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The Team of Matchday 4 of the 2021/22 Premier League Season
One of the most controversial international breaks of the past few years has come to an end, and the Premier League has now returned with various emotionally gripping and tactically fascinating matches. A week that brought us the second debut of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United and the first victories of the season for Arsenal…
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The Tactical Evolution of Cristiano Ronaldo
Chapter 1: A Star is Born Cristiano Ronaldo broke through at Sporting at the age of 16 under manager Laszlo Boloni, and it was clear from the very start that he was one of the best talents in Europe at that time. Initially, Cristiano played as a pure winger, attacking the byline and crossing…
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Traps, Overloads and Vertical Transitions – Benitez’s Everton’s Use of Wide Pressing Traps and How It Can Facilitate the Toffees in Possession Approach
As Everton meandered to another mid-table finish in Carlo Ancelotti’s first full season, something which has become more common than not in recent years, it suffices to say Everton fans looked ahead to the summer transfer window wondering what direction Ancelotti and Marcel Brands would take Everton’s squad, some with trepidation considering the scattergun recruitment…
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Yacine Adli: Milan’s Next French Wonderkid
The 2021/22 summer transfer window has just closed and amongst the high-profile dealings of PSG and Manchester United, the £100 million deals made by Manchester City and Chelsea and the shambles at Barcelona, a lot of smart business was conducted by teams with much shallower pockets. One such deal was made by AC Milan,…
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Player Analysis: Kelvin Yeboah
General Support for the Red Bull project is a reasonably untenable position in countries like Austria and Germany, where a precise cut and dry footballing culture has flourished and become the envy of many on the continent. Though many are disappointed with the divergence of power in Austrian football towards the Bull, there have been…
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Previewing Matchday 4 of the Premier League Season
Following a hectic first international break of the 2021/22 season, the Premier League is finally back for an intriguing matchday 4. Crystal Palace kick off the weekend’s action at 12:30 pm local time on Saturday when they host Tottenham, the only Premier League team to have won each of their three games thus far. …
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What Kurt Zouma Can Provide West Ham’s Defense
Kurt Zouma, now 26, has battled through adversity. A product of Saint-Etienne’s impressive academy programme, the Lyon-born centre-back arrived on France’s biggest stage a decade ago, making his debut for Les Verts while still a schoolboy. During his time with the Ligue 1 outfit, Zouma amassed 3,024 top-flight minutes and quickly made a name…
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Analyzing Nuno Espírito Santo’s Start to Life at Tottenham
With the Premier League set to return as the first international break of the season comes to an end, Nuno Espírito Santo’s Tottenham comfortably sit at the top of the league with nine well-deserved points. We take a look at Tottenham’s new shape under the Portuguese boss. New manager Nuno walked into a very…
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Analyzing Monchi’s Ill-fated Spell at Roma
By 2017, Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo – more commonly known as ‘Monchi’ – had established himself as one of the best Directors of Football in the game during a 16-year stint at Sevilla. During his time at the Andalusians, Monchi brought the likes of Ivan Rakitić, Dani Alves, Adriano and Seydou Keïta – amongst others –…
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Jamaica’s Defensive Midfield Crisis
Jamaica’s World Cup 2022 qualification campaign has not got off to a good start. The Reggae Boyz have lost their first two games, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the CONCACAF qualification table. The first of these losses wasn’t particularly concerning – a depleted Jamaican team primarily made up of rotation players was…
