How New York City FC are becoming Manchester City of the MLS

New York City FC are evolving…

Now, that should be a given considering their status as a City Group owned club.

But their evolution in terms of recruitment and personnel has been timed perfectly with the MLS’ respective tactical rise.

After putting in one of their greatest displays of the season against FC Dallas last time out, the fluidity within this young, promising side is beginning to prevail in ways that we have not seen before.

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The Old Testament

The beginning iteration of the New York City franchise featured the likes of David Villa, Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard and Jack Harrison, who - albeit - was a prospect at the time.

But it’s important to note that the signing of the now-Premier League star back in 2016 would set the wheels in motion for an ideology that would promote sustained success.

In 2016, former Palace boss Patrick Vieira was at the helm and brought in a free flowing, press-based system.

Now, this was key and helped birth a formidable strike partnership between David Villa and Jack Harrison, which saw the Cityzens qualify for the playoffs for the first time in the club’s history.

And this is important for two reasons:

1. New York City achieved the second-lowest points tally in the league just the season prior to this and were no where near the play-offs.

2. Vieira achieved success through the implementation of a more fluid attacking approach, which would later set the course for further success under Ronny Deila, who would go on to win the MLS Cup in 2021.

The New Testament

Now we get into the juicy bits of this present day New York City side and their modernised tactical approach.

With former Manchester City Women’s manager Nick Cushing at the helm, New York City have carried on this notion of fluidity within their playing style, but have also prioritised shape, developing a modernised systematical approach in the process.

Their recruitment of young, promising talents in the likes of Talles Magno, Gabriel Pereira and Santiago Rodriguez is helping the side develop the true identity of a City Group club, with this now showing on the pitch through their smart and attractive build-up methods.

Barraza is key

In the Premier League, we’re used to seeing the goalkeeper heavily involved in the build-up, particularly when watching the likes of Brighton, Arsenal and, you guessed it, Manchester City.

Though, in the MLS, whilst there are some notable exceptions, this concept wasn’t as common on the whole last season.

Now, interestingly, New York City were the exception and whilst Sean Johnson did a fine job last season, Luis Barraza has taken the role of sweeper keeper to an even greater level in the States.

Cushing has Barraza heavily involved in the build-up, forming a three-base build-up between centre-back duo Maxime Chanot and Thiago Martins.

This season, the 26-year-old goalkeeper ranks 10th in the squad for most accurate passes per 90, clocking up an astonishing average of around 32 accurate passes per game.

It gets even better than that too.

In the 3-1 win against FC Dallas, Barraza played an integral role in the build-up phase from deep and completed 45 passes with an accuracy of 88%.

For comparison, Manchester City keeper Ederson has averaged a total of around 27 passes this season, in what is an increase from last term.

So, with 45 passes in the game against Dallas, it emphasises Barraza’s importance to the side in the first phase.

Now with that covered, the interesting thing here is the consistency to which this build-up pattern occurs.

The Cityzens are entirely comfortable in working the ball back to the goalkeeper and look to restart the attack in multiple scenarios throughout the 90 minutes, and there’s good reason for this.

Artificial Transitions

Cushing is a big advocate for drawing the opposition out of their defensive shape, and he does this through the method of artificial transition.

Now Roberto De Zerbi’s emergence in the Premier League has highlighted the advantages that this can bring, with his Brighton side possessing a build-up style that has Pep Guardiola waxing lyrical, with the Manchester City boss saying in a recent interview:

“That [Brighton] is the best team in the world in making the build-up, the best team, is Brighton.

“There’s no team better that make[s] the process to bring the keeper, the ball, to the last quarter.

"There’s no team better in modern football right now.”

As you can see here, Cushing has fully invested in this build-up style and instructs his side to play out from deep.

Now this example is from a goal kick. Including the goalkeeper, there are six players in the defensive third and midfield pivot James Sands is on the ball.

We’re two passes into this sequence. It starts with Barazza, who plays the ball to Martins, Martins to Sands, Sands to Ilenic, Ilenic back to Sands who comes short for the ball. And Sands then offloads to Ledezma who works the ball back to Ilenic who’s hugging the touchline. This is where New York City work the angles.

Ilenic works the ball back to Sands, who’s under pressure, with the NYC captain passing first time to Martins who delicately spreads the ball to Braian Cufre out on the left and BOSH. They’re well on their way to the attacking third.

It’s important to note that during this nine pass exchange in the deep areas, five Dallas players get baited into pressing the Cityzens’ backline and are consequently drawn out of position.

Cufre then carries the ball towards the final third as the attack gains immediate momentum.

It goes without saying that it’s a risky manoeuvre, and clearly requires astute ball playing players in the deep areas of the pitch in order to carry out the task effectively.

But, when it works, it gives the team in possession the ability to attack with numerical superiority in a transition-like state.

Conclusion

These aforementioned modernised tactical themes are just a couple of reasons as to why New York City are flexing their muscle as a City Group club, with their principles of play arguably the most attractive in the MLS at this current moment.

Their ability to bait the opposition into pressing them in the first phase of the build-up is akin to that of De Zerbi’s Brighton side.

Though, their fluidity in and around the final third is similar to that of Manchester City, their bigger brothers across the pond.

Nick Cushing has a lot of talent at his disposal, with one of those players becoming a symbol of relationism. If you know, you know (article and video on this out very soon).

How Messi's Argentina beat Mbappe's France | World Cup 22' Analysis

Before kick-off, Argentina vs France was a tough game to call…

But as soon as kick-off commenced, it was a game of complete contrast.

Tactically speaking, there’s a lot to pick out so let’s first begin with the intangible notion of tempo.

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Tempo

Right from the off you could see that Argentina were up for the occasion.

Lionel Scaloni’s side were much sharper in the first half and the majority of the second half in fairness, and this was due to their tempo.

Even though they had the majority of the ball, they played the game with speed and efficiency, looking to pressure Deschamps’ side in every possible approach, on and off the ball.

It’s worth noting that France had no answer to this for the majority of the game.

Scaloni: Stick or Twist?

Having switched formation across every single game, Scaloni faced a tactical conundrum going into the final having witnessed his team outclass Croatia in a 4-4-2 shape.

Many would have expected the 4-4-2 system to feature for the third time this tournament, but Scaloni indeed decided to twist once more.

As such, a 4-3-3 system was what followed and looking at it retrospectively, it was a phenomenal decision, with Scaloni’s tactics differing once more.

Didier Deschamps would have been expecting Argentina to follow their theme of deploying their full-backs high and wide to achieve width, yet this was of course not the case.

Instead, Scaloni opted to take a leaf out of Luis Enrique’s book, almost splitting the pitch in half between defence and attack.

Argentina’s back four were more conservative than usual, which was a decision implemented to close off France’s wide options.

Don’t get me wrong, there was a hint of Scaloni’s attacking full-backs tactic, but only slightly, because it was only used during sustained build-ups in which we’d see the likes of Tagliafico acting as a secondary winger just behind Angel Di Maria, and Molina almost in line with De Paul.

Lessons learned from Australia

When Argentina last played a 4-3-3 before going into this game, they struggled somewhat against Australia.

Believe it or not, it was due to a lack of balance between defence and attack, caused by this ideology of outnumbering the opposition in the final third.

Against the Aussies, Argentina were striving to consistently get six players in the final third, with gaps in the midfield of course present, as well as the second conundrum of options being too horizontal.

Against France, they learned from this by leaving four at the back, therefore giving licence for the midfielders to venture forward, with rotation between attack and midfield a constant theme.

Possession Ultimately Prevails

In the first half when France found themselves two goals down, having failed to muster a single shot, Argentina had 59% of the ball and had registered six shots.

Scaloni’s side were fully in control, with their possession of the ball limiting opportunities for France who’ve mainly relied on their counterattacking play to get goals.

It was certainly a game of two halves though in normal time, with France occupying more of the ball, registering six shots and getting two goals for their very late efforts.

The shared theme here is that both sides got their goals having had the Lion’s share of possession.

How France got back into it

In a literal sense, a clumsy challenge by Otamendi on Thuram generously gave France a way back in.

Mbappe just about buried it with Martinez getting something on it, but what followed was almost unbelievable.

Just one minute later, the unthinkable happened when Mbappe levelled the score

For extra context, Argentina hadn’t had a single shot on target up until the 80th minute.

But, if we’re looking more in depth at how France found a way back into the game, we have to look at their shape.

Deschamps’ masterclass

The shape of France throughout the entirety of the tournament has been a debate in itself.

Is it a 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, or 4-4-2 base?

From what we saw against Argentina, we can only assume that it is a 4-2-3-1 native approach, and this is because of the 4-2-4 system that we shape that was a constant throughout the game.

Ultimately, each of the aforementioned shapes featured in the game, but with Deschamps taking off Olivier Giroud and Ousmane Dembele, for Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani, this made for more of a 4-3-3 shape and ultimately saw the game take a twist.

The front-three were able to press with greater threat and ambition, ultimately restricting space for Argentina by matching them manfully.

The 4-4-2 out of possession shape was a constant throughout and sured up the side defensively.

With Deschamps doing all he could from the sidelines, the final touch came in the form of finding a way to lure Argentina out and accelerate the game to a speed which suited their counter-attacking approach.

And they did just that, with the likes of Kingsley Coman and Eduardo Camavinga serving as the respective Cherries on top.

Deschamps’ decision to bring on Camavinga for Hernandez is perhaps the biggest call of the game, with the midfielder-by-trade playing the role of an asymmetric attacking left-back with great poise and ambition.

Mbappe vs Messi

When the game went to extra time at 2-2 you knew that there was still a goal to go and it was always going to be a 50/50 split between PSG teammates Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

When Lionel Messi scored his second of the game, we thought it was all over.

But in true Mbappe fashion, he was having none of it and became the second ever hat-trick hero in a World Cup Final at just 23-years-old - a real sign of what is to come in his career.

Ultimately though, the script went to plan, with Argentina and Lionel Messi prevailing in what makes for a phenomenal World Cup bow.

Is Lionel Messi now officially the greatest player of all time?

How Lionel Scaloni changed Argentina - World Cup 22'

Argentina have without a doubt been the most tactically improved team of the World Cup tournament...

The side endured a shaky start to say the least as they faltered in a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia.

But they soon kicked on and now find themselves in the final, in what could make for a fairytale narrative for Lionel Messi, who has confirmed that this will be his World Cup bow.

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Constant Tweaks

Right from the off, it is worth noting that Argentina have not set-up in the same way throughout the tournament, which has made them unpredictable.

Scaloni has changed formation for each of Argentina’s six games, switching from a 4-4-2 base, to a diamond, to a three-at-the-back system and even a 4-3-3.

In many ways it’s the perfect approach for a knockout tournament. But whilst the tactics have varied, the philosophy has always been the same.

Scaloni has built this side on the premise of being direct in their approach, and that has been a constant whether they’ve had the lion’s share of possession or not.

Changing of the guard

In the six games that Argentina have played, they’ve averaged just 58.2% of possession proceedings, which is around 7% less than what they averaged in the 2018 World Cup tournament that was led by Jorge Sampaoli.

What we’ve actually seen in this tournament is a changing of the guard to some extent.

At club level, where managers have more success in implementing their philosophy throughout the individual phases, we often find successful teams dominating in each phase.

Those sides usually have the lion’s share of possession, which usually doubles up as a game management tactic because the opposition obviously can’t score if they don’t have the ball.

But, hardly having the ball has been one of the biggest trends among the most successful teams across the tournament, with counter-attacking football fully back in fashion.

Three of the five highest-possession playing teams failed to even reach or surpass the round of 16, with second-and-third place England and Portugal faltering in the quarter-finals.

The point is, the highest-possession playing sides of the tournament are all out with none managing to progress to the semi-finals.

Whilst, some of the lower-possession playing sides like Morocco, France and Croatia managed to join Argentina in progressing to the latter stages of the tournament.

Argentina at their best

So playing into this, Scaloni’s side have been at their best in back and forth games.

By not having as much of the ball, they are able to make the game more open by allowing the opposition to progress.

We’ve seen this in the quarter-final game against the Netherlands as well as the 3-0 semi-final win against Croatia, in which Scaloni’s side had just 39% of the ball.

Out of possession

So, looking at the semi-final bout, Argentina poetically returned to the formation that they started the tournament with, which was the 4-4-2 system.

Argentina’s 4-4-2 Base

Off the ball, Scaloni’s side looked to draw the opposition with a mid-to-low-block method, sticking in their native 4-4-2 as the Croats came rushing forward.

4-4-2 mid-low-block

The Argentine’s drew the Croats out using this approach

Interestingly, there was an initial overloading press whenever Croatia entered the mid-third.

The midfield four were integral to sustaining this pressure, with Lionel Messi’s strike partner Julian Alvarez happy to join in with these defensive duties.

So, when Croatia would look to stretch play out on the flanks, an overload of three-to-four players would all press, with Alvarez acting as the trigger in most cases.

Argentina’s overloading press

The side would look to close down space immediately whenever the ball was played out-wide

If Croatia were successful in working the ball into the centre of the pitch, those players would quickly return and drop into a low-block, fluctuating between a 4-3-2-1 shape, but ultimately returning into a neat 4-4-2.

Meanwhile, the back four were happy to stay back, with the bank of four in front given licence to press aggressively, with spaces behind them astutely covered.

In-Possession

When Argentina had the ball, they would progress play as fast as possible.

On counter-attacks, the likes of Alvarez and Messi were key, with another initiators charging alongside them. The rest of the team would stay back, rather than running the risk of committing bodies forward to then be hit on the counter.

In more sustained attacks, there was a real system in place.

Building on from the full-back system that we saw against the Netherlands, Molina, and in this case, Tagliafico served as makeshift wingers.

Whenever Argentina worked the ball up, the fullbacks would act as wingers, sitting high and wide to stretch play.

It was a process that ensured there were five attackers in the front-line, which ultimately created space in the central areas, with Croatia spread.

Argentina in-possession

The full-backs were integral to Argentina’s overload in the final third

Whilst Messi was of course granted the ability to roam free in the final third, the likes of Enzo Fernandez, who is a defensive midfielder by trade, was happy to be the more offensive player in the pivot-duo with Leandro Paredes.

Conclusion

In both phases, Argentina were solid and always looked threatening on the attack.

Their adaptation of playing with a lower amount of possession is a style that works well and tricks the opposition into committing bodies.

In reality, Scaloni’s low-block is just a guise to draw out the opposition and allow his attackers to shine.

The World Cup final against France will certainly be an interesting one, with Deschamp’s side happy to see even less of the ball.

It should be fun, it should be end to end, it COULD be Lionel Messi’s time to shine.

SIDEMEN FC vs YOUTUBE ALLSTARS - Tactical Analysis

One match, 15 goals, 2.6million concurrent viewers, over £1million raised for charity…

The goalkeeping was questionable, but there was indeed ability, at both ends of the spectrum, on show.

It ended 8-7 to Sidemen FC on the day, courtesy of another stellar performance from Miniminter that saw him rack up six goal contributions in the form of three goals and three assists.

But YouTube Allstars certainly gave resistance, with manager Mark Goldbridge proving to be more tactically astute than many would think.

So, before we look at the stats behind individual performances, let’s delve into some of the key tactical themes that featured throughout.

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Youtube Allstars Tactical Themes

When the line-ups came out, many were shocked to see Theo Baker, a well-renowned attacking threat in the YouTube scene, deployed as a centre-back in a back-four.

And whilst it came as a shock originally, you can envision Goldbridge’s thought process, as he clearly wanted players who were comfortable with the ball in the deeper positions so that sustained attacking build-ups could consistently take place.

It was a theme that carried into the double-pivot midfield of Yung Filly and Noah Beck - again, two surprise inclusions in such traditionally deep roles.

Though, just minutes into the game, it became clear as to why the United Stand founder deployed the duo in these respective pivot positions.

With Baker a clear initiator at the back, Filly and Beck would often combine to progress the ball further up the pitch.

But the plot twist in all of this, and the key theme that made the Allstars so threatening at times, was the double-pivot duo’s attacking intent.

Beck and Filly were not traditional pivots and made sure to get forward in almost every attacking transition, they were almost deep-lying attackers and were afforded this opporunity by WillNE, Harry Pinero and AnEsonGib, who would create a makeshift back-three in-possession.

It enabled the Allstars to get as many players forward in their bid to achieve numerical superiority, with gaps at the back covered.

With the usual aim of getting five players in the opponent’s final third, the Allstars rotated and focused on gaining advantages in the half-space, with Chunkz a surprise string-puller during this phase.

Sidemen FC Tactical Themes

Which brings us onto the Sidemen FC, who deployed a 4-4-2 system with ChrisMD and KSI as a double-six.

It was a surprisingly balanced midfield, with KSI happy to sit back as ChrisMD ventured forward, though it is worth noting that both players rotated this role.

You can understand manager Billy Wingrove’s decision to deploy ChrisMD as a midfielder, with his ability to progress play a key attribute to his playstyle.

Miniminter, was happy to act as the floating striker, almost acting as a false-9, in a move that saw the generational talent that is Vikkstar123 lead the line.

This rotation enabled the likes of TBJZL to invert and offer support in the central areas, to which he did on a consistent and productive basis.

But one of the most interesting tactical themes in the Sidemen FC squad was their use of the 4-4-2 throughout both attacking and defensive transitions.

When going forward, the fullbacks in Calfreezy and Zerkaa would happily sit back in a back four, with no real intent to attack.

But, with cover in this area more than present, it meant that the likes of ChrisMD and TBJZL would venture forward to accompany Miniminter and Vikkstar in a shape that resembled a 4-2-4, with Mr Beast and KSI providing cover in the midfield areas.

As such, out-of-possession, the side would quickly revert back into their native 4-4-2 set-up, but often made the mistake of dropping too deep.

If Wingrove had taken a page out of Fulham manager Marco Silva’s playbook, he would have seen his side defend in this same set-up, but further up the pitch to create a 4-4-2 mid-block.

This sort of pressure would have disabled a number of Allstars attacks, and could have seen the Sidemen benefit from greater counter-attacking opportunities.

The Stats

Either way, credit has to be handed to all involved, with the teams evenly matched and tactics making for an open and positively destructive game of football, for some great causes.

On the day, Goldbridge’s Allstars just edged possession, compiling a total of 53%, whilst Sidemen FC were happy to sit back and wait for counter-attacking opportunities, with their superior total of 26 shots evidence of this.

In terms of individual performances:

• Noah Beck created the joint most amount of chances in the game with 5, sharing this total with Miniminter, and also completed the most passes in the match with 39, at a completion rate of 85%.

• ChrisMD completed the most dribbles in the game, with a total of 7 completed.

• KSI both won the most duels in the match with a total of 11, and simultaneously lost the most duels in the game with 10 lost.

How John Stones at Right-Back changes Manchester City

Manchester City’s last two games, against Wolves and Borussia Dortmund, have seen John Stones deployed as a right-back in Pep Guardiola’s notorious 4-3-3 set-up.

And whilst many would expect the England-international to be a like-for-like replacement for Kyle Walker as the initiator in an asymmetrical full-back system, functioning as a right-sided centre-back in a back-three when City have the ball, this is indeed not the case.

And it makes Stones an unorthodox right full-back as a result, considering his reputation as a central defender.

So why is Pep utilising Stones in this way?

WALKER’S INJURY

Walker’s knock against Aston Villa just a couple of weeks ago has seen him miss three games in that time span.

Joao Cancelo took his place in the game against Sevilla, whilst Sergio Gomez featured at left-back.

But the following games against Borussia Dortmund and Wolves saw Stones feature at right-back, with Cancelo reverting to the inverted full-back role on the left that we have all grown so used to.

CITY WITH WALKER AT RB

As briefly covered earlier on, Kyle Walker acts as the initiator for the likes of Joao Cancelo to advance into a more progressive position.

As a defensive-minded full-back, he makes up a back-three when City have the ball, with Cancelo acting as a central midfielder through his inverted positioning.

Walker’s selfless efforts mean that Manchester City’s native central midfielders can progress, knowing there is cover in the space they leave behind.

With Walker at right-back, City’s build up usually looks something along the lines of a 3-2-5 formation in-possession, to put it simply.

CITY WITH STONES AT RB

In what is one of the tactical shocks of the season, a Manchester City side with John Stones at right-back sees Pep’s side push even higher up the pitch, in what is an example of inverted full-back positioning.

Both Cancelo and Stones push up as makeshift midfielders when City have the ball, creating a midfield three with Rodri.

Stones’ progressive nature as a full-back sees De Bruyne push higher up the pitch, with the England international able to recover the ball through his advanced positioning.

With Stones at right-back, City’s build-up looks something along the lines of a 2-4-4 formation in-possession.

MANCHESTER CITY VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND

The 2-1 Champions League victory against Edin Terzic’s Dortmund side saw Stones score a cracker, having ventured his way forward via an inverted position just outside the box.

And it was this rather shocking movement that enabled Kevin De Bruyne to occupy progressive positioning for City on a consistent basis, with the gap in the mid-third filled by the 28-year-old Englishman.

MANCHESTER CITY VS WOLVES

We saw Stones’ willingness to push up into midfield once again, with Jack Grealish’s opener a result of his progressive positioning, which, in turn, allowed De Bruyne greater freedom to rotate with Phil Foden in what made for a beautiful link-up to fire City 1-0 up inside the first minute.

It was a constant theme that gave City four in midfield when they had the ball, with Bernardo Silva offering support from deep, whilst Cancelo took up a slightly wider position than we are used to seeing.

It paid off and once again saw De Bruyne take up a central number ten role for the majority of play, alongside Grealish, with the pair just behind Haaland who of course led the attacking line.

Throughout this game, City were a lot more narrow, with credit given to the likes of Phil Foden, who dropped into a deep central position, and John Stones, who shifted into a more advanced inverted role, for allowing this shape to occur.

A SHOCK FROM STONES

So, in short, John Stones is much more progressive than we thought.

And when deployed at full-back, occupies a higher position than Kyle Walker usually does, based on our two game sample size from this season.

It affords De Bruyne greater freedom to attack and bolsters the midfield.

Though, it does mean that Cancelo is not as free to roam as he is when Walker plays, and does see City rotate slightly less than usual, whilst making them a bit more vulnerable to opposition counters.

Which system do you prefer?

The 2-3-5 with John Stones at right-back?

or

The 3-2-5 with Kyle Walker at right-back?

Is Raheem Sterling a Manchester City legend?

Raheem Sterling’s switch to Chelsea has caused anarchy among the Manchester City fanbase…

Whilst some are annoyed with the club, others are content and trust the decision made by Sterling, Pep and the board.

But in this piece, we’ll be looking at whether the decision to sell Sterling was correct, whilst determining whether the legacy he leaves behind gratifies him with the status of a Manchester City Club Legend - comment down below if you believe this to be true.

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Under-valued Sterling

In Raheem Sterling, we’re talking about a technical and direct player who has managed to score a significant amount of goals, despite possessing some inefficiencies in the final third.

The last two seasons have seen the England-international finish as the player who has missed the most big chances, having missed 13 big chances last season and a further 13 in the season prior.

But, for all of his inefficiencies up-top, you cannot argue with the numbers he has produced over the last few seasons.

Out of his seven Premier League campaigns in a Manchester City shirt, Sterling has netted 10 or more goals in five of those seasons. And he also netted 17 or more goals in three consecutive Premier League campaigns during that time-span.

Quite frankly, for his level of output, he is an underrated asset.

But, were Pep and the City board still right to sell him?

Selling Sterling

Without stating the obvious, selling a forward who is approaching his prime years to a Premier League title rival is not the smartest decision.

But, in fairness, Jack Grealish offers a similar style up-top, whilst the arrival of January signing Julian Alvarez is also there to soften the blow, with both players employing a direct attacking style.

From a player perspective, it’s a move that comes with a lot of risk.

With the World Cup just around the corner, there are no guarantees that the 27-year-old will fit the style of Thomas Tuchel’s abrupt Chelsea side.

Having made 30 appearances in the league, starting 23 of those games, Sterling has been granted an adequate chance in the side by Pep and made a further 17 appearances with cup competitions included.

There was no real need to move from his or City’s perspective, but the decision has been made by the player, which brings us onto the main point.

Is Raheem Sterling a Man City Legend?

There have been some rather odd debates from Football Twitter on Raheem Sterling’s status at Manchester City.

According to Google’s definition, a legend is “an extremely famous or notorious person, especially in a particular field.”

But in football, the definition takes a slight twist.

There are of course various ways that clubs base this prestige on, with aspects like; overall impact at the club, time spent at the club, silverware won with the club and of course most goals/assists at the club.

On that basis, the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany are among the most recent City players who have achieved legendary status at the club.

Traditionally, the highest and second-highest goalscorers in a club’s history automatically embed themselves into the Hall of Fame, so to speak.

So, focusing on this theme, the likes of Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs who are the first and second-highest Premier League goalscorers in Manchester United’s history, respectively, happen to be legends at Old Trafford. It’s the same at Chelsea, with the likes of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba again ranked as the highest and second-highest Premier League goalscorers in the club’s history - a feat which has consequently regarded them as legends.

So, with 225 Premier League appearances made in a City career that has seen him work his way up as the club’s second-highest Premier League goalscorer ever with 91 goals in Manchester City’s most successful period in their history, Raheem Sterling is undeniably a Manchester City Club Legend, for his impact, time spent, silverware won, and of course his all important goal contributions.

How and Why Man United signed Christian Eriksen

Manchester United have finally signed a midfield maestro…

And although it’s not the midfield signing that everyone was expecting, it represents an upgrade in the United engine room and, overall, serves as a big coup with Erik ten Hag’s playing philosophy in mind.

As such, with an agreement reached and a transfer expected to go through imminently; how and why did Manchester United sign Christian Eriksen?

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How Man Utd signed Eriksen

After a month of speculation surrounding the future of Christian Eriksen, a decision has finally been made by the 30-year-old.

Despite suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, Eriksen returned to action in February of this year, accepting a short-term deal with Brentford after his contract with Inter Milan was terminated by mutual consent, due to Serie A rules.

His return to football and the Premier League for that matter went swimmingly in what was a four month stint that saw him notch a solitary goal and four assists in 11 Premier League appearances for Brentford.

Which leads us nicely as to why Manchester United want the 30-year-old.

Why Man Utd signed Eriksen

There are multiple reasons as to why Christian Eriksen has attracted the attention of Manchester United.

Firstly, his ability as a creator in the centre of the pitch represents excellent value for a player who is available on a free transfer.

In just 11 Premier League appearances for Brentford, he ranked as the side’s fourth highest chance creator overall with 30 chances created. And he was the most efficient in the squad, clocking up around 2.9 chances created per 90. But it is worth noting that he had significantly less game time than his teammates.

His stats for Brentford this season would see him rank fourth in United’s squad for chances created overall, slotting in just behind Luke Shaw and just ahead of Fred. But it’s the same story when it comes to chances created per 90, with Eriksen surpassing Bruno Fernandes’ average of 2.6 chances created per 90, in a scenario that comes with the caveat that the Dane has played less games.

But whilst United are in need of another chance creator in the engine room, from Ten Hag’s perspective, they require more experience and further depth.

Manchester United’s average squad age last season was 27, but with the departures of Matic, Pogba, Lingard, Cavani, Mata and Grant, this average is set to lower somewhat significantly.

As such, it renders just Cristiano Ronaldo and Phil Jones as the only two outfield players in the squad over the age of 29.

And with the latter expected to play a bit-part role at the very most, having barely featured in recent years, it means that Ronaldo is the only senior outfield regular.

Considering the amount of talent that United have in their youth ranks, such as Alejandro Garnacho and Hannibal Mejbri, among others, an experienced, productive and low-profile asset who fits the system of a Ten Hag possession style is exactly the kind of signing that United need this summer.

Eriksen has been schooled at Ajax earlier in his career and fits a mass-possession playing style, offering his ability as a playmaker.

And when you also consider that he has been snapped up on a free transfer, the move makes even more sense from a Red Devils perspective.

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Kalvin Phillips' Butterfly Effect at Manchester City

After securing the capture of Kalvin Phillips at Manchester City…

Pep Guardiola may be left with a conflicting decision in the holding midfielder role…

The signing of Phillips is tactically fascinating and could have a knock-on effect on Rodri, who has proven himself as somewhat of a midfield maestro in possession this season.

And his return of seven goals and two assists from defensive midfield has reflected his efficiency as a well-rounded asset.

Though, his defensive numbers have faltered slightly and fall short of the metrics sustained by Phillips, leading us to believe that the England international will be the first choice pivot in Pep’s 4-3-3 system.

So, what happens to Rodri?

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Rodri’s… Promotion?

Rodri’s stability and attacking efficiency in the season just gone may have influenced the thinking of Pep, who could now be flirting with the idea of pushing the Spaniard up into a more progressive role as a central midfielder.

The 26-year-old made 19 appearances for Villarreal as a central midfielder and has registered some elite level numbers in-possession this season.

With an average of 80.79 passes per 90 at a completion rate of 92.7%, he is City’s best midfielder in terms of passing metrics, beating the likes of:

• Kevin De Bruyne who achieves an average of 46.49 passes at a completion rate of 76.2%,

• Bernardo Silva who averages 50.99 passes completed at a completion rate of 88.6%

• as well as new City signing Kalvin Phillips who averages 43.36 passes completed at a completion rate of 81.5%.

He’s not exactly passive (excuse the pun) in-possession either, registering a match average of 7.69 passes into the final third and 5.68 progressive passes - beating Bernardo and Phillips, whilst falling just short of De Bruyne who averages an elite level 6.36 progressive passes per 90.

Why Rodri to CM makes sense

Phillips’ arrival will enable Pep to employ a 2-3-5 system in the build-up, which will vary throughout the attacking phase.

One method would require both full-backs to join the midfield throughout an inverted approach to accompany Phillips, which would see the central midfielders get forward in the same fashion that they did last season.

Whilst the second method would see Pep deploy his full-backs throughout an asymmetrical approach, in which Cucurella and Cancelo would mimic that of Robertson and Trent in sharing attacking duties through overlapping runs to create an overload down each flank on a rotated basis.

This method would still require stability in midfield, so one of the central midfielders would need to support Phillips both in and out of possession.

Which is why playing a well-rounded and defensively sound asset like Rodri as a central midfielder makes even more sense.

With the Spaniard averaging 96.12 touches per game, the majority of Manchester City’s play goes through him, and with 68.29 carries, he’s a progressive asset in midfield.

As a central midfielder, he would essentially carry out the role that Thiago Alcantara does for Liverpool, dropping deep to pick up the ball and dictate play through progressive passes.

In a 4-3-3 system, it’s a move that makes a lot of sense.

Though, if Pep is to revert back to the 4-2-3-1 system that we saw him use when he first arrived at City, a double-pivot duo of Rodri and Phillips would make even more sense.

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How and Why Liverpool signed Darwin Nunez

Liverpool have ruthlessly put an end to the Darwin Nunez saga…

By signing the Uruguayan for a reported €75m fee, which is around £64m.

And it’s a fee that could rise as high as £85.6m when performance related add-ons are taken into account.

Nunez had a number of potential suitors from Premier League clubs.

So how and why did Liverpool sign Darwin Nunez?

HOW LIVERPOOL SIGNED NUNEZ

Throughout all of the build up to the Summer Transfer Window, Nunez was a name on the lips of most clubs, after enjoying a break-out season with Benfica in a campaign which saw him notch 26 goals and four assists in 28 Liga Portugal games.

The 22-year-old personally announced himself to Klopp, scoring in both legs of the Champions League Quarter-Final clash to take his tally up to six goals in 10 UCL appearances.

Klopp was clearly impressed and it has since been said that the German was in private talks with the Striker two months prior to the deal being agreed.

WHY LIVERPOOL SIGNED NUNEZ

Quite simply, he’s proven himself as a reliable goalscorer this season and serves as a viable replacement for the departing Sadio Mane.

Nunez is primarily a centre-forward, but has been deployed as a left winger in a 4-3-3 system on five occasions this season, scoring ten goals and supplying two assists. An unbelievable return from the position that Mane currently occupies for Liverpool.

This makes the 22-year-old a versatile option in the attack for Klopp, who now has all bases covered in attack:

• A target-man in Nunez

• A false-nine in Firmino/Jota

• A complete forward in Nunez/Firmino/Jota

• An inverted-winger in Salah/Diaz/Jota/Nunez

• An inside-forward in Nunez/Diaz/Jota

• A support-winger in Diaz/Jota

For that reason, although Nunez will play the majority of his games as a centre-forward, we may see him on the left wing a handful of times next season in an attacking line that will mix and match every other game.

THE VERDICT

Liverpool proved themselves as the league’s most creative side in the season just gone, creating 97 big chances, 10 clear of Manchester City.

Though, they ranked third in the league for big chances missed with 59. Their main culprit was Diogo Jota who missed 14 chances with a shot conversion rate of 11.7% in the Premier League.

For comparison, Nunez achieved a shot conversion rate of 23.4% in the Liga Portugal - a metric that ranks him as the most clinical finisher among the Liverpool squad by some distance, with the likes of Salah and Mane registering a shot conversion rate of 12.8%, respectively.

As a lone centre-forward, Nunez will benefit hugely from Liverpool’s directness and can offer Klopp an immediate solution to his big chances missed problem in the same way that Haaland will for City.

Overall it’s a promising signing and, despite the huge price-tag, is more logical than most think.

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Why Manchester City NEED Marc Cucurella

Manchester City’s reported pursuit of Marc Cucurella tells us a lot about Pep’s desired play-style for next season.

Ever since the signing of Erling Haaland was confirmed, there have been questions as to how the Norwegian powerhouse will fit into such a technical and patient side.

Though, it seems as if Pep will look to make Haaland’s life as easy as possible, by changing Manchester City’s approach play throughout the possession phase.

Pep’s inverted full-back experiment

Benjamin Mendy’s situation off the pitch and Kyle Walker’s injury issues have left Pep short of full-backs this season - with the Spaniard ironically selling two ready-made options in Angelino and Pedro Porro.

The management of depth at the back has seen the likes of Joao Cancelo, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Nathan Ake play a combined 65 Premier League games this season, with Kyle Walker also managing 20 appearances.

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WATCH THE VIDEO

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When Walker has started at right-back this season, Cancelo has performed as an inverted full-back, with the Portuguese looking to cut inside and join the midfield in-possession.

He’s performed tremendously as a right-footed left-back, registering five assists in 22 appearances this season.

But the reported pursuit of Cucurella would suggest that Pep’s experiment with Cancelo as an inverted full-back is clearly over, with orthodox full-backs now looking as though they will have a place once again in the Spaniard’s ever-evolving system.

City’s change in tactics

The potential move for Cucurella suggests a lot about Pep Guardiola’s tactics going into next season, as he clearly wants a more direct and orthodox option at full-back to accommodate Erling Haaland as the out-and-out target man.

Operating as a left wing-back for Graham Potter’s Brighton side, the 23-year-old Spaniard has created an impressive 42 chances this season - which is more than Walker, Zinchenko and Ake’s combined total of 30 chances created. Cancelo meanwhile is just short of Cucurella’s total this season with 39 chances created respectively.

In what has been his debut Premier League season, former Barca starlet Cucurella has proven his creative acumen, and as such, has attracted the interest of Guardiola who will no doubt be looking at a left-footed full-back to fire in chances for incoming target-man Haaland.

Guardiola is clearly looking to take a page out of Jurgen Klopp’s tactical notebook - the one that hits a fine balance between a mass-possession foundation, merged with a loud and abrasive pressing system that leads to direct counter-attacking transitions.

With or without Cucurella, it looks as though the arrival of Haaland will result in a more direct approach from Guardiola, who will continue to write new pages in his book of ever evolving football schematics.

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The Marcelo Bielsa Stadium

Marcelo Bielsa…

An undeniably astute tactician and ultimate character of the game.

Whilst his trophy-cabinet isn’t as stacked as former mentee Pep Guardiola’s cabinet, Bielsa is still regarded as one of the greatest managers the game has ever seen.

This is largely down to his deployment of unique and somewhat unorthodox methods that have lead to admiration from notable figures involved in the game - none more so than Pep Guardiola himself.

The Spaniard met Bielsa before undertaking the role of head coach at Barcelona B and has since adopted elements of Bielsa’s philosophies and beliefs in how the game should be played.

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“HE IS PROBABLY THE PERSON I ADMIRE THE MOST IN WORLD FOOTBALL - AS A MANAGER AND AS A PERSON”

— PEP GUARDIOLA ON MARCELO BIELSA

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Bielsa has been coaching for just over 4 decades and in that time has built up a CV featuring the likes of Argentina, Marseille, Lazio and Lille, before of course taking charge of an ambitious Leeds United side in 2018.

A club that I refrained from mentioning in that previous sentence, though, is the Argentinian outfit; Newell’s Old Boys. This is the club in which Marcelo Bielsa first cut his teeth as a coach, all the way back in the 1980’s, when he took charge of their youth team.

After 10 years as a youth coach for Newell’s, Bielsa eventually took charge of the first team, where he enjoyed instant success - winning league titles in 1991 and 1992.

As you can imagine, there is a certain bond between Bielsa and Newell’s Old Boys. A bond that could be described as the epitomy of football romanticism to the truest extent.

In 2009, Bielsa’s reputation as a coach skyrocketed, after he took the Chilean National Team to the World Cup finals for the first time in 12 years.

Hometown club Newell’s were so proud of Bielsa’s achievements that they decided to name their stadium after him, in what was a gesture towards the great man known globally as ‘El Loco.’

Newell’s club secretary at the time said this;

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“THIS IS A GESTURE TOWARDS A PERSON WHO DID A LOT FOR THE CLUB AND TODAY CARRIES ITS NAME WITH PRIDE AROUND THE WORLD.”

— NEWELL’S OLD BOYS SECRETARY, PABLO MOROSANO

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How Less Passes have improved Liverpool this season

Liverpool’s style of football has changed this season.

They’ve gone from making around 548 passes per game, to around 517 passes per game.

Whilst there’s only a difference of 31 passes, it’s a metric that has seen them improve as a team this season.

What does it suggest?

In short, it suggests that Liverpool have been more direct in their attacking play.

Compared to last year’s total of 5.6 shots on target per match and average of 1.8 goals per match, the difference is stark and evidences our suggestion nicely.

This year, Liverpool average around 7.0 shots on target per match and average around 2.6 goals per match also.

What else has improved?

Perhaps the most mesmerising stat that Liverpool have improved upon is the metric known as big chances created. According to Opta, this refers to “a situation where a player should be expected to score.”

Last year (2020/2021), Liverpool created a very impressive 82 big chances in 38 Premier League games. For context, Manchester City won the league, scored the most goals and had a total of 79 big chances created - 3 less than Liverpool that season.

Fast forward to this year’s Premier League campaign, in which Liverpool find themselves 25 matches deep (as of February 21st 2022), and they look as though they will massively improve on that previously high big chances created metric of 82.

In 25 Premier League games, they have created 72 big chances - a metric that see’s them rank 1st with no close second. Manchester City sit well behind them with 59 big chances created, with the Citizens then followed by Manchester United who sit in 3rd place for big chances created with 52.

It’s also worth noting that Liverpool have improved in the majority of their defensive metrics as well.

Though, there is no direct link between the improvement of their defence and the amount of passes per game. This is of course due to passes being part of the in-possession phase and not the out-of-possession phase.

Notable info:

- Stats as per Opta

- Recorded on Feb 21st 2022

- 25 games into Liverpool’s Premier League season

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What is Dele Alli's Best Position?

Frank Lampard and Everton have handed Dele Alli a life-line.

Dele Alli endured the worst season of his career last year, struggling for game time having played just 620 minutes in the league.

When he did play, he failed to make an impact and ended the season with just 1 assist in 15 Premier League appearances.

He was a shadow of the player who generated 12 returns in 25 Premier League appearances during the 19/20 season.

Though his defensive numbers were outstanding and saw him reach the 99th percentile for pressures, and pressures in the attacking third (as per fbref/statsbomb). Numbers that promote retrospective irony of the highest degree for two reasons.

Reason Number One

José Mourinho’s comments the season before as he famously said “Dele Alli is not a midfield player.”

Reason Number Two

The fact that Spurs are currently the 4th worst side in the Premier League (as of Feb 16th 2022) when it comes to winning possession in the final third. If only they had a player in their ranks that placed in the 90th percentile for tackles in the attacking third in 2 of the last 3 seasons… If only…

END PRODUCT

In fairness, you can understand why José Mourinho identified Dele Alli as an attacking player.

His first 2 seasons at Spurs saw him rack up 44 attacking returns in 70 Premier League appearances - with Dele scoring 18 of those during his second season in England’s top flight.

And even the next 3 seasons that followed were sprinkled with goals and assists.

Bearing in mind last season’s numbers and now accounting for this season’s, a pattern is beginning to appear - and it’s not positive.

The main focal point of Dele Alli’s game has completely diminished over the previous season and half. There is a severe lack of end product, with Alli contributing with just 1 goal and 1 assist in his last 35 Premier League appearances.

THE BEST VERSION OF DELE ALLI

The best version of Dele Alli could be seen during the 2016/2017 season, in which he netted an incredible 22 goals and chipped in with a further 14 assists in 50 appearances for Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs side.

18 of those goals were in the Premier League, with 12 goals occurring when Alli was deployed as an attacking midfielder.

SO, WHAT CAN WE CONCLUDE?

Well firstly, José Mourinho was onto something.

Dele Alli had his best goalscoring season when he primarily featured as a number 10.

Of those 18 Premier League goals scored, 12 came from when Alli functioned as a native number 10.

So that is our conclusion; Dele Alli’s best position is in the role of an attacking midfielder.

The best version of Dele Alli functions as a native number 10, giving him the freedom to occupy central areas and provide attacking support whilst making use of his technical ability to create space, opportunities and most importantly; goal-threat.

A big part of why Dele Alli flourishes as a number 10 though is due to his defensive work.

As an attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-2-1 system for example, he will act as part of the first line of defence, providing an astonishingly high number of pressures per 90 - numbers that put him in and around the 99th percentile per 90 (as per fbref/statsbomb).

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Watch the Video

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How and Why Manchester City signed Julian Alvarez

January 31st is, and always will be, regarded as an important date in the football calendar.

And whilst this year’s edition of the Winter Transfer Deadline Day was rather glum for some, it was much more exciting for others.

None more so than the 22-year-old Argentinian Forward; Julian Alvarez - who signed for Manchester City on his 22nd Birthday.

Alvarez had a number of suitors from some of the continent’s finest clubs.

So how and why did Manchester City sign Julian Alvarez on Transfer Deadline Day?

How Manchester City signed Alvarez

Last summer, Julian Alvarez was being tracked by a number of top sides, with Aston Villa and Bayer Leverkusen making their interest known.

Though the young forward opted to stay-put at River Plate, as he awaited an offer from a club who played Champions League football.

Suddenly, the list of teams who could appeal to Alvarez sensationally decreased.

And that’s where Manchester City come in.

Why Manchester City signed Alvarez

The answer is simple.

He’s young, talented and versatile throughout the forward positions.

And even at his young age, he understands what it takes to win silverware - having won 6 trophies in his time at River Plate so far, with one of those the prestigious Copa Libertadores.

Alvarez enjoyed a stellar 2020/2021 campaign in which he notched up 27 goal-contributions in 21 games for River Plate in the Argentine Primera Division.

Of those 27 goal-contributions, 18 were goals and 9 were assists.

None of his goals were from the penalty spot and he achieved these numbers in just 21 league games.

Having just turned 22, his potential is clear, and Ferran Torres’ recent departure to Barcelona is bound to have had an influence in this decision.

The biggest influence though is the fact that 17 goals and 7 assists were achieved when Alvarez was deployed as a centre-forward.

Add in the fact that Manchester City paid just £14m for his services and the move makes even more sense from a Manchester City perspective.

This means that Julian Alvarez cost £1m more than Dan Burn, £2m pounds more than Wout Weghorst and £11m less than Chris Wood!

Very efficient business by The Citizens.

A Win-Win Situation

With Alvarez now on-loan at River Plate for this next season, it means that he has more time to develop his game at a club he’s comfortable with, before he returns to Manchester City next season.

It also means that River Plate do not have to worry about replacing him immediately, and can ponder on their decision.

As for Manchester City, their striker-crisis is over.

They now have a young, prolific striker on their books who will be ready to make an impact, come next season.

The Next Aguero?

For some City fans, this is a move that will fill an even bigger void.

Work it out for yourself;

• He’s Argentinian.

• He’s primarily a centre-forward.

• He’s a prolific goal scorer.

• By the time he makes his Manchester City debut, he will be around 23-years-old. (The same age that Manchester City’s All-Time Top Scorer was when he arrived).

Does that ring any bells?

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What next for Dele Alli?

Last season was the worst of Dele Alli’s relatively young career.

He struggled for game time, playing just 620 minutes in the league. Though, that was in the form of 15 Premier League appearances where he only managed a measly return of 1 assist.

In regards to his attacking threat, he was a shadow of the player who generated 12 returns in 25 Premier League appearances the season before.

But his defensive numbers were outstanding and saw him reach the 99th percentile for pressures, and pressures in the attacking third (as per fbref/statsbomb). Numbers that promote retrospective irony of the highest degree for two reasons.

Reason Number One

José Mourinho’s comments the season before as he famously said “Dele Alli is not a midfield player.”

Reason Number Two

The fact that Spurs are currently the worst side in the Premier League (as of Jan 25th 2022) when it comes to winning possession in the final third. If only they had a player in their ranks that placed in the 90th percentile for tackles in the attacking third in 2 of the last 3 seasons… If only…

End Product

In fairness, you can understand why José Mourinho identified Dele Alli as an attacking player. His first 2 seasons at Spurs saw him rack up 44 attacking returns in 70 Premier League appearances - with Dele scoring 18 of those during his second season in England’s top flight.

And even the next 3 seasons that followed were sprinkled with goals and assists.

Bearing in mind last season’s numbers and now accounting for this season’s, a pattern is beginning to appear - and it’s not positive.

The main focal point of Dele Alli’s game has completely diminished over the previous season and half. There is a severe lack of end product, with Alli contributing with just 1 goal and 1 assist in his last 35 Premier League appearances.

Fluctuation in Management

The fluctuation of managers at Tottenham Hotspur over the last couple of years will not have helped Dele Alli’s development by any stretch of the imagination.

Whilst the first half of Jose Mourinho’s spell saw Dele Alli deployed as an attacking midfielder, sitting just behind Harry Kane, the second half saw him majorly struggling for game time - with Tanguy Ndombele preferred in formations that made use of an attacking midfielder.

The appointment of Ryan Mason saw him start the final 5 games of the season, but the performances were far from inspirational and saw Alli deliver just 1 assist - his first of the Premier League campaign in Tottenham’s 35th game of the season, against Leeds United.

Under Nuno Espírito Santo, Dele Alli found himself as a starter - for the first 6 games at least. During these 6 appearances, he scored 1 goal and failed to create a single chance. He did not suit Nuno’s system - a system that saw him function primarily as a central midfielder.

Which brings us to the present day, where Dele Alli finds himself as a bench player for Spurs, having made just 3 Premier League appearances under Antonio Conte. One of those appearances saw him feature as a defensive midfielder in a double pivot, a role that in no way plays to Alli’s best strengths.

The Best Version of Dele Alli

The best version of Dele Alli could be seen during the 2016/2017 season, in which he netted an incredible 22 goals and chipped in with a further 14 assists in 50 appearances for Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs side.

18 of those goals were in the Premier League, with 12 goals occurring when Alli was deployed as an attacking midfielder.

So, what can we conclude?

Well firstly, José Mourinho was onto something.

Dele Alli had his best goalscoring season when he primarily featured as a number 10. Of those 18 Premier League goals scored, 12 came from when Alli functioned as a native number 10.

So that is our first conclusion; Dele Alli’s best position is the role of an attacking midfielder.

The best version of Dele Alli functions as a native number 10, giving him the freedom to occupy central areas and provide attacking support whilst making use of his technical ability to create space, opportunities and most importantly; goal-threat.

A big part of why Dele Alli flourishes as a number 10 though is due to his defensive work. As an attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-2-1 system for example, he will act as part of the first line of defence, providing an astonishingly high number of pressures per 90 - numbers that put him in and around the 99th percentile per 90 (as per fbref/statsbomb).

Our second conclusion? Dele Alli needs to leave Tottenham Hotspur.

A Change of Scenery

Having struggled for game time across the last season and a half, it’s obvious that Dele Alli needs a change of scenery.

At 25-years-old, he has an incredible amount of experience and more importantly, potential.

He’s currently valued at around £22.5m, which is a bargain if a club can help him return to his best.

The question is, which club is he most likely go to? and can said club allow him the opportunity to function as an attacking midfielder in a progressive system?

At this point in time, Dele Alli is linked with a host of clubs with the likes of Newcastle, PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Brighton, Everton, Southampton and Burnley all said to be in for the 25-year-old Englishman.

But which move would suit him best?

Dele Alli’s Next Club

Although they’re not said to be in for him, Leeds United would be an astute move, tactically speaking, for Dele Alli.

He would fit seamlessly into Bielsa’s 4-1-4-1, 3-3-3-1 and 4-2-3-1 systems with an ability to enhance Leeds’ counter-press.

If Leeds are unsuccessful in their attempts to lure Brenden Aaronson away from RB Salzburg, then a move for Dele Alli would suit both parties.

As I mentioned though, Leeds United have not been linked, so whilst The Whites would be an ideal destination, we’ll instead pick from the clubs who have been linked.

Borussia Dortmund are a club who could offer Dele Alli an exciting platform to show the world what he can do.

Head coach; Marco Rose, often fluctuates between formations that use an out-and-out number 10 but has garnered some consistency over the past month utilising a 4-3-3 system.

There is also a lot of competition at Dortmund for an attacking midfielder, with Reus, Reinier and Brandt all capable of playing anywhere across the forward positions.

It’s the same with PSG. Whilst a reunion with former manager Mauricio Pochettino could help matters, the 4-3-3 system that PSG have settled with would not allow Dele Alli the opportunity to prosper and there is also a responsibility to act as a support for the superstars; Kylian Mbappé and Neymar - which could hamper Alli’s attacking opportunities.

In terms of game time, a move to Dortmund or PSG at this stage could be too risky for Dele, so we’ll move onto the next possible destination.

Newcastle are one of the favourites to land Alli’s signature, and have recently shone when setting up as a 4-3-2-1.

Eddie Howe’s system incorporates two number 10s, and Dele Alli has proven himself in a similar 3-4-2-1 set-up in his best season at Tottenham.

There is also potential for Dele to become a key player for Newcastle, and if that was the case then fans would give him the love and support that we at Let’s Talk Ball believe he craves as a football player.

On the other hand, Brighton could offer another promising route out of Spurs, and the temptation of joining an ambitious side with a tactically astute manager could be a tempting proposition.

Potter tends to switch formations for each opponent and Alli has the necessary versatility to function well in a total football system like this.

All five aforementioned teams would give Dele Alli an opportunity to prosper in a different setting, but the most logical scenario would see him go to Newcastle United on loan for the rest of the season.

This way, he would be able to minimise risk and have a chance to enjoy his football, with a determined side who want to avoid relegation at all costs.

At Newcastle, he would be able to function in his favoured role as a number 10 and play for a club who offer an exciting project.

Overall, this represents the best short-term option for Dele Alli to rejuvenate his once promising career.

Watch the Video

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Why Newcastle United are desperately chasing Diego Carlos...

The stats say it all…

Newcastle United have simply not been good enough this season and it’s no wonder that they find themselves in the relegation zone.

Of course there is a slither of hope for the Tyneside club, after they managed to secure a takeover that reportedly makes them the ‘richest club In the world.’

The takeover by the Saudi-led consortium, which is fronted by Amanda Staveley, has brought a fresh direction for the Magpies at the time they needed it most.

It’s no secret that the fans of Newcastle United felt that they deserved better, after previous owner, Mike Ashley, neglected the club.

With the precarious position that the Tyneside outfit find themselves in, they need to build on the momentum that has been installed under this new ownership.

The January Transfer Window presents the opportunity to do just that.

The signing of Kieran Trippier was astute, whilst the move for Chris Wood from relegation rivals Burnley was a statement of intent.

But they’re not done there, and rightly so.

They are in desperate need of some solidity in the backline.

The Stats

The stats say it all;

• They’ve conceded the second-most goals this season with 43 goals conceded.

• They concede around 2.2 goals per game - the worst record in the league.

• They have the highest xG conceded with 38.5.

• They have the worst disciplinary record, conceding 6 penalties, amassing 2 red cards, as well as 49 yellow cards.

They need an established centre-back to assert some authority into that backline and who better than Sevilla’s 28-year-old Brazilian centre-back; Diego Carlos?

Humble Beginnings

Diego Carlos has gone under the radar when it comes to Europe’s elite.

Despite being on the books of Porto through a loan-spell in 2014, he never made a first team appearance, instead featuring 19 teams for their B-team.

He returned back to parent club at the time, Estoril, and played 33 games, before joining French Ligue 1 side FC Nantes on a 5-year deal.

Carlos established himself in France, making a total of 108 appearances for Les Canaris, before Spanish side Sevilla came in for his services.

His efforts in helping Sevilla to Europa League success in the 19/20 season translated to a call-up to the Brazil National Team, with Carlos reaping further awards - this time picking up an Olympic Gold Medal during the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Diego Carlos’ club career up until Sevilla has been relatively humble, though his quality is undoubted and I urge you to take him seriously.

How Diego Carlos Compares to Europe’s Elite

Here is how Diego Carlos compares to some of the current best centre-backs in the world;

I’ve compared Diego Carlos’ defensive stats this season with some of Europe’s elite. If you’re not too familiar with the Sevilla Defender, I’m sure the results will shock you.

In comparison with Virgil Van Dijk, Ruben Dias, Eder Militao, Antonio Rüdiger and Kalidou Koulibaly - Diego Carlos ranks;

• 3rd in terms of number of players tackled with 30 successful dispossessions.

• 1st in terms of blocks.

• 2nd in terms of interceptions with 27.

• 2nd in terms of clearances with 80 - only Van Dijk has more at this stage with 88.

As you can see, Newcastle United are not messing around with this signing and it’s understandable why they are so desperate for, what is on the whole, an underrated centre-back about to enter his prime.

Newcastle’s Display of Intent

The fact that Newcastle United are putting all of their might into a signing of this calibre demonstrates their intent to avoid playing Championship football, come next season.

From what we understand, Newcastle have had 2 bids rejected for Carlos, with the Brazilian centre-back believed to be open to the idea of signing for the Magpies.

Before going back in for a 3rd and hopefully final bid, the Toon have waited patiently for the tension that comes with the Seville-Derby to blow over.

Newcastle are now expected to go in with a bid of around £40m to seal the deal for what is one of the top centre-backs in the world this season.

The Caveat

Perhaps the biggest caveat in all of this is the fact that Diego Carlos is playing an important role in Sevilla’s La Liga title challenge this season, and a move to Newcastle United at this stage of the campaign would be a huge risk for both parties.

Add in the fact that Sevilla are playing in their favourite European competition in the form of the Europa League, under the same manager in Julen Lopetegui, who won it during the 19/20 season, and you’ll be questioning if Diego Carlos is feeling okay.

The fact is that Newcastle United need Diego Carlos more than he needs them but they do have the financial resources to make this move more attractive.

And, bearing in mind Carlos’ relatively humble resumé at club-level, he may have the ideal characteristics that Newcastle United are seeking in a centre-back that can come in and help them to retain their Premier League status.

Overall, this is an astute move by Newcastle United and if they’re successful in bringing Diego Carlos in during this window, he could be an integral piece in their bid for Premier League survival.

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Why are Manchester United struggling for form with the squad at Solskjaer’s disposal?

Cast your mind back to the 28th of March 2019…

The day that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed full-time manager of Manchester United. 

The club had yet to drop a point in the Premier League since Solskjaer’s appointment and just 9 days before they shocked the world of football by knocking PSG out of the Champions League in an astonishing night in Paris. 

There was a feel-good factor around Old Trafford, but it was more than that. It felt exciting to watch Manchester United play again, attacking football was the way, a return to the DNA which United are universally known for. 

What Happened?

So, what happened to this identity? The signing of Bruno Fernandes may have ultimately made Manchester United a better team that wins more games and is more competitive in the league.

Now the signings of Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and the remarkable return of Cristiano Ronaldo further bolsters a squad brimming with quality. 

However, what does seem to have been lost in time is that front foot attacking style, taking matches to the opposition, and counter-attacking with urgency and meaning.

In his earlier days Solskjaer also showed a willingness to change his mind about significant players. He introduced Fred for example into the team on a regular basis after he had impressed when given a chance. 

Now though, the tables have turned, and Fred’s performances have dropped significantly.

His carelessness in possession is a source of ever-increasing frustration from the United fanbase but Solskjaer doesn’t seem willing to drop him. 

Ole’s Favouritism

His stubbornness in his favouritism is becoming a problem.

It’s holding back the career of the once highly touted Dutch international Donny Van De Beek who is desperate for a run of games.

I was there at Old Trafford when West Ham knocked Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup last week and whilst the result was bitterly disappointing, the performance from Van De Beek and Matic in holding midfield was a major positive. 

Between them they controlled the midfield, and Van De Beek was particularly impressive with both his range of passes and defensive tenacity. Yet Van De Beek didn’t see a minute against Aston Villa at the weekend after a display which saw him awarded Man of the Match.

Ole needs to let go of this stubborn blindness before it costs his side more league points and another Champions League group stage exit.

I understand his cautious approach around Sancho after the 21-year-old’s slow start to life at Old Trafford, but he must find a way of integrating Sancho into the starting 11 soon. Otherwise, fans will be feeling a sense of deja vu after similar treatment to Van De Beek. 

He needs a chance to play regularly with his new teammates as there is no doubting his world class talent and what he can bring to the team if given the licence. He could also help Manchester United find an identity again as whilst he isn’t a conventional Ryan Giggs type winger, he is a positive thinking player. 

Sancho, Fernandes, Greenwood and Ronaldo could be a formidable front four if they all click and are given licence to play a freer flowing, attacking way.

This negative approach to games, parking the bus as soon as a lead looks vaguely vulnerable needs to change. Not only is it not the United way but it’s also not the best way to get the most out of this group of players which is bursting with attacking talent.

Ole needs to find a way to get his attacking players on the same wavelength as well as making changes to the midfield to ensure that said attacking players aren’t feeding of scraps all game. 

United need to gain more control of games and ultimately that comes from the midfield. Ole said the signing of Varane could allow his side to play a more positive formation but he hasn’t stuck to that promise so far.

He needs to put faith in the back 5 and go with just one holding midfielder, allowing him to play Pogba and Fernandes alongside each other in the number 8 role which is Pogba’s most effective position. 

Then a front three of Sancho (hopefully Rashford soon) Greenwood and Ronaldo with Cavani as an impact player off the bench, has a lot of promise. 

It’s make or break time for Ole’s tenure, he’ll always be a club legend for his time as a player but there is growing concern that his time as a manager will be yet another post Ferguson failure.

It’s in his hands and his alone to change that narrative. 

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A Change in Formation? How Ronaldo fits into new look Manchester United

It’s official…

Cristiano Ronaldo is once again a Manchester United player!

In a move that was seemingly impossible just a few hours ago, United have acquired the 36-year-old Portuguese, who reportedly rejected a move to rivals Manchester City in favour of a Red Devils return.

Whilst I do think CR7 would have fit well into Pep Guardiola’s tactical set-up, a fairytale move back to United at this stage could work wonders for both parties.

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Would Ronaldo have fit into Man City?

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Yes.

Particularly at this stage of his career, a move to a slick City side who continually engulf opposition with their possession-based brand of football would have suited Cristiano well.

With how Ronaldo’s play-style has adapted over the years, his experience as an out-and-out, world class centre-forward would have resolved Pep’s number 9 issue.

It would have been chances galore for Ronaldo, with the likes of De Bruyne, Grealish, Mahrez & Gundogan all providing a plethora of creative threat.

Here is how he would have fit:

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How will Ronaldo fit into this new look Manchester United side?

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Quite easily.

There are a number of ways to integrate CR7 into the squad through the means of a slight system tweak, if Ole feels that this is necessary.

Whilst Ronaldo could seamlessly slot into the lone forward role in Ole’s notorious 4-2-3-1 system, I believe a strike partner in the form of Edinson Cavani would complement him well.

Besides, during his time in Turin with Juve, he’s been used to playing in a strike partnership - most recently partnering Paulo Dybala in former boss, Andrea Pirlo’s 4-4-2 system.

At 36-years-old, Ronaldo’s play-style and presence up-top has changed drastically since his departure some 12 years ago. In a positional sense, CR7 has adapted his game to function more centrally. It could be argued that he plays in a much more astute way, with his play-style more reminiscent of a classic number 9, in complete contrast to the Ronaldo we last saw back in 2009.

With this being said, here are three formations that I believe Ronaldo can shine in, without the other world-class attacking talent in Fernandes, Pogba, Cavani and Sancho being affected.

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4-2-3-1

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Ole’s favoured set-up

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4-1-2-1-2

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A potentially formidable strike partnership between two experienced bagsmen

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4-1-3-2

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A versatile system that presents opportunities to create overloads in attack, whilst ensuring organised solidity in a back five, as the CDM drops between the two centre-backs. Again, an experienced partnership up-top that could cause real damage to the opposition.

Harry Kane: Get busy living or get busy dying

Back in 2011 on a podcast with Bill Simmons…

Charles Barkley mentioned a list that was brought up every NBA postseason; ‘The greatest players never to win an NBA title.’

Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Steve Nash and a few others, all names Barkley learned to dread, every time they were grouped together. Although it was woefully unfair, he took it as a compliment, because all the names in the list were great, or that’s what he told himself to cope.

Football is very different from the NBA.

In the NBA, there is only one title to aim for, and nothing can compensate for not having an NBA championship ring.

In football however, each player gets an opportunity to aim for three to four trophies a season, and the international tournaments are massive competitions people actually care about, unlike in basketball.

Even though Steven Gerrard never won the Premier League, he at least won other trophies like the Champions League, a couple of FA Cups and League Cups. Great players in football almost never go through their career without winning a major trophy. So, this is where we come to Harry Kane.

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So Close, yet so Far

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On July 11th 2021, Kane came the closest he has ever come to lifting a major trophy.

He was a penalty shootout away from winning the Euros with England, but it was not meant to be. He remains trophyless, with either club or country.

He has now played in three major finals, losing all three, and he also lost the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018. He is 27 years old right now, ironically the exact same age Sol Campbell was, when he decided to leave Tottenham for Arsenal, in search of trophies.

Even though it is very unlikely that Kane will follow the path Campbell did, and join Arsenal, he is very much in a similar situation. With only a few years of his prime remaining, he needs to choose whether he believes he could still win something at Tottenham, or he needs to move to another club to get his hands on a trophy.

Harry Kane is unquestionably one of the greatest strikers to play in the Premier League.

He is 27 years old at the time of writing and already has over 240 PL appearances, scoring 166 goals.

He’s on course to beat Alan Shearer’s record of 260 PL goals, and it would be hard to find anyone who believes he cannot do it if he stays in the Premier League for the next 4-5 seasons. He has won multiple individual awards, three PL golden boots, the golden boot at the 2018 World Cup, PFA player of the season and fans player of the year, and many more. Records, golden boots and other acclamations are all great, but none of these can ever fill a trophy shaped hole.

Tottenham are going through quite a tough phase at the moment.

They have been on a downward slope since reaching the Champions League final in 2019.

They fired one of the greatest managers of the 21st century a week before a major final earlier this year, which they went on to lose, and have now hired a manager who seemed to be their tenth or eleventh choice for the position.

Nuno Espirito Santo should be given a lot of credit for what he achieved with Wolves in the Premier League over the last two seasons. However, he has never won a major trophy, nor has managed a really top side in his career.

Tottenham also need to make quite a few changes to their squad, which is either aging, or not good enough to challenge for trophies. They are not in the Champions League for next season and it is going to take a mighty effort for them to even challenge for the top four in the PL.

Kane might look at this and think, he doesn’t have the time to wait for Tottenham to build and start competing again.

So, if he wants a move, where could the best destination be?

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Where next for Harry Kane?

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Clubs like Bayern Munich, PSG, Real Madrid are very attractive destinations, and it is almost certain that he will win a trophy if he moves to one of these big-name clubs abroad. However, Kane is chasing Alan Shearer’s record, his playing style suits the premier league and being English, he would want to leave a legacy in the English game and be considered a PL legend.

Given everything about his price, stature, finances involved and the state of premier league clubs at the moment, there seems to be only one realistic destination for Kane, which is Manchester City.

City are in need of a striker, after the departure of Sergio Aguero and have the financial power to pay for the services of Kane, even though they just spent £100 million on Jack Grealish. The fact that he will get to play under Pep Guardiola and alongside the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and other world class players, Manchester will certainly be a very attractive destination.

They have a squad to consistently challenge for the PL and the Champions League year after year. With clubs like Manchester United spending big money on Jadon Sancho, and Chelsea having just spent £200 million the previous summer window, City seem like the only viable option for the trophy starved Kane.

For Kane to be considered one of the greatest ever in the Premier League, an FA Cup or a League Cup alone won’t do. He needs to win the Premier League or the Champions League, which his talent deserves.

He needs to avoid the premier league equivalent of the list which Charles Barkley is a part of and dreads. Like Andy Dufresne in ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, Harry Kane has come to a point in his career where he has a simple choice to make, get busy living or get busy dying. Some birds aren’t meant to be caged; Kane’s feathers are too bright. He’s got to decide, whether he wants to stay in his trophyless prison or get out and drive down to his Zihuatanejo.

This summer window is going to be crucial in Kane’s career. Let’s just say, we will see whether Harry Kane crawls out of 500 yards of foul-smelling sewage, the likes of which we cannot imagine, and come out clean on the other side.

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