Author: Charlie Ellis

Why Mateo Kovačić is perfect for Manchester City

by Charlie Ellis, posted in Central Midfield, Data Analysis, Player Analysis, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting, Team Analysis

After five fairly stellar and underappreciated years at Chelsea, Mateo Kovačić has left the club and signed with Manchester’s most recent treble winners. New ownership at Stamford Bridge led to a drastic rebuild from their 2021 Champions League winning squad, and the time came for one of their most consistent performers over the years to exit the building. Manchester City took full advantage, making him an apt replacement for the loss of Ilkay Gündoğan and the potential loss of silky smooth Bernardo Silva.

Why Dominik Szoboszlai is perfect for Liverpool

by Charlie Ellis, posted in Attacking Midfield, Central Midfield, Data Analysis, German Bundesliga, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting

Without ever fully setting the Bundesliga on fire, Szoboszlai had two solid seasons at Leipzig, hitting a high of 6 goals and 8 assists in 31 matches last campaign, primarily playing as a '10'. Liverpool must be confident however that the Hungarian midfielder can make his mark at the centre of the park, perhaps even as they continue to push Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield alongside Fabinho, thus creating more opportunity to have roaming attacking midfielders like Mac Allister and Szoboszlai ahead. With that, here is why Liverpool made their move for the Hungarian, and what he brings to the Reds.

Finding the next Antoine Griezmann – Tactical Analysis

by Charlie Ellis, posted in Attacking Midfield, Data Analysis, Player Analysis, Recruitment & Scouting, Striker

Without always achieving the acclaim, Antoine Griezmann has been one of the most influential stars of the past decade. From World Cup triumphs to lavish Barcelona moves to his time rolling in the mud of Diego Simeone's Atletico, Griezmann has made a career that many could only dream of achieving. As the Frenchman now enters the twilight of his career, we analyze the 32-year-old's game, and the next heirs to his throne. As France's all-time assister, his impact on the national side will be a massive miss over the next few years. But we aren't just looking for a Frenchman, but someone who can play in a similar mold for Diego Simeone's Atletico or achieve the same level of stardom as the French superstar.

Finding the next Virgil van Dijk – Tactical Analysis

by Charlie Ellis, posted in Centre Backs, Data Analysis, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Player Education, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting

Van Dijk's return post-injury has been fairly remarkable, but he is starting to show signs of slowing down. He's no longer that same commanding presence that simply cannot be dribbled around. Liverpool meanwhile are suffering, with the Europa League now acting as their best shot at attaining European football next season. The Dutchman himself is now 31 years old, and often remains alongside another key figurehead of the same age in Joël Matip. With that, we attempt to assess the best candidates to replace Virgil Van Dijk at Liverpool, as Jurgen Klopp prepares for the future.

Replacing Robert Lewandowski at Bayern Munich – Transfer Market Analysis

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.

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.

Unai Emery – Aston Villa – Tactical Analysis

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.