Roberto Martinez’s crazy ideas machine has made Portugal fun but flawed

Three defenders in the starting lineup, two attackers with one of them positioned on the left side, Joao Cancelo moving into the midfield gaps as a versatile attacking midfielder, Bruno Fernandes playing in a deeper defensive role, and a total of six forwards present on the field until the end of the match.

Greetings to the wild and innovative world of Roberto Martinez's imaginative contraption.

Looking for more excitement? It was an adrenaline-pumping experience to see the young and talented left-back Nuno Mendes play as a centre-back for the first time in a major tournament opener, with a 3-5-2 formation that was unpredictable and adaptable like the flow of a reservoir or the roll of the dice. But the real kicker was when, during the final moments of the game, the 26th player on the squad manages to score the winning goal in the nick of time. It was a heart-stopping moment!

There is much more to unravel, but the main point is clear - During Martinez's tenure, Portugal plays in an extremely exciting and unpredictable manner, emphasizing the unpredictable aspect.

It may be too critical of Martinez to say that. His squad managed to win against Czech Republic with a 2-1 score even though they seemed to be losing. Additionally, two of his substitute players contributed to the victory. We should appreciate his creativity and daring strategies. This is exactly what he was recruited for - to counter the practicality and predictable methods of his forerunner, Fernando Santos.

The writer suggests that the Spanish coach might not have had a clear idea of his best team or strategy before this match. This is because he made a lot of changes in the three previous matches and tried different formations. The writer doesn't think the coach learned much from this game either.

Last week, Jose Mourinho expressed that if Portugal had two squads, the other team would also likely emerge as a contender to win the Euros.

Having a lot of players to choose from is beneficial, especially when there are injuries or suspensions. However, for this tournament, only two players are absent and they weren't likely to be in the starting line-up anyway. Recently, it seems that Martinez has an excess of options to create a solid team and win consistently. It's like trying to cook a mundane meal with extravagant ingredients.

During the match against the Czech Republic, Joao Cancelo's position on the field was quite unusual.

The team that kicks off an international tournament is often different from the one that finishes it, even for the victorious team. In fact, the World Cup champions for 2022, Argentina, suffered a defeat in their first match against Saudi Arabia. Nonetheless, it seems that at this point in time, Martinez is doing much more than just making minor adjustments.

The match against the Czech Republic appeared difficult.

For instance, Mendes played in the left centre-back spot but also moved towards the wing. On the other hand, Cancelo had a peculiar type of position that was a mix of floating and inverted, but it didn't work out well. Even though his average position was in the center alongside Vitinha, he wasn't effective in either attacking (only one shot, one take on) or defending (zero tackles, zero interceptions).

He was moving about aimlessly, being an extra player when a typical attacker would have been more beneficial considering the game was mostly played with one team on the offensive and the other on the defensive.

Martinez clarified that Joao Cancelo was assigned to play as an inverted wing-back in a horizontal line. He also mentioned that the trio of Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, and Vitinha were already creative players; however, they wanted to add an extra player in the mix with Cancelo's positioning.

The person mentioned that they had hoped for Nuno Mendes to move forward and take up some room alongside Rafael Leao on the left side. However, despite these intentions, both players ended up staying very close to the line marking the edge of the field.

In the game, our team had the ball for 70% of the time, and we got 13 chances to score from corners while the Czech Republic team got none. We aimed eight shots on target, and they only had one, resulting in our victory. However, what mattered most was the team's unity, which enabled us to win. From a technical and tactical point of view, it was an excellent match.

Martinez always speaks confidently about his career and, once again, after attending his press conference, one might feel like they have just witnessed the most incredible football team to ever grace the field.

Truly speaking, during the second half of the game, Portugal was only able to do crosses and long shots which couldn't help them score. However, luck was on their side as they got an equalizer due to an own goal by the opponent team. Additionally, the opponent team's poor defending in the end allowed Francisco Conceicao to score the winning goal at the last minute.

Cancelo wasn't the only one who had an unusual position. During the qualifying matches for Portugal, Fernandes played as an advanced central player and scored six goals and provided eight assists. He played ahead of Joao Palhinha, who is one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League and did the tough work. However, in this game, Fernandes played the role of Portugal's midfield anchor.

Afterwards, Bernardo Silva, who has participated in 14 games between the Euros and the World Cup without scoring or assisting, played in a position close to the opposing team's final defender, especially during the initial half.

Martinez had many options to choose from and he ended up making five changes during the game. However, Goncalo Ramos, who previously scored three goals in a World Cup match and finished the season with eight goals in 14 games while playing for PSG, did not get a chance to play. Joao Neves, who has been recently hailed as the new rising star, and the familiar faces of Joao Felix, Palhinha, and Ruben Neves were also left on the bench.

Despite Portugal's victory, they are likely to effortlessly pass through a seemingly simple group. Furthermore, it appears that Martinez has successfully built team camaraderie within the team.

Portugal can benefit greatly if they take note of the lessons learned from their recent match. One important lesson is the team's improved balance when Diogo Jota played in the role of a second striker while Cancelo shifted to the right. It's worth noting that the Czech Republic, who were ranked 36th, were the most highly ranked team that Portugal has faced under Martinez. Although they still have room for improvement, not all teams will play defensively like the Czech Republic did. These lessons will be valuable for Portugal's journey towards Berlin.

There were some great tales to tell from the game. Vitinha showcased why he is becoming a key player with a lively and active display in midfield. Meanwhile, Pedro Neto had a tough season with various injuries at Wolves, but managed to come back for the last game. It was his well-executed pass that resulted in the decisive goal.

In the Euro history, Conceicao, who is the son of Sergio, scored the decisive goal leading to their victory. This has made them the second pair of father and son to score in Euro alongside Enrico and Federico Chiesa. The joy and importance of the goal were evident from both players, making the moment absolutely special.

The moment when Conceicao scored the crucial goal was met with great celebration, as seen in the photo taken by Alex Livesey/Getty Images. The victory was a result of a highly intense match that kept the spectators on the edge of their seats until the very end. The triumph was a testament to the hard work and dedication of all those involved in the team.

Maybe we should accept and welcome the disorder. Portugal has a reputation for always playing defensively and predictably under Santos, but they have now taken a complete turnaround. That's the reason why Martinez was brought on board.

And maybe his most impressive feat? He has diverted our attention away from discussing a guy named Cristiano.

Roberto, I take back everything I said – you are incredibly intelligent.

(Header image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images) In the above photograph, we can see a significant moment in the football game captured by Alex Livesey. The image depicts the player scoring a goal, which seems like a game-changer and brings excitement to the sport. The photograph's vividness and sharpness add more drama to the goal that the player has scored. It's an impressive shot that shows the player's skill and commitment to the game. Using his expertise, Alex has successfully captured the critical second of the game in the most eye-catching manner. His ability to capture such moments in a high-pressure situation is commendable. Such photographs are not only treasured by football enthusiasts but also inspire young players to achieve similar feats. Overall, sports photography is a challenging but rewarding profession that requires skill, experience, and the right timing to capture the perfect moment. Photographs like these make us fall in love with sports all over again and remind us of the magic that takes place on the field.

Tim Spiers is a sports writer specializing in football for the London-based publication, The Athletic. He became a part of their team in 2019, after working for the Express & Star in Wolverhampton. Keep up with Tim's latest updates on Twitter by following him @TimSpiers.