Tag: Tackles and Interceptions

Why Edson Álvarez is perfect for West Ham United

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Data Analysis, Defensive Midfield, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting

It might be desperately close to the start of the season, but West Ham United have finally signed their Declan Rice replacement at the base of their midfield. In my in-depth analysis of who the Hammers should sign, I ranked Álvarez second to Florentino Luís, as an absolute must-sign. For the fee they accumulated for Rice, I made the claim that they should sign both players, especially given the Mexican's exceptional awareness on the defensive end, whilst complimenting much of Rice's on-the-ball dominance. Here is why West Ham United made the right call in signing Álvarez, and why the £33 million signing should be a steal.

Why Declan Rice is perfect for Manchester United

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Data Analysis, Defensive Midfield, Player Analysis, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting

The 2021 January Transfer Window continues to heat up, with more and more clubs splashing the cash to resolve their issues before the end of the season. And with that, we’re continuing to take a look at clubs with a bit of a blackhole in their team, that desperately needs to be covered before the end of next summer. We’re going to match that blackhole up with one player who could potentially fill that void if a move were to be made in January, by assessing and analyzing a player that is a perfect match for the team’s style of play. While today's player would be perfect for virtually any European elite, from Chelsea to Manchester City to Bayern Munich, this man had to top our list of defensive midfielders for Manchester United. Today, it's all about West Ham United's Declan Rice, and why he’d be a perfect fit for Ralf Rangnick's Red Devils.

Why Manuel Akanji is perfect for Chelsea

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Centre Backs, Data Analysis, German Bundesliga, Player Analysis, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting

The 2021 January Transfer Window is officially one week in! And with that, we’re continuing to take a look at clubs with a bit of a blackhole in their team, that desperately needs to be covered before the end of next summer. We’re going to match that blackhole up with one player who could potentially fill that void if a move were to be made in January, by assessing and analyzing a player that is a perfect match for the team’s style of play. Today, it’s all about Borussia Dortmund's Manuel Akanji, and why he’d be a perfect fit for Chelsea.

Pressing From The Front – Top 10 Centre Forwards In Europe

by Rhys Desmond, posted in German Bundesliga, Premier League, Serie A, Striker, World Football

Pressing from the front is an essential tactic in the modern game. Most of the best teams in the world deploy a high press to some degree, attempting to win the ball back in the most dangerous areas of the field. One of the most important players to a team's ability to press from the front is the centre-forward. The team's centre-forward, or striker, is responsible for setting the tone, intensity, angle, and first act of pressure. So this Christmas day, we've analyzed the best strikers in Europe when it comes to pressing from the front in 2021-22, attempting to identify the very best of the art. If you have a team that loves to press from the front, you should be tweeting your managers tomorrow, telling them to get these men through the door. But before we get into, let's first establish the criteria for the compilation of our list.

Why Denis Zakaria should be on every top club’s radar – Player Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Defensive Midfield, German Bundesliga, Player Analysis

Two seasons ago, Denis Zakaria was heavily linked to Manchester City, and hailed by pundits and fans alike as the next coming of Fernandinho. The Swiss midfielder still possesses all of the same qualities he did back when the speculation first surfaced, yet no one seems to talk about Zakaria in that same light anymore. Still only 24-years-old, Zakaria still has the world at his feet and should develop into one of the very best defensive midfielders in the world. If Manchester City had him on their radar, every other club should too.

Oliver Glasner – VFL Wolfsburg – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in German Bundesliga, Managers, Team Analysis

German football is becoming more and more populated with talented coaches hailing from one of the nation's noisiest neighbours - Austria. Oliver Glasner is the latest in a long line of stellar Austrian coaches in the Bundesliga, currently leading VFL Wolfsburg to amazing heights in his second season at the club. After much in the way of success with LASK Linz in the Austrian Bundesliga, Glasner joined Wolfsburg in 2019 and led them to a 7th place finish in his first season at the club. This season, the Austrian manager's taken Wolfsburg to new heights, with the club currently sitting in third place. The Volkswagen-owned club are now set for their best finish in years under the influence of Glasner, with the manager himself linked with some of the top clubs across the country. Here is a tactical analysis of Oliver Glasner's VFL Wolfsburg in 2020-21.

How to Defend like a Pro

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Centre Backs, Coach Education, Coaching, Defensive Midfield, Fullback, Masterclasses, Masterclasses, Player Education, World Football

Over the past decade, the emphasis on attacking play in the beautiful game has grown and grown. Coaches and fans are increasingly more excited about the attacking moments of the game, rather than defensive moments. Defending has become an afterthought, and teams that set up to defend are often deemed "boring" and "dinosaurs" by fans around the world. But defending remains an integral component to the modern game, and often it can be seen that teams with the better defense structures (Atletico, Manchester City, etc.) often win more football matches.