Category: Team Analysis

How Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea could look in 2026-27

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Premier League, Team Analysis

Xabi Alonso enters Chelsea as one of the most reputable managers in the world, despite only being in the managerial scene for seven years. He also enters at a time when Chelsea desperately need someone to steady the ship. The Blues finished a measly 10th in the 2025-26 Premier League season, and lost the backing of some of their most influential stars. Although the Blues have spent over a £1 billion in the Todd Boehly era, they now have someone with a clear tactical identity that can work to get the best out of another summer of new recruits. The early indications are expensive, but positive. Here is how Alonso's Chelsea could look next season.

Tottenham didn’t win, but they finally showed they care

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Premier League, Team Analysis

De Zerbi's team now have five games to go, and they need to make them count. The only way to do that is to channel everything they showed in this match, and show that they truly care about staying up.

More than a feeder club: Strasbourg’s youth-led blueprint

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Recruitment & Scouting, Team Analysis, World Football

When Strasbourg stunned FSV Mainz to advance to the semi-finals of the UEFA European Conference League, they did so with an average age of 22.2 years. They surpassed Mainz with a list of unknown names apart from Ben Chilwell, who stood as the only player above 25 years old in the entire first eleven. He's … Continue reading More than a feeder club: Strasbourg’s youth-led blueprint

The big questions for Canada ahead of the World Cup

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Masterclasses, Team Analysis

Jesse Marsch might have been hoping for more from his team against Iceland and Tunisia, but they put up a decent fight in both matches, and gave plenty of fringe players a chance to stake their claim for the World Cup. This team have been hit by so many injuries over the past few months and that will leave a ton of questions for Marsch to answer within his squad composition for the summer tournament. After consecutive draws with Iceland and Tunisia, here are the looming questions still needing to be answered before the summer.

Tottenham win the award: Most disastrous season in Premier League history

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Premier League, Team Analysis

With one of the highest wage bills in the league, if Tottenham succumb to relegation, this will be one of the most disastrous seasons of any top-flight side.

Picking England’s 2026 World Cup Squad

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Team Analysis, World Cup 2026, World Football

The World Cup is just a few months away, and Thomas Tuchel already seems to have a clear idea of both his squad and how he wants England to play. His teams are built on energy, physicality, and discipline — players who stick to their roles and execute a system, rather than drift and freelance. That’s where things get interesting. Because as much as I understand what Tuchel wants, I don’t agree with all of it. This isn’t a prediction of who will go to the World Cup. This is the squad I think should go — the one that gives England the best chance of winning the tournament, not just controlling matches.

Michael Carrick has given Manchester United their joy back

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Managers, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Premier League, Team Analysis

At the time of Ruben Amorim's shock sacking, Manchester United sat sixth in the table. There were signs of hope and progress, but also much in the way of disappointment and misalignment. Since Carrick entered the frame at Old Trafford, the Red Devils have won four in a row, closing the gap on City in second to just three points. This is a United team that are not only playing with simultaneous swagger and stability. But a team that is rooted in togetherness. Even beyond the results, this is the most impressive thing that Carrick and his coaching team have done since coming into the fold at United. They've created a team that are incredibly organized and tough to beat, fluid and exciting on the attacking end, and together in everything they do.

United’s attacking depth the difference against Arsenal

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Premier League, Team Analysis

Manchester United may have been second-best for long stretches against Arsenal, but the match ultimately exposed a growing truth about Carrick's team: they can score from anywhere, at any moment, through anyone. While Arsenal controlled the possession, United’s depth in attack - spread across the squad rather than one star, proved decisive. In a season defined by inconsistency, this ability to flip a match on its head in seconds might be their most valuable weapon in the race for Champions League football.