Many would have expected Newcastle United to improve under their new ownership, but their rise to remarkability has been quicker than anyone would have imagined. Eddie Howe has achieved complete equilibrium within his eleven in under a twelve-month period, turning the Magpies into a top five side with many of the same faces from the days of Steve Bruce. With Newcastle's remarkable rise only likely to continue, we break down the tactics that have brought his team success in 2022-23.
Tag: Nick Pope
Why Nick Pope is perfect for Newcastle United
It's taken longer than most would have expected for Nick Pope to arise attention in the 2022 Summer Transfer Window, but it now appears as though the Burnley cult hero is days away from securing a move to Eddie Howe's Newcastle United. Back in early June, our readers and contributors picked Pope as the number one player from relegated teams to keep an eye on this summer, and that promise now prepares to come to fruition with the Magpies. Pope would be the perfect player to bring greater stability and solidity to their defensive structures, not to mention between the posts, and at only 10 million pounds, remains an absolute steal. Here is why the Burnley man would be such an astute signing for the Magpies.
Tactical Thinker: Relegated stars that should stay in the Premier League next season
Norwich and Watford made 2021-22 a notoriously bad season for the Premier League's bottom two clubs. Luckily, the fight away from the final relegation spot ended full of entertainment and intrigue, with Everton, Leeds and Burnley battling it out to stay alive. Ultimately, the Clarets would succumb to relegation on the final day, even despite a late push under new management. Now with Burnley, Norwich and Watford heading down to the Championship, we asked you to conjure up the names of the players you think should stay in the Premier League in 2022-23. We received a multitude of responses from our readership, and these were the most common names to hit the board, and the clubs that could be best suited for their signatures.
Tactical Thinker: Which relegated stars are set to stay in the Prem?
After the conclusion of the Premier League season and the subsequent relegations of Norwich, Watford and Burnley, we ask you to conjure up the players that you would keep in the Premier League next season. Whether it's likely to happen or not, we want to know who you would take at your club next season, or who you think would excel at a Premier League team in 2022-23. Answer our latest Tactical Thinker below!
Explaining the Sweeper Keeper – Player Role Analysis
The 'Sweeper Keeper' came to deserved acclaim at the 2014 World Cup, when Manuel Neuer showcased his ability to rush out of his goal, and "sweep" in behind Germany's high-line, almost playing like another centre-back out of possession. Since then, the role of the sweeper keeper has only grown and evolved, becoming a player who is capable in build-up phases, ventures out of their goal to involve themselves in passing sequences higher up the pitch, and completely commands their penalty area by coming off their line and taking control of any situation.
The myth of Nick Pope’s ‘poor’ distribution
Leading up to both the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020 (which famously took place in 2021), a common commentary surrounded Nick Pope, and the potential reasons for Southgate's favouritsm toward Jordan Pickford. "Pope's distribution isn't as good," was said on repeat, almost as though all the pundits of the English game together as one big monster blob out to slight Nick Pope and find justifications for something that few were willing to admit made little sense. Despite Nick Pope's heroics at Burnley for the past five years, and the potential that he will keep them in the Premier League almost single-handedly for another season, Pickford remains England's firm number one.
How it all fell apart for Sean Dyche at Burnley – 2021-22 Tactical Analysis
April 15, 2022 marks a sad day in football history - the day in which Sean Dyche was relieved from his duties as Burnley boss. The 50-year-old manager played a massive part in Burnley's development as a football club, turning them into a Premier League staple with a unique brand of football. Whether you like that unique brand of football or not, there's no denying that Sean Dyche provided something inherently intriguing to the Premier League, with a different style of play than any other team. So with that, as Burnley could now be doomed for relegation, we take an in-depth look at Sean Dyche's tactics in his final season at the club, and how it all fell apart for the man who spent a decade at Turf Moor.
Picking England’s Euro 2020 Squad
It's been debated throughout the entirety of the 2020-21 season, and now TheMastermindSite takes their swing at picking England's squad for the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament. Taking into consideration both our dream squad and Gareth Southgate's likely plans for the tournament, here is our 23-man squad for Euro 2020, as compiled by Rhys Desmond, Sam The Man, Kevin Ravindran and Anthony Khoury.
Sean Dyche – Burnley – Tactical Analysis (2020-21 Edition)
Sean Dyche's Burnley have managed to stay in the Premier League for five seasons in a row now, even reaching the Europa League in 2017-18. Despite that, many providing commentary over the game consistently pick the Clarets as favourites to go down each and every single season. In reality, Burnley never look in any danger of going down. This season it appears as though it's going to be another one in which Sean Dyche's men will steer clear of the drop with relative ease. Dyche's men play a gritty, unconventional brand of football, and their resilient 4-4-2 low-block has troubled even the best of teams and managers. Most recently, they became the first side to win at Anfield for over a thousand days. Here is an updated tactical analysis of Sean Dyche's Burnley, their tried and tested 4-4-2 system and their compact, long-ball style of play in 2020-21.
The 5 Best & Worst Premier League Goalkeepers by Saves per Goal (2020-21 Edition)
Season after season in the Premier League, two of the biggest topics of debate involve refereeing and goalkeeping. We've already written about one of those two debates in our rant about the handball rule at the beginning of the season, and now it's time to examine the good and the bad of the Premier League's goalkeepers this season. Jordan Pickford, David De Gea and Alisson have all received criticism and attention for their recent performances, but this article attempts to assess how these players have actually performed, using data analytics. This is our analysis of the five best and worst goalkeepers in the league this season, utilizing saves per goal conceded as a statistical metric for our assessment.
Sean Dyche – Burnley – Tactical Analysis (2019-20 Edition)
For whatever reason, at the start of the season, Burnley are often a seen as a favourite for relegation. Despite that, and despite their cast and crew (manager included) not being the most star-studded, they've continuously steered clear of relegation from the Premier League since their promotion in 2016. Since said promotion, Burnley have finished as high as 7th place in the table and even enjoyed a brief spell in the Europa League, despite never playing the most flashy brand of football. Sean Dyche and his team play a gritty, unconventional brand of football, and their resilient 4-4-2 low-block has troubled even the very best of teams and managers. Perhaps more impressively in the current time, Burnley have now gone 7 games unbeaten in the Premier League, allowing Sean Dyche to claim his second ever Manager of the Month Award in February 2020. Here is a Tactical Analysis of Sean Dyche's 4-4-2 system and compact style of play with Burnley F.C.