AS Roma and Paulo Fonseca parted ways with the Italian giants finishing just seventh in Serie A, but a more positive semi-final run in the Europa League and some encouraging attack-minded, tactically intriguing football. Legend of the game Jose Mourinho was the man to come in and replace Fonseca, and the Portuguese icon got off to a flying start in his Roma career, winning six from the first seven. But since then, it's been typical Mourinho, with the club now potentially spiraling back into their old ways. This week I talk to Roma expert Edward Stratmann on what needs to happen if Mourinho is to change the club's fortunes around, and the tactics Mourinho has displayed since taking over from Fonseca. Be sure to follow the show @mastermindsite, and give Edward a shout using the links below.
Tag: Tammy Abraham
Pressing From The Front – Top 10 Centre Forwards In Europe
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.
Thomas Tuchel – Chelsea – Tactical Analysis
Although Chelsea can't quite seem to find the back of the net, very few managers in Premier League history have had a better start to life than Thomas Tuchel. The Blues have won nine of their thirteen matches under Tuchel's management in all competitions, keeping eleven clean sheets during that time. Some underlying issues are still evidently exposed as Tuchel works around his squad and attempts to find his best possible eleven, but the improvement from Frank Lampard is also evident for all to see. Tuchel's defensive tactics in particular have been outstanding, and much promise for the future remains if Chelsea can find their shooting boots and score more goals on a regular basis. Here is our latest Thomas Tuchel analysis, covering his first thirteen matches in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea 2-0 Burnley – Tactical Analysis
Thomas Tuchel's second match in charge went more to plan than his first, and after a fantastic team performance against Burnley we take an in-depth look at the tactics he used to blow the Clarets away. Here is our Tactical Analysis of Chelsea's 2-0 win over Burnley.
Frank Lampard – Chelsea – Tactical Analysis (Post-Sacking)
Frank Lampard enjoyed a successful first season with Chelsea F.C., despite no new summer signings coming through the door. The Blues hovered around 4th for the majority of the season in behind Leicester City, and eventually secured 4th behind Manchester United. Lampard relied heavily on young talent in 2019-20 and the club were rewarded with fantastic performances from the likes of Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori and Reece James. In preparation for the 2020-21 season, Chelsea then went on to spend millions, securing the signatures of players like Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell and Edouard Mendy, plus Thiago Silva on a free. For a short period of time, it worked. With nine games in, Chelsea were showing great signs of promise, sat second in the table, and were well in the hunt for a Premier League title chase. Frank Lampard himself was making some astute tactical changes, and appeared to be coping well with the dilemma of how to show faith in his youth, while integrating all the new signings. But as the season wore on, Chelsea failed to make an impact. At the time of his sacking, the Blues sit in ninth, with many nearby teams holding games in hand. Losses to Leicester, Manchester City and Arsenal likely handed Lampard a premature managerial sacking; along with the fact that Thomas Tuchel was out of a job, waiting at the door-step for a call. So a day after a 3-1 FA Cup win against Luton Town, Frank Lampard was sacked as manager. Here is our Tactical Analysis of Frank Lampard's Chelsea in both of his seasons in charge, and an accompanying analysis of where he might land next.
Why Thomas Tuchel is the Perfect Fit for Chelsea – Tactical Analysis
Today, relatively out of the blue, Frank Lampard was sacked by Roman Abramovich at Chelsea. Yesterday, without knowing this information, we analyzed why Thomas Tuchel would be the perfect man to take over if Chelsea were to sack their former club legend. This article will take a greater look at why the Blues should seriously consider the German as their next manager. Here is Part Three of our Thomas Tuchel Tactical Analysis series.
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