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Reims’ Fast Start: The Stats and Tactics Fueling Their Ligue 1 Form
Luka Elsner’s appointment as Reims manager after Will Still’s departure was a clever move by the club hierarchy. The young Franco-Slovenian coach had an impressive stint at Le Havre. Before his first season there, the French club had finished the 2021/22 Ligue 2 campaign in 8th place. More generally, Le Havre had been stuck…
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The Lost Art of Dribbling: Rediscovering Football’s Forgotten Dialogue of Time, Space and the Individual
Football, in its purest form, is a fellowship of space and time. Each pass, each run, and each touch is a rhythmic dialogue between the player and the game itself. But amidst the tactics, the data-driven approaches, and the calculated movements, one art form seems to be fading from the spotlight: the dribble. Once the…
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Analyzing Bayern Munich’s Start to the Vincent Kompany Era
Many eyes were raised when Bayern Munich announced the signing of Vincent Kompany as their new head coach. Many fans and pundits were stunned that Bayern had chosen the Belgian to lead them, considering he got relegated with Burnley last season. How Burnley Returned to the Promised Land Under Vincent Kompany However, Kompany…
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Tactical Analysis: Defensive Frailties Haunt Manchester United in Thrilling Porto Draw
Last night’s Europa League clash between FC Porto and Manchester United was a match defined by its sheer unpredictability, ending in a thrilling 3-3 draw. The Red Devils, desperate to bounce back from their 3-0 humbling at the hands of Tottenham, a result that put Erik ten Hag’s job security in question, came out of…
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Manchester United Is Dead – All That’s Left is Funeral Arrangements
There was a time when Old Trafford was more fortress than stadium, when leaving with a draw felt like a biblical miracle – a kind of football exodus from the slaughterhouse. Teams came, saw, and prayed for mercy. But fast-forward to Sunday’s spectacle, and the hallowed turf felt more like an all-you-can-eat buffet than a…
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The Rebirth of Alavés: A Promising Start
Deportivo Alavés has been one of the pleasant surprises of the opening weeks of the campaign in Spain’s top-flight. The Vitoria-based team is emerging as one of the revelations of the 2024/25 LaLiga season. After securing their presence for another season in Spain’s top flight, Alavés are exceeding expectations with an extraordinary start to LaLiga…
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From the Ashes of Annihilation: Hansi Flick and the Rebirth of Barcelona’s Footballing Soul
There are appointments in football that carry the weight of prophecy, where fate and fortune collide, and one man holds the thread to both. Hansi Flick, the architect of that infamous 8-2 demolition of Barcelona, now finds himself standing at the very gates he once laid siege to — this time, as the man tasked…
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Analyzing the Different Variants of Build-up Play
Football is an ever-changing sport. Patterns and styles of play are always morphing, either into completely different forms or upgraded versions of previous systems and approaches. Such changes are necessary not only for the overall development of the game but also for managers and clubs as they continually find ways to stay ahead of their…
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How Arsenal Came Out on Top in the North London Derby
In an intriguing North London Derby, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal got the better of Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur despite surrendering possession for most of the game as well as territory. Arsenal spent most of the game in front of their own box, but never really looked uncomfortable, thwarting Tottenham’s attacks by design centrally. If you’re as…
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Breaking the Mold: Position of the Season 2023/24: Part Three
Weak Link Games: Arsenal’s Search for a Left-sided Defender Statistically speaking, Arsenal had the Premier League’s best defense in 2023/24. Mikel Arteta’s side only conceded 29 goals in 38 matches, five fewer than the league’s next best defense, Manchester City. So, why has their marquee signing of the 2024 transfer window been Italian central…
