Category: Most Recent

The EFL Championship’s most invigorating title race in years

by TMS Staff, posted in Most Recent

For the longest time, Leicester City looked favourites for the EFL Championship title. Few competitions in the world of football can match the Championship for drama, but this 2023-24 campaign has now taken on a new level of excitement ahead of Easter Monday's round of fixtures. Four teams remain in the hunt for the title as the season comes to a close, with only two spots available for automatic promotion. The question of who will claim those spots looms large as we now enter the finale to the campaign.

Unai Emery – Aston Villa – Tactical Analysis (2023-24 Edition)

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Most Recent, Premier League, Team Analysis

Just shy of the halfway mark inside the 2023-24 Premier League campaign, Unai Emery's Aston Villa have been the surprise package. In with a real shot of the top four, Emery's Villa are even within touching distance of the Premier League title chase, currently sitting a single point behind Arsenal in the lead. With that, we analyze what has made Unai Emery's Aston Villa so remarkable this season.

Replacing Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Data Analysis, German Bundesliga, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Recruitment & Scouting

The British midfielder made his debut for the Black & Yellows as a 17-year-old, and went on to captain the team as a 19-year-old in a historic final season for him at the club. Borussia Dortmund are now not only losing one of the most talented footballers on the planet and their best player, but a real leader in the team even despite his youth. With that, we aim to find the next man who could step up to the plate at Borussia Dortmund in his stead.

Why Randal Kolo Muani is perfect for Manchester United

by Rhys Desmond, posted in German Bundesliga, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting, Striker, Winger

To find someone who can both link-play and bang in the goals is a difficult task, but it's one that won't be all that difficult if they turn to Randal Kolo Muani of Eintracht Frankfurt. Here is why United should sign the Frankfurt man, and why Kolo Muani is turning the heads of all the European elites.

The next evolution of my ‘Role Continuity Evaluation System’ one year later

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Data Analysis, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Recruitment & Scouting

At the beginning of 2022, I established twenty-two player roles that footballers often adopt on the pitch. One of the objectives of the RCES and the presentation of 'IQ scores' pertaining to a player's specific role was to present an alternative to the statistics sites that use data as their sole metric for evaluating players. But in creating a less subjective and more sustainable approach to the evaluation model, data must continue to be the centrepiece. As I always preach, we can then use that data to follow-up with an eye test before dissecting deeper or recommending a player to a club. So with that, 'Role Continuity' evolved.