Group Stage Fan Preview: Basel

It's a season of transition for FC Basel, as no stone was seeminlgy left unturned this summer. First, the beloved chairman Bernhard Heusler and his crew stepped down to free their posts to a younger generation. This generation being former players Marco Streller, Massimo Ceccaroni and Alex Frei. Then, the manager Urs Fischer was let go to bring up FCB U21 manager Raphael Wicky. And, as if that's not enough, the implemented a change in philosophy to play more younger players, mostly from the own academy. This change of strategy is set to take place over the next 2 years.

Early results have shown that it will take a while for all the pieces to fall into place. A loss to competitors Young Boys, followed by three wins and two draws at the start of the season isn't what Basel-fans are used to. Players and the staff were also shocked to learn that club-legend Matias Delgado unexpectedly retired from football after the second game of the season. Not only the unusual timing took everyone by surprise, but the loss of such an important figure took a toll on the team's morale. Delgado was captain and an integral part in Basel.

Young manager Raphael Wicky has brought a new, more flexible tactical approach to the team and the players are still adapting. Wicky prefers to play in a 3-1-4-2 formation, which translates to a 5-3-2 in defence. It's a formation that demands fluidity. Having five in midfield is perfect for a possession-hungy team like Basel as they're able to overload certain areas of the pitch. As of right now, the system works decent enough for the domestic competition. But at times, the lack of quick transition was evident. This has to improve for the Champions League if Basel wants to take points off bigger teams.

In what seems to be a relic from the former manager, Basel also plays in a 4-2-3-1 formation from time to time. But they're still chasing success with it. Their only loss and a draw came when they started with a 4-2-3-1. It's a more static formation and might not be used in the Champions League. Most of the time in last season's UCL campaign, FCB played with a 4-2-3-1, but to little success.