With inspiration still fresh from the exploits of the England team in Russia still uppermost in our minds, the opening games from the Sky Bet Championship have seen both Leeds United and Aston Villa utilise the love train routine to good effect.

 

On Sunday, the new-styled Leeds team under Marcelo Bielsa surprised Stoke with their intensity and scored their third goal from an in-swinging corner freeing up Cooper to rise imperiously from the back of the love train, unmarked, to head home.  Final score: Leeds 3 Stoke 1.

 

The Monday night game saw Villa travel to Hull where the home side grabbed an early lead with a Evandro looping shot from the top of the box.   Aston Villa’s equalising goal came just seven minutes later as Tommy Elphick, losing his marker at a corner, courtesy of the love train, scored with a close-range free header.   Final score: Hull 1 Aston Villa 3.

 

Following the posting made during the World Cup, I have been asked to explain why the love train is unstoppable.   It is a simple fact that in this type of team sport when a player vacates a space they leave another space behind them where, for a limited amount of time, a fellow teammate entering this space will be unmarked.   To safeguard this space in a congested penalty area where almost anything goes, it is wholly appropriate to utilise other teammates to create a slightly larger and more protected space.

 

The love train really needs a minimum of two players but ideally four, as England used, so the front three move forward and create the space behind for the fourth player to get the free header.   One of the key ways for opposition players to disrupt this routine is by boarding the train.   This tactic was used particularly by Panama and later Colombia at the World Cup.  England soon realised that they didn’t just have to line-up one behind the other.   It was necessary to actually hold on to the player in front thus using one’s arms to prevent penetration into the line from an opponent.   In so doing, the love train members retain the inside position as the train moves off.

 

All this, of course, is dependent on the pin-point accuracy of the corner kick which has to be driven to the target area.   In Ashley Young and Kieran Trippier England had two players, one from either side, who could provide this exceptional skill.   There is a way of stopping the train but, as yet, I have not seen a team implement such a strategy.

 

In football, you will often hear that a certain player, Ronaldo or Messi, is unplayable.   Here, in the context of the love train, I’ve used the term unstoppable.    Some have suggested that there is a sporting gene.   This is defined by someone who doesn’t accept the word can’t.  It applies to terms like unplayable, unstoppable.

 

There is a way of stopping the love train.   The following may be regarded as unconventional but it will stop the love train in its tracks.   The defensive solution is to build a wall.   A defensive wall as though you were defending a free kick and it should be positioned directly adjacent to the lead player in the love train.   The wall has to be tight and firm.

 

Whilst this is unconventional, there are no rules preventing a team from doing this.   Attacking players are prioritising their space in the formation of the love train.   Defensive players can do likewise by lining up a row of players at right angles to the train.   Knowing the love train is going to move forwards, the wall will prevent this from happening.

 

But, this is not the end of the story for all you love train lovers.   The sporting gene suggests there must be another way.   From my basketball playing days, trying to escape one’s marker to receive a pass in such a confined space is a constant challenge.  In order to achieve this it is necessary to give out false information to your opponent.   In other words, let them think you’re going to do one thing but, in actual fact, you’re going to do something completely different.

 

At this moment in time, the love train is in its infancy.   It is a new strategy that’s not been seen before this summer and people are trying to come to terms with it.   Specifically, how to combat it but, also, now the cat is out of the bag, how to implement it.

 

The love train participants need to send out false information to their opponents.   Instead of getting in position early and making it quite obvious what is about to happen, the players need to just mill about in the general area looking quite disinterested in the proceedings but keeping a very astute eye on the corner- taker.   Just as the corner is about to be taken, the players suddenly fall into line.  With split-second timing the defensive team will not have time to react and the love train will once again be up and running.