Category: Coach Education

How to coach pressing & the five most common pressing triggers

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

Pressing was all the rage from the late 2010's to the early 2020's. Some of the most successful teams across that period played a "high-pressing" game, including Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. But today, press and possess styles of play have started to die out. Brighton have been the best example of a team deploying a press and possess system in the Premier League this season. But they are one of only a few. For those that might be working in coaching environments or just studying how a team like Brighton become so successful at such an intense approach, here are some of the most important details.

Matheus Cunha is crazy, but that’s part of his charm

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Attacking Midfield, Game of Numbers, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, Premier League, Striker, Subscriber Exclusives, Winger

Always playing on the edge, getting in the face of the opponents, and dancing his way through celebrations, Cunha is the fighting spirit that can bring United out of a slump.

The standout U-23 players in the Premier League so far in 2026-27

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Centre Backs, Data Analysis, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, Player Education, Premier League

The Premier League is known for being the most demanding, competitive league in the world. But that has never stopped the world's best young players from gaining substantial minutes on the field. It's not just other European leagues where young players can learn their trade before making a big move to one of Europe's elite. They can start right at the very top too, and even make their mark at some of the biggest clubs in the world. With so many standout young players to start the season, I wanted to analyze three of the best. Here are the standout U23 players to start the 2026-27 season.

Elliot Anderson’s start to life at Manchester City, and what happens next?

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Data Analysis, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting

If you've been living under a rock during this international break from club football, you may have missed that Manchester City have been charged with 114 Premier League financial rule breaches. If the punishment fits the crime, Manchester City will almost certainly be relegated from the league, meaning they will lose all of their strongest assets at the club. Players like Elliot Anderson, who have just come in for 100 million pounds, will soon be surplus to requirements. So what happens now for a player like Anderson?

What we learned from Canada’s friendly wins over Chile and Peru

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Masterclasses, Team Analysis

Canada's first matches since the World Cup revealed a team with more quality, competition and depth than ever before. Luc De Fougerolles and Nathan Saliba strengthened their claims for automatic starting roles, while Liam Millar and Jacob Shaffelburg continued to impress. The next generation have shown that they're not waiting around for their opportunity. They're taking it. Here is what we learned from Canada's wins against Chile and Peru.

3 Canadian stars making their mark at new clubs

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Data Analysis, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, Recruitment & Scouting, Striker

The 2026 summer transfer window was a busy one for Canadians. Just about every one of our national team stars changed clubs - many earning exciting moves to take their careers in new directions. It's only September, but it's gone better than expected for most. Here is how our biggest stars have fared since their big summer moves.

Pascal Groß: Brighton’s £1.7 million masterstroke

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Game of Numbers, Masterclasses, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting

In the month of September, Pascal Groß has arguably been the best midfielder in the division. Certainly one of the most influential, putting up 3 goals and 3 assists to start this season. Here is what makes the German midfielder so special.

Enzo Fernandez, VAR and the offside decision that changed the Manchester derby

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Masterclasses, Premier League

The controversy around this is ultimately about more than just an error of judgement. It's the fact that the on-field team initially came to the correct decision. If VAR wanted to ask the refereeing team to have another look and review the footage, the assistant referee involved in making that call could have been reviewing the footage alongside them. In the end, they made the wrong decision, and Manchester United now suffer as a result.