Category: Player Analysis

Erling Haaland – Player Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in German Bundesliga, Player Analysis, Striker, UEFA Champions League, World Football

After breaking onto the scene with FK Molde in 2018, Erling Haaland has had a quick rise to becoming one of the very best footballers on the planet now in 2021, at the tender age of twenty years old. This season the Norwegian striker has taken his game to new heights, scoring a remarkable thirty-two goals in twenty-eight matches across all competitions. He's particularly impressed in the UEFA Champions League, leading Dortmund into the Quarter Finals with ten goals in six matches so far. Here is a tactical analysis of one of the greatest phenoms in the history of the Bundesliga - Erling Haaland.

Kylian Mbappe – Player Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Attacking Midfield, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, Player Education, Striker, UEFA Champions League, Winger, World Football

After his incredible performance against FC Barcelona, many now regard Kylian Mbappe as the next coming of Lionel Messi, with some even suggesting he's already taken over as the world's greatest player. It was clear as day that Mbappe was going to be a world beater when he first stepped onto the scene with AS Monaco as a seventeen-year-old. But the Frenchman has progressed just as many hoped he might, which cannot be said about most of the seventeen-year old's who have burst onto the scene like Mbappe. Now a well established front-man for PSG, Mbappe is once again leading his team's charge toward the UEFA Champions League final just as he did last season. This is a tactical analysis all about PSG's Kylian Mbappe.

The 5 Best & Worst Premier League Goalkeepers by Saves per Goal (2020-21 Edition)

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Goalkeeper, Premier League

Season after season in the Premier League, two of the biggest topics of debate involve refereeing and goalkeeping. We've already written about one of those two debates in our rant about the handball rule at the beginning of the season, and now it's time to examine the good and the bad of the Premier League's goalkeepers this season. Jordan Pickford, David De Gea and Alisson have all received criticism and attention for their recent performances, but this article attempts to assess how these players have actually performed, using data analytics. This is our analysis of the five best and worst goalkeepers in the league this season, utilizing saves per goal conceded as a statistical metric for our assessment.

How To Boss The Midfield Like Kovacic and Jorginho – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Coach Education, Coaching, Defensive Midfield, Masterclasses, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, World Football

Thomas Tuchel currently remains unbeaten in his first three matches in charge of Chelsea. During that time his team have kept over 70% of the possession and haven't conceded a single goal. One of Tuchel's most impressive tactical implementations has been his reliance on Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic as a double-pivot in a highly functional 3-4-2-1/3-4-3 system that transforms into a 3-2-5 in attack. Jorginho and Kovacic are playing just about as well as any central midfielders in the world at the moment, and might just be the pair of players that can bring Chelsea to greater times. This article will explore how players of any age can boss the midfield like Kovacic and Jorginho.

1v1 Defending Tips for Success

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Fullback, Masterclasses, Masterclasses, Player Education, Sport Psychology, Winger

Players engage in 1v1 battles just about as much as anything else in the game. So, to help players defend their 1v1's to the best of their ability, we provide eight tips for success when defending 1v1 situations.

How to move like a world class striker

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

It's practically undeniable that a striker's number one role in a team is to score goals. But the actual art of scoring goals is so much more complex than many think. It comes down to far more than just finishing ability and instinct. Movement, particularly movement done off the ball, is so important to a striker's ability to score goals. The very best are masters of the art. Some are incredibly adept when it comes to movement in deep and linking up play with others lower on the field. But this article will explore those that are particularly adept at timing their runs into the box to perfection and scoring goals from their stellar movement off the ball. Here are 7 different movement patterns the world's best strikers often use in games to score goal after goal, game after game.

Overlapping Centre-Backs – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Centre Backs, Coach Education, Coaching, Masterclasses, Premier League, Serie A

Any team's style of play needs to fit the personnel and formation. But a relatively new, unexplored tactical innovation arising out of the re-emerging rise of back-three formations is the concept of overlapping centre-backs. Teams like Sheffield United and Atalanta have achieved widescale success utilizing attack-minded centre-backs, who frequently find themselves in advantageous positions, attempting to join the attack and create chances for their teammates. By adopting this style of play, these teams create overloads in wide and/or central areas, and push more numbers into the box, where the delivery of crosses can be a great asset. On the surface, this may seem like a very simple approach. But the concept of overlapping centre-backs is far more complex than just the simple nature of a centre-back running around a wing-back. So let's get right into this Tactical Analysis all about Overlapping Centre-Backs.

Ciro Immobile – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coaching, Player Analysis, Serie A, Striker, UEFA Champions League, World Football

Italian striker Ciro Immobile has been one of the most lethal goal scorers in world football over the last five years, yet still does not get the full recognition that he deserves as one of Europe's top strikers. So far in 2019-20, only Polish striker Robert Lewandowski has scored more goals than Immobile in Europe's top five leagues, and many consider Lewandowski to be the best centre-forward in the world. 14 goals in 12 Serie A matches is more than just an impressive feat, it's something absolutely outstanding, particularly as part of a team where he doesn't have the same level of service or team possession that someone like a Lewandowski or Lionel Messi would have. After failed spells at Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla, Immobile completely revitalized his career with Lazio back in 2016-17 and now at the age of 29, is on pace to set his most impressive goal return of his career. But how does the Italian striker play and what makes him so unique as a centre forward? This is The Mastermind's Tactical Analysis of Ciro Immobile.