Replacing Robert Lewandowski at Bayern Munich – Transfer Market Analysis

Featured by Charlie Ellis, posted in Data Analysis, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Recruitment & Scouting, Striker

Having torn the league apart in 2021-22, Julian Nagelsmann’s Bayern Munich look a shadow of their former selves this season. Dortmund and Union Berlin have topped the table in even amounts to the Bavarian giants this campaign, with Nagelsmann's men scraping by since the turn of the year. Perhaps most notably, they've failed to truly replace the man who became a record-breaking goal-scorer in a variety of ways during his time at the club. Robert Lewandowski was still in the form of his life at the age of 34, and by the time he left the club remained a genuine candidate for the Ballon d'Or. Replacing a player of that magnitude is never easy, yet Bayern settled for only former Liverpool man Sadio Mané.

The changing nature of coaching to online formats

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Masterclasses

Next week, I wrap up my second time teaching a Coaching & Leadership course at the university level for a class of enthusiastic undergraduate students. I haven't had much control over the syllabus or in-class learnings either time I've taught the course, and one of the key areas missing happens to be the only form of coaching I currently do - online coaching. More coaches could take advantage of the online formats available to them, even if still working in club environments. Many endurance coaches, mental skills specialists, therapists and counsellours are already coaching almost exclusively online. Other sports and realms will start to catch up. It's only a matter of time before the online coaching boom begins to blossom, so you might as well start to practice your skills in this realm while it's still relatively new.

How to move off the ball like a world class winger

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Player Education, Winger

In the modern era, wingers can be as vital to scoring goals and creating chances as any other position on the pitch. Elite superstars like Mohamed Salah and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have illustrated this to a tee this year, for both their goal scoring prowess and chance creation supremacy. But most young players aspiring to be the world's best struggle to see the finer details of exactly how the likes of Salah and Kvara find themselves in those scoring positions. With that, we break down how to move off the ball like a world class winger, with real examples from the likes mentioned above, in addition to Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Alex Morgan.

Game of Numbers #13 – Guerreiro as a ’10’

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Game of Numbers, German Bundesliga, Masterclasses, Match Analysis

With both Julian Brandt and Marco Reus out for the all-so-crucial Revierderby against FC Schalke, many Dortmund fans wondered what Edin Terzic would concoct. The logical solution would have been to play Jude Bellingham further forward in that '10' slot, utilizing his powerful dribbling further forward. But Terzic opted for a more natural 'creative' outlet, shifting Raphaël Guerreiro into the '10' slot. The move worked like a stroke of genius, with the Portuguese full-back scoring a beautiful goal and assisting the other, against Dortmund's bitter rivals. He was far and away the best player on the pitch, and did all he could to help his team achieve victory, despite BVB ultimately falling short come the final whistle.

Conducting opposition reports for pro clubs

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Most Recent

In creating a thorough report for a pro club, your inclination might be to include all the information you can possibly find. I often thought the same way, writing 4,000 word articles detailing insights into every player. But contrary to popular belief, you don't need to detail everything there is to know about a particular team when writing a report. It's important to distill the most relevant information for the team, taking into account their own style and principles of play.

The benefits of consulting with a performance analyst

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Data Analysis, Masterclasses, Most Recent

Clubs, and certainly professional players, are not currently accessing this to the extent that would truly take their game to the next level. Yet so many youth coaches and younger athletes at the youth level remain unafraid to make that leap. Soon it will be those coaches and players who are already investing in their development as they work through the game, that will leapfrog those that continue to fall behind. Whoever takes the shot first will reap the rewards, and it's now up to the clubs and players to see the value.

Borussia Dortmund 2-1 RB Leipzig – Match Analysis

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, German Bundesliga, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Most Recent

Borussia Dortmund have been slowly creeping up the table, knocking at the door of league leaders Bayern Munich as they slip away and fall victim to their own fallacies in 2023. Now with a commanding performance and signal of intent against RB Leipzig, the Black & Yellows currently sit top of the table with Bayern still to play this weekend. Here is our analysis of how Dortmund beat Leipzig.

The simple vs. complex language debate in football tactics writing & analysis

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Most Recent

On the one hand, it's nice that those in the community are continuously challenging each other to improve. On the other hand, I wish there was more of a recognition toward the simple fact that there is no right or wrong way to conducting analysis in football. This week the debates stemmed around the notion that simple language is obviously, unequivocally, the best approach when it comes to writing and analyzing football. I'm not sure which one of us wrote the article that tipped the scale and confused everyone, but I'm here to say that complex language can be incredibly useful if used correctly.

Game of Numbers #12 – Erik Ten Hag’s Positional Play Masterclass

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Game of Numbers, Managers, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Premier League, Team Analysis

Erik Ten Hag has deployed brilliant implementations of positional play all season long, putting on an absolute masterclass of how to confuddle the opposition into oblivion against Leicester City.

Edin Terzic – Borussia Dortmund – Tactical Analysis (2022-23)

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, German Bundesliga, Managers, Masterclasses, Team Analysis

After a rocky start to the season, Edin Terzic has clawed Borussia Dortmund back into the thick of the 2022-23 Bundesliga title race. Bayern have been poor since the turn of the year, whilst Terzic's team have only rolled on, winning all of their games in 2023 so far. Despite that, no one has been taking them seriously as title contenders. Terzic and co. will like it that way, as all the pressure continues to be elsewhere. So with that, here is our analysis of Borussia Dortmund in 2022-23, and their chances of winning the title.

The art of staying onside

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, German Bundesliga, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Education, Premier League

The art of timing runs effectively as a forward is never an easy task, as it requires adequate scanning of the four pillars to the game: ball, opposition, teammates and space (BOTS). Most notably, the timing of the run has to match the timing of the pass from their teammate, and the timing of the movement from the opposition defensive players up or down. Both of these factors often remain out of the control of the centre-forward, and so it is not entirely their fault for an inability to stay onside. However, with proper scanning and adjustment, offsides can be avoided almost entirely.

Luciano Spalletti – Napoli – Tactical Analysis (2022-23)

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Masterclasses, Most Recent, Serie A, Team Analysis

Luciano Spalletti has worked wonders since arriving to the scene of Naples in 2021. The Italian manager helped Napoli to a third-place finish last season, and now prepares to lead the closing stages of their title charge in 2023. With some supremely smart acquisitions in the summer working their magic, Gli Azzurri currently sit ten points clear atop the table, and have more than double the points of Serie A's historical dominator - Juventus. If Spalletti can continue to get his tactics right and maintain the remarkably positive culture he's built since arriving, Napoli will walk away with the title this year. So with that, here is our analysis of the club from Naples so far in 2022-23.

Unai Emery – Aston Villa – Tactical Analysis

Featured by Charlie Ellis, posted in Most Recent, Premier League, Team Analysis

Unai Emery has been one of the most esteemed managers of the modern era, to little fanfare given that much of his managerial success has come in competitions like the Europa League and Ligue 1. But Emery is yet to truly fail in a managerial role, and looks prepared to only continue his incredible reputation at Aston Villa. When he took over from Steven Gerrard, Villa were hovering around the relegation zone, desperately trying to stay afloat. Now they've attained four wins from their last six matches, in a robust 4-4-2 system that has dragged them all the way toward the top ten. Here is our analysis of how Emery has achieved so much success in his early days at Villa Park.

Mikel Arteta – Arsenal – Tactical Analysis – 2022-23

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Managers, Masterclasses, Premier League, Team Analysis

2022-23 has gone better than anyone at Arsenal could have ever imagined, with the Gunners topping the table for the vast majority of the campaign. After sixteen matches, only two sides have taken points off Arteta's men, with the Spaniard's side becoming completely solidified at all ends of the pitch. Here is our analysis of Arteta's Arsenal in 2022-23.

Roberto De Zerbi – Brighton – Tactical Analysis

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Managers, Masterclasses, Premier League, Team Analysis

Since taking charge of Brighton in late September, Roberto De Zerbi has picked up right where Graham Potter left off, continuing the team's excellence in and out of possession. The results haven't always followed despite all the positives in their performance, but De Zerbi seems to have found solidity now, with the Seagulls currently sitting in seventh place. Here is our tactical analysis of De Zerbi's Brighton so far in 2022-23, and whether or not the Italian can lead them toward European football this season.

Erik Ten Hag – Manchester United – Tactical Analysis

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Managers, Masterclasses, Premier League, Team Analysis

After a rocky start to life at Manchester, Erik Ten Hag has quickly become one of the only managers since Sir Alex Ferguson to restore faith in the fans, and restore equilibrium back into the eleven. United might only be fifth in the table, but continue to grow in confidence under the influence of the Dutchman, and look destined for a top four finish on current form. With that, here is our tactical analysis of Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United since the Dutch manager took over.

Why Erling Haaland scores so many goals

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Player Education, Premier League, Striker

Let's not get overly simplistic about this. Erling Haaland is the best footballer in the world at the moment. But how he scores so many goals can be scrutinized in far greater depth than simply saying he's an alien. So with that, here is our latest analysis on the great Erling Haaland, and how he scores so many incredible goals.

Union Berlin – Tactical Analysis – 2022-23

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, German Bundesliga, Masterclasses, Most Recent

Union Berlin have only kicked on since the start of 2022-23, currently sitting fourth place in a competitive Bundesliga campaign that has seen them start with an unbeaten run of form. Along the way, Fischer has maintained a succinct style of play, that drastically differs from the other German giants around them in the table. Here is our tactical analysis of Union Berlin in 2022-23, under the influence of the extraordinary Urs Fischer.

Introduction to Football Analysis – Online Course with Rhys Desmond

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Most Recent

Calling all football fanatics, coaches, players, analysts and anyone who qualifies as "football obsessed", TheMastermindSite.com finally brings you our brand-new 'Introduction to Football Analysis' course! The course is self-paced and online via articles, videos, email correspondence, and a range of other online materials. Course attendees will get individualized attention from the instructor - Rhys Desmond - one of the industry leaders in website-based football tactics, coaching content, and analysis. The course is for anyone looking to work in football analysis, and/or improve their tactical and analytical understanding. This thorough introductory course will take a deep dive into all aspects of analysis, for the price of just $59.99 CAD - more bang for your buck than anywhere else. To take the course or gain more information, please see the below!

When to press, and when not to press in football

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Education, Premier League

Pressing has been one of the most commonly discussed topics in the past decade or so of the detailed scrutinization of football. Ideas around gegenpressing, and the high-control philosophies of managers like Guardiola and Klopp allowed pressing to come to prominence for all to see, and induced a belief that pressing must be the only proper way to defend.

Coaching 9v9 Soccer – Ebook (2nd Ed.)

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coaching, Most Recent

9v9 is one of the most exciting stages in the development of young players and can often be the first time they are truly able to understand positioning, formations and how to play to the strengths of their teammates. This Ebook gives coaches an opportunity to learn all the in's and out's of coaching 9v9, including tactics, formations, and game management.

Xavi Hernandez – Barcelona – Tactical Analysis (2022-23)

by Charlie Ellis, posted in Most Recent, Team Analysis

Eyebrows were raised over the swift appointment of Barcelona legend Xavi, following Ronald Koeman’s departure in October 2021. Yet, fifteen months into the Spaniard’s tenure at Camp Nou, Xavi has reinvigorated the fanbase with beautiful possession-oriented football. Barca have picked up 59 points from twenty-two games so far in La Liga, and are running away with what would be the club’s first league title in four years. This, even despite the horrors off the pitch captivating the media’s attention. Here is our analysis of Xavi’s Barcelona in 2022-23.

Finding a goalkeeper for Forge FC

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Canadian Premier League, Data Analysis, Goalkeeper, Most Recent, Recruitment & Scouting

Out of all the CPL clubs, Forge FC have enjoyed the quietest off-season. It feels as though that's for good reason, having just won the CPL Playoffs for the third time in the league's four season existence. It might be the sign of a settled squad and players having no inclinations toward seeking pastures new. But for the Canadian Premier League, this is uncharacteristic. With the season just under two months away from kicking off, Forge are without a back-up keeper, or anyone to challenge the Canadian for a place.