Tag: Joao Cancelo

Game of Numbers #28 – The magic touch of fullbacks with Kieran Trippier & Joao Cancelo

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Game of Numbers, Match Analysis, Player Analysis, Premier League

It's been well established over the past decade that fullbacks have grown in prominence and importance in the final third. Just about every team will have their fullbacks involved as active members of the attack, if not one playing high up the pitch as another stays more reserved. Two of the leading figures over the past five-ten years have been Kieran Trippier and Joao Cancelo, each of whom had excellent performances this past weekend. Here is the magic touch of fullbacks as part of Game of Numbers #28, featuring Kieran Trippier and Joao Cancelo.

Why Erling Haaland scores so many goals

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Player Education, Premier League, Striker

Let's not get overly simplistic about this. Erling Haaland is the best footballer in the world at the moment. But how he scores so many goals can be scrutinized in far greater depth than simply saying he's an alien. So with that, here is our latest analysis on the great Erling Haaland, and how he scores so many incredible goals.

Game of Numbers – #2 – Walker & Cancelo Back Where They Belong

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Defensive Midfield, Game of Numbers, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Analysis

Leave it to Manchester City to always be doing something interesting from a tactical perspective. Tactics were bound to change at the Ethiad with a new striker entering the door. City even made strides to accommodate Erling Haaland by purchasing yellow shirts for everybody. But the real tactical change against West Ham United came out from the back, with the re-emergence of an old City favourite that quietly died down in 2021-22. In large part, Bernardo Silva's 'Bernardo Silva Role' meant that the City fullbacks were responsible for inverting less in build-up phases, as the Portuguese playmaker drifted toward the ball to help the Citizens break through central corridors instead.

Why Marc Cucurella is perfect for Manchester City

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Fullback, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting, Wing-Back

Out of all the names to be linked with Manchester City, Marc Cucurella would have been an obscure choice beyond belief this time last year. But after a successful first season in the Premier League with Brighton & Hove Albion, the versatile Spaniard may now be a few weeks away from securing a dream move to the Champions. Cucurella is one of the most versatile players on the planet, making him an ideal candidate to be City's next rising star. Here is our analysis of the 23-year-old, and his potential fit for Manchester City.

Explaining the Inverted Fullback – Player Role Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Data Analysis, Fullback, German Bundesliga, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Player Education, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting

Fullbacks are not always the flashiest of players, nor do they garner the greatest attention, even despite their importance to creating and generating chances in the modern game. That is precisely why a system like our Role Continuity Evaluation System works on so many levels, as we are able to adequately assess the important characteristics to a player's performance, while minimizing the scrutinization over less important facets of the player's game. Within the system, we break down full-backs into three broad categories: 'Wide Warriors', 'Wing-Backs', and the topic of today's article - the 'Inverted Fullback'. So with that, we explain the tasks, functions and role of an 'Inverted Fullback' and outline some of the very best in the position in 2022.

Picking the 2021-22 PFA Team of the Year

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Most Recent, Premier League

It's that time of year! In this week's Tactical Thinker, we asked you to name your PFA Team of the Year, as though you were one of the pros making the difficult selection. After a countless number of responses, we compile the top eleven players as voted by our own stack of pros - you, the readers. Here is our PFA Team of the Year, from the TMS community.