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Tactical Analysis: Chelsea’s Defensive Issues Under Frank Lampard
On January 25, Frank Lampard was sacked as Chelsea manager 18 months after being hired on a three-year contract; one day later, former Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel replaced him and took charge of the West London club on an 18-month contract. The abrupt dismissal comes after a torrid run of form for Chelsea, who…
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Player Analysis: Mattia Zaccagni
The Serie A season is far from being over but Hellas Verona have already achieved all their goals. First of all, relegation has been avoided for the second straight season as the team is sailing smoothly mid-table with ambitions of qualifying for the brand new UEFA Europa Conference League. Manager Ivan Jurić, just like…
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How Holstein Kiel Shocked The World and Defeated Bayern Munich
On Friday, January 8, Bayern Munich squandered an early 2-0 lead to lose to Marco Rose’s Borussia Mönchengladbach, a match which saw the defending European champions lose their first match in all competitions since September 27. Bayern looked to bounce back from their defeat five days later, when they paid a visit to Holstein-Stadion to…
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Player Analysis: Ollie Watkins
After barely surviving relegation in the previous season, Aston Villa have started the first half of their Premier League campaign with a strong showing of expansive football under manager Dean Smith. Currently sitting on 26 points, 8 points off top 4, Villa have found themselves comfortably in the top half of the table with 3…
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Player Analysis: Patrick Bamford
Bolstered by the unshakable trust of Marcelo Bielsa, Patrick Bamford has come into his own in the Premier League this season since Leeds’ return to the top-flight last summer. A player who has previously proved erratic, a culmination of finishing maturity and refining his role in a highly functional attacking unit has seen Bamford catch…
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Tactical Analysis: The Early Days of Marcelino’s Athletic Club de Bilbao
18 months after being fired by Valencia, Marcelino García Toral has returned to management, replacing Gaizka Garitano as manager of Athletic Club de Bilbao. The fixture list after his appointment provided a fantastic opportunity for the Spanish manager to win over the faith of the Athletic Club supporters with massive matches in La Liga against…
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Player Analysis: Florian Neuhaus
In July 2017, Borussia Mönchengladbach signed a talented young midfielder from German second-tier club TSV 1860 Munich. His name: Florian Neuhaus. Gladbach then decided to send the 20-year-old back on loan to the second division with Fortuna Düsseldorf. Neuhaus helped the Flingeraner win the championship in the 2017/18 season, playing 27 league matches; scoring six…
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Génération Foot: Senegal’s Footballing Factory
“Personally, I didn’t think he’d make it with us because he was too shy. It was as if he didn’t want to play”, recalled scout, Abdou Diatta to The Straits Times, when Sadio Mané’s showed up at Génération Foot with battered boots and shorts unsuitable for football. But after just 15 minutes of watching the…
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Problems Await Mismanaged West Ham
West Ham United, flying high in the Premier League, are heading towards a squad management crisis. There is every chance that they can pivot away from the issues that are set to plague them. But significant changes are required in order to do so. The Hammers returned to the Premier League nine seasons ago,…
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Player Analysis: Abdallah Sima
Two developments have sparked some well-needed life into Czech football this season: That Tomáš Souček has surpassed expectations since signing for West Ham United last summer for €21 million, and the sudden rise of 19-year-old Senegalese striker Abdallah Sima, who has now scored seven league goals in just nine appearances for first-placed Slavia Prague, taking…
