Author: Rhys Desmond

Across the past decade, I have worked with thousands of players and coaches across multiple sports and disciplines. I recognize the value of diving deeper beyond the first glance, and uncovering the deeper-lying ways to enhance performance. I make a commitment toward positive reinforcement, research-backed insights, and making the experience fun for those that work with me. If you’re interested in learning more about my site or experiencing my coaching, feel free to reach out! 👊⚽

Woobens Pacius – Player Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Canadian Premier League, Coach Education, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, Striker

At the start of the 2022 CANPL season, Woobens Pacius appeared to have lost his place at the top of Forge FC's attack. The Hammers had brought in Pacific icon Terran Campbell, who had haunted Forge among many other Canadian Premier League teams en route to Pacific's Playoff victory in 2021. But Forge's attack didn't fully click in the opening weeks of the season, and they struggled to find the right chemistry, particularly with Campbell's desire to engage lower on the pitch and support the play. In came Woobens Pacius to restore faith to Forge's fervid attack, and the Hammers immediately went on a stunning run of form.

Explaining the Inverted Winger – Player Role Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Attacking Midfield, Data Analysis, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, Player Education, Recruitment & Scouting, Winger

Unlike their name might imply, 'Inverted Wingers' are far more than just wingers that cut or drift inside. That is only one small part of an overarching role that prioritizes playmaking in the final third, and dynamically linking play between the other members of the front-line. The best of the art will often post high numbers in goals and assists, but 'Inverted Wingers' need to be so much more than just creative goal-scorers - generally tasked with creating space, rotating with teammates, and moving off the ball to exploit the half-spaces at the right moments.

Copyright and intellectual property rights in football writing & analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Most Recent

Let's be clear. Educational / 'fair use' is not copying someone's words and claiming them as your own. What is the point in being a content creator if you're not going to create content? What is the point in being a content creator if you're not going to have original ideas? We are all biased by our experiences, and we are all welcome to echo others and use the work of others as inspiration for our own ideas. But there is line that must not be crossed, and as soon as it's crossed, the wolves are welcome to come out.

Daniel Farke – Monchengladbach – Tactical Analysis

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

After a disappointing season under the influence of Adi Hütter in 2021-22, Borussia Monchengladbach have now enjoyed one of their best starts to a season in recent memory. Daniel Farke has restored stability and solidity at the helm of his new club, with Die Fohlen losing just one of their opening seven fixtures in the league. Along the way, they've beaten Leipzig in stunning fashion, and drawn both Bayern Munich and SC Freiburg, both of whom topped the table at the time. Daniel Farke hasn't made drastic changes to the team's tactics since entering the door, but he's made smart and subtle tactical tweaks that have allowed Die Borussen to up their game and re-find form. Here is our tactical analysis of Daniel Farke's Gladbach in 2022-23.

Game of Numbers #6 – Lucy Bronze as a Floating 8

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Game of Numbers, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Player Analysis, Premier League, Women's Football

FC Barcelona Femení had a slow start to their first match of the season, initially struggling to find avenues forward in Tenerife's 5-4-1 defensive block. UD Granadilla Tenerife compacted the lines both vertically and horizontally to stunt Barcelona's progress forward, but in an abnormally high-line that spurred Giráldez's team to hit long passes over the top. They were caught offside from these attempts time and time again, particularly in their quest to spray in behind for Geyse's speed. But then, everything changed.

Potter’s first match at Chelsea – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Managers, Match Analysis, Premier League, UEFA Champions League

In my entire existence on this website, I have never received so many questions about the same topic in a span of less than twenty-four hours. What, on earth, were Chelsea doing on Wednesday? What formation were they playing? What was Sterling? What was Cucurella? How did it all come together in such strange fashion? I'm paraphrasing, of course. But the point stands; and it's a question that arises once again from Potter's incessant desire to be very fun.

Find me a player for…

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Recruitment & Scouting

One of the most commonly used scouting tools today is to find a similar comparison to an already existing professional player. This is used as a useful way of sizing up a player, and identifying their strengths, weaknesses, skillsets, and style of play in relation to a known quantity. But we must remember that a range of topics go into any recruitment scenario, in our quest to find the best fit. In this article, as part of our Introduction to Football Analysis course, we detail how to 'Find a player for ___'.

Social media management in football analysis

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

Where would I be without sharing my work on Twitter? Absolutely nowhere. I wouldn't be helping anyone, and I wouldn't have the strong following that I've developed across the site. Twitter is responsible for approximately 1,000 views on my site per day, and where I've had some of the best football conversations I've ever had. So today, I'm going to be sharing my best tips and tricks to managing a social media account in football analysis, and how to get the most out of your experience.