Frank Lampard – Chelsea – Tactical Analysis (Post-Sacking)

Frank Lampard enjoyed a successful first season with Chelsea F.C., despite no new summer signings coming through the door. The Blues hovered around 4th for the majority of the season in behind Leicester City, and eventually secured 4th behind Manchester United. Lampard relied heavily on young talent in 2019-20 and the club were rewarded with fantastic performances from the likes of Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori and Reece James. In preparation for the 2020-21 season, Chelsea then went on to spend millions, securing the signatures of players like Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell and Edouard Mendy, plus Thiago Silva on a free. For a short period of time, it worked. With nine games in, Chelsea were showing great signs of promise, sat second in the table, and were well in the hunt for a Premier League title chase. Frank Lampard himself was making some astute tactical changes, and appeared to be coping well with the dilemma of how to show faith in his youth, while integrating all the new signings. But as the season wore on, Chelsea failed to make an impact. At the time of his sacking, the Blues sit in ninth, with many nearby teams holding games in hand. Losses to Leicester, Manchester City and Arsenal likely handed Lampard a premature managerial sacking; along with the fact that Thomas Tuchel was out of a job, waiting at the door-step for a call. So a day after a 3-1 FA Cup win against Luton Town, Frank Lampard was sacked as manager. Here is our Tactical Analysis of Frank Lampard's Chelsea in both of his seasons in charge, and an accompanying analysis of where he might land next. 

Home Training Session – Ball Control Mixed Bag of Fun

Stuck inside with nothing to do? Not able to go out to the park and train? Fear not, because TheMastermindSite.com will be delivering several home training sessions over the next few weeks. Session nine is all a mixed bag of fun, centered mostly around ball control. The session also includes some passing and turning, skills moves and a fitness challenge as always to end off.

Home Training Session – Receiving under Pressure

Stuck inside with nothing to do? Not able to go out to the park and train? Fear not, because TheMastermindSite.com will be delivering several home training sessions over the next few weeks. Session seven is a four colour session, working on a variety of touches, fakes, rolls and turns. Coach Rhys will lead you through a series of exercises, a skills challenge and two fitness challenges this week to end off. Now, enjoy this four colour session!

Home Training Session – 4 Colours with Turns & Fakes

Stuck inside with nothing to do? Not able to go out to the park and train? Fear not, because TheMastermindSite.com will be delivering several home training sessions over the next few weeks. Session seven is a four colour session, working on a variety of touches, fakes, rolls and turns. Coach Rhys will lead you through a series of exercises, a skills challenge and two fitness challenges this week to end off. Now, enjoy this four colour session!

Pressing from the Front – Tactical Trends in 2020

One of the most consistent tactics of the past decade has been the reliance on pressing from the front from some of the biggest clubs in the world. It would be foolish to say that pressing did not exist until the 2010s. What is perhaps more true is just how systematic pressing has become in recent years. In 2020, pressing evolved in unique ways, with many teams bringing their own unique approach to the tactical trend. Here are some of the trends seen in 2020 with regards to pressing from the front.

How Wolves Have Struggled Without Raul Jimenez – Tactical Analysis (2020-21)

Since losing Raul Jimenez to a horrific head injury in November 2020, Wolves have picked up just 8 points in 11 matches. They've stumbled down the table to 14th, and they look a far cry from the side that finished 7th in previous back to back seasons. Without Raul Jimenez and a sudden abandonment of their back-three mantra, Nuno Espirito Santo's side look like a team that lack a clear identity to win football matches. This comes as a surprise, given that Wolverhampton had one of the clearest identities in the league two seasons in a row before this one. After their toothless performance in the second half against West Bromwich Albion, leading to a 3-2 defeat, we take a look at what's gone wrong for the Raul Jimenez-less Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020-21.

Home Training Session – Dribbling in Tight Spaces

Stuck inside with nothing to do? Not able to go out to the park and train? Fear not, because TheMastermindSite.com will be delivering several home training sessions over the next few weeks. Session #6 is all about dribbling in tight spaces. Coach Rhys will lead you through a series of exercises, several skill moves and a fitness challenge to end off. Now, enjoy this session all about dribbling in tight spaces!

Home Training Session – Ball Control in the Air

Stuck inside with nothing to do? Not able to go out to the park and train? Fear not, because TheMastermindSite.com will be delivering several home training sessions over the next few weeks. The fifth of these sessions is all about ball control in the air. Coach Rhys will lead you through a series of exercises, a skills challenge and a fitness challenge to end off. You can send videos of you completing the challenges to themastermindsite.com@gmail.com for shoutouts in our next videos. Now, enjoy this session all about ball control in the air!