No newsletter today. (Happy belated Labor Day. Shoutout to labor.) So, instead, let’s do a chat. Post whatever questions you have in here, and I’ll answer as many as I can from 12 to 1 pm EST. Wanna know whether I think the USMNT will ever win another match? Fair game. Interested in my thoughts on the late-career evolution of French crime novelist Jean-Patrick Manchette? Sure, why not! Ask whatever you want. See you in an hour.
All right -- gonna wrap it there. Thanks, as always, for all the thoughtful Qs. We'll do it again soon. And if you wanna be involved in more stuff like this, we have a Discord server for all premium subscribers. I think it might be the only Internet forum for soccer discussion where nearly everyone agrees on two things: United shouldn't have signed Cristiano Ronaldo and Timo Werner is a really good soccer player. Have great days, all.
Why don’t soccer teams make more of an effort to exploit mismatches, like has become so common in NBA playoff basketball? I could see teams having success isolating a player with a serious speed or strength advantage and letting him go to work exploring that advantage?
How panicked should USMNT fans be about the team's performance? Seems like they have an inability to play direct, attacking soccer in moments when they could use it.
What's the soccer equivalent of sending a kid out to right field in Little League? What position is associated with the worst soccer player on the team?
You’ve written in the past that how much managers matter is difficult to determine, but also that subs during z a game early and often tend to give a team a better chance of winning, correct? Taking that into consideration, how do you approach Berhalter and the latest USMNT performances? Is there anything you can specifically say he could’ve done better or worse? Trying to look for a sobering assessment of his coaching. Lots of vitriol out there pointing him as the one to blame for the past two lackluster games. what do you think?
I'm a Barcelona fan so my questions pertain to them.
1) Is the sale of Emerson a mistake? Do you think he has potential to be a world class fullback? Between Dest and Emerson who has a greater chance of being better at their peak?
2) Which coach would you like to see at Barcelona next year? Are there any hidden gems out there (besides Ten Hag, Xavi or even Gallardo) who could help Barca compete again at the highest level?
3) Finally more of a general question. What all books/resources would you suggest for someone who wants to get better at "seeing the tactics" during the game and analysing play like you do? And what other blogs/newsletters would you recommend?
Thank you btw for the high quality content you put. I'm a student now. As soon as I land a job, I'll subscribe to your premium membership.
Am I massively ignorant of what "transfer fees" mean, or do clubs not understand what a sunk cost is?
I don't understand why it matters (except on an emotional level) what Chelsea paid for Kepa if they want to move him. The fact that Chelsea paid 80M Euro shouldn't matter, should it? Shouldn't they just take what they can get, if they honestly don't want him around any more?
Hey Ryan, big fan of the show. What do you think is the way Thomas Tuchel could most effectively utilize Callum Hudson-Odoi? His rate stats are on par with some of the best creators in the league (he briefly had ~15 prog carries p90 last year, more than Messi) and he's still incredibly young and raw. At the same time, he's barely gotten any minutes, and when he has it's been as a wingback, which isn't really his best position. Do you just keep running him as a super attacking wingback and allow for his defensive deficiencies? Is there merit for forcing him into the front 3 in some capacity? Or should Chelsea loan him to get minutes and/or cash out on him? He's far too good a player to be getting the fewest minutes of the Chelsea attackers
As Michael Caley says, international football makes the best armchair managers... so can you play armchair manager for the USMNT? If you could change 2 things about our set up / approach to these WCQ games, what would it be?
Hey Ryan! Have you read Kuper's new book on the rise and fall of Barca? I'm curious if you agree with his thoughts on their demise. The transfer spending is the obvious culprit, but Kuper points to the club's insularity/unwillingness to seek new ideas elsewhere. Did a lack of data analysis play a role? Kuper mentions that Barcelona didn't employ analytics until way more recently than other big clubs.
Also, what are your favorite soccer books? Which ones have you read while working on yours?
I recently saw that Bielsa was reportedly interested in taking over the USMNT in 2016. What do you think a Bielsa-led version of the current USMNT would look like, and which player would benefit the most?
How would you to try to stage the turnover of Liverpool's forward line? Who do you sell in which window (and do you extend players you still expect to sell soon in order to preserve transfer value)? What profile of players do you try to bring in?
Across two WCQ matches this international break, Italy drew against Bulgaria and Switzerland, Spain lost to Sweden, and France drew against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Ukraine. They are all still at the tops of their qualifying groups, but would you consider these results a cause for concern for any of the teams? Especially for France who haven't exactly looked like the all dominant team one would expect based on 2018 and their roster?
How worried should Wolves fans be? Underlying numbers look good in the first three games, but zero goals. Plus, they had a terrible transfer window and seem unwilling to back Bruno by bringing in the caliber of players he needs to become a more front foot attacking team.
All right -- gonna wrap it there. Thanks, as always, for all the thoughtful Qs. We'll do it again soon. And if you wanna be involved in more stuff like this, we have a Discord server for all premium subscribers. I think it might be the only Internet forum for soccer discussion where nearly everyone agrees on two things: United shouldn't have signed Cristiano Ronaldo and Timo Werner is a really good soccer player. Have great days, all.
Why don’t soccer teams make more of an effort to exploit mismatches, like has become so common in NBA playoff basketball? I could see teams having success isolating a player with a serious speed or strength advantage and letting him go to work exploring that advantage?
How panicked should USMNT fans be about the team's performance? Seems like they have an inability to play direct, attacking soccer in moments when they could use it.
What's the soccer equivalent of sending a kid out to right field in Little League? What position is associated with the worst soccer player on the team?
How irrationally excited are you to see Marc Cucurella play for Brighton?
You’ve written in the past that how much managers matter is difficult to determine, but also that subs during z a game early and often tend to give a team a better chance of winning, correct? Taking that into consideration, how do you approach Berhalter and the latest USMNT performances? Is there anything you can specifically say he could’ve done better or worse? Trying to look for a sobering assessment of his coaching. Lots of vitriol out there pointing him as the one to blame for the past two lackluster games. what do you think?
Hi Ryan! Big fan of your work.
I'm a Barcelona fan so my questions pertain to them.
1) Is the sale of Emerson a mistake? Do you think he has potential to be a world class fullback? Between Dest and Emerson who has a greater chance of being better at their peak?
2) Which coach would you like to see at Barcelona next year? Are there any hidden gems out there (besides Ten Hag, Xavi or even Gallardo) who could help Barca compete again at the highest level?
3) Finally more of a general question. What all books/resources would you suggest for someone who wants to get better at "seeing the tactics" during the game and analysing play like you do? And what other blogs/newsletters would you recommend?
Thank you btw for the high quality content you put. I'm a student now. As soon as I land a job, I'll subscribe to your premium membership.
Am I massively ignorant of what "transfer fees" mean, or do clubs not understand what a sunk cost is?
I don't understand why it matters (except on an emotional level) what Chelsea paid for Kepa if they want to move him. The fact that Chelsea paid 80M Euro shouldn't matter, should it? Shouldn't they just take what they can get, if they honestly don't want him around any more?
Hey Ryan, big fan of the show. What do you think is the way Thomas Tuchel could most effectively utilize Callum Hudson-Odoi? His rate stats are on par with some of the best creators in the league (he briefly had ~15 prog carries p90 last year, more than Messi) and he's still incredibly young and raw. At the same time, he's barely gotten any minutes, and when he has it's been as a wingback, which isn't really his best position. Do you just keep running him as a super attacking wingback and allow for his defensive deficiencies? Is there merit for forcing him into the front 3 in some capacity? Or should Chelsea loan him to get minutes and/or cash out on him? He's far too good a player to be getting the fewest minutes of the Chelsea attackers
As Michael Caley says, international football makes the best armchair managers... so can you play armchair manager for the USMNT? If you could change 2 things about our set up / approach to these WCQ games, what would it be?
https://twitter.com/MC_of_A/status/1434718124142641153
Any thoughts on the Brazil-Argentina fiasco, and possible future ramifications?
Have you been to that house of football spot in Eagle rock to watch matches? If so, how is it?
Salah wants 28 million euros, a 17 million pay rise. Who do you think Salah will join next as Liverpool aren't paying that.
Hey Ryan! Have you read Kuper's new book on the rise and fall of Barca? I'm curious if you agree with his thoughts on their demise. The transfer spending is the obvious culprit, but Kuper points to the club's insularity/unwillingness to seek new ideas elsewhere. Did a lack of data analysis play a role? Kuper mentions that Barcelona didn't employ analytics until way more recently than other big clubs.
Also, what are your favorite soccer books? Which ones have you read while working on yours?
I recently saw that Bielsa was reportedly interested in taking over the USMNT in 2016. What do you think a Bielsa-led version of the current USMNT would look like, and which player would benefit the most?
How would you to try to stage the turnover of Liverpool's forward line? Who do you sell in which window (and do you extend players you still expect to sell soon in order to preserve transfer value)? What profile of players do you try to bring in?
What are your updated thoughts on the likelihood of Salah getting highest goals on the prem this season?
Non-tactical Q: How much coverage is there on the human rights issues in Qatar and what can we as fans do to increase it? Similar to Tim Sparv's comments (here in Player's Trib: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/tim-sparv-finland-world-cup-2022-qatar-soccer)
Is there any avoiding a 48-team biennial World Cup future?
Across two WCQ matches this international break, Italy drew against Bulgaria and Switzerland, Spain lost to Sweden, and France drew against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Ukraine. They are all still at the tops of their qualifying groups, but would you consider these results a cause for concern for any of the teams? Especially for France who haven't exactly looked like the all dominant team one would expect based on 2018 and their roster?
How worried should Wolves fans be? Underlying numbers look good in the first three games, but zero goals. Plus, they had a terrible transfer window and seem unwilling to back Bruno by bringing in the caliber of players he needs to become a more front foot attacking team.
Do you have any F1 thoughts from the Dutch Grand Prix? Do you like the decision the replace Bottas with Russell for next season?
Just how bad is Kevin De Bruyne’s injury, and what will that do to City’s chances of fending off Liverpool, Utd, and Chelsea?