Thomas Dooley had planned to use Hamza Choudhury as an attacking midfielder before the SAFF Championship began, with the Bangladesh head coach believing the Sheffield United player could have a greater impact closer to goal.
Hamza, usually deployed in a defensive midfield role, played as a No. 10 in Bangladesh’s 4-0 victory over Sri Lanka on Wednesday. He scored one of the goals and repeatedly moved into attacking positions, helping the hosts create pressure in the final third.
Dooley revealed after the match that the positional change was part of his original tournament plan, rather than a decision made after Bangladesh’s opening game against Bhutan.
“I was thinking about it before the tournament started. I was talking to my assistant coaches and said, ‘You know what, I think we need to change something’,” Dooley said.
The coach wanted Bangladesh to maintain a more disciplined structure behind Hamza, with the two central midfielders occupying the No. 6 and No. 8 roles.
His reasoning was that Hamza’s energy and instinct to help teammates could be used more effectively in an advanced position.
“When he plays in defensive midfield, he wants to help everywhere. And that is sometimes what happens with this team. I want to take that away from him, saying, ‘No, concentrate only here. In the 10, you can do whatever you want’,” Dooley explained.
The role gives Hamza freedom to link up with wide players and the centre-forward, take shots from distance and arrive in the penalty area for headers.
Dooley also believes his presence between the lines forces opponents to devote more attention to him, creating space for Bangladesh’s other attackers.
“He can help with his football knowledge, with the passing to the outside players and the centre-forward. He can also shoot from 20 yards and go into the box with his headers,” the coach said.
Hamza’s pace, pressing and willingness to make forward runs were also important factors in the decision. Dooley felt the midfielder could lead Bangladesh’s attacking line while the rest of the team maintained its defensive organisation.
The plan produced a strong result against Sri Lanka, with Hamza scoring as Bangladesh won 4-0. Dooley said the tactical arrangement had worked exactly as he had hoped.
