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Tactical Analysis: Wayne Rooney’s Derby County
Many of you will remember a time in the not-so-distant past when Derby County was a club, to the point of social media ridicule, referred to as Frank Lampard’s Derby County in wider football circles, and that mantle of a high-profile ex-player in management was soon passed over to Wayne Rooney when he took charge…
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Tactical Analysis: Jürgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund
After spending the start of the decade in the shadow of the Premier League and La Liga, German football enjoyed a resurgence in the mid-2010s. 2013 saw an all-German Champions League Final between Jürgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund and Jupp Heynckes’ Bayern Munich, whilst the following year saw Joachim Löw’s Die Mannschaft write their names into…
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Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis: Evolution, Not Revolution
Holder of the highest ever win percentage at four different clubs in LaLiga – Villarreal, Real Madrid, Malaga and now Real Betis – Manuel Pellegrini wears his crowns lightly. With the exception of his time in Madrid, where being thrown out is in fact the norm, the Chilean arguably has hero status at all three…
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Tactical Analysis: Alexandré Pölking’s Thailand
Alexandre ‘Mano’ Pölking was born in Brazil to German parents, moving to his ancestral country at a young age and playing for various German clubs such as Arminia Bielefeld, VfB Fichte Bielefeld, SV Darmstadt 98, before departing for Cyprus in 2005 and spending the final two years of his footballing career in the tiny island…
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Simone Inzaghi’s 3-5-2: Inter Milan 2021/22 Tactical Analysis
In just six months, Simone Inzaghi has turned Antonio Conte’s defensive dynasty into one of Europe’s most attacking outfits. Known for their lethal counter-attacks, Inzaghi has evolved Inter Milan into a possession-based, attacking unit, placing their side amongst the most exciting teams to watch this season and giving Inter a four-point lead atop Serie…
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Ivan Juric’s Torino: The Fun Side of Serie A
At 1.48 goals-per-game, slightly behind the Bundesliga [1.51] and ahead of the Premier League [1.39], Serie A football has been full of entertainment in 2021/2022. Of course, teams like Inter Milan and Napoli have helped boost that total, but even the lower-performing clubs are helping create excitement this season. Torino may not be challenging…
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Case Study: Carlos Queiroz’s Egypt
Egypt is one of the most successful teams in Africa, a country known for its attacking-first style of football (especially under Hassan Shehata’s leadership) and that has won the Africa Cup of Nations a record seven times. On 8 September 2021, the Egyptian Football Association announced the hiring of Carlos Queiroz, a veteran manager who…
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TSG Hoffenheim: German Football’s Emerging Force
Following the 3-1 win over FC Augsburg on January 8, TSG Hoffenheim extended their unbeaten streak to 7 matches in the Bundesliga. No other Bundesliga team is on a longer unbeaten streak right now, whilst in Europe’s top five leagues only Chelsea, Manchester City, Inter Milan, and PSG have gone longer without a defeat…
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Tactical Analysis: Andoni Iraola’s Rayo Vallecano
Scour the length and breadth of Europe – maybe even the world – and you’d be hard-pressed to find a football club quite as fascinating, or quite as baffling, as Rayo Vallecano. Known to many as the last of the Spanish neighbourhood clubs, Rayo’s famous red stripe represents not just a football club, but…
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The Importance of Speed in Modern Center Backs
The hardest thing in life to live up to is expectations. In football, expectations on clubs, managers and players have never been higher. As fans, on top of expecting players to give their all-in games, we want them to be the epitome of perfection in their position. We expect strikers to be as equally…
