Chelsea 2-5 West Bromwich Albion – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Match Analysis, Premier League

TheMastermindSite covered Thomas Tuchel's first win and first draw at Chelsea, so it's only fitting we also cover their first loss under the German manager as well. Chelsea were absolutely atrocious on Saturday, red card aside, and West Brom had their best game in the Premier League in several years. This all culminated in a stunning 5-2 win, with West Brom in full flow and suddenly with a false sense of hope about their survival chances for the rest of the season. Chelsea meanwhile had their dreams of third place dashed before their eyes, as they will likely now need to scrap to the finish line to now scrape into fourth. Here is a Tactical Analysis of West Brom's big win over the Blues at Stamford Bridge.

Picking the PFA Team of the Year (2020-21)

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Premier League, World Football

The 2020-21 Premier League season has certainly been one of the most unprecedented in the history of the competition. Due to the state of the outside world and the novel coronavirus pandemic, very few players and very few teams were able to gain any sense of consistency over the course of the season. Some of those "very few" aforementioned players fall under the star-studded Manchester City umbrella, and were able to escape the heavy storm relatively unscathed. But a few other stars from around the league consistently performed to high levels, and certainly the Citizens can't claim to have the best player of the season in each and every position. With that, here is our Premier League Team of the Year, as though we were the players picking the team ourselves.

Picking England’s Euro 2020 Squad

by Rhys Desmond, posted in World Football

It's been debated throughout the entirety of the 2020-21 season, and now TheMastermindSite takes their swing at picking England's squad for the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament. Taking into consideration both our dream squad and Gareth Southgate's likely plans for the tournament, here is our 23-man squad for Euro 2020, as compiled by Rhys Desmond, Sam The Man, Kevin Ravindran and Anthony Khoury.

The Mastermind Monthly Magazine – March 2021

by Rhys Desmond, posted in World Football

Calling all subscribers to TheMastermindSite.com, our Monthly Magazine for March 2021 has now arrived. This edition includes...

Futbol Masterminds – UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Predictions

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

Ahead of the upcoming UEFA Champions League quarter final matches, Kausty, Russell and Rhys break down their predictions for each enthralling match-up. After the panel give their predictions, chaos ensues as Russell forgets the recording is still live and goes on a tangent about Virgil Van Dijk and Erling Haaland's dad. Follow @futbolmasterminds on Instagram to see more of the show and subscribe via Itunes and Spotify!

CONCACAF Qualifiers: What is the Best Formation for Canada’s Men’s National Team?

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Canadian Premier League, World Football

It’s early days for the Canadian Men’s National Team, but there is a lot to be optimistic about. After a 5-1 win to open their 2022 World Cup Qualifying campaign, here are some thoughts on the way that John Herdman is lining up players and moving them around the field. In a world where just a few years ago, the biggest club representative of Canada was Unattached FC™, it is nice to see some healthy competition and tough decisions for the coach.

How to overcome the deep-block – Tactical Theory

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Masterclasses, Serie A, World Football

One of the main problems facing big teams nowadays is the deep-block, because of the lack of capabilities of most other teams by comparison. Smaller clubs often resort to the deep-block as a solution in their matches against the big teams, and therefore, coaches need to find a solution to this dilemma that they face in many matches.

Session Plan – Spatial Awareness & Switching Play

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coaching, Sport Psychology

Recently I have heard much in the way of what I would classify as "misinformation" regarding the readiness of youth players to learn tactical concepts like switching play. Switching play as a tactical concept ultimately comes down to recognizing space and making decisions based on that spatial awareness. Switching play doesn't mean crossing a long-ball forty/fifty yards from one side of the field to the other. It is about recognizing the space to see the opportunity of when space is condensed, versus when space is available and what to do in both of those situations. It is therefore an essential concept that can be taught to players of just about any age. Here is a session plan and key coaching points to match, all about spatial awareness and switching play!