Tag: Thomas Tuchel

How to play with a False 9 like Guardiola and Klopp

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Formations, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Premier League, World Football

Following its popular use for Vicente del Bosque's Spain at Euro 2012, the role of the false nine has continued to evolve in the modern era of the Premier League, accompanied by a shift in mannerisms, behaviors, and positional patterns of strikers on a football pitch. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have been two of the dominating forces in world football since the mid-2010s, and both have operated throughout that time without a recognized out-and-out goal-scoring striker. For any possession-based team attempting to emulate Klopp and Guardiola, deploying a false nine presents a unique and innovative way of breaking the opposition down, and reaching new levels of performance. Some tactical experts have suggested that in the future we may see a formation without a striker at all, but truthfully, we may already be there.

Manchester City 1-0 Chelsea – Match Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Premier League

Manchester City are running away with the 2021-22 Premier League title. Thomas Tuchel looked resigned to the same belief in his post-match interview, with the Blues having one of their worst games since the German took over. Manchester City were utterly dominant from start to finish, allowing the Blues just 7 touches in the Sky Blue penalty area - Chelsea's lowest in seven years. So with that, here is our tactical analysis of how Guardiola's City claimed such a dominant victory over Thomas Tuchel's team.

Our Ten Most Popular Analyses of 2021

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Managers, Masterclasses, Team Analysis, World Football

2021 was the most successful year in the six year history of TheMastermindSite.com. Over the course of the year, we doubled our number of views, visitors, social media followers and email subscribers from where we left off in 2020. Our most popular feature and the aspect of our website that has gained the attention from pro club managers, former and current professional players, and writers from The Athletic, has been our tactical analyses all year long. So with that, here are the ten most popular analyses of the year, all written by Rhys Desmond in 2021.

Wolves 0-0 Chelsea – Tactical Analysis – Bruno Lage’s Defensive Masterclass

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Formations, Managers, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Premier League, Team Analysis

A little over a year ago, Thomas Tuchel made his managerial debut for Chelsea, dominating 80% of the possession in a stale 0-0 draw. Sunday's encounter between the two teams saw many parallels, especially in Wolves' defensive appetite and Chelsea's failure to convert. However, it was a vastly different affair, with Wolves putting on a defensive masterclass, completely stunting Chelsea's progress and limiting them to just 1 shot on target. So with that, here is our tactical analysis of how Bruno Lage's team stopped Chelsea in their tracks, and secured another important 0-0 draw.

Chelsea 0-1 Man City – How Pep Beat Tuchel – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Premier League

Chelsea vs. Manchester City was tipped to be an early title decider, and it did not disappoint as a highly contested affair between two teams right in the thick of the race this season. In the end it was the Citizens who came out on top, after an utterly dominant performance over a team that beat them in the UEFA Champions League final last season. Here is our analysis of the match.

Futbol Masterminds – Champions League and Europa League Finals + Managerial Merry Go Round

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Podcast, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, World Football

This week the supposed underdogs pulled through in both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League final fixtures, with Chelsea and Villarreal coming out victorious over Manchester City and Manchester United. The Futbol Masterminds break down all of their thoughts from the two finals, including Chelsea's stellar defense, Guardiola's strange tactics, and that crazy … Continue reading Futbol Masterminds – Champions League and Europa League Finals + Managerial Merry Go Round

UEFA Champions League Final -Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Match Analysis, UEFA Champions League, World Football

What a game. After beating Manchester City twice already this season, Chelsea entered the 2021 UEFA Champions League final with a slight psychological advantage. They absolutely delivered on that promise, winning the match by a score of 1-0. Thomas Tuchel became only the second manager since Jurgen Klopp to beat Pep Guardiola three times in a row, leading his Chelsea team to the Champions League trophy in his first six months in charge. Here is our tactical analysis of the final.

UEFA Champions League Final – Chelsea vs. Man City – Tactical Preview

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Premier League, UEFA Champions League

It was just two years ago when two English clubs squared up in the UEFA Champions League Final, with Liverpool gaining the edge over Tottenham Hotspur. Now in 2021, two completely different English clubs will be facing off, as Chelsea and Manchester City have bested the rest to make it all the way to the final. Here is our tactical preview of the 2021 Champions League final.