Just nine years ago, Luton Town finished seventh in the fifth tier of English football, their fourth season at that level and the first time they missed out on the Conference play-offs. It was an unprecedented low in the club’s recent history.   Meanwhile, West Bromwich Albion and Swansea City had secured eighth and ninth…

Tottenham Hotspur, since the peak Mauricio Pochettino days, haven’t been a side that are truly capable in possession.    The appointment of Jose Mourinho meant that Spurs’ offensive plan was rendered to fast transitions after winning the ball back in a deep defensive shape, mainly centred with Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min improvising with the…

When Lionel Messi left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain, ending a 21-year spell in Catalunya for the Argentine who arrived as a fresh-faced teenager from Rosario and left a legend, the sky seemed to be falling for Les Culés. It couldn’t happen, it shouldn’t happen — it happened.   Uncertainty lingered around the club and blame…

Seeing River Plate and Boca Juniors face each other is always a guaranteed show, not always good football. One of the most important and historical derbies in the world that sometimes entertains to a greater extent for aspects external to pure football, such as physical disputes, being a battle-hardened match, and that, as they say…

On the 5th of December Jesse Marsch was relieved of his duties at RB Leipzig, becoming the first Bundesliga manager to learn of his dismissal whilst in a COVID enforced quarantine.   The peculiarities of Marsch’s departure stole headlines, but the fact that it had come to this dreary conclusion left few surprised.   Back…

It’s nearly been two full seasons now since Vincent Kompany took the full management role at Anderlecht after transitioning from the unusual job as player-manager.   RSCA have been a formidable beast on the continent, having qualified for at least the preliminary rounds of the UCL/UEFA Cup 59 years in a row (1956-2018). They’ve won…

On Matchday 28 of the  Liga 1 Indonesia season, a huge clash between the two most popular teams in Indonesia took place between Persija Jakarta and Persib Bandung.   The fully confident Persib Bandung had a strong run of form in the last 5 matches with 3 wins and 2 draws, while on the other…

Thursday night’s tie between Napoli and Barcelona saw the latter put on an absolute clinic in attack. It was a performance that pressed the rewind button, reminiscent of the philosophy which made Barcelona one of the most dominant teams of the 2000s. What were the dynamics behind this? Tactical Mechanics   Early in the game,…

In their first season in the Premier League, Brentford have impressed with their direct, aggressive style of football which has seen them sit comfortably above the relegation zone. One rather unique aspect of their approach has been their use of long throw-ins.      As this graphic from @utdarena on Twitter shows, Brentford are in…