Much of the discussion surrounding Manchester United at the moment revolves around one central tenet – the fact that they still have Fred & McTominay playing in midfield – rather than superman and wonder woman. It is true that United strengthened in several areas that they did not necessarily need to over the course of a busy summer window. It is also true that they neglected to strengthen the widest, gaping whole in their entire team. But Fred & McTominay have become scapegoats for the fragility of a fairly flimsy team that almost certainly would be worse off without them.
Category: Premier League
Chelsea 0-1 Man City – How Pep Beat Tuchel – Tactical Analysis
Chelsea vs. Manchester City was tipped to be an early title decider, and it did not disappoint as a highly contested affair between two teams right in the thick of the race this season. In the end it was the Citizens who came out on top, after an utterly dominant performance over a team that beat them in the UEFA Champions League final last season. Here is our analysis of the match.
How Crystal Palace Shocked Tottenham Hotspur – Tactical Analysis
After weeks of succeeding with narrow 1-0 wins in a 4-3-3 formation, Nuno Espirito Santo decided change was needed. To be fair to Nuno, without the injured Heung-Min Son and Steven Bergwijn, change likely was needed. But unfortunately the Portuguese manager adapted in the completely wrong way, and Crystal Palace, yes Crystal Palace, tore them to shreds.
Premier League Tactical Review – Matchday 4
Matchday 4 of the 2021-22 Premier League season will forever be remembered as the day Cristiano Ronaldo made his return to Manchester United, and scored a brace in his first match back. But many more BIG things happened this weekend, including Crystal Palace thumping table toppers Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal picking up a big win in their relegation six-pointer against Norwich, and City continuing their impressive clean sheet run with a 1-0 win over Leicester. Here is our tactical review of Matchday 4.
Rosters Reimagined! A Post-Transfer Market Tinkering of the EPL’s Big Six [Quick Take]
The transfer window has closed and we’re left with a week of international football to wonder what money truly buys. So for kicks, let’s incorporate the new lads in alternative formations for the Premier League’s “Big Six” and see what cleverness or calamity results…
Futbol Masterminds Podcast – Reece James Sees Red, Arteta’s Arsenal Woes, and Ronaldo’s Return to the Prem
After the Premier League's third week of action, the band is back together as Rhys and Kausty are joined by Dawar Aziz to discuss all things Chelsea vs. Liverpool and that awful Arsenal performance against Manchester City. The lads also give their opinion on Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer to Manchester United, and what it might mean for Mason Greenwood moving forward.
Futbol Masterminds Podcast – Arsenal’s Relegation Battle, Chelsea and City Title Contenders but West Ham Top
The Premier League's opening weekend saw Manchester United smash Leeds into bits, Tottenham stun Manchester City, and Chelsea and Liverpool get off to flying starts, albeit against weaker opponents. The Futbol Masterminds are there to break it all down!
Quick Take: Tottenham’s tactical tweaks are a subtle genre switch
Tottenham Hotspur are a team in transition. And with all the surrounding newness, it's easy to expect (or, in some cases, hope for) complete novelty, an immediate replacement of old, bad habits and tendencies with new, good ones. Unfortunately, this forecast is more fanciful than fair. Tottenham Hotspur are a team in transition. And with all the surrounding newness, it's easy to expect (or, in some cases, hope for) complete novelty, an immediate replacement of old, bad habits and tendencies with new, good ones. Unfortunately, this forecast is more fanciful than fair. Squad rebuilds are a function of two factors working in dichotomy: time and money. The greater one becomes, the lesser the other can be. In this way, football clubs with immediate access to financial capital can regenerate a squad in short order. For everyone else, it takes time. But even as a slow reconstruction in progress, managers can face significant pressure in the form of tactics reimagined. Realistically, teaching and optimizing a new system of play takes additional time and risks subpar performance in the interim, while simple replication of previous methods will surely be seen as short-sighted redundancy. Into this predictable but unfortunate conundrum stepped Nuno Espirito Santo, a manager who recently traded Wolves’ black and yellow for Spurs’ white and blue.
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