David Alaba – TheMastermindSite

Explaining the Ball-Playing-Centre-Half – Player Role Analysis

June 25, 2022September 20, 2022 by Rhys Desmond, posted in Centre Backs, Coach Education, Data Analysis, German Bundesliga, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Player Education, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting

As the name suggests, a 'Ball-Playing-Centre-Half' is a centre-back that excels in possession of the ball, from passing to long passing to carrying to dribbling. They can simultaneously exist as 'Sweepers' or 'Stoppers', providing another interesting asterisk to the role not found in many other positions. Unlike say a fullback or goalkeeper where we have created clearly defined separations and almost polarizations on a style scale, 'Ball-Playing-Centre-Halves' can also be 'Stoppers' or 'Sweepers'.

Carlo Ancelotti – Real Madrid – Tactical Analysis

June 12, 2022August 9, 2022 by Rhys Desmond, posted in UEFA Champions League, World Football

Carlo Ancelotti has long been a legend of the game. But despite managing for over 20 years, now at the age of 62, Ancelotti has continued to update his tactics and methodologies to serve the modern era. That has now transferred into a fourth UEFA Champions League title for the manager himself, his second at Real Madrid. Los Blancos have been exceptional this season under the influence of Ancelotti, winning La Liga by thirteen points, and beating both of England's top two clubs en route to a Champions League triumph. With that, we take a tactical glance at how Carlo Ancelotti achieved miracles in 2021-22.

Top 100 Male Footballers 2021 Edition (40-21)

December 29, 2021January 7, 2022 by Rhys Desmond, posted in World Football

The end of the year is nearly here! And that means it's time for our annual Top 100 Footballers list to kick off. This year, you had your say in our voting polls, and this is where you landed. Here is numbers 40-21 in the Top 100 Footballers in the World.

Centre Back of the Year – Interactive Vote (Top 100 Footballers 2021)

December 12, 2021December 18, 2021 by Rhys Desmond, posted in World Football

The end of year is almost here, and that means it's time for our annual Top 100 Footballers list. This year, you, the readers of our website, will get to have your say. Just simply see the list of nominees below, and rearrange the list to suit your preference of first to last in each position. When we rank the Top 100 Footballers of the Year, we take into consideration a player's form throughout 2021, their club and national team success, difficulty of league, and their reputation + performances in the year prior. You can rank based on any criteria you desire! Below is our poll ranking the best centre backs in 2021.

Why Austria’s versatility makes them a threat at Euro 2020

June 13, 2021June 19, 2021 by Rhys Desmond, posted in Match Analysis, World Football

Austria's ability to achieve reasonable success at Euro 2020. The Austrians did not disappoint in meeting that expectation in their first match against North Macedonia, easing to a 3-1 win. What made Austria's victory so incredibly impressive, is that they did it through players operating in unexpected roles, substitutes coming off the bench, and a variety of mechanisms for creating chances.

How Hansi Flick won the 2020-21 Bundesliga title (Video)

May 20, 2021September 10, 2022 by Rhys Desmond, posted in German Bundesliga, Managers

Hansi Flick's time in charge of Bayern Munich may have been short-lived, but the former and future national team coach will go down as one of the team's all-time greatest managers. Hansi Flick eased to a second Bundesliga title in charge of Bayern Munich on Saturday, after a smashing 6-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach. For all of their fantastic exploits this season, we analyze how Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga title. Check out the full video by AJAnalysis - YouTube.

How Hansi Flick won the 2020-21 Bundesliga title – Tactical Analysis

May 9, 2021September 10, 2022 by Rhys Desmond, posted in German Bundesliga, Managers

Top 100 Male Footballers of 2020 (20-1)

December 26, 2020December 26, 2020 by Rhys Desmond, posted in German Bundesliga, Premier League, Serie A, UEFA Champions League, World Football

2020 was a strange year for everyone in the world, not just footballers. But the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that we haven’t gotten as much football as we might have done otherwise. That said, there were still plenty of matches played across the year, and some surprise performers and performances along the way. As always, TheMastermindSite.com will now count down the top 100 male footballers in the world for the year. This list takes into account a player’s form in 2020 as its primary mechanism, with reputation, difficulty of league, club and national team success each playing a secondary role. So with that in mind, here is TheMastermindSite’s Top 100 Male Footballers in the World for 2020 (20-1).

Hansi Flick – Bayern Munich – Tactical Analysis

August 21, 2020September 10, 2022 by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coaching, German Bundesliga, Managers, UEFA Champions League, World Football

In his first season at the club, Hans-Dieter Flick has seamlessly achieved success with Bayern Munich in stunning fashion, reaching the Champions League final for the club's first time since Jupp Heynckes was at the helm in 2012-13. The former Bayern player achieved widescale success as Germany's assistant coach, even winning the World Cup as Joachim Low's assistant in 2014. With all his experience at international management, Flick has now taken his former side to new heights, creating the most exciting Bayern Munich team since the days of Ribery and Robben. In the 2019-20 Bundesliga season, Bayern won 26 of their 34 games, scored 100 goals in the process and won the league by 13 points over arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund. In the Champions League, they've fared arguably even better, winning all 10 of their games and scoring 42 goals in the process. That's right, they've averaged over 4 goals per game in the toughest competition in club football this season. So, as we prepare for Sunday's 2019-20 UEFA Champions League Final, here is a Tactical Analysis of Hans-Dieter 'Hansi' Flick's Bayern Munich.

Top 100 Male Footballers 2019 (90-81)

December 23, 2019January 6, 2020 by Rhys Desmond, posted in German Bundesliga, Premier League, Serie A, UEFA Champions League, World Football

It's almost the end of the year, so it's only fitting that we count down the top 100 footballers of 2019. Check out the start of the list (90-81) below. 90. EDIN DZEKO 33-years old now, Edin Dzeko is still scoring goal after goal game after game. The 2018-19 Serie A season wasn't the Bosnian's … Continue reading Top 100 Male Footballers 2019 (90-81)