Category: World Football

How to Defend like a Pro

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

Over the past decade, the emphasis on attacking play in the beautiful game has grown and grown. Coaches and fans are increasingly more excited about the attacking moments of the game, rather than defensive moments. Defending has become an afterthought, and teams that set up to defend are often deemed "boring" and "dinosaurs" by fans around the world. But defending remains an integral component to the modern game, and often it can be seen that teams with the better defense structures (Atletico, Manchester City, etc.) often win more football matches.

Are Haaland & Mbappe the new Messi & Ronaldo? – Futbol Masterminds Podcast

by Rhys Desmond, posted in German Bundesliga, Match Analysis, Podcast, Premier League, Serie A, UEFA Champions League, World Football

As requested by virtually everyone, the Futbol Masterminds panel discuss whether or not Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have officially dethroned Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the quest to be the world's best. The panel also discuss the big moments from the North London derby, the La Liga title race and Chris Wilder's unfortunate sacking from Sheffield United. Follow @mastermindsite and our new Instagram @futbolmasterminds to submit your questions every weekend before the show.

Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Hertha Berlin – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Match Analysis, World Football

After a rough couple of months, Edin Terzic finally has Borussia Dortmund back on track, with the Black & Yellows now keeping three clean sheets in their last four Bundesliga matches. It was another routine performance for Dortmund on Saturday, with the club in cruise control for the entire match. Here is TheMastermindSite's tactical analysis of Borussia Dortmund's 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin on March 13, 2021.

Sam Allardyce – West Bromwich Albion – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Managers, Premier League, Team Analysis, World Football

At the time of Sam Allardyce's arrival at West Bromwich Albion, the Baggies looked dead and buried with no hope of survival. Four months on from that, Allardyce's side still look as though they have no hope at all of survival. Allardyce's perfect record of staying alive in the league without ever suffering relegation appears to be over, unless he somehow gets himself sacked before the end of the season and saves his record for another year. But although the Baggies look destined to drop down into the EFL Championship, Allardyce has changed West Brom's fortunes to an extent, with some decent performances against the likes of Wolves, Manchester United and Brighton. His rigid 4-1-4-1 system and the recent additions of the likes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Okay Yokuslu and Mbaye Diagne have inspired a better spell of form, with some sense of stability as the final third of the season approaches. Had these players started at the club at the beginning of the season, it's very likely that Big Sam's team would be far closer to Fulham right now than they are. So with that, here is a Tactical Analysis of Sam Allardyce's West Bromwich Albion since his arrival in December 2020.

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.

Is Bruno Fernandes the Most Transformative Player in Premier League History? – Futbol Masterminds Podcast

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Match Analysis, Podcast, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, World Football

Rhys, Russell and Kausty answer your questions this week - including whether or not Bruno Fernandes is the most transformative player in Premier League history, following Manchester United's 2-0 win over Manchester City. The panel also discuss their predictions for the upcoming Champions League fixtures, whether or not Fulham can survive relegation after their impressive 1-0 victory at Anfield, and Arsene Wenger's proposed offside rule change. Follow @mastermindsite to submit your questions every weekend before the show.

Manchester City 0-2 Manchester United – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Match Analysis, Premier League, World Football

Despite Manchester City's incredible form in recent weeks, the feeling going into the weekend's Manchester derby was that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could get a result yet again, as he had done in four out of his five previous meetings against Guardiola's team. Led by their robust defensive structure and impeccable counter attacking play, that's exactly what happened. Manchester United played with heart and fervidity and eventually succumbed Manchester City to their first loss since November 2020. Here is a tactical analysis of Manchester United's 2-0 win over Manchester City in the derby on March 7th, 2021.

Edin Terzic – Borussia Dortmund – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Formations, German Bundesliga, Managers, Team Analysis, UEFA Champions League, World Football

Despite losing by a horrific 5-1 scoreline to VFB Stuttgart, Lucien Favre's sacking from the helm of Borussia Dortmund came at a strange time, with the club topping their UEFA Champions League group and no new manager in sight. Assistant coach Edin Terzic was given the interim role and unfortunately for the Black & Yellows, things could not have gotten off to a rockier start under the German coach. Terzic won just six of his opening thirteen matches in charge, forcing Dortmund into a difficult situation heading into the final third of the season with so much work to do in the quest to reclaim a place in the UEFA Champions League for next season. But after switching formations against Sevilla, Dortmund have found form again and have now won three on the spin, against big-hitters Sevilla, arch-nemeses Schalke 04, and relatively small-hitters Arminia Bielefield, who troubled Bayern Munich just weeks before. This recent run of form has culminated at the same time as two key decisions - Terzic's formational change away from the 4-2-3-1, and the announcement of Marco Rose as the club's future manager. The announcement gave Dortmund a massive lift and allowed them to regain confidence and focus. But Terzic and co also deserve some credit for the team's recent performances, posing some smart tactical tweaks along the way. Here is a tactical analysis of Edin Terzic's Borussia Dortmund, and whether or not they can make the top four this season.