Lots of teams are doing lots of pressing, but there are also a lot of longer balls out from the back, perhaps because people are recognising that it is not a great idea to try to play out when teams are pressing you so hard and so high, and are so good at it.
So, instead of trying to beat the press, teams are playing over it., external
There is also a different emphasis in how teams are trying to develop and build play when they get on the ball – whatever shape they might start out in, it often becomes a 3-2-5 or 2-3-5 in possession.
Another thing we have noticed is that there are not so many runs being made in behind defences by number nines, but other players are making more – the number 10s are doing it more, and the wide attacking players.
It is the impact of those wide players that this tournament will probably be known for. I was at Spain’s win over France on Tuesday, but even before then Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams had obviously stood out, and Georgia’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and England’s Bukayo Saka have too.
That kind of individual skill has decided a few matches, and players who like going one versus one and taking defenders on have done a lot of good things in the competition.
It’s been exciting to see that sort of talent coming through and we feel it’s a consequence of the way young people across Europe grow up watching football now.
They can go on YouTube and watch closely the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or any of the top players in the world, and how they do things, whenever they want to.
Even just that on its own is probably helping develop better players from other, smaller, nations, and it is great to see.