Who is Jorge Jesus? How Can His Tactics Transform Al-Nassr?

Jorge Jesus is the talk of the town in Saudi Arabia right now. After a successful stint with Al-Hilal, the heavyweights of the Saudi Pro League, which relieved him of his duties after their dismal 2024-25 season, the Portuguese manager has been appointed by Al-Nassr, a club in which Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays.

Al-Nassr haven’t enjoyed success in recent times, with Ronaldo & Co. Yet to achieve a major trophy since the 40-year-old’s arrival, they have opted to sign Jesus, a known face in the country, courtesy of his feats with Al-Hillal, and someone they can look up to for a successful season going forward. 

Jorge Jesus Tactics and Style of Play

Jesus, currently 70, is a manager who is flexible and adaptable, and heavily prefers to portray an attacking brand of football, of course, after analysing the opposition’s weaknesses and accordingly setting up a plan to counter the same. He usually deploys his teams in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 formation, an extremely popular setup across the world, and like any other attack-minded manager, he wants his team to exploit the opposition, create spaces, and unfold opposition defences with quick ball circulation. 

Jorge Jesus Formation

As mentioned earlier, Jesus sets his teams in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 formation, which demands certain traits in certain positions. Below, we have analysed the setup for you. 

• A back-four: While many managers nowadays tend to focus on a back-three, Jesus, who has whitened his hair with years of experience, tends to rely on a back-four, albeit turning it into a back-three during build-up with a full-back joining the attack.
• A flexible pivot: At Al-Hilal, Jesus used Ruben Neves as the defensive midfielder with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic operating as the No.8 or the ball carrier, combining with the attacking third to ensure a fluid movement up the pitch.
• Two good wingers: A 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 formation needs two wide players who can deliver proper crosses into the goal-bound area for their forward. However, these wingers also need to tend to cut in and measure their chances on goal, too. 
• A good scorer: Jorge Jesus had Aleksandar Mitrovic up front, who is brilliant in front of the goal. At Al-Nassr, he’ll have someone who is currently the active highest scorer in international football – Cristiano Ronaldo. No worries for the 70-year-old!

Key Tactical Traits

High intensity: What Jorge Jesus demands from his team is high-intensity football, where they will press accordingly and quickly snatch the ball from the opposition, and hence, he would need a physically strong and fit squad at his disposal at Al-Nassr.

Quick transitions: To hurt the opposition, only pressing won’t help. They need to ensure swift and fluid movement during the transitions, as it would help them in two things: to make the opposition defence vulnerable, and to make their defence more rigid and concede less.

Rotations: Don’t get it wrong. No manager makes changes to their starting lineup every day, but in order to make the job difficult for the opponent, Jesus deploys positional rotations, where they interchange positions to confuse and unsettle the opposition.

A perfect reference could be that of Luis Enrique’s UEFA Champions League-winning Paris Saint-Germain side, where no player apart from Gianluigi Donnarumma, William Pacho, and Marquinhos has a fixed position, and everyone is constantly moving. Imagine the same being deployed at Al-Nassr! It would automatically make their style of play attractive to the viewers and confusing to their opponents.

Also Read: Thomas Frank Tactics, Style Of Play And Managerial Achievements

Jorge Jesus Trophies and Achievements

Jorge Jesus has always enjoyed success in his long career, and has won 24 trophies as a manager. He will surely look to grab more trophies under his name in his next challenge with Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr. Below, we have jotted down the trophies he has salvaged.

Club	Trophy	Year
SC Braga	UI Cup	2008-09.
SL Benfica	Portuguese League Portuguese League Cup Portuguese Cup Portuguese Super Cup	2009-10, 2013-14, 2014-15. 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15. 2013-14. 2014-15.
Sporting CP	Portuguese Super Cup Portuguese League Cup	2015-16. 2017-18.
CR Flamengo	Copa Libertadores Serie A Supercopa do Brazil Recopa Sudamericana Campeao Carioca	2018-19 2018-19. 2019-20. 2019-20. 2019-20.
Fenerbahce	Turkish Cup	2022-23.
Al-Hilal SFC	Saudi Pro League Saudi Super Cup Saudi Cup	2023-24. 2018-19, 2023-24, 2024-25. 2023-24.

Is Jorge Jesus the Right Fit for Al-Nassr?

A man with tons of experience, Jorge Jesus is a successful figure at Al-Hilal, at least in the domestic circuit. Although he has never won a continental trophy at the club, Al-Nassr could be that fairy tale where he accomplishes the same. Moreover, with the support of players like Sadio Mane, Otavio, Marcelo Brozovic, and of course, Cristiano Ronaldo, he can yield the best out of this squad and secure both his and Al-Nassr’s maiden continental triumph. 

How Jorge Jesus’ tactics could work?

Two great wingers: When Jesus arrives for pre-season, he would already have a player like Sadio Mane, who is known for his havoc on the flanks. Perhaps the finest winger in the Saudi Pro League, he, along with a new winger, can help change Al-Nassr’s fortunes.

Three excellent midfielders: While Jesus has Brozovic to look up to, he would want a solid defensive midfielder to avert the danger, also someone who would be an upgrade over Ali Al-Hassan. Moreover, an attack-minded midfielder is also a need of the hour for the Saudi-based club, as Otavio did not enjoy the best of seasons last term. This trio’s combination could work wonders under Jesus, helping his side to create more for the forwards up front, hence helping them score more goals.

Two top central defenders: Al-Nassr have Mohamed Simakan and Aymeric Laporte. However, an upgrade of Simakan could be effective going forward.

Challenges Ahead

• Time: Stefano Pioli and Jorge Jesus are two different managers with different philosophies. Hence, Al-Nassr should give him and the squad time so that they can adapt to each other.

How Could Al-Nassr Line Up Under Jorge Jesus?

Player Roles Explained

• Goalkeeper: Bento, who has been a part of the Brazil national team in recent times, is expected to continue at the club and be the first-choice keeper under Jesus.
• Full-backs: Sultan Al-Ghannam and Nawaf Al-Boushal are expected to be the mainstays as the two full-backs. However, it would be better if Jesus brings in a younger full-back to replace the 31-year-old Al-Ghannam, as it would help his side in both pressing and transitions.
• Centre-backs: Aymeric Laporte and Mohamed Simakan might play as the two centre-backs, who can add more fluidity to the build-up. 
• Three midfielders: Two central midfielders, with one acting as a No.6 (Marcelo Brozovic) and the other, preferably someone who is a good ball-carrier, could be helpful, instead of using a double pivot. One player needs to act as the main playmaker, and that could be Otavio if Jesus chooses to go with him.
• Trio upfront: Jesus would want Sadio Mane as his left winger and Cristiano Ronaldo as his centre-forward, but might ask for a new right winger. As per the latest reports, Al-Nassr are trying to woo Liverpool winger Luis Diaz. In case they end up signing the Colombian, Al-Nassr will be a force to reckon with this upcoming season.

Areas of Improvement

While Al-Nassr scored 80 goals in the Saudi Pro League last term, they also conceded 38 goals in 34 matches. They played out seven draws, two more than champions Al-Ittihad and one more than runners-up Al-Hilal. They need to win more games and should focus on creating more chances and scoring more goals, while at the same time maintaining a strong defensive unit, which doesn’t let in many goals. 

Verdict

Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly played a part in signing his compatriot as the new manager. Although the duo haven’t worked together in the past, fans will expect them to come up with the magic needed to make Al-Nassr a successful club not only in Saudi Arabia but also in Asia. Jorge Jesus is the ideal candidate to change the club, albeit if he is given sufficient resources and time. 

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