A look at Manchester United’s system under David Moyes:The Importance of Full Backs
I am a lifelong Manchester United supporter, an avid football player and an armchair tactician. This is my first article discussing tactics and I look forward to some quality discussion in the comments section. I have been thinking about David Moyes’ system at Everton and so far at United, and I want to share my […]
Suarez/Sturridge,Aguero/Negredo-Revival of the striking partnership?
This Premier League season has been great for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the race for the title is as close as ever, and secondly the number of sides with a realistic chance of securing a top four finish is the greatest in recent memory. In addition, another reason as to why it has been […]
Should Ozil start today? : Champions League Talking Points
Pelligrini’s SubstitutionsManchester City after going down to ten men were exposed time and again especially along their left hand side as Barcelona were intent on increasing their lead. Playing at home and down to ten men,it made little sense for City to go on the attack as the danger of conceding an extra away goal […]
Football Tactics For Beginners:The Box to Box Midfielder
The Box to Box Midfielder and its decline. The Box to Box midfielder is a term which is used to describe a midfielder who influences or impacts the game at both the ends of the pitch. This type of midfielders generally possess high stamina,energy and the ability to go on lung bursting runs through the […]
Goals by numbers: An analysis of Premier League goal scorers
A very famous person once said, “Statistics are like miniskirts. What they reveal is tantalizing, but what they hide is crucial.” In football, while the basic stats tell you half the story, it is the other half which is all the more interesting. While goals scored and minutes per goal will give you a basic understanding of […]
Football Tactics For Beginners:How To Watch Football-Part 3
Read the first and the second part here and here Attacking phase I talk about the exploitation of space purposely here as I’m about to talk about the attacking phase and this must be understood. It’s a bit shorter than the defensive phase happily as it relies more on the creativity of the players within […]
Football Tactics For Beginners:How To Watch Football-Part 2
You can read the first part here Defensive Phase I always try to analyse the defensive phase of a team before the attack. Most professional managers put more preparation and more thought into the defensive shape and organisation, and defensive phases generally have less allowance for a player’s own creativity meaning that they are less […]
Talking Points From The Weekend:Rooney Sad again?
Wayne Rooney’s midfield role It is no coincidence that,Manchester United’s return to winning ways and Wayne Rooney dropping back into midfield happened at the same time. With Michael Carrick out,United had no creativity in midfield and so couldn’t bring in the wingers into the game. Over the past 2 premier league games,we have seen how […]
Football Tactics For Beginners: How to watch Football -Part 1
How to watch football like an expert? Never try to analyse a game from the team you support live. You get too caught up in the fun and drama of football to actually see the game properly. If you want to analyse the team you support, I’d recommend watching the game in peace/as […]
Roy Keane Vs Juventus-1999 Champions League Semifinal
Rough Diamonds #14- Óliver Torres (Atletico Madrid)
The conveyor belt of talented midfielders coming out of Spain feels almost endless at times. As Iniesta and Xavi move into the latter stages of their careers we find the likes of Isco and Thiago Alcântara waiting to step into their void and begin their ascension to the pinnacle of world football. Last […]
Rough Diamonds #13-Mateo Kovačić (Inter)
One in a million talent, you say? Try one in five million (approximately Croatia’s population) talent, and you would still be far from the truth. Since the golden era of Croatian football in the late ’90s and the likes of Šuker and Prosinečki, there wasn’t a player who could entertain fans and produce […]
Real Madrid 0-5 Barcelona-1974:Johan Cruyff at his best
Champions League Talking Points:Time to drop RVP?
Can anybody stop Bayern? Bayern Munich won a record breaking 10th game with ease and it doesn’t look like anbody can stop them from reclaiming their title. The fact that Pep still goes in with a single holding midfielder might excite some opposition coaches,but his use of Javi Martinez as a Forward Destroyer against Borussia Dortmund […]
Talking Points From the Weekend:Messi,Ronaldo,Suarez?
Return of the Striking duo?Suarez and Sturridge,Negredo and Aguero,Van Persie and Rooney,Llorente and Tevez. This season we have seen the revival of the striking duo which is surprising considering the success of the 4-2-3-1 and the false 9 . But they are not playing in plain old 4-4-2,one of the striker needs drop back or move […]
Football Tactics for Beginners:The 4-2-3-1 formation
The most widely used formation in international football at present is the 4-2-3-1 formation and most of the top clubs in Europe have been using variations of 4-2-3-1 over the past decade. In the Champions League ,with the exception of Barcelona and Manchester United in recent years,all finalists have used a 4-2-3-1. Inter in 2010,Chelsea […]
Barcelona Vs Real Madrid:The Dream Team vs The Galacticos
An imagining of a match between two famous El Clasico sides. The 1992 European Cup winning Barcelona team, known as “The Dream Team” versus the 2002 Real Madrid team, at the beginning of what is known as the Galactico’s period. Il Fenomeno doesn’t make the side – he signed in late summer 2002. Sadly too, […]
Football Tactics For Beginners: Attacking FullBacks
The modern attacking fullback has many duties to perform. No longer is it enough to leave an opposition winger stud-pocked and bruised, a modern full-back must also present an attacking threat of his own. He must overlap his own winger, get to the byline and deliver a cross. A modern full-back must have pace, he must […]
Will Fellaini Save Or Spoil United?
It’s been a rollercoaster ride at Manchester United since Moyes took over. Over the summer Utd’s hapless approach to transfer deals seemed to confuse, rather than persuade, most teams they were negotiating with; they then had their poorest start to the league in over decade, and are right now pinning all their hopes on an […]
Is it time for Alvaro Morata to replace Karim Benzema?
He is a vital part of the Spanish Under 21 team and a squad player for Real Madrid but is it time to make him a vital part of Real Madrid’s team also? Alvaro Morata turns 21 on October 23rd and is the kind of big and rangy striker than makes opposing defenders take notice. […]
