Category: Defensive Midfield

Why Alexis Mac Allister is perfect for Liverpool

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Attacking Midfield, Central Midfield, Defensive Midfield, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, Recruitment & Scouting

Hands down, Alexis Mac Allister has been one of the Premier League's most improved players from this season to last. For his seamless transition into a 'DLP' role at Brighton, where he played a critical role in the team's sixth place success, I even had the Argentinean midfielder in my 'Team of the Season'. To get this player for £35 million in today's obscene money market would be one of the steals of the past few years. In this article, I'll break down exactly what makes Alexis Mac Allister such a perfect signing for Liverpool.

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The best role changes of 2022-23 in the Premier League

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Coach Education, Coaching, Defensive Midfield, Fullback, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting, Striker

There is nothing that fascinates me more about tactical team construction than how managers change the job titles of certain players to achieve certain results. That may be to combat a strength of an opposition, to bring out a strength in their own team set-up, to bring the best out of a player at their disposal, or even simply to fill a hole. I created an entire series around this premise called 'Game of Numbers', analyzing the various roles that individual players take up to help their teams achieve success. With that, I highlight some of the best positional tweaks this campaign, detailing how managers were able to get the best out of each player.

Why Wellington Phoenix signed Mohamed Al-Taay – Player Analysis

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

Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Wellington Phoenix's squad is looking bleak. But they are making active steps in the transfer market to improve upon their 6th place finish from 2022-23. New midfielders remain one of the first agenda items after the departures of first-team regulars Clayton Lewis and Steven Ugarkovic. In Mohamed Al-Taay, they've uncovered a 22-year-old gem who can tick all the boxes they need to become a more assertive side in the A-League. Here is what Al-Taay will bring to Wellington Phoenix, as we break down the defensive midfielder's game.

Moisés Caicedo – Player Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Defensive Midfield, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Premier League, World Cup 2022

Around this time last year, Brighton & Hove Albion made a stunning swoop for Ecuadorian midfielder Moisés Caicedo, who at the time, was playing for Independiente del Valle in the Ecuadorian Serie A. They swiftly sent him on loan to Belgian First Division side Beerschot for the beginning half of the 2021-22 season, where his success in Belgium prompted the Seagulls to immediately install him in the heart of their midfield for the remainder of the campaign. Now an Albion regular, Moisés Caicedo has been one of the Premier League's standout midfielders since his re-arrival in the Prem, as an up-and-down 'Shuttler' capable of covering ground all over the pitch. Here is our analysis of Ecuador's supreme midfielder Moisés Caicedo.

Alessandro Hojabrpour – Player Analysis

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

Alessandro Hojabrpour has been one of the standout performers of the past two seasons in the Canadian Premier League. Playing in an understated defensive midfield role where he's required to proactively participate in all phases of the game, Hojabpour has also been a name that has gone relatively unnoticed when compared to some of his CPL peers. At 22 years of age, with the maturity of someone in their mid-twenties, Hojabrpour should be on the radar of every single MLS club, and soon enough on the radar of our national team. Here is my analysis of the remarkabilities to Alessandro Hojabrpour in 2022, and why he's one of the best midfielders that Canada has to offer.

Canadian Premier League Scouting Database – Defensive Midfielders

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Canadian Premier League, Central Midfield, Data Analysis, Defensive Midfield, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Recruitment & Scouting

When asking the question of what player to sign, it's important to examine the most relevant information for your context. If you desire to find a true '6' who can hold down the midfield and play as a lone wolf - anchoring all on their own, Andre Rampersad might be your best bet. If looking for someone slightly more savvy in possession, Alessandro Hojabrpour is worth the swing. If you're looking for someone to play in a double pivot and dynamically venture box to box, Diego Gutiérrez is one of the best that the CANPL has to offer. Here is our analysis of the best defensive midfielders in the CPL.

Game of Numbers – #8 – Alexis Loera’s Midfield Shift

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Defensive Midfield, Game of Numbers, Match Analysis, Most Recent, NWSL, Player Analysis, Women's Football

In our latest analysis series: Game of Numbers, we break down the various tactical undertones of the modern game, most notably the roles that individual players hold on the pitch to help their teams explore avenues for greatness. This is Issue No. 8, currently featuring KC Current's Alexis Loera and VfB Stuttgart's Silas Mvumpa.

How good is Scott McTominay? – Player Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Coach Education, Defensive Midfield, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Premier League

Throughout the past five to ten years of watching Manchester United, I had thought of myself as one of Scott McTominay's biggest fans. The Scotsman is often over-criticized when he doesn't play well, and under-praised in the big matches where he's always a central figurehead. But then out of nowhere, at the height of Scott McTominay's resurgence, a fairly well established Twitter account tweeted about the glory of Scott McTominay, causing quite the stir among the tactics and analytics community. . So with that, I analyze just how good Scott McTominay actually is, and whether or not we should be thinking of the Scottsman along the lines of @EBL2017, in line with the outrage sparked from the tweet, or somewhere in the middle. Here is my analysis of how good Scott McTominay might just be.

Explaining the Tempo Setter – Player Role Analysis

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

The 'Tempo Setter' is a unique player type to our system, taking into account the possession-based players that operate in a 'number 8' position, and thrive when given the ball in the half-spaces. Youri Tielemans, Christian Eriksen and Jordan Henderson feature as some of the best within the role from an emblematic perspective, perfectly exuding the cucumber coolness required. But the likes of Thiago and Tchouaméni also stake a claim despite their extreme exceptionalities on the ball, due to the high influence they present in keeping the game moving along from a withdrawn position. Beyond the streamlined skill of Thiago, they tend not to be the flashiest of players in their teams. But 'Tempo Setters' are key to setting the tone of a football match, and conducting the orchestra from start to finish. Quite simply, without their class and composure in possession, the whole entire musical production could crumble.

Game of Numbers – #2 – Walker & Cancelo Back Where They Belong

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Defensive Midfield, Game of Numbers, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Analysis

Leave it to Manchester City to always be doing something interesting from a tactical perspective. Tactics were bound to change at the Ethiad with a new striker entering the door. City even made strides to accommodate Erling Haaland by purchasing yellow shirts for everybody. But the real tactical change against West Ham United came out from the back, with the re-emergence of an old City favourite that quietly died down in 2021-22. In large part, Bernardo Silva's 'Bernardo Silva Role' meant that the City fullbacks were responsible for inverting less in build-up phases, as the Portuguese playmaker drifted toward the ball to help the Citizens break through central corridors instead.

Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson – Player Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Canadian Premier League, Centre Backs, Defensive Midfield, Most Recent, Player Analysis, World Football

On Sunday July 31, 2022, Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson became the first non-Canadian player to make 100 appearances in the Canadian Premier League. As an integral member to the league's best side, Jönsson has arguably been the player of the season so far in the 2022 season, featuring in all but one match. What's more - he's played admirably in not one but two positions this season, splitting his playing time between the right-side of centre-back and defensive midfield. Here is an analysis of one of the CANPL's best players - 26-year-old Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson.