The difference between seeing and understanding in analysis

When it comes to analysis, it's no secret that the goal is to think on a deeper level, scrutinizing over the finer minutia beyond what you see at first glance. But it's also no secret that this skill takes dedicated time and energy to learn. A lack of deep tactical understanding about the game often comes at a cost to coaches and amateur analysts. They are adequately able to perceive events on a football pitch, but they may be unsure of how to change what they are seeing for the better, or even fully comprehend what they are seeing to the level required. Coaches in my Mentorship Program often ask me - "How do you go from seeing to understanding?" Well that, my friends, is what we're after today. In this series of notes, I'm going to give you a series of images and videos, where you can go from seeing, to understanding. If you've been doing analysis for years, no worries, this will still be an excellent way for you to practice and refine your skills.

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Bruce Arena – New England Revolution – Tactical Analysis

After a long, thirty-four game season, New England Revolution have won their first ever MLS Supporters' Shield. For anyone unfamiliar with the MLS' bizarre structures, that is the equivalent to winning a league title in any other league around the world. In the MLS, all it means is that New England have the best seed heading into the Playoffs, where they will hope to claim glory for good. But despite the insignificance of something that should be very significant, New England need to be commended for their incredible 2021 MLS season. The Revs lost just 5 of their 34 league games, scoring 65 goals in the process. Through it all they played some intriguing football, in a unique 4-3-1-2 system. Here is our tactical analysis of Bruce Arena's New England Revolution in 2021.