Despite their torrid time this season, I disagree with many of the takes that Tottenham are in need of a complete rebuild and overhaul to change their fortunes around. That said, a few positions remain in need of severe upgrades, specifically at the back. So once more, in my search to fix Tottenham without European football, I'm searching for a goalkeeper, two centre-backs, and a left-back.
Many facets of the beautiful game simply cannot be quantified in many statistical data models. For any recruitment scenario, you need to be sure that the player not only has the technical, physical and tactical quality to excel in a new environment, but the right psychological frame and social aptitude. It is therefore imperative that clubs sit down to identify what player traits, mentalities, and personality types they want to have in their dressing rooms, and then actively use that as a model for hand-picking players when scouting.
Scouting seems to be one of those professions that just about anyone thinks they can get into. And to an extent - with good reason! With a knowledge and passion for your sport of choice, it's not incredibly difficult to take the necessary courses and begin the path toward being a scout. But talent identification goes far beyond just the ability to watch matches and identify talent. Most of the time, it's not difficult to identify talent. What's difficult is to identify talent that will transfer over to a new environment, under new circumstances, repeatedly over time.
Having torn the league apart in 2021-22, Julian Nagelsmann’s Bayern Munich look a shadow of their former selves this season. Dortmund and Union Berlin have topped the table in even amounts to the Bavarian giants this campaign, with Nagelsmann's men scraping by since the turn of the year. Perhaps most notably, they've failed to truly replace the man who became a record-breaking goal-scorer in a variety of ways during his time at the club. Robert Lewandowski was still in the form of his life at the age of 34, and by the time he left the club remained a genuine candidate for the Ballon d'Or. Replacing a player of that magnitude is never easy, yet Bayern settled for only former Liverpool man Sadio Mané.
Out of all the CPL clubs, Forge FC have enjoyed the quietest off-season. It feels as though that's for good reason, having just won the CPL Playoffs for the third time in the league's four season existence. It might be the sign of a settled squad and players having no inclinations toward seeking pastures new. But for the Canadian Premier League, this is uncharacteristic. With the season just under two months away from kicking off, Forge are without a back-up keeper, or anyone to challenge the Canadian for a place.
We tracked every single CPL game over the course of the season to come up with our unique rating system. We compile that information alongside each player's defensive, attacking and possession rankings. We present the players that are more than ready for that next step, whether that be playing in the MLS or somewhere in Europe. If rumours have it, Marco Bustos may already be on his way. Here is our analysis of the best '10's' in the CANPL.
Following the loss of eventual CPL Golden Boot winner Alejandro Diaz, Pacific FC immediately went from title contenders to top four contenders, scraping into the playoffs with a fourth-place finish come the end of the season. The repeated line as the likes of myself and CPL.ca wrote about Pacific became all about how things could have been very different for Pacific in front of goal had they only had that missing link. Diaz was everything to the Pacific attack, acting as both a 'False 9' capable of dropping deep and receiving the ball, and somehow even fulfilling duties as an occasional 'Target Man' despite his 5'10 height. He linked up with Marco Bustos and Manny Aparicio magnificently well as the three of them dovetailed around each other, and his desire to drop deep often allowed Joshua Heard to run into the vacated space behind. Pacific signed Electric City striker Jordan Brown to try and make up for the loss, but it was clear that Brown was a far less dynamic player, and far less clinical in front of goal. With that, we analyze the essential characteristics in need of replacing when it comes to Diaz and his game, and four possible replacements from around the globe.
On October 13, 2022, Halifax Wanderers officially parted ways with Halifax Wanderers boss Stephen Hart. The former Trinidad & Tobago coach had been in charge since the Wanderers' inception in 2018, and won the Coach of the Year award for his efforts in 2020. But life inside the Canadian Premier League did not go as smoothly as planned in 2022, with the Wanderers stumbling down to a 7th place finish (in an 8 team league), as Hart's time at the club inevitably coming to an end. So with that, we examine Hart's tactics in his final season with the Wanderers, and how to fix the club moving forward!
Rezart Rama has quickly become a fan-favourite at Forge FC, with his endless energy sources rampaging around the pitch at every turn. An absolute warrior, beast at the back, and more or less a complete defender, Rama is a pivotal marker for success that the Hammers want to have on the ball at every turn. It shows up in the stats, with the 21-year-old completing the most progressive passes and passes into the final third per 90 of any player to make more than 2 appearances in the league this season.
One of the most commonly used scouting tools today is to find a similar comparison to an already existing professional player. This is used as a useful way of sizing up a player, and identifying their strengths, weaknesses, skillsets, and style of play in relation to a known quantity. But we must remember that a range of topics go into any recruitment scenario, in our quest to find the best fit. In this article, as part of our Introduction to Football Analysis course, we detail how to 'Find a player for ___'.
After catching the eye for Montreal Impact's Academy in 2018, the career of future Canadian international Calin Calaidjoglu has gone quietly under the radar. Currently plying his trade in his native Moldova, that much is understandable. But Calaidjoglu recently impressed in his side's UEFA Conference League tie against Slovenian side NS Mura, and has enjoyed a bright start to the 2022-23 season. While CPL clubs tend to recruit even younger players, the 21-year-old would have plenty to offer if a move were to be made back home. In this tactical analysis, we break down the strengths and weaknesses of Calin Calaidjoglu at the age of 21, and the CPL clubs that would most benefit from his playing style. Here is our analysis!
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