Before I begin with my tactical analysis of Andrea Pirlo’s Juventus, I’d like to give a massive thanks to @DaliborPlavsic_ for providing the Italian manager’s translated thesis.   Being appointed manager at one of the world’s biggest clubs with little to no prior coaching experience is an inconceivable feat, unless your name carries the same…

Perhaps the most notable and significant tactical element of Tottenham Hotspur since José Mourinho was appointed last November has been the use of asymmetric full backs, with the left-sided player tucking in to create a back three whereas the right-sided player sits in a more advanced position.     This asymmetric fullback setup creates a…

In the first match of the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal defeated Scott Parker’s Fulham in a resounding 3-0 victory. Let’s take a look at the tactics behind the maiden game of the season.   Line-ups     Arsenal’s Lopsided Formation    During the end of the 2019/20 campaign, Arsenal played their best…

Arsenal enjoyed a mixed first eight months under Mikel Arteta’s leadership. The Spaniard initially employed a 4-2-3-1 formation. His reign started with a lot of promise, but was followed by an embarrassing exit from the Europa League and inconsistent league form. The season was cut short in March due to COVID-19, but after its resumption…

Having departed Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at Manchester City, Mikel Arteta arrived at Arsenal in December 2019 with new ideas on the pitch and behind the scenes. From his first game in charge, his playing ideologies and tactical framework were on full show. Despite being dealt with a relatively poorly built squad, he began putting…

“I am immensely proud to be returning to Chelsea as head coach. Everyone knows my love for this club and the history we have shared, however, my sole focus is on the job in hand and preparing for the season ahead. I am here to work hard, bring further success to the club, and I…

Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad selection has raised a few eyebrows for a couple of reasons. The first is there are no natural left backs in the squad despite Ryan Bertrand and Bukayo Saka being available.   The second is that the central midfield options are noticeably starker than usual. While Jack Grealish and Kalvin…

You play football with your mind, and your legs are there to help you. – Johan Cruyff.   The above quote was uttered from football’s seminal leader, the unofficial king of the modern game, Johan Cruyff, and it may just be the most important of his innumerable, incessantly quoted adages.   If we take the…

Playing three centre backs is often presented rather superficially as defensive system, as many anticipate it will manifest itself as a back five: subtracting either a midfielder or a forward in favour of a defender. However, many teams such as Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta use the extra cover provided by a back three to allow…

Over the past five years, only two managers have managed to win promotion to the Premier League in their debut season in the Championship: Rafa Benítez’s Newcastle in 2017 and Nuno Espírito Santo’s Wolves the year after. However, Slaven Bilić joined the club last month after a 2-2 draw with QPR on the final day…