stupidly executed.
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The fix (and it’s not complicated)
One of these has to happen:
1. Commit fully
Drill the timing
Own the second ball
2. Or simplify
Stay compact
Clear and reset
Stop being clever for clever’s sake
Right now we are doing neither, and you’re watching the consequences.
