The next time you watch a Premier League match, try a small experiment. For five minutes, follow the defending midfield rather than the player on the ball. You will start to notice the passes a team wants to prevent, as well as the challenges it wants to make.

Pressure is a team decision A forward sprinting towards a defender is only one piece of the picture. If the players behind the forward leave easy passing options, that effort can be bypassed. An organised press depends on the distances between teammates and the routes they close together.

Watch the moment possession changes Counter-pressing means trying to recover the ball soon after losing it. The attraction is clear: the opposition may still be spreading out to attack. The risk is equally important. If the first pressure is beaten, players committed forward can leave space behind them.

A viewing exercise Pause after a turnover and count the nearby players from each team. Then watch whether the defending side closes the ball down or retreats. Repeat the exercise in a different area of the pitch. You are looking for a pattern, not judging the entire performance from one moment.

Keep the result in perspective A successful press does not always end in a tackle. A rushed clearance or a backward pass may be the intended outcome. Equally, a high press is not automatically better than a compact defensive block. The interesting question is whether the team’s choices fit together.