Tag: Manchester City

Why big clubs keep getting transfers wrong

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Data Analysis, Recruitment & Scouting

To football clubs, £100 million might no longer seem like an insane amount of money. They seem to have money to spare. But it never works. And herein lies the reason why clubs like Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth will always have better transfer strategies. Think of how many proven Premier League players you could sign for that total sum of £100-125 million. Think of how many young players you could convince to join for that total fee. This is the problem with the spending of big clubs, and why most big transfers fail.

Manchester United 2-0 Manchester City – Match Analysis – Carrick’s first in charge

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Managers, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Premier League

Manchester United cannot compete with the likes of City, Chelsea or Arsenal by playing a possession-based game. Not at present moment. But they can compete with any team in the league by playing on the counter, and racing forward at high speeds. If United were going to win against City today, it was always going to come this way. And against so much of the criticism about United, Carrick didn't try to do anything extraordinary. He just set up a team that would be difficult to break down, full of leadership, and full of attacking intensity on the break. And as a result of that approach, it could have been 4 or 5-0. It could have been that bad for the Citizens. United were that vivacious on the attack. Here is my analysis of United's 2-0 win over City in the Manchester derby.

Game of Numbers #39 – Erling Haaland’s backstep before goals

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coaching, Game of Numbers, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Premier League, Striker

Manchester City have scored 15 goals in the Premier League's opening 8 matches. Erling Haaland has scored 11 of them. And among many of those goals, a common trend has emerged. I call it - the backstep!

Pep Guardiola, Copy-Cats & Why Team Tactics Must Work for Your Players

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Premier League

The weirdest of the weird proclaim modern football to be boring, because every team endeavours to play the same way. High-possession, high-pressing, building out from the back, goalkeepers involved in the build-up, inverted this, inverted that, and some degree of positional rotation. The man credited for starting or popularizing many of these modernizations is Pep … Continue reading Pep Guardiola, Copy-Cats & Why Team Tactics Must Work for Your Players

Pep Guardiola – Manchester City – Tactical Analysis (2023-24)

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

This might finally be the year. It might finally be the year that Pep Guardiola and Manchester City don't win the Premier League. Despite that, they've still been the most tactically complex team in the league, carrying on from much of the tactics that brought them a treble-winning triumph last season. Here is what Pep Guardiola has imposed in 2023-24, continuing to make City one of the most dominant forces in the world.

Chaos vs. Control: A Collision of Principles

by Charlie Ellis, posted in Masterclasses

Some like to approach games in a disciplined structure, intentionally and meticulously dictating games to their own tempo. Others opt for a more emotionally-charged philosophy, reliant on the belief, energy and willpower of their trusted eleven on the field.

Game of Numbers #37 – Forge FC’s use of centre-backs in midfield like Manchester City

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Canadian Premier League, Game of Numbers, Masterclasses

For the unfamiliar, Forge FC are the Manchester City of the Canadian Premier League. They play a possession-based 4-3-3, stacked with ball-savvy savants, and a culture that embodies winning. The Canadian Premier League's been around since 2019 now. Forge have won the Playoffs in four of the five seasons, and lost the final in the one other at the hands of players they recruited to their team immediately after.

Why centre-backs are becoming fullbacks: The tactical trend that defined 2023

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Centre Backs, Fullback, Masterclasses, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting

It might be wrong to credit this tactical approach to Pep Guardiola. After all, the origin story to the 'fullback' is because the defender was fully back. However, in operating with a centre-back that steps up into midfield, Guardiola also created a construction within his team that regularly positioned centre-backs out wide. From then on, this approach has only become more popular. It's been the top tactical trend of 2023, and often one that's allowed the best teams in the world to thrive.