Tag: Mark Flekken

Thomas Frank – Brentford – Tactical Analysis (2023-24)

by Charlie Ellis, posted in Managers, Premier League, Team Analysis

Thomas Frank's Bees are attacking their third season in the Premier League and despite the common pre-season misperception that they would be scrambling for survival, Brentford are again defying expectations. Six points in six games doesn't do their performances justice, having lost just twice so far. They may not be the most beautiful possession-based side in the world but the marginal gains targeted by Frank and his staff is why their overall game far exceeds the majority of English competitors. There may just be another top half finish in store for the Bees. Here is our 2023-24 analysis of Brentford under Thomas Frank, brought to you by Charlie Ellis.

Game of Numbers #5 – Changing Shapes Mid-Game

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Formations, Game of Numbers, German Bundesliga, Masterclasses, Match Analysis

One of the truest tests of any tactically adept coach is to identify mechanisms for changing around their team’s fortunes mid-game. This is never an easy task, but one that managers must be reflecting on not only with their substitutions, but with the potential for changing the master-plan on a grander scale, whether that be a tactical tweak in style or system. In what was one of the games of the weekend, both Freiburg and Leverkusen made pivotal formational changes as the match wore on. Crucially, both teams changed back to the shapes that they've prioritized since the start of the season, calling into question why they ever abandoned their favoured choice in the first place.