Category Archives: Football Manager

Anfield effect can be overstated but there’s no denying it is also spectacular

“Football supporters are tribal creatures at heart, and remarkable as it may seem there were a few who professed not to enjoy Liverpool’s stupendous comeback against Borussia Dortmund on Thursday, the latest and arguably greatest drama yet in the long-running series of sublime-going-on-surreal European nights at Anfield. Messages appeared on social networks almost straight away, quite possibly from people with Manchester postcodes or Goodison Park season tickets, complaining that the way the media were (over)reacting anyone would think Liverpool had won the Champions League.” Guardian

Russia’s Leicester City: How FK Rostov are spearheading an unlikely title challenge

“Rostov-on-Don, a quiet city based in the South-West part of the Russian Federation with a population of just under 1.1 million people. Not a place known by many outside of Russia and within Russia, both the city and the region are most well-known for its agricultural industry which produces one-third of Russia’s vegetable oil from sunflowers.” Outside of the Boot

Furious Everton fan confronts Roberto Martínez after Mané levels for Southampton

“A defining week in Roberto Martínez’s reign began with one disgruntled fan invading the pitch in an attempt to confront the Everton manager, one unwanted record and the latest in a long line of lame displays at Goodison Park. The dissent and deflation will not have gone unnoticed by Farhad Moshiri, Everton’s new major shareholder, who was looking down from the directors’ box.” Guardian

Russia’s Leicester City: How FK Rostov are spearheading an unlikely title challenge

“Rostov-on-Don, a quiet city based in the South-West part of the Russian Federation with a population of just under 1.1 million people. Not a place known by many outside of Russia and within Russia, both the city and the region are most well-known for its agricultural industry which produces one-third of Russia’s vegetable oil from sunflowers. However, in the last few months, this has changed considerably thanks to the efforts of the town’s football club FK Rostov. When analysing Rostov’s history in post-Soviet era Russian football since 1991, their record has been unremarkable.” Outside of the Boot

Can Southampton Become A Force In The Premier League?

“In a more normal Premier League season, the wider media would probably be spending more time rehashing the same clichés they’ve used for Southampton over the past couple of years. They’re hanging around the top eight having survived another summer of key departures (Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne) and there’s no real signs of danger as they’re once again above average in controlling shot numbers for and against. Perhaps the quality of attacking football hasn’t quite been to the standard of the previous two seasons but it’s still been satisfactory. Their goal difference is fine enough at +11 and in a year of chaos and turbulence, Southampton are being their steady selves.” Stats Bomb (Video)

Tactical Analysis: Barcelona 2-1 Atlético | Red card = Atleti pseudo-compactness, Suarez and Messi capitalise

“In a repeat of the 2013-14 quarter final, Barcelona were pitted against Diego Simeone’s stubborn Atletico side who were riding high in La Liga, 6 points off their opponents on Tuesday night in 2nd place, having just swept aside Real Betis 5-1 at the weekend. Barcelona, on the other hand, came into this fixture on the back of their first defeat in 39 games to none other than their arch rivals Real Madrid at the Camp Nou. Facing the other team in Madrid just a few days later, who on their day have proven just as difficult to beat as Real, ideally wasn’t what they were looking for in terms of a confidence booster. However, considering the absence of key Atleti’s centre-backs Jose Gimenez and Stefan Savic and Barca’s quite phenomenal record against los Rojiblancos (6 consecutive wins), Barca would likely have come into this game, as they do in every other game, believing they could come away with the victory.” Outside of the Boot

Barcelona’s Evolution: The beauty of the build-up phase

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“Nowadays, arguably the most important phase in football is the build-up. Whether a team uses long balls to reach the final third or plays swift ground passes to breach the opponent’s stronghold, the build up plays a pivotal role in determining the outcome of a football match regardless. Like a movie, there needs to be a build-up towards the climax or the final product. In football, it is a continuous and seamless process, interchanging between both building, finishing and defending phases at all times.” Outside of the Boot

Burnley – Seasons In The Sun

“Life looks pretty good for Burnley at the moment, as they are top of the Championship table with a very good chance of an immediate return to the top flight. Even though they were relegated from the Premier League after a single season, chairman Mike Garlick rightly observed, ‘as a club we gained a great deal of respect and admiration throughout the football world.’” The Swiss Ramble

Tactical Analysis: Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur | Effective pressing denies Spurs vic

“Harry Kane’s 22nd league goal of the season earned Tottenham a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Anfield on Saturday, but their failure to secure a victory allowed Leicester to stretch their lead at the top of the table to seven points the following day with a narrow 1-0 triumph over Southampton. Spurs will be disappointed to have lost ground on the league leaders, but their performance on a difficult day at Anfield against a resolute Liverpool side didn’t really warrant anything more than a point.” Outside of the Boot

Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool remind English football what it is good at

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“Two games in five days, both 1-1 draws, both of the highest quality and played out with a ferocious intensity. There are plenty of reasons to believe Liverpool are moving forward under Jürgen Klopp. What he has also done is make Liverpool fun and, more than that, has demonstrated just how enjoyable, how good, English football – and an English style of football – can be. When Klopp arrived at Anfield, amid a cloud of excited chatter about gegenpressing, there were cynics who sniffed and asked just how new this great theory really was.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson (Video)

North East rivals spur each other on in thrilling title race

“If you think the Premier League and Championship title races are exciting, then it’s nothing compared to the battle to top this season’s Evostik Northern Premier League. North East rivals Blyth Spartans and Darlington 1883 enter the final stretch locked in a fight that’s almost certainly going to go down to a final day decider on April 23rd. Blyth, managed by local lad Tom Wade, are more renowned for their FA Cup giantkilling acts down the years while former Sunderland defender Martin Gray’s Darlington are a phoenix club formed in 2012 from the ashes of the former league club whose fortunes took a terminal nosedive after the folly of ex-chairman George Reynolds and their white elephant of a stadium.” Football Pink

‘Italian Mourinho’ Antonio Conte will be shock for Chelsea players after gentle Guus

“Mattia Destro’s first night of marital bliss ended with a 5am wake up call. He kissed his bride goodbye and left for Florence. Italy training awaited. ‘If it were down to me,’ Antonio Conte smiled, ‘he would have already been on his way back after cutting the cake.’ The Italy manager would cancel Christmas too if the rules allowed him to as his former Siena players will tell you. Second in Serie B at the time, they had lost to Varese in their last game before the winter break in 2010.” Telegraph (Video)

Bordeaux Chipping Away to Safety Under Club Legend Ramé

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“‘Is there a Ramé effect? The future will confirm that – or not.’ It’s early days for Ulrich Ramé as Bordeaux coach, but it already seems as if he’s as steady a personality as a boss as he was as the goalkeeper that served Les Girondins for the best part of 15 years. When replacing the beleaguered Willy Sagnol at the helm, the new man was faced with the prospect of a genuine rearguard action. Bordeaux had won just two of their last 11 games in all competitions under Sagnol and were looking over the shoulders having begun the campaign with the expectation of pushing towards Europe.” Who Scored?

Klopp and Liverpool’s 39th Step of Progress

“Despite dropping points in the past two games from leading positions, Liverpool showed enough against Southampton – in a near-perfect first half – and Spurs (for the whole game) to suggest a team heading in the right direction. Progress is rarely linear. There will be downs as well as ups; form comes and goes. But the overriding impression is what counts, and right now that is of a side coming together nicely, if not yet perfectly.” Tomkins Times

Assessing the Turning Point as Arsenal Leave it Too Late Again

“And so, for Arsenal, the familiar pattern repeats. Just at the moment at which all hope is almost gone, they start to play again. Saturday’s 4-0 win against Watford was a reminder of how good this Arsenal can be, of the swirl of passes, the sudden darts and thrusts, of football as art. But it leaves Arsenal 11 points behind the leaders Leicester City with a game in hand. It all feels like too little too late and demands the question of why? How is it that Arsenal can play like this now, but couldn’t when they endured that run of two wins in nine games through January, February and the beginning of March?” Who Scored?

Kaspar Schmeichel: Leicester’s unsung hero

during the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Stoke City at The King Power Stadium on January 23, 2016 in Leicester, England.
“While much has been made of Leicester City’s remarkable attacking unit this season, less has been said about a defence that boasts the fourth best record in the division. The likes of Wes Morgan and Robert Huth have proved many people wrong over the course of an incredible campaign, but behind that defensive duo has been a goalkeeper finally beginning to step out of the shadows of his famous father. Kasper Schmeichel has been both blessed and cursed with his surname during his career.” Football Pink

Analysing Liga MX’s most talented players: Avilés Hurtado

“Who is Aviles Hurtado? 28-year-old Avilés Hurtado is a versatile attacking player, currently playing for Chiapas in Liga MX. Somewhat of a late developer, Hurtado only made his debut in the Colombian league seven years ago, for América de Cali. After a couple of years in Cali, Hurtado moved to Medellín in 2011 to join another Colombian giant, Atlético Nacional. Hurtado’s arrival in Mexico came before the 2013 Clausura (second-half of the season) as he moved to Pachuca.” Outside of the Boot

Analysis: Chelsea’s press under Guus Hiddink

“Chelsea’s season is over. They went out of the League Cup in October, the Premier League title was gone months ago and the top four is pretty much out of reach now as well, and then, in the span of a week, the Blues went out of both the FA Cup and Champions League. Although Chelsea has not lost in the league since Guus Hiddink took over from Jose Mourinho, Chelsea have been lackluster. The form has improved only slightly; the offense still struggles for great portions of games, and the defense is porous.” Outside of the Boot

Johan Cruyff: The man who made Total Football reality

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“Johan Cruyff, who has died at the age of 68, was one of football’s greatest and most significant figures. The proof lies in two phrases with which he will always be synonymous. One is ‘Total Football’ – the style epitomised by the Netherlands team, with Cruyff as the centrepiece, who reached the 1974 World Cup final under Rinus Michels before losing to West Germany. It was a philosophy based on the theory that any outfield player could play in any other position on the pitch with comfort. Under his mentor Michels, Cruyff was the embodiment of the supremely skilled, multi-purpose footballer.” BBC (Video)

Explore the changing tides of European footballing power

“England’s Premier League is enjoying one of its most competitive seasons for years, but at the same time the league is without a club in Europe’s top 10 for the first time in 20 years. The interplay between competitive balance and outright quality of football is a complex one, and depending on who you talk to, different levels of importance are placed on each when it comes to talk of which league is the best.” FT Data

Is the integrity of international football under threat?

“Mid-March is upon us and the business end of the football season has arrived where we start to get an idea of the future destination of all the big prizes in both domestic and European football. As Sir Alex Ferguson famously remarked ‘It’s squeaky-bum time’. It also sees the arrival of the calendar year’s first worldwide international break where top level football across Europe takes a week’s break for a round of international matches. With 2016 being an even-numbered year and in addition a European Championships year for UEFA’s members, this batch of friendly matches has more of an edge to it than your traditional drab and half-hearted friendly international fixture that takes place prior to the start of the European league season in early August.” Outside of the Boot

Is British football ‘winded’?

“Excuse the pun, but it’s a pun worth pursuing so please bear with me… I remember reading an excellent book by Gabrielle Marcotti and Gianluca Vialli a couple of years ago entitled ‘The Italian Job’, it was an insightful and intelligent read, very different to the usual football literature I had accumulated over the years. One thing from that book that has stuck with me all this time was the idea that the weather in the UK was detrimental to the development of great technical players, and playing great football.” Outside of the Boot

Aston Villa – This House Is A Circus

Micah Richards
“There seems to be no end to the misery that Aston Villa put their supporters through. The famous Midlands club, one of a select few to have won the European Cup, is stuck at the bottom of the Premier League table and look destined for a seemingly inevitable relegation, which would be the first time they had dropped from the top flight since 1987. Manager Rémi Garde described securing safety as ‘an impossible mission that we have to make possible’, though it would not be a major shock if the Frenchman were to be given his marching orders any time soon, given their impotent form. In truth, it always seemed a strange decision to entrust Villa’s fate to a man with no management experience in the Premier League.” The Swiss Ramble

Why Jurgen Kramny Should Be Considered for the Manager of The Season Award

“When I last wrote about VFB Stuttgart for the Fanatic, they were in the thick of the relegation battle, and they had just recently hired Jurgen Kramny. Even though I thought that they had the ingredients to improve, even the most optimistic Stuttgart supporter couldn’t have predicted what would ensue for Kramny and Die Schwaben. Despite their most recent performance, a disappointing 2-0 home loss to a talent-rich but injury-riddled Leverkusen, the fact that Stuttgart are 11th in the league is remarkable when you realize where they were when Kramny took over.” Bundesliga Fanatic

The North London Derby: An American Spurs fan’s pilgrimage to White Hart Lane

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“Mostly due to the lack of an American television presence, my relationship with Tottenham Hotspur remained limited to the video game sphere for seven years, until August 18, 2013. Even the most devoted Spurs supporter would be hard-pressed to give you details about that day—a rather boring 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in the season opener—but for me, it exists like a B.C./A.D. divider for my fandom: everything before that date is pre-obsession, and everything after is tinted in club colors, blue and white.” Fusion (Video)

Leicester City phenomenon sparks all kinds of stories, inspiration

“How great is the Leicester City underdog story? Well, let’s just say that a four-day visit to the East Midlands—aka, the center of the soccer universe, circa 2016—can produce multiple stories that restore your faith in the inspirational power of sports. This much is fact: If Leicester City can hold onto its Premier League lead—currently at five points with seven games to go—it will be the greatest season-long surprise champion in the history of professional team sports. Remember, Leicester was a 5,000-to-1 shot to win the Premier League before the season, roughly the same odds of a No. 15 seed winning the NCAA basketball tournament (which, obviously, has never happened).” SI

Consolidation and Cup Finals

“How does one top arguably the greatest night in the history of the club? The answer was twofold for many Liverpool fans: keep Steven Gerrard and mount another genuine title challenge. The former would be ultimately successful; although it looked for a spell as if it would end with the captain jumping ship to Chelsea, Gerrard’s genuine love for the club overcame his demons of self-doubt. The latter – attempting to wrest the Premier League from the Londoners and Manchester United – would be infinitely more challenging and it would take a few years of tweaking and consolidation before a genuine title tilt would become a reality.” Tomkins Times

African players in the Premier League

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“Peter Ndlovu was the first. Now 246 African players have played in the Premier League since it began in 1992, scoring 1,776 goals in 14,210 appearances. Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has scored the most goals (104), Kolo Toure has made the most appearances (349) while Nigeria (35) has contributed the most players. As the Premier League live fan park comes to Cape Town this weekend learn all you need to know about African players in the English top flight.” BBC, BBC – You can read an accessible version of this graphic here.

Liverpool – Over The Wall

James Milner
“It’s been a bit of a mixed bag for Liverpool supporters in recent times. Last season the Reds finished sixth in the Premier League, while they also reached the semi-finals of both domestic cup competitions, before being eliminated by Aston Villa in the FA Cup and Chelsea in the Capital One Cup. This season looks like it might be another case of Liverpool being the nearly men, having been narrowly beaten by Manchester City in the Capital One Cup on penalties, while they currently lie just outside the European places in the Premier League. They still have hopes of success in the Europa League, having just put bitter rivals Manchester United to the sword at Anfield, but there’s still a long way to go in that competition.” The Swiss Ramble

Tactical Analysis: Bayern Munich 4-2 Juventus (AET) | Intense match decided on the wings

“After a dramatic 2-2 draw in the first leg, Juventus travel to the Allianz Arena in Germany to face Bayern Munich in the last 16 of the Champions League. The first leg ended 2-2 at the appropriately named Juventus Stadium following Pep Guardiola’s Bayern going into a 0-2 lead. Readjustments from Massimillano Allegri which saw the men from Turin adopt a more direct style for the latter stages causing Bayern’s makeshift centre-back pairing of Joshua Kimmich and David Alaba serious problems.” Outside of the Boot

The Eredivisie Title Race – 2 teams, 1 champion

“With so much going on across Europe, it is very easy to forget about the Eredivisie. Napoli’s relentless chase of Juventus for the Serie A crown, Leicester’s astounding ascent to the top of the Premier League, PSG’s successful retainment of Ligue 1 and Barcelona’s utterly breath-taking performances over in Spain have caught the eyes of many. Over in Holland though, something equally as intriguing has been brewing. Two giants of the Dutch game, PSV and Ajax, sit atop the Eredivisie, separated by 1 point, and with 7 games each to go. Both have won exactly the same number of games this season. Things are tight, let’s say. But who will prevail?” Outside of the Boot

Italy confirm that Euro 2016 will be last tournament with current manager

“It has been revealed that Antonio Conte will step down from his role as manager of the Italy international squad after they have finished competing in Euro 2016. The news has been confirmed by the Italian Football Federation that the competition will be the last that the 46-year-old will be in charge of the team.” backpagefootball

Olympique Marseille: Staring into the Abyss

“I wasn’t exactly bullish on Marseille coming into this season. Though I was pleased with the club’s more youthful approach, the sheer amount of prime aged talent let go combined with the potential ramifications of Marcelo Bielsa second year syndrome meant that a 4th-6th place finish was more in order. But I didn’t expect this much of a drop off. No one could’ve expected that Marcelo Bielsa would leave after the home opener because of various reasons involving the Marseille higher ups. Marseille are currently 10th in Ligue 1, seven points from 4th place and six points away from relegation. The quality of football has been turgid, at times depressing. They haven’t won at home since September, they haven’t led in a match in over a month and haven’t had a lead of two or more goals since beating Caen in mid January.” Stats Bomb

Football Weekly: Watford end Arsenal’s hold on the FA Cup

“On today’s Football Weekly, AC Jimbo welcomes Jonathan Wilson, Nick Ames and Gregg Bakowski to near-earth orbit to look back on a weekend of thrills and spills in the FA Cup, Premier League and beyond. We start in the FA Cup. Watford piled on the misery for Arsenal by ending their chances of winning the trophy for the third year in a row. The Hornets will be joined in the semi-finals by Everton – who saw off Chelsea in a game full of Diego Costa naughtiness – as well as Crystal Palace and one of West Ham or Manchester United, if they can ever find a date for a replay. Romance.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson (Video)

Vicenza Calcio – The Tumultuous Journey of one of Italy’s Oldest Clubs

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“Without question, the ‘Ballon D’Or’ is one of the most prestigious awards to be handed to an individual during his professional career. Awarded annually to the best individual footballer of that calendar year since 1956, past winners have included Zidane, Rivaldo, Platini and Cruyff, amongst countless others. Interestingly, only 5 Italians have ever won the award. Omar Sívori in 1961, Gianni Rivera in 1969, Paolo Rossi in 1982, Roberto Baggio in 1993, and Fabio Cannavaro in 2006, all legends of the game, in Italy and across the globe.” Outside of the Boot

Scout Report: Oussama Tannane | The exciting Dutch forward

“Oussama Tannane is a Moroccan-Dutch footballer who currently plays for Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne. He’s an exciting player who can get people on the edge of their seats with his creativity and pace. Born in Tetouan, Morocco in March 1994, Oussama Tannane also has a dual nationality with the Netherlands, and has made two appearances for the Netherlands U21 national team. Having spent his youth career at Zeeburgia, Ajax, FC Utrecht, PSV and SC Heerenveen. Tannane made his professional debut with SC Heerenveen at the age of 19 in the Netherlands Eredivisie league during the 2012-2013 season.” Outside of the Boot (Video)

If Klopp is the Future, How Long Will It Last?

“This article follows on from last week’s free piece, written in the aftermath of the 2-0 victory over Man United, which in turn took its inspiration from Jonathan Wilson’s quote (and here I merely paraphrase) about Louis van Gaal representing the past, and Jürgen Klopp the future. Football has its fashions – not merely superficial changes, but in terms of what’s effective – and yet not everyone keeps up with progress. And success doesn’t always belong to the team with the most radical style.” Tomkins Times

Talent Radar Young Midfielder Rankings: Dele Alli enters the mix

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Julian Weigl
“Judging the calibre of a young player is often a tricky task. Perceived potential has an important bearing in any consideration and is just one of the many parameters to consider when trying to quantify the ability of football’s young stars. To add a basis to what may be a leap of faith, it is useful to look back and trace the growth, or indeed lack thereof, in young players.” Outside of the Boot

Eintracht Frankfurt’s New Coach – Niko Kovac

“Eintracht Frankfurt have signed a new head coach to replace Armin Veh. From now on Niko Kovac, 44, will be the man at the side-line together with his brother, Robert Kovac, as assistant coach. The brothers were born in Berlin, and Niko played 241 matches for Hertha BSC Berlin, Hamburger SV, Bayer Leverkusen and FC Bayern München. Eintracht Frankfurt is in danger to be relegated after a disastrous sequence of losses, as Die Adler are 16th in the Bundesliga table, sliding downward as they haven’t won in their last seven matches.” Bundesliga Fanatic

The referee’s a…..?

“I write this while happening to find myself on the same aeroplane as a current, high profile Premier League referee for the second time in as many weeks. I’m not usually one for fraternising with strangers on trains, planes and automobiles but I feel that, had I been sat next to the said official (who was, incidentally, with his wife/girlfriend and child), we could quite easily have bonded over the copy of When Saturday Comes I had just purchased from the terminal’s branch of WH Smith’s; and also, not least, because he and I briefly opened the batting together for Blyth Cricket Club second XI some twenty or so years ago. He won’t remember me from that; my time at the crease at the opposite end was generally short and uneventful.” Football Pink

Tactical Analysis: Real Madrid 0-1 Atletico Madrid | Atleti shut down the center

“The Madrid derby is always one of the fiercest in the world, and the past several years have only heightened the rivalry. With Diego Simeone leading Atleti back to success, the past four years have seen the derby pick up in quality as well as intensity. Real hasn’t beaten Atleti in three seasons, an embarrassing stat for Real. Both teams needed three points to keep up with Barcelona in the chase for the league title as well.” Outside of the Boot

Tactical Analysis: Lyon 2-1 PSG | Evolution of Genesio’s 4-3-3

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“Missing Samuel Umtiti, Clement Grenier and Christophe Jallet due to suspension and Mathieu Valbuena and Corentin Tolisso to injury, Paris Saint-Germain’s maiden visit to the Stade des Lumieres had all the makings of a nightmare scenario for hosts Olympique Lyonnais, especially given the clubs’ four prior meetings this season. Once in the league, once in the cup, once in the league cup and once in the Trophee des Champions, France’s version of the Community Shield, Lyon and the champions had met, and each time, the outcome was decisive. Lyon, despite a creditable performance in the Coupe de France had never looked close to having a handle on the champions, and on a weekend where most contenders for the league’s European positions had stumbled, for Lyon to improve their situation seemed unlikely.” Outside of the Boot

West Brom 1-0 Man Utd player ratings: Rondon punishes vistors following Mata dismissal

“A first half sending off for Juan Mata proved to be the catalyst for a West Bromwich Albion victory at the Hawthorns, as Tony Pulis’ men ran out 1-0 winners over Manchester United. Although the Baggies struggled to make the most of their one-man advantage for the most part, they did finally take the lead after 66 minutes when Salomon Rondon turned on a sixpence and fired home from close-range, following Sebastian Pocognoli’s cross.” Squawka

The Story of Arsenal vs Barcelona: Will Arsenal ever beat Barca?

“The Story of Arsenal vs Barcelona: Will Arsenal ever beat Barca? Arsenal and Barcelona are frequently compared among football fans with their similar football styles; high possession rate, tiki-taka, total football, and etc. Both teams, almost every season, record highest ball possession rates in their corresponding leagues. Iniesta once said ‘I think Arsenal still play the best football in England. They play in a style in the way that most emulates what we do in Barcelona – and what is in our opinion the right way to approach the game … their football philosophy is the most attractive in England.’ As shown in this comment, one of the greatest products created by the Barcelona system obviously has respect for Arsenal’s football and also admits that Arsenal is somehow imitating Barcelona’s style.” Soccer Politics

Three points for a goal? League 1 America: the soccer revolution that never was

“Two weeks ago Jim Paglia, a 63-year-old businessman, was moving home. The boxes in his new house no doubt contained possessions of personal interest. But hidden amongst the stacks was also a collection of documents that would intrigue the soccer public too. The boxes contained perhaps the last remnants of a failed bid against MLS’s claim to America’s first-division status: proposals for a single-entity league that looked to radically Americanize soccer and attract fans to a sport that had been in hiatus professionally for nearly a decade. This, the plans show, would have also meant changing the game. There would be electronic sensors, pitch divisions and Lycra-like jerseys. Goals? They would be replaced by points. And the goals themselves? Well, there would be four of them.” Guardian

Talent Radar Young Defender Rankings: Dortmund’s Ginter & Atletico’s Gimenez rise

“Judging the calibre of a young player is often a tricky task. Perceived potential has an important bearing in any consideration and is just one of the many parameters to consider when trying to quantify the ability of football’s young stars. To add a basis to what may be a leap of faith, it is useful to look back and trace the growth, or indeed lack thereof, in young players.” Outside of the Boot

Arsenal – Brass In Pocket

“As Arsenal enter the business end of the season, there is still much to play for, even though they are now likely to be eliminated from the Champions League by the mighty Barcelona. The domestic double is still up for grabs with nobody running away with the league, while the Gunners’ recent record in the FA Cup is second to none. However, many supporters are nervous about the team’s ability to finish the job, as the customary spate of injuries has led to a distinct dip in form.” The Swiss Ramble

Tactical Analysis: Juventus 2 – 2 Bayern Munich

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Juventus’ static 4-4-2 shape vs. Bayern’s dynamic shape.
“Massimiliano Allegri played his 4-4-2 basic formation. As usual, when his side settled into low-block defense, the shape would be transpositioned into a 4-4-1-1 / 4-4-2-0. Early in the first-half, in their initial defensive shape, Juventus tended to let their forward-duo press without always establishing strong support-shape behind them. This pressing, in turn, allowed Bayern to bypass and progress forward. Juve’s zonal marking strongly focused on the central area, which provided space on the flank for Bayern, but Juventus was happy to push Bayern wide and trap them on the flanks.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Manchester United and the problem of moving on from an all-powerful leader

“The question isn’t even ‘if’. It isn’t even really ‘when’ any longer: it’s who comes next. Perhaps an FA Cup defeat at Shrewsbury on Monday would have ended Louis van Gaal’s reign at Old Trafford this week; perhaps a Europa League exit against Midtjylland on Thursday night will. But nobody really thinks Van Gaal will still be Manchester United manager next season.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image

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“ANDREW BOULTON casts his sceptical gaze towards the heroism, hubris, horror and hilarity of statues in football. Spend any length of time in Nottingham’s Old Market Square and you will see what we will politely refer to as ‘sights’. Teenage skateboarders tumbling churlishly against the concrete, their drastically over-exposed underpants providing little genuine protection against pavement burns and pigeon sick. Maudlin office workers weeping quietly into jacket potatoes so enormous they could briefly be mistaken for human heads. I even once saw a man angrily thrashing a phone box with a fishing pole.” Football Pink

Norway’s new golden generation?

“For those of us who remember the 90s as the golden age of football, Norway’s ‘Drillo’ tactics with long balls played up to John Carew and Tore Andre and Jostein Flo stands out as a nostalgic example of how much the game we love has changed. Gone are the days of target men and long balls, gone are the days of yellow-shoed penalties and beating Brazil, thus gone are the golden days of Norwegian football. The world has moved on. Manchester United discovered Cristiano Ronaldo and everyone forgot about the Flo brothers. Football the world over suddenly became all about pace, dribbles and impossible free kicks.” backpagefootball

Arsenal 0-2 Barcelona player ratings: Messi double puts visitors firmly in the driving seat

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“Arsenal’s Champions League campaign appears to have once again fallen at the second hurdle. It was always going to be tough against Luis Enrique’s Barcelona and to be fair to the Gunners they put up a fantastic effort against the Spanish giants. For large portions of the game Arsenal actually kept the Catalans very quiet and can be proud of their efforts, but a pacey counter-attack allowed Lionel Messi to open the scoring in the second half.” Squawka (Video)

Juventus 2-2 Bayern player ratings: Allegri’s men come from behind in last-16 thriller

“A first-half tactical masterclass from Pep Guardiola saw Bayern Munich dominate Juventus in their own back yard and they take two away goals back to the Allianz Arena. The German side looked comfortable to leave Turin with a commanding win but Massimiliano Allegri’s side’s second half resurgence has assured that there is still life in the tie.” Squawka (Video)

Manchester City’s poor form has club in downward spiral

“It was a risk the Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini knew he was taking. Fielding a significantly weakened side in the FA Cup fifth-round tie against Chelsea on Sunday effectively sacrificed the competition to ensure first-teamers are fully rested before Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 tie away against Dynamo Kyiv. If City gets a positive result there and then beats Liverpool in the League Cup final next Sunday it will probably be regarded as a price worth paying. But that’s a huge if.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Tactical Analysis: Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Porto | Dominant hosts ease to the win

“Over 65,000 were in attendance for this clash between two giants with extremely diverse footballing cultures. The hosts came into the tie in fine form having won four of their previous five fixtures and Porto arrived to the famous Signal Iduna Park stadium in high spirits after picking up a somewhat surprising 2-1 win in the back garden of their greatest rivals Benfica. The Portuguese club fell just one point short of the last 16 in the Champions League yet they have struggled domestically, sitting in 3rd place in the Primeira Liga.” Outside of the Boot

Tactical Analysis: PSG 2-1 Chelsea | Movement of PSG midfield decisive as Lucas and Di Maria prove influential

“After witnessing the drama which unfolded from the last two ties that occurred between these two sides in the knockout rounds, this fixture was highly anticipated by many neutrals as well as both sets of fans. And it did not disappoint. Laurent Blanc’s men came into the game as slight favourites, on the back of their frankly ridiculous form in their domestic league (24 points ahead of second placed Monaco) and the firepower of Zlatan Ibrahimović and Edinson Cavani. Judging also by Chelsea’s dire form in the league, PSG looked the most likely victors at the Parc des Princes. However, Chelsea had been experiencing a mini-revival following the re-introduction of Guus Hiddink in the hot seat.” Outside of the Boot

UD Las Palmas 1-2 FC Barcelona: Match Review

“Often when Barcelona play teams, their respective position in the table means very little. Already this season we’ve seen teams who are rooted towards the bottom go out and play toe to toe with Barça and in the opening exchanges of this game, that was the case.” Barca Blaugranes

The Downfall of a Russian Soccer Team

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Among other problems, Dynamo Moscow has been losing many of its best players, like Aleksandr Kokorin (right), shown here in a 2013 match against CSKA.
“The Russian soccer team Dynamo Moscow has its roots in a factory club that was founded in 1887, at the Morozov mill, on the city’s outskirts. In the spring of 1923, the club was co-opted by Vladimir Lenin’s feared secret police, the Cheka, and given its current name. (The playwright Maxim Gorky is credited with coining the club motto, ‘Sila v Dvizhenii,’ or ‘Strength in Motion.’)* By the mid-thirties, Moscow was home to five major teams, four of which represented different arms of the Soviet state: CDKA, now CSKA, was the team of the Red Army; Dynamo, the secret police; Lokomotiv, the state railways; and Torpedo was the club of the city’s sprawling Torpedo-ZiL automobile factory. The exception was Spartak Moscow, founded by the Young Communist League and the local soccer hero Nikolai Starostin, who named his club after the gladiator who revolted against Roman rule. Spartak forged an identity as ‘the people’s club,’ which is why, even today, it has more fans at its games than any of its rivals can boast.” New Yorker

The Argument: Time to Stop Assuming Football Fans are all Thugs

“A few days ago, the Football Supporters’ Federation who, along with doing great campaigning work on issues like safe standing and ticket prices, have a solicitor who tries to help fans who get into trouble with the law, tweeted thanks to a legal firm ‘for successfully representing two fans in civil claim against police for false imprisonment & assault. Compensation paid.’ It was the latest in a long line of similar cases. Sometimes supporters have contravened the rules, on other occasions the problem has been caused by over-zealous stewarding. Often they are situations that should be sorted out without resorting to the courts. A brief review of how football supporters are treated by this country’s legal system, and their own clubs, reveals a catalogue of unfairness that wouldn’t be tolerated in any other context.” The Two Unfortunates

Tactical Analysis – Aston Villa 0 Liverpool 6

“Neither manager had any major selection dilemmas before the game. Garde was without several players but only a couple of them were genuinely missed – his only natural holding midfielder Sanchez and the target man Gestede. Interestingly though, the French manager changed the shape from his usual narrow 4-1-2-3/4-3-2-1 to a 4-4-1-1 here despite naming the same starting XI as in the last game against Norwich.” Tomkins Times