Tag: 2021-22 Premier League Season

David Moyes – West Ham United – Tactical Analysis (2021-22)

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Managers, Most Recent, Premier League, Team Analysis

Within the last two years at the London Stadium, Moyes has overseen the rise and development of Declan Rice into one of the best midfielders on the planet; not to mention an excellent recruitment scheme that has brought in the likes of Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal and last season's loan signing of Jesse Lingard. Throughout that time, he's also inspired improvements in versatility, style of play and attacking output in the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals, and Michail Antonio, within an intense style of football that works to combat even the toughest teams in the league. So ahead of a charge towards this season's UEFA Europa League final, we take a look at David Moyes' tactics this season. Here is our latest in all things West Ham and David Moyes.

Tactical Thinker: Young players outside of Europe’s top five leagues catching the eye

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Most Recent, Recruitment & Scouting, World Football

Who is a young player outside of Europe's top five leagues that has caught your attention this season? If you'd like to expand on your answer, feel free to share where you could see them fitting in if a move were to be made elsewhere.

Solving Manchester United’s defensive concerns

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

It's no secret. Manchester United are struggling defensively right now, despite having very capable players all over the pitch. In David De Gea, they have one of the best goalkeepers in the world. In Lindelof and Maguire, the Red Devils have a defensive pairing that spearheaded one of the league's sturdiest defensive structures last season, and led a Europa League charge. Ahead of them, they have two defensive warriors in Fred and McTominay, who will never be world beaters, but are very competent in what they offer. Despite that, Ralf Rangnick's team have conceded 10 goals in their last 5 games, floundering under the German's style of play. So what's amiss?

Why Thiago has been Liverpool’s second best player this season

by Charlie Ellis, posted in Central Midfield, Coach Education, Data Analysis, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Analysis

Liverpool have been utterly rampant this season on all fronts. With the strength in depth Jurgen Klopp has to offer in almost every position, the Reds look strong contenders to win each and every competition this season - going strong in the UEFA Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. With an EFL Cup win already under their belts, a historic quadruple remains in their sights with a little over a month of action to play.

How Brighton beat Arsenal & Spurs in a 3-5-1-1

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Formations, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Most Recent, Premier League

After a bit of a new year slump, Brighton are back on track, beating the fiercest of North London rivals in successive weeks. Graham Potter's ability to tweak his shape and personnel has been a hallmark of his time at Brighton, seemingly always finding a way to get the balance right in his team. But the former Swansea manager made several big calls in the past two weeks, handing a debut to Moises Caicedo against Arsenal, and operating without a recognized number nine against Spurs. Despite those big calls, Potter's men came out on top in back to back weeks against two sides battling it out for a place in this season's top four, whilst using an intriguing 3-5-1-1 shape.

Why Sadio Mane’s killer instinct makes him a perfect striker

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Match Analysis, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Premier League, Striker

At the beginning of January, I, alongside many members of the footballing community, began to mentally prepare for Liverpool's life without Sadio Mane. In 'Finding the next Sadio Mane – Tactical Analysis', I selected Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku as the perfect man to replace the Liverpool legend, amidst a crowd of Luis Diaz, Emmanuel Dennis and Rafael … Continue reading Why Sadio Mane’s killer instinct makes him a perfect striker

How it all fell apart for Sean Dyche at Burnley – 2021-22 Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses

April 15, 2022 marks a sad day in football history - the day in which Sean Dyche was relieved from his duties as Burnley boss. The 50-year-old manager played a massive part in Burnley's development as a football club, turning them into a Premier League staple with a unique brand of football. Whether you like that unique brand of football or not, there's no denying that Sean Dyche provided something inherently intriguing to the Premier League, with a different style of play than any other team. So with that, as Burnley could now be doomed for relegation, we take an in-depth look at Sean Dyche's tactics in his final season at the club, and how it all fell apart for the man who spent a decade at Turf Moor.

Assessing Manchester United’s future centre-back options

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Centre Backs, Coaching, Data Analysis, Managers, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Premier League, Team Analysis

For the past few seasons, the attention on Manchester United's transfer business has surrounded their inability to sign a world class defensive midfielder. However, with United floundering under Ralf Rangnick's style of play, greater defensive concerns have been illuminated in the past few months.