Let’s try something new today. This is an open thread for all subscribers; feel free to share all of your needs, wants, desires, opinions about Jill Ellis, deepest fears regarding the coming VAR revolution that will somehow, inevitably, end with Howard Schultz ruling the world, and etc. I’ll pop in and out, here and there, but please feel free to keep the discussion going without me. Or don’t. This is an experiment!
I love the AWB signing for United. They probably have to overpay big time to attract guys from teams that are already in the CL. So, grabbing the best players from lower down the table is the move. Also, upgrading the worst player in your XI typically makes teams a lot better! Listen, I wouldn't trust United's hierarchy to run my local futsal team, but I also think they'll probably finish top 4 next year (if they don't, uh, get rid of their one good midfielder). For those curious, here's how the AWB deal matches up as a percentage of revenue to the club's other moves for defenders: https://twitter.com/bojochris/status/1143873442942525442
If Arsenal are really about to lose Torreria, and go after Zaha as their top guy, I really don't think it's hyperbole to say 0/10. If they sign the kid from Celtic I guess 2/10? But it is real bleak.
As a Chelsea fan, I don’t think most people realize the extent of the dire straits we’re in. Hazard contributed 49% of our G/A last season and now he’s gone. Our most promising winger and our best attacking midfielder are out with long term injuries and could miss a good chunk of the next season (and worse, the nature of the the injury is such that CHO might literally never be able to live up to his talent). Ditto our best under-the-radar talent Reece James, who will at least miss the preseason and much of August after a whirlwind 10 months in which he was
a) declared Academy player of the year
b) sent on loan to Wigan, where he immediately broke into their first team at right back, made the shift to CM a la reverse Joshua Kimmich, picked up 3 consecutive club POTM awards (and club POTY, and Player’s POTY, and Goal of the Year) and then was named to the Championship TOTS.
c) anointed as the most talented player to ever turn out for the Latics by Wigan Today.
Sorry, I just really love Reece James. In any case, I guess the club decided this wasn’t enough chaos for CFC, because we then let our manager – who, despite the boo boys, had quite a decent first season in the EPL – leave for Juventus. The transfer ban is just the cherry on top.
Anyway, all in all a pretty normal Blues offseason. 6/10
I'd give LFC an 8/10 just for keeping current players happy. I also think they are playing it right by being patient this summer. So many big teams need to buy a lot of players that prices are going to be high right away. Best to let the dust settle.
I'm honestly so curious about how Chelsea will play under Lampard that I can't be that mad. 3/10, if only because I prepared myself for years regarding Hazard's transfer to Madrid. The frustration comes from three of the five best homegrown Chelsea youngsters (Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi, and James) entering the new season on crutches.
was supporting Chelsea this season cause i like Sarri. was disappointed such great club don't understand importance of coach - sport director relationships. same problem in United but they making money. Huge part of City and Liverpool success as projects was managers understand vision of the coach and resources he need to get results
New handball/foul in the box rule: If the foul is determined to be not intentional or the player and the ball/player was not moving towards the goal, a penalty kick will be taken from the spot of the foul. For example, a player takes a big touch towards the touch line and gets bumped and falls over, the ball was nowhere near going in the goal, let him take a shot or free kick from the spot of the foul, team's choice. Fouls at the edge of the box when the player wasn't looking to shoot wouldn't be automatic goals, when mane kicks the ball into your hand thats just sitting there, penalty from that spot
Obviously she converted two crucial penalties in the match against Spain, but is it safe to say that Megan Rapinoe isn't among USWNT's four best attacking players at the moment?
It's really hard to justify starting her against France when she was so unable to maintain possession against the Spanish press.
I was at the game. She was... terrible, but in fairness so were the other two attackers, at least when it came to finding the ball. I don't think she should start but there are also tactical adjustments that need to be made.
Even if the U.S. gets past France on Friday and goes on to repeat as World Cup champions, I think we'll look back on this tournament as the last one in which the U.S. was seen as a dominant force in women's soccer. With the resources, both in terms of money and coaching / facilities, being devoted to leagues in England, Italy, and especially Spain with Real Madrid coming on board, Europe is about to dominate the women's game just as it does the men's game. Thoughts?
Sounds about right to me, but it's hard to see the US falling too far down the pecking order. The player pool is just too good and too big that it makes up for a lot of developmental inefficiencies.
I think it's getting a lot closer but the population advantage we have in the U.S. will still keep us a little bit ahead of smaller countries. Soccer has a lot less competition with other sports for women in the U.S. in comparison to men. The women's world cup is by far the most important women's' sporting event in the U.S. so we're actually making use of our gigantic talent pool, while on the men's side the biggest reason we're so far behind is all the incredible talent going to other, more popular, sports.
Arsenal are better off selling one of Auba or Laca if it means they can afford quality replacements for Mustafi, Xhaka, and Monreal next season. They need to replace at least 2 of those 3. Change my mind.
How do we deal with handballs going forward? It's become such a 'decider' in big matches...just messes up the flow of the game and creates situations where the better team does not win. My thought is they should be indirect free kicks inside the box as opposed. I feel the same about penalties where the attacker is not even facing the goal and it's not an actual scoring chance (e.g. US's second goal against Spain the other day). Those should be indirect free kicks instead of penalties. Thoughts from everyone?
Or let the offensive team pick its spot for a direct free kick outside the box? I like the general idea a lot - create a way to reduce the likelihood of a goal from 65-70% to something more proportionate to the offense. Purists will hate it. And thinking about the VAR implications - now there are three possible outcomes for each review - is not happy.
Yah there's gotta be a way. I like the idea of tying the likelihood of scoring to something more proportionate...that's a good way to frame it and sell it. The purists are already mad...lets just improve the game.
Now that United have addressed one of their glaring holes with Wan-Bissaka, where should they be looking next. I thought Ndombele would've been perfect next to Pogba, but alas. Seems there needs to be a DM who can actually move, a CB, and another CM who can do some of the dirty work like Herrara (why they let him go when he should've been the Captain I will never understand).
Oh, I agree 100%, I just think Woodward will never give up total control unless the Glazer's suddenly realize he has no clue what he's doing when it comes to the football side of the business, or the commercial side finally starts to suffer due to the lack of success and continual lack of Champions League.
Their biggest hole at the moment is CB. Bailly is a quality player, just makes poor decisions and can not stay healthy. Smalling, Jones, Rojo are simply not good enough. The game has passed them by and I think we need younger / more skilled players. I would like to see Ole give Axel Tuanzebe a try, had a good run of games at Villa last season and fits the mold of CB that Ole wants.
I definiately want Axel to be apart of the set up, but not sure he's up to the level of Champions League CB just yet. At the same time, not sure Maguire is either. Would love to see an old school, staunch defensive first CB alongside Lindelof.
I feel like the only players that fit that 'defensive first' CB you want are maybe Koulibably or Skriniar. Skriniar renewed his contract at Inter and getting Koulibably out of Napoli would cost more than purchasing Napoli all together.
Wolves, Everton and Leicester all have very strong squads. Even Aston Villa looks great. Man U is continuing the mediocrity and Arsenal seem to think signing nothing but attackers is a good idea, and Chelsea has the transfer ban over their head. Is it realistic to think that one of the clubs outside the traditional powers can grab one of the Champions League spots?
They have a lot of good players, a ton of money, and they had the third-most points over the second half of this past season. Mind you, I don't think fourth-place is, like, a success for a team with their resources.
I'm an Everton fan and after signing Andre Gomes permanently, I now genuinely believe that the rest of our pre-season should be spent trying to find players of a similar handsome-calibre. Who should we go after?
Is Neymar an undercover agent, with the sole mission of pushing the European soccer financial models to their absolute extremes? Maybe his mind is being remotely controlled.
Genuinely concerned Manchester United finish behind Everton or Wolves next season. If Pogba and Lukaku both leave, where are the goals coming from? Lukaku was not the model of consistency but losing both of them would be devastating - we could replace those players but would that make the squad any better than Everton's or Wolves? I think not.
Also, say Ole has the team in 6th or 7th around October and we lose the match against Liverpool on the October 19th. Given the current leadership at the club, it is not wildly unrealistic they sack him. I think the fans, including myself, would be upset by this decision and want to see Ole given at least two seasons. But I would not rule out an early sacking.
It's hard to see Ole there for two years. Given the perpetual top 4 expectations, their form to close out the season, the likely departure of key players, and the Man U brass' willingness to sack managers for achieving anything below UCL or PL titles...i mean, it's a victory for him if he's still there after one more season
I hate it - but I sort of agree with you. I think unless Woodward's role is revisited and changed there will be a perpetual cycle of poor transfer decisions and managerial flux.
Messi complaining about Conmebol supposedly favoring Brazil is a great reminder of how far from Argentina he actually is. Ask any latin-american fan about which teams seem to be favored on the Libertadores and I think there is a good chance they'll say they're from Argentina. Regardless, not trying to start controversy, just something that yet again points to how he is an international icon, not much an Argentinian one, like Maradona was.
You wrote in your latest newsletter that you think VAR helps stronger teams because they’re in the box more often and get VAR contentious decisions. On the contrary, I think VAR favours smaller teams since bigger teams regularly get decisions that favour them, perhaps because of subconscious bias or because they’re in the box more, and VAR would be able to reverse those incorrect calls. Regardless, VAR has been an utter mess at the WC.
I don't hate that; they have the fullbacks to still give them width, too. I do wonder how much of these "problems" with the team won't be solved by just playing Horan, who some analysts think might actually be the best player in the world.
an unnecessary comma led to confusion. the answer is "10" for having a brain capable of creating the thought process that led to actually buying the jersey and "1" for actually wearing it
Obscure MLS thought: what's the history and/or perception of a "man-marking" system? I am in San Jose, CA and everyone is (rightfully) buzzing about Matias Almeyda's new approach. It is super evident that this team is playing with more way more verve (Wondo! Yuiell! Lima!) this year, but Bob Bradley also just came out after a tight US open clash last week and threw a bunch of shade towards our "style of football."
Very interesting, and I could see why coaches with differing footballing philosophies (e.g. Bradley) would scoff at it... but it'll be interesting to see if San Jose's offense can punish opponents consistently enough to make a legitimate run. Would the title-winning Leicester City squad be a good example of all things breaking right for a counter-punchy kind of team?
I still can't figure out how Spurs are the team who are seemingly going to win the Ndombele sweepstakes. Dude's gonna be the best midfielder in the league within 2 seasons.
What's the scenario where VAR just gets scrapped entirely? replay in other sports has only gotten more banal and mored in minutae as time has gone on - i'm dreading the reviewable pass interference calls in the NFL. There doesn't seem to be a precedent for a sport adopting a technology and then deciding to just dump it entirely.
My thoughts are that VAR should stay but ONLY in instances where the referee has already called a foul. I think what is killing the WWC is that every contested ball or PK is being reviewed, severely slowing down the flow of the game.
Instant replay has never been just kept in limited use in any sport. It always keeps expanding. I can’t see it going away or even being pared down, unfortunately. Maybe if there’s a breakaway Super League they’ll decide not to have it. Woo hoo.
Why is Barcelona breaking my heart? Letting both Madrid teams load up while they practically do nothing (okay I know adding De Jong isn't nothing, but as a whole it feels lackluster to what Atletico and especially Real is doing). And I don't even want to discuss the fact thay want to spend 100M plus a player for a guy who broke my heart already and has sexual assault allegations!
they spend a lot money on Dembele and Coutinho. they cant just spent that amount of cash every year. also you cant change a lot in this Barca. Messi is untouchable, Suarez and Busquets are play high level football but their age + Messi age dictate the style of Barca football, they 30+, so no fast paced attacks and no high intensity pressing, they just cant hande it. from the other hand there is a true waste of resources to sell this players, due to age this will not give amount of money + they are Barca legends + they play really well. this is the main reasons behind Barca tactics on the pitch and on transfer market
As a Chelsea fan, I have no idea how to react to the upcoming Lampard hire. The optimist in me thinks he'll be great because he was a great player and did well at Derby, but the realist in me thinks he's in over his head and he'll last only a few months. Thoughts?
He actually wasn't that good at Derby. I think they were something like 12th in the xG table, so pretty lucky to squeak into the Championship playoffs and then once you're in a knockout tournament anything can happen. I think most of the over-performance was on the offensive side as well IIRC.
This. Derby’s budget was also quite high with Mount, Harry Wilson, buying Florian Josefzoon off us etc. I don’t know if they are really appointing Jody Morris by proxy mainly because he knows all the Chelsea kids very well
What the heck is up with all this Neymar back to Barcelona stuff? Does he really want to leave? If he does, what’s the point of PSG keeping him? Can Barcelona even afford him? Surely, PSG wouldn't anything less than the €222mil they paid for him, no? Theoretically, PSG could use the money to better round out their squad, and hope to find their own Van Dijk and Allison like Liverpool did (unlikely) with their Coutinho money
Only way this works is if Barcelona sends back Coutinho, plus cash to make up the difference between their last transfer prices. That way PSG can claim to have made back what they spent on Neymar, and Barcelona can claim to have made back what they spent on Coutinho.
The Coutinho to PSG thing is surely interesting. Leonardo apparently likes him a lot too. I’m doubtful though, because player swaps are so rare nowadays. Why would Coutinho want to go to PSG?
They may be the only other club willing to pay his wages. The fit isn't half bad. And I suspect he doesn't want to come back to England and play for one of Liverpool's competitors; I think he's already ruled out Man U on that basis.
I don't think he will if Klopp's set up stays in place. The FBs take on a lot of the creative attacking work, while the midfield is allowed to be more industrious and defensive. If Trent (and Robbo) starts to shoot a bit more and add some goals I don't think you will find him wanting to change positions.
This raises the question of whether that was really Klopp's optimal system, though. It was awesome and worked, so maybe it is now, but it was also kind of an adjustment to only having industrious midfielders. Would he have done it if Ox wasn't hurt, or if they'd signed Fekir, or if Naby had hit the ground running? And can they still push everything aggressively up the wings when Ox and Naby are back and trying to push aggressively up the center, or do the fullbacks need to play a bit more defensively in that case?
I'd argue that he doesn't have an "optimal" system, and that's why his team was so good this year. We've seen relatively sizable tweaks to his teams year to year, even back to his Dortmund days.
If you have two amazing fullbacks, then you play through those amazing fullbacks. He dabbled with Shaqiri (the de facto Fekir replacement) for a while -- and he played really well over the winter -- but he ultimately decided the 4-3-3 (which included Naby for most of the spring) was the way to go. I wouldn't count on goal-scoring from either fullback, but playing through the wings is just a significantly safer way to build up possesion. It makes the defense less vulnerable because it doesn't require complex combinations that throw players out of position, and if you lose the ball, it's easier to contain/press b/c you can use the sideline as an extra defender.
Given that and the fact that making Robertson and TAA play more conservatively really saps them off their strengths, I just can't picture Klopp wishing that more attacking was focused down the center. If I had to guess, in his ideal world, he has two space-eaters (like Ox and Naby) who can contribute to the attack without weakening the midfield defensively, playing in front of Fabinho.
All of you are at least mildly interested in tactical strategy, if you're here, and the question of how to line up next year is DESTROYING Madrid Twitter right now. Assuming Hazard/Vinicius/Jovic/Benz/Bale/Asensio/Vazquez stay in the team, and the midfield and defense stay more or less intact, what formation and lineup does Zidane roll out, and in what kind of system?
Drop Casemiro to the bench? Two strikers? Vinicius on the right?
Hazard gets to pick the ball up higher in the field where he can carry the ball through midfield, Vinicius provides width with Casemiro providing cover on the left. Right side is more conservative with Modric/Kroos playing higher up the field and Carvajal tucking in behind them.
Surely Bale leaves on loan (who is dumb enough to pay his transfer fee and wages) and I guess Asensio also goes on loan? I would hate to see them give up on him but he was not given the opportunities last season I think he deserves. My biggest question is what they do with Vinicius - he was excellent toward the latter part of last season. Do they move him to the right? Does Hazard play on the right?
I think they both stay. Marco has done enough to be on the bench, and knows that RW spot is wide open. Bale's transfer or loan possibilities are just impossible. He loves Madrid and wouldn't want to move his family to play for like...a Europa League club
Are we sure Bale loves Madrid? I know he enjoys the golfing but I am sure the jeering has worn on him. I have this weird / stupid / speculative theory that he needs the cold air for his body to stay healthy. So moving back somewhere in Europe would make sense.
Ignoring the defensive liabilities the most fun lineup is
Benzema Jovic
Hazard Vinicius/Bale/Vazquez
Kroos Modric
Marcelo Carvajal
Ramos Varane
This team would have to win everything 5-4
However the most obvious realistic thing is that we all admit that Jovic and Benzema will rotate and we will play the same 3 in the midfield in a 4-3-3 and he will figure out what to do on the RW
everything is really compicated here. if Jovic will show numbers close or similar to Eintracht he will play (xG, shot volume, goals) if he don't he anyway will get minutes (remember its Perez transfer, he dont get minutes = failure, and president election is coming). really interesting variation is 3 defenders formation Militao Ramos Varane and 2 fw Benz and Jovic
Thoughts on Alex Morgan as a CF? I've always thought her best position was as a second striker, but she hasn't played there in a while and obviously still scores tons of goals. But watching her attempt to link play, run off the ball...not great.
Is Donnie Kwak ever going to eat the cleat?
rapinoe goes to the white house before he eats the cleat
Can we get a ‘eat the cleat’ hashtag campaign going?
I love the AWB signing for United. They probably have to overpay big time to attract guys from teams that are already in the CL. So, grabbing the best players from lower down the table is the move. Also, upgrading the worst player in your XI typically makes teams a lot better! Listen, I wouldn't trust United's hierarchy to run my local futsal team, but I also think they'll probably finish top 4 next year (if they don't, uh, get rid of their one good midfielder). For those curious, here's how the AWB deal matches up as a percentage of revenue to the club's other moves for defenders: https://twitter.com/bojochris/status/1143873442942525442
Also, some good micro-analysis of AWB in here from Mark https://twitter.com/EveryTeam_Mark/status/1143841870331686912
So is Rapinoe going to the White House or nah?
OK, I'm seeing a lot of distress in here. So, on a scale of 1-10, how mad/not-mad are you guys with the offseasons of your favorite teams so far?
If Arsenal are really about to lose Torreria, and go after Zaha as their top guy, I really don't think it's hyperbole to say 0/10. If they sign the kid from Celtic I guess 2/10? But it is real bleak.
If Arsenal get Tierney for less than £25 million they've got a huge bargain. Fabulous young player.
I agree I really like him, but they need an over haul in the back line, more than just one player.
As a Chelsea fan, I don’t think most people realize the extent of the dire straits we’re in. Hazard contributed 49% of our G/A last season and now he’s gone. Our most promising winger and our best attacking midfielder are out with long term injuries and could miss a good chunk of the next season (and worse, the nature of the the injury is such that CHO might literally never be able to live up to his talent). Ditto our best under-the-radar talent Reece James, who will at least miss the preseason and much of August after a whirlwind 10 months in which he was
a) declared Academy player of the year
b) sent on loan to Wigan, where he immediately broke into their first team at right back, made the shift to CM a la reverse Joshua Kimmich, picked up 3 consecutive club POTM awards (and club POTY, and Player’s POTY, and Goal of the Year) and then was named to the Championship TOTS.
c) anointed as the most talented player to ever turn out for the Latics by Wigan Today.
Sorry, I just really love Reece James. In any case, I guess the club decided this wasn’t enough chaos for CFC, because we then let our manager – who, despite the boo boys, had quite a decent first season in the EPL – leave for Juventus. The transfer ban is just the cherry on top.
Anyway, all in all a pretty normal Blues offseason. 6/10
I'd give LFC an 8/10 just for keeping current players happy. I also think they are playing it right by being patient this summer. So many big teams need to buy a lot of players that prices are going to be high right away. Best to let the dust settle.
I'm honestly so curious about how Chelsea will play under Lampard that I can't be that mad. 3/10, if only because I prepared myself for years regarding Hazard's transfer to Madrid. The frustration comes from three of the five best homegrown Chelsea youngsters (Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi, and James) entering the new season on crutches.
was supporting Chelsea this season cause i like Sarri. was disappointed such great club don't understand importance of coach - sport director relationships. same problem in United but they making money. Huge part of City and Liverpool success as projects was managers understand vision of the coach and resources he need to get results
Madrid 8/10
Loving the comments and questions. Here's why Arsenal won't spend any money despite, you know, having a lot of money: https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/arsenal-takeover-stan-kroenke-ruined-st-louis-los-angeles-rams-usmanov/
Brian Windhorst said on a podcast recently that any costs of over 25 THOUSAND by any of his teams that Stan Kroenke has to personally sign the check.
New handball/foul in the box rule: If the foul is determined to be not intentional or the player and the ball/player was not moving towards the goal, a penalty kick will be taken from the spot of the foul. For example, a player takes a big touch towards the touch line and gets bumped and falls over, the ball was nowhere near going in the goal, let him take a shot or free kick from the spot of the foul, team's choice. Fouls at the edge of the box when the player wasn't looking to shoot wouldn't be automatic goals, when mane kicks the ball into your hand thats just sitting there, penalty from that spot
How did Sunderland not get promoted back to Championship.... le sigh
I know... totally all-in on them after that delicious Netflix doc too :( Long live Aiden McGeady #7
Obviously she converted two crucial penalties in the match against Spain, but is it safe to say that Megan Rapinoe isn't among USWNT's four best attacking players at the moment?
It's really hard to justify starting her against France when she was so unable to maintain possession against the Spanish press.
Horan >>>>> Rapinoe.
Christen Press >>> Rapinoe.
I was at the game. She was... terrible, but in fairness so were the other two attackers, at least when it came to finding the ball. I don't think she should start but there are also tactical adjustments that need to be made.
Depressed today-- Ndombele is the type of player we (gooners) would of signed 6-7 years ago, now Spurs has him. Big time talent.
Even if the U.S. gets past France on Friday and goes on to repeat as World Cup champions, I think we'll look back on this tournament as the last one in which the U.S. was seen as a dominant force in women's soccer. With the resources, both in terms of money and coaching / facilities, being devoted to leagues in England, Italy, and especially Spain with Real Madrid coming on board, Europe is about to dominate the women's game just as it does the men's game. Thoughts?
Sounds about right to me, but it's hard to see the US falling too far down the pecking order. The player pool is just too good and too big that it makes up for a lot of developmental inefficiencies.
I think it's getting a lot closer but the population advantage we have in the U.S. will still keep us a little bit ahead of smaller countries. Soccer has a lot less competition with other sports for women in the U.S. in comparison to men. The women's world cup is by far the most important women's' sporting event in the U.S. so we're actually making use of our gigantic talent pool, while on the men's side the biggest reason we're so far behind is all the incredible talent going to other, more popular, sports.
When will VAR be in FIFA?
Arsenal are better off selling one of Auba or Laca if it means they can afford quality replacements for Mustafi, Xhaka, and Monreal next season. They need to replace at least 2 of those 3. Change my mind.
Really hate Neymar and Mbappe rumors every summer. One of the worst parts of supporting PSG.
How do we deal with handballs going forward? It's become such a 'decider' in big matches...just messes up the flow of the game and creates situations where the better team does not win. My thought is they should be indirect free kicks inside the box as opposed. I feel the same about penalties where the attacker is not even facing the goal and it's not an actual scoring chance (e.g. US's second goal against Spain the other day). Those should be indirect free kicks instead of penalties. Thoughts from everyone?
Or let the offensive team pick its spot for a direct free kick outside the box? I like the general idea a lot - create a way to reduce the likelihood of a goal from 65-70% to something more proportionate to the offense. Purists will hate it. And thinking about the VAR implications - now there are three possible outcomes for each review - is not happy.
Yah there's gotta be a way. I like the idea of tying the likelihood of scoring to something more proportionate...that's a good way to frame it and sell it. The purists are already mad...lets just improve the game.
I think one easy solution is to make the penalty area smaller. Especially in the wide areas there is a very low chance of scoring.
Now that United have addressed one of their glaring holes with Wan-Bissaka, where should they be looking next. I thought Ndombele would've been perfect next to Pogba, but alas. Seems there needs to be a DM who can actually move, a CB, and another CM who can do some of the dirty work like Herrara (why they let him go when he should've been the Captain I will never understand).
Football Director if they want to reach and maintain their previous level of success.
Oh, I agree 100%, I just think Woodward will never give up total control unless the Glazer's suddenly realize he has no clue what he's doing when it comes to the football side of the business, or the commercial side finally starts to suffer due to the lack of success and continual lack of Champions League.
Their biggest hole at the moment is CB. Bailly is a quality player, just makes poor decisions and can not stay healthy. Smalling, Jones, Rojo are simply not good enough. The game has passed them by and I think we need younger / more skilled players. I would like to see Ole give Axel Tuanzebe a try, had a good run of games at Villa last season and fits the mold of CB that Ole wants.
I definiately want Axel to be apart of the set up, but not sure he's up to the level of Champions League CB just yet. At the same time, not sure Maguire is either. Would love to see an old school, staunch defensive first CB alongside Lindelof.
I feel like the only players that fit that 'defensive first' CB you want are maybe Koulibably or Skriniar. Skriniar renewed his contract at Inter and getting Koulibably out of Napoli would cost more than purchasing Napoli all together.
Wolves, Everton and Leicester all have very strong squads. Even Aston Villa looks great. Man U is continuing the mediocrity and Arsenal seem to think signing nothing but attackers is a good idea, and Chelsea has the transfer ban over their head. Is it realistic to think that one of the clubs outside the traditional powers can grab one of the Champions League spots?
Totally. I think United will be better than people think, though.
What is fueling your optimism?
They have a lot of good players, a ton of money, and they had the third-most points over the second half of this past season. Mind you, I don't think fourth-place is, like, a success for a team with their resources.
one of the reasons - Chelsea be weaker this season
Play the babies (loanees)
I'm an Everton fan and after signing Andre Gomes permanently, I now genuinely believe that the rest of our pre-season should be spent trying to find players of a similar handsome-calibre. Who should we go after?
Jack Grealish may be the most handsome man in the EPL next year, yeah?
Exceptional hair. Good cheekbones. He'd be in the Handsome EPL XI.
Still waiting on for next year's kits! Hope Gomes can lock down his spot full-time and that Gueye stays
Is Neymar an undercover agent, with the sole mission of pushing the European soccer financial models to their absolute extremes? Maybe his mind is being remotely controlled.
Genuinely concerned Manchester United finish behind Everton or Wolves next season. If Pogba and Lukaku both leave, where are the goals coming from? Lukaku was not the model of consistency but losing both of them would be devastating - we could replace those players but would that make the squad any better than Everton's or Wolves? I think not.
Also, say Ole has the team in 6th or 7th around October and we lose the match against Liverpool on the October 19th. Given the current leadership at the club, it is not wildly unrealistic they sack him. I think the fans, including myself, would be upset by this decision and want to see Ole given at least two seasons. But I would not rule out an early sacking.
Isn’t Alexis Sanchez there to score all of the goals?
I laughed when I first read this. Then I broke down into a slow cry.
It's hard to see Ole there for two years. Given the perpetual top 4 expectations, their form to close out the season, the likely departure of key players, and the Man U brass' willingness to sack managers for achieving anything below UCL or PL titles...i mean, it's a victory for him if he's still there after one more season
I hate it - but I sort of agree with you. I think unless Woodward's role is revisited and changed there will be a perpetual cycle of poor transfer decisions and managerial flux.
how can Arsenal claim to have such little financial muscle, its infuriating
He’s busy building a palace for the NFL in LA.
Not sure why you're confused? Pretty simple: zero investment from Stan and no CL.
Liverpool will not sign a single player #teamnosignings
Well, except for the Dutch ging
How does Maurizio Sarri line up this Juventus team? And how soon will we hear from Veronique Rabiot about it?
Messi complaining about Conmebol supposedly favoring Brazil is a great reminder of how far from Argentina he actually is. Ask any latin-american fan about which teams seem to be favored on the Libertadores and I think there is a good chance they'll say they're from Argentina. Regardless, not trying to start controversy, just something that yet again points to how he is an international icon, not much an Argentinian one, like Maradona was.
You wrote in your latest newsletter that you think VAR helps stronger teams because they’re in the box more often and get VAR contentious decisions. On the contrary, I think VAR favours smaller teams since bigger teams regularly get decisions that favour them, perhaps because of subconscious bias or because they’re in the box more, and VAR would be able to reverse those incorrect calls. Regardless, VAR has been an utter mess at the WC.
Does a narrow 4-4-2 or a back 3 with Ertz dropping back work better for the US? It seems like their midfield is the strongest part of the team.
I don't hate that; they have the fullbacks to still give them width, too. I do wonder how much of these "problems" with the team won't be solved by just playing Horan, who some analysts think might actually be the best player in the world.
That's fair, I'm just afraid that Ellis is going to stick with a front three that hasn't shown a lot, especially if Morgan is hurt.
In France, I saw a guy with "Shea" as in Brek written on the back. How embarrassing is that, 1-10?
I guess, my follow-up to that is: Are you sure it wasn't actually just Brek Shea?
Also, "I guess" is like an 8?
an unnecessary comma led to confusion. the answer is "10" for having a brain capable of creating the thought process that led to actually buying the jersey and "1" for actually wearing it
I only saw him from the back...
Obscure MLS thought: what's the history and/or perception of a "man-marking" system? I am in San Jose, CA and everyone is (rightfully) buzzing about Matias Almeyda's new approach. It is super evident that this team is playing with more way more verve (Wondo! Yuiell! Lima!) this year, but Bob Bradley also just came out after a tight US open clash last week and threw a bunch of shade towards our "style of football."
...moreover, I love that we're competing and winning. Just wondering if it is gimmicky, sustainable and/or for reals. Thanks!
I've been fascinated by this. If anything, this feels to me like just further proof that outside-the-box thinking actually isn't that risky and can work. It has roots in Italian catenaccio, but that was basically man-marking with a free sweeper in behind the defense, so this is a little different. https://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/tournament-guides/olympic-football-2016-guide/team-playing-styles-in-soccer/italys-catenaccio/italys-catenaccio-if-they-cant-score-they-cant-win/
Very interesting, and I could see why coaches with differing footballing philosophies (e.g. Bradley) would scoff at it... but it'll be interesting to see if San Jose's offense can punish opponents consistently enough to make a legitimate run. Would the title-winning Leicester City squad be a good example of all things breaking right for a counter-punchy kind of team?
Name me the sexiest women football players. The sexiest as you understand this, not the closest to so called beauty standarts
Olivier Giroud
lol
I still can't figure out how Spurs are the team who are seemingly going to win the Ndombele sweepstakes. Dude's gonna be the best midfielder in the league within 2 seasons.
What's the scenario where VAR just gets scrapped entirely? replay in other sports has only gotten more banal and mored in minutae as time has gone on - i'm dreading the reviewable pass interference calls in the NFL. There doesn't seem to be a precedent for a sport adopting a technology and then deciding to just dump it entirely.
My thoughts are that VAR should stay but ONLY in instances where the referee has already called a foul. I think what is killing the WWC is that every contested ball or PK is being reviewed, severely slowing down the flow of the game.
Instant replay has never been just kept in limited use in any sport. It always keeps expanding. I can’t see it going away or even being pared down, unfortunately. Maybe if there’s a breakaway Super League they’ll decide not to have it. Woo hoo.
What does Newcastle do now that Rafa is gone (other than prepare for relegation)?
Can the powers to be in the EPL force Ashley to sell? Sometimes it sucks to be a Newcastle fan.
Why is Barcelona breaking my heart? Letting both Madrid teams load up while they practically do nothing (okay I know adding De Jong isn't nothing, but as a whole it feels lackluster to what Atletico and especially Real is doing). And I don't even want to discuss the fact thay want to spend 100M plus a player for a guy who broke my heart already and has sexual assault allegations!
they spend a lot money on Dembele and Coutinho. they cant just spent that amount of cash every year. also you cant change a lot in this Barca. Messi is untouchable, Suarez and Busquets are play high level football but their age + Messi age dictate the style of Barca football, they 30+, so no fast paced attacks and no high intensity pressing, they just cant hande it. from the other hand there is a true waste of resources to sell this players, due to age this will not give amount of money + they are Barca legends + they play really well. this is the main reasons behind Barca tactics on the pitch and on transfer market
What does it take to bounce back from relegation to the Championship?
Neymar. Discuss.
Please let’s not discuss. Soooo overrated and such a prima donna
Right you are, sir.
Go watch a highlight video. Prima Donna? Sure. Overrated? No.
I am not saying he wouldn't get in the Brentford team, just that he is not quite as good as he thinks he is....
As a Brentford fan, I'd gladly take Neymar.
He wouldn't get in in front of Benhrama....
Would anyone dare comment on barca rumors?
I have to say, messi, suarez, neymar was one of the most beautiful front three I've ever watched
Messi and Neymar are awesome attacking players but their defensive workrate is low, place this two against balanced team and you done
As a Chelsea fan, I have no idea how to react to the upcoming Lampard hire. The optimist in me thinks he'll be great because he was a great player and did well at Derby, but the realist in me thinks he's in over his head and he'll last only a few months. Thoughts?
It's OK. You'll have a new manager next year anyway.
He actually wasn't that good at Derby. I think they were something like 12th in the xG table, so pretty lucky to squeak into the Championship playoffs and then once you're in a knockout tournament anything can happen. I think most of the over-performance was on the offensive side as well IIRC.
This. Derby’s budget was also quite high with Mount, Harry Wilson, buying Florian Josefzoon off us etc. I don’t know if they are really appointing Jody Morris by proxy mainly because he knows all the Chelsea kids very well
What the heck is up with all this Neymar back to Barcelona stuff? Does he really want to leave? If he does, what’s the point of PSG keeping him? Can Barcelona even afford him? Surely, PSG wouldn't anything less than the €222mil they paid for him, no? Theoretically, PSG could use the money to better round out their squad, and hope to find their own Van Dijk and Allison like Liverpool did (unlikely) with their Coutinho money
Only way this works is if Barcelona sends back Coutinho, plus cash to make up the difference between their last transfer prices. That way PSG can claim to have made back what they spent on Neymar, and Barcelona can claim to have made back what they spent on Coutinho.
The Coutinho to PSG thing is surely interesting. Leonardo apparently likes him a lot too. I’m doubtful though, because player swaps are so rare nowadays. Why would Coutinho want to go to PSG?
They may be the only other club willing to pay his wages. The fit isn't half bad. And I suspect he doesn't want to come back to England and play for one of Liverpool's competitors; I think he's already ruled out Man U on that basis.
What’s the right way to react to the Cameroon-England VAR debacle? Just blame FIFA and move on?
Does TAA eventually end up in liverpool’s Midfield? If so, when?
I don't think he will if Klopp's set up stays in place. The FBs take on a lot of the creative attacking work, while the midfield is allowed to be more industrious and defensive. If Trent (and Robbo) starts to shoot a bit more and add some goals I don't think you will find him wanting to change positions.
This raises the question of whether that was really Klopp's optimal system, though. It was awesome and worked, so maybe it is now, but it was also kind of an adjustment to only having industrious midfielders. Would he have done it if Ox wasn't hurt, or if they'd signed Fekir, or if Naby had hit the ground running? And can they still push everything aggressively up the wings when Ox and Naby are back and trying to push aggressively up the center, or do the fullbacks need to play a bit more defensively in that case?
I'd argue that he doesn't have an "optimal" system, and that's why his team was so good this year. We've seen relatively sizable tweaks to his teams year to year, even back to his Dortmund days.
If you have two amazing fullbacks, then you play through those amazing fullbacks. He dabbled with Shaqiri (the de facto Fekir replacement) for a while -- and he played really well over the winter -- but he ultimately decided the 4-3-3 (which included Naby for most of the spring) was the way to go. I wouldn't count on goal-scoring from either fullback, but playing through the wings is just a significantly safer way to build up possesion. It makes the defense less vulnerable because it doesn't require complex combinations that throw players out of position, and if you lose the ball, it's easier to contain/press b/c you can use the sideline as an extra defender.
Given that and the fact that making Robertson and TAA play more conservatively really saps them off their strengths, I just can't picture Klopp wishing that more attacking was focused down the center. If I had to guess, in his ideal world, he has two space-eaters (like Ox and Naby) who can contribute to the attack without weakening the midfield defensively, playing in front of Fabinho.
I don't see it. He can be the best RB and with how Klopp plays, he is as important as any midfielder.
Is Ndombele the Eriksen of Pogba's? I'll hang up and listen
He's the Tan Guy of Tanguy's***
what.
All of you are at least mildly interested in tactical strategy, if you're here, and the question of how to line up next year is DESTROYING Madrid Twitter right now. Assuming Hazard/Vinicius/Jovic/Benz/Bale/Asensio/Vazquez stay in the team, and the midfield and defense stay more or less intact, what formation and lineup does Zidane roll out, and in what kind of system?
Drop Casemiro to the bench? Two strikers? Vinicius on the right?
How creative can you get?
Striker Jovic, Benz CAM - Hazard RCM Modric/Kroos), LCM Casemiro LWB - Vinicius CB - Varane,Ramos, Militao RWB - Carvajal
Hazard gets to pick the ball up higher in the field where he can carry the ball through midfield, Vinicius provides width with Casemiro providing cover on the left. Right side is more conservative with Modric/Kroos playing higher up the field and Carvajal tucking in behind them.
Surely Bale leaves on loan (who is dumb enough to pay his transfer fee and wages) and I guess Asensio also goes on loan? I would hate to see them give up on him but he was not given the opportunities last season I think he deserves. My biggest question is what they do with Vinicius - he was excellent toward the latter part of last season. Do they move him to the right? Does Hazard play on the right?
I think they both stay. Marco has done enough to be on the bench, and knows that RW spot is wide open. Bale's transfer or loan possibilities are just impossible. He loves Madrid and wouldn't want to move his family to play for like...a Europa League club
Are we sure Bale loves Madrid? I know he enjoys the golfing but I am sure the jeering has worn on him. I have this weird / stupid / speculative theory that he needs the cold air for his body to stay healthy. So moving back somewhere in Europe would make sense.
But yeah Marco on the bench would make sense.
What tactical approach is best suited for Real Madrid upcoming season? formation and overall idea. also what players should they buy in your opinion
Asked the same question above jaja!
Ignoring the defensive liabilities the most fun lineup is
Benzema Jovic
Hazard Vinicius/Bale/Vazquez
Kroos Modric
Marcelo Carvajal
Ramos Varane
This team would have to win everything 5-4
However the most obvious realistic thing is that we all admit that Jovic and Benzema will rotate and we will play the same 3 in the midfield in a 4-3-3 and he will figure out what to do on the RW
everything is really compicated here. if Jovic will show numbers close or similar to Eintracht he will play (xG, shot volume, goals) if he don't he anyway will get minutes (remember its Perez transfer, he dont get minutes = failure, and president election is coming). really interesting variation is 3 defenders formation Militao Ramos Varane and 2 fw Benz and Jovic
Thoughts on Alex Morgan as a CF? I've always thought her best position was as a second striker, but she hasn't played there in a while and obviously still scores tons of goals. But watching her attempt to link play, run off the ball...not great.
He injury definitely did not help in the Spain game. She couldn't move.
Oh yeah, definitely.