Category Archives: Football Manager

Tottenham Hotspur 4 – 0 Liverpool

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“Emmanuel Adebayor scored twice on his home debut as Tottenham hammered four without reply past nine-man Liverpool to earn a morale-boosting first home win of the season. Luka Modric opened the scoring with a blistering 20-yard strike before Charlie Adam picked up a second yellow card for a late foul on Scott Parker.” ESPN

Tottenham 4-0 Liverpool: Tottenham dominate
“A wondergoal got them going and the rest came when Liverpool had a numerical disadvantage, but Tottenham were clearly the better side in this match. Harry Redknapp used his 4-4-2, with Niko Kranjcar out on the right – Rafael van der Vaart was half-fit, and on the bench.” Zonal Marking

Well done, Kenny. We may have lost, but the long-suppressed spirit of LFC is shining brightly…
“After last weeks defeat at Stoke, Kenny Dalglish basically blamed the referee for Liverpool’s failure to win the game. After the 4-0 hammering at Spurs today, I’ll admit I was a little worried that he would again publicly blame the referee for the club’s failings on the pitch. Thankfully, King Kenny’s post-match comments are a credit to the man, as well as being indicative of the true Liverpool way of doing things.” Liverpool Kop

Inter 0-0 Roma: interesting in theory, but not on the pitch

“Two sides lacking confidence contested a fairly tame 0-0 draw in Milan. Gian Piero Gasperini reverted to a three-man defence, but went with 3-4-1-2, as expected, rather than his favoured 3-4-3. Joel Obi came in on the left, and Wesley Sneijder was the number ten. Luis Enrique stuck with his preferred 4-3-3, but made a surprise decision to start two midfielders at full-back – Rodrigo Taddei on the left, Simone Perrotta on the right.” Zonal Marking

PSV 2 – 2 Ajax: Fair result in a very passionate match

“The first of this season’s clashes between two of the Eredivisie top three teams produced a passionate match that ended in a 2-2 draw, respecting the fact that, in terms of footballing quality, both sides put in an equal share. However, during various phases of the game one of either teams dominated the other, making this an attractive match with an unpredictable outcome till the very end.” 11 tegen 11

Everton – No Blue Skies

Phil Jagielka
“Football fans are rarely happy. After all, there are only so many trophies that can be won, so the majority of teams will end the season empty handed. That said, Everton’s fans seem to be particularly despondent these days, so much so that a coalition of supporters’ groups known as the Blue Union initiated a protest march before last week’s home game against Aston Villa.” Swiss Ramble

Eight points on Manchester City 1-1 Napoli

“Walter Mazzarri’s tactics should be commended after a disciplined Napoli side deserved their point at Manchester City. 1. The battle when wing-backs come up against interiores (wide players that come into the middle of the pitch) is always interesting. In theory, the wing-backs should be very uncomfortable coming inside into the centre of the pitch – they’re meant to be covering the flanks, after all – but the situation is different in a 3-5-2 to with the system that Napoli play, which has two wide forwards.” Zonal Marking

Dortmund press Arsenal’s full-backs and the problem with Wenger’s defensive strategy

“Pat Rice cannot wait for the return of Arséne Wenger to the dugouts – the manager still has one game remaining in his touchline ban from UEFA – and it’s easy to see why having put through a stern examination of his coaching credentials that he didn’t want. While against Udinese the comfort of the early goal dictated the encounter, he got no such assistance away to Borussia Dortmund as Jürgen Klopp sought to impose his style as quickly as possible. And they did, creating an overwhelming swirl of yellow and black around Arsenal in possession. It was a strategy that earned them many plaudits last season and while they haven’t made the best of starts this year, they aimed to put that right against Arsenal, the team that in the past, have been the model of the tireless, high-intensity and rapid passing game they displayed on Match Day 1.” The Arsenal Column

Barcelona 2-2 Milan: Milan’s narrowness frustrates Barca (just about)

“Milan scored in the first minute and the last minute, to bookend a game otherwise dominated by Barcelona. Pep Guardiola used Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano at the back, with Seydou Keita in the holding role, in the usual 4-3-3. Max Allegri was without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, so Pato started upfront, supported by Antonio Cassano. Antonio Nocerino and Gianluca Zambrotta also started.” Zonal Marking

Late Thiago Silva equaliser ensures Barcelona and Milan share spoils
“Ninety minutes of control, an hour and a half of pressure, ultimately proved worthless. A goal less than a minute from the first whistle and a goal less than a minute from the last cost Barcelona victory as they began their defence of the European Cup.” Guarian

Last-gasp Milan snatches draw at Barca
“Barcelona conceded a goal after 24 seconds and another in stoppage time, opening its Champions League title defense Tuesday with a 2-2 draw against visiting AC Milan. Arsenal played to a 1-1 tie, stunned by Borussia Dortmund’s late goal. Pato opened the scoring for Milan and, after goals from Pedro and David Villa, looked to have put Barcelona in control, Thiago Silva’s header secured a point in Group H.” ESPN

Video – Barcelona 2-2 AC Milan, All The Goal Highlights
“A cracking match at Barca’s Camp Nou, featured a sensational start with Alex Pato 24 seconds in opening the scoring for visitors AC Milan. The 22-year-old Brazilian Pato raced clear of a static Barcelona back four, and slid the ball beyond keeper Víctor Valdés giving the Italian champions the earliest of leads.” Serie A Weekly

Porto 2-1 Shakhtar: ill discipline costs Shakhtar

“Red cards for both centre-backs didn’t help the away side, but Porto were in charge for most of the game anyway. Vitor Pereira is using the 4-3-3 system favoured by most of his predecessors. Kleber is Falcao’s replacement and James Rodriguez started on the left. Steven Defour played the right-sided midfield role. Mircea Lucescu’s XI was very similar from the side which impressed last season in the Champions League. Eduardo da Silva was used as an inverted winger on the right, with Douglas Costa on the bench and Jadson as the central playmaker.” Zonal Marking

Palermo 4-3 Inter: Gasperini’s 3-4-3 exposed

Josep Ilicic
“Palermo produced a great second half display to edge a thriller. Devis Mangia, Palermo’s new(est) coach, used a standard 4-4-2 system, a world away from the 4-3-2-1 that the club used last season. Josep Ilicic started out on the left, and Giulio Migliaccio played at centre-back. Gian Piero Gasperini used his favoured 3-4-3 system, which meant Javier Zanetti in an unusual centre-back role, Jonathan making his debut on the right, plus newcomers Mauro Zarate and Diego Forlan in the wide forward positions. Wesley Sneijder started on the bench.” Zonal Marking

Palermo 4 – 3 Internazionale
“Palermo struck twice late in the game to stun Inter Milan 4-3 in their Serie A opener at Stadio Renzo Barbera on Sunday night. With the game tied 2-2 with five minutes remaining, Fabrizio Miccoli put the hosts in front with a superb free-kick before substitute Mauricio Pinilla made it 4-2 two minutes from time. New Inter striker Diego Forlan reduced the deficit deep in stoppage time but Palermo held on for victory. Diego Milito had put the visitors ahead in the 33rd minute before Miccoli equalised shortly after the re-start.” ESPN

Manchester United – Introducing The Brand

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“Manchester United’s start to the season has been exemplary. Not only are they top of the league after winning their first three games, but they have also scored an impressive 13 goals in the process. They have already put North London to the sword, brushing aside Spurs 3-0 before spanking Arsenal 8-2 in one of the most extraordinary matches that the Premier League has ever seen.” Swiss Ramble

Barca’s 3-4-3 formation another tactical weapon for Guardiola

“Sometimes soccer can seem a very simple sport. The great Dutch coach Rinus Michels, the father of the Total Football school of the late sixties and early seventies and the man who took that style of soccer to Barcelona, believed that his side should always play one more defender than the other team had attackers. If the opponent played three up, Michels liked four back; if two up, then three back. To an extent, that has been the theoretical orthodoxy ever since.” SI

Finland 0-2 Holland: Smart playmaker moves win another qualifying match

“Guided by a superb performance of playmaker Wesley Sneijder, Holland managed an eighth straight Euro 2012 victory by beating Finland by two goals. Smart exploitation of the space conceded behind the Finnish defensive line allowed a fair share of through ball, one of which was beautifully finished by Strootman, who scored his first international goal in an otherwise strong appearance.” 11 tegen 11

A rationally explainable, but emotionally dissatisfying 2-1 win of Holland over Finland

“Another slightly delayed post on our recent national team’s performance. And yet again, for future reference and for the message conveyed in this particular match, it still is important to review Holland’s performance against a stubborn and, apart from the first 20 minutes, well organized Finland side. Oranje, as always, lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with man-in-the-hole Sneijder given a high degree of positional freedom, looking to see a lot of the ball and being involved in a very high proportion of the attacking plays.” 11 tegen 11

Can Lazio Achieve Success On The Cheap?

Cristian Ledesma
“Last season was a bittersweet symphony for Lazio, as they missed out on qualifying for the Champions League by the narrowest or margins. They finished up with the same points total as fourth placed Udinese, had the same record in the head-to-head against the team from Friuli, but lost out due to an inferior goal difference. Although this must have been disappointing, as Lazio occupied a Champions League place for most of the season, in the cold light of day it was still a notable achievement.” SwissRamble

Subpar opposing defense helps Manchester clubs excel

“In 1968, Manchester City won the league and a few days later Manchester United won the European Cup. In May, City won the FA Cup; later the same afternoon, United won the league. It was typical of the relationship between the Manchester clubs that after City had thumped one north London team 5-1 on Sunday, United went and thrashed the other one 8-2. Of more concern to the Premier League and football in general, though, is what Sunday said about the relationship between the Manchester clubs and everybody else.” SI

Barcelona 5-0 Villarreal: Guardiola switches to a 3-4-3 (diamond) and Barca run riot

“Barcelona demolished a lacklustre Villarreal side in their first La Liga game of the season. Pep Guardiola was without Dani Alves, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique, so played just one nominal defender, Eric Abidal, and used Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano alongside him. Xavi Hernandez and David Villa were benched with Thiago Alcantara, Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez all starting.” Zonal Marking

Why Harry Redknapp is no longer the manager to take Spurs forward

“Let me preface this by saying that this blog post is not knee-jerk, it is not based purely off the back of two heavy defeats to the best two teams the English Premier League has to offer. These concerns have lingered and grown across the course of the last year, and this blog post is born out of the frustration that the issues I will discuss are rarely reported or deliberated in mainstream media. While one North London manager is pilloried in the press, another – whose team sits bottom of the league – sees his managerial ability remain unquestioned. Arsene Wenger has been heavily criticised in the wake of Arsenal’s 8-2 loss to Manchester United, and there have been calls for the “humiliated” manager’s head. But Harry Redknapp, who has guided his side to an 8-1 aggregate loss against the Manchester clubs, has received no such treatment.” One In The Hole

Why PSV is better off with an offensive 4-3-3 formation

“Only six games into the season, PSV manager Fred Rutten has seen his side transform from a toothless bunch to a free scoring title contender. This post will first glance over the match tactics involved, in order to identify the positive changes made by Rutten, before taking a dive into some detailed match stats to illustrate the effects of Rutten’s tactical changes.” 11 tegen 11

ANALYSIS: Chelsea FC 3-1 Norwich City

“Chelsea weren’t particularly impressive against West Bromwich Albion in week two, but picked up the points regardless. The same went for their game against newly-promoted Norwich City on Saturday, which saw the Blues get off to a blistering start only to see woefully incompetent defending allow the Canaries back into the game before a late surge inspired by debutant Juan Mata allowed Chelsea to grab three points in what ultimately ended up being a comfortable 3-1 victory.” SB Nation

Weighted Eredivisie top scorers after four matches: Bony, Mulenga and Musa

“With four rounds of Eredivisie matches gone, and last season’s top three teams neatly topping the table already, it’s time to fill in one of the pre-season promises. At the end of last season a weighted top scorer metric was introduced, a metric that computes the amount of points each goal is expected to add to the team’s total, rather than simply valuing each goal equally.” 11 tegen 11

Tottenham 1-5 Manchester City: Dzeko scores four but City impressive across the pitch

“Manchester City produced an excellent performance to maintain their 100% start to the season. Harry Redknapp was forced to use Niko Kranjcar and Luka Modric in the centre of midfield, whilst Peter Crouch got a start upfront. Roberto Mancini gave Samir Nasri his debut in place of James Milner, whilst Nigel de Jong missed out through injury. City were better in every department throughout this game.” Zonal Marking

Tottenham 1 – 5 Man City
“Edin Dzeko scored four times as he and debutant Samir Nasri helped Manchester City put Tottenham to the sword with a ruthless display of attacking football that secured a 5-1 win at White Hart Lane. Nasri supplied the crosses for Dzeko to score his first two goals and he also played his part in the run-up to Sergio Aguero’s strike, which made it 4-0 with half an hour to go.” ESPN

Hannover 1-1 Hertha BSC

“Hannover returned to the top of the Bundesliga table after drawing 1-1 with Hertha Berlin, but the Lower Saxony side will feel aggrieved that they dropped two points after referee Robert Hartmann ruled out a late winner. Negative Hertha deserved to go in at the interval 1-0 down, although Hannover lacked the creative spark that would have seen them put more goals past their lacklustre opponents in the opening 45 minutes. The visitors changed systems three times during a rejuvenated second half performance, and despite still not looking overly convincing, they did start to create chances thanks to a more positive mentality against a home side who tired after Thursday night’s 2-1 win over Sevilla in the Europa League.” Defensive Midfielder

Garrido uses Bruno Soriano at the back to help guide Villarreal through

Bruno Soriano
“Villarreal qualified for the Champions League last night with a 3-0 victory over Odense, sending them through 3-1 on aggregate. Pre-match teamsheets suggested that Villarreal would be lining up in a 3-4-3 shape, with Juan Oriol, Mateo Musacchio and new signing Cristian Zapata in a three-man defence. That seemed unlikely, since Oriol is an attacking left-back, but it was difficult to see quite how Juan Carlo Garrido was going to play.” Zonal Marking

Tactical observations from Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool

“With his feet up and tapas in convenient reach, Cesc Fábregas would have been watching Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool with more than a bit of familiarity about it. While a makeshift and inexperienced team performed admirably, they always looked like they needed something special – someone special – to lift them. That burden often fell on Fábregas but on Saturday, he was able to sit back at home safe in the knowledge that he had chewed out of the bear trap that had began to stagnate him.” Arsenal Column

Pass, Move, Goal – Victory Over Arsenal
“Strangely, there seemed to be a fair amount of negativity from a fair few fans after Liverpool’s victory over Arsenal. Perhaps the Gunners’ problems had been overplayed to the point where there was a sense that the Reds were going to face some mid-table side.” Tomkins Times

Arsene Wenger & the Complex Current Frailty of Arsenal
“Pathetic fallacy is the use, by a writer, of words that give human feelings or qualities to objects or in nature. It reached, perhaps, the zenith of its usage in the gothic novels of the late eighteenth century, and one cannot help but wonder whether the likes of Bram Stoker or Mary Shelley might have been looking down approvingly on Saturday lunchtime as the heavens opened, both literally and metaphorically, upon Arsenal’s season. As London was washed by an unseasonable shower of rain, so were Arsenal swept aside by Liverpool, and in doing so, a trickle of criticism has become a torrent, to the extent that it is possible that the club’s season may evencome sliding to a halt before it has had the chance to build any momentum.” twohundredpercent

Arsenal 0 – 2 Liverpool

“Liverpool recorded their first away win over Arsenal since 2000 to heap more misery on the Gunners – who saw Emmanuel Frimpong sent off and lost injured centre-back Laurent Koscielny in a 2-0 defeat at Emirates Stadium. Samir Nasri impressed for the Gunners, despite being expected to join Manchester City, but Arsenal’s luck was out after Aaron Ramsey’s own goal and a last-minute strike from substitute Luis Suarez handed the visitors victory.” ESPN

Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool: Frimpong red card and Liverpool substitutions change the game
“An Aaron Ramsey own goal and Luis Suarez’s tap-in gave Liverpool their first league win of the season. Arsene Wenger was forced to play Samir Nasri despite his imminent transfer. Emmanuel Frimpong replaced the suspended Alex Song, and various injuries in defence meant that Carl Jenkinson started at right-back, with Bacary Sagna on the left. Kenny Dalglish left out Luis Suarez for fitness reasons, so Dirk Kuyt started on the right. Behind him was Martin Kelly, chosen over John Flanagan.” Zonal Marking

Arsenal 0 Liverpool 2: More woe for Wenger as Dalglish’s men strike late to grab victory

“Liverpool recorded their first away win over Arsenal since 2000 to heap more misery on the Gunners – who saw Emmanuel Frimpong sent off and lost injured centre-back Laurent Koscielny in a 2-0 defeat at Emirates Stadium. Samir Nasri impressed for the Gunners, despite being expected to join Manchester City, but Arsenal’s luck was out after Aaron Ramsey’s own goal and a last-minute strike from substitute Luis Suarez handed the visitors victory.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2028181/Arsenal-0-Liverpool-2-More-woe-Wenger-Dalglishs-men-strike-late-grab-victory.html”>DailyMail

Frugal proves folly for Wenger
“It took just a 20-minute cameo from super-sub Luis Suarez to show Arsenal’s increasingly disillusioned fans and their under-fire manager exactly what sort of tangible result can be produced when a heavy investment is made. After watching Suarez’s telling contribution as a 71st-minute substitute in leading Liverpool to a 2-0 win, even the prudent Arsene Wenger must surely be willing to admit that, at £22.5 million, the Uruguayan represents the sort of ‘value in the market’ that he regularly claims is so elusive.” ESPN

Arsenal’s Arsène Wenger appeals for calm after Liverpool defeat
“Appealing for calm, Arsène Wenger said: “We live in circumstances where every defeat is absolutely a disgrace – an earthquake.” But there was no mistaking the tremors after Liverpool’s 2-0 victory as the Arsenal manager’s troubled team face the second leg of a Champions League qualifier against Udinese on Wednesday and a visit to Manchester United at the weekend.” Guardian

Mourinho tries to counter Messi’s false nine role by pushing Carvalho up the pitch

David Villa
“One of the notable features from the second leg of the Spanish Supercopa was the positioning of Ricardo Carvalho, and his response to Lionel Messi’s movement into deep, slightly right-sided positions. Messi tore Real apart in the 5-0 win last season, despite it being a rare occasion where he didn’t end up on the scoresheet. Real tried to play high up the pitch, but Messi played so deep that Jose Mourinho didn’t know how to deal with him – the two centre-backs stayed in position, but holding a high line. Therefore, Messi could receive the ball in space, turn, then send a ball through to one of the wide forwards coming inside. His two assists for David Villa’s goals were perfect, displaying exactly why Pep Guardiola wants to play Messi in that role.” Zonal Marking

Cesc Fábregas starts with a night to remember at Barcelona
“Cesc Fábregas’s first big night out since returning to his home town ended in a fight but it also ended in celebration. The former Arsenal captain has collected his first trophy as a Barcelona player, just two days after joining the club. It was 1am when he was parading round the Camp Nou pitch with new team-mates and old friends carrying the Spanish Super Cup, snatched from Real Madrid’s grasp in dramatic fashion. At last the clásicos were something approaching a classic – some way from the four games in 18 days that these teams played last season.” Guardian

José Mourinho describes Barcelona as ‘a small team’ in post-match rant
“Real Madrid’s manager, José Mourinho, has continued his verbal attack on Barcelona, labelling the European champions “a small team” after Wednesday night’s Supercopa second-leg defeat at Camp Nou. Another fantastic spectacle between the two Spanish sides was again overshadowed by the antics of Mourinho, who thrust a finger in the eye of Barça’s assistant coach, Tito Vilanova, in a melee in the closing stages.” Guardian – (Video)

José Mourinho turned to violence against Barça to mask his own failure
“Barcelona’s vision has been a problem for José Mourinho ever since he took the Real Madrid job, so gouging the eye of a Barça coach in the latest melee between the two clubs was a Shakespearian act of desperation by a manager now working outside the laws and spirit of the game.” Guardian

Romanov’s Battle For Hearts And Minds

“Oscar Wilde, the famous Irish playwright, was not known for his love of sport, but his warning “to expect the unexpected” could certainly apply to the world of football, not least at Heart of Midlothian, where the colourful owner Vladimir Romanov continues to resist the path of predictability. Just two games into the Scottish Premier League (SPL), the volatile Lithuanian decided to sack the club’s manager Jim Jefferies, replacing him with the former Sporting Lisbon manager Paulo Sérgio. The popular Jefferies was in his second spell as Hearts manager after a ten-year absence, retaining much goodwill for delivering the Scottish Cup in 1998, ending 36 years without a trophy.” Swiss Ramble

Arsenal 1-0 Udinese: Early Walcott goal gives Arsenal the advantage

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“Udinese constantly threatened on the counter-attack but failed to beat Wojciech Szczesny. Arsene Wenger brought in Theo Walcott and Maroune Chamakh for Andrei Arshavin and the suspended Robin van Persie. Francesco Guidolin ditched last season’s 3-5-1-1 for a more conventional 4-1-4-1 shape, with plenty of midfield runners trying to link up with Antonio Di Natale. This was open and exciting, yet tense and nervous at the same time. It would have been interesting to see Udinese really go for it in the second half, but with the comfort of a second leg back in Udine, they never really committed enough men forward to overload Arsenal at the back.” Zonal Marking

Eight points on Real Madrid 2-2 Barcelona

“The 2011/12 Spanish season started with an open, exciting Supercopa first leg between Barcelona and Real. Like the Community Shield, a full-scale analysis of a semi-competitive fixture would be a little much, so here are eight talking points from the game…” Zonal Marking

Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Werder Bremen

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“Robin Dutt finally won his first game as Bayer Leverkusen manager as the home side scored a late winner in what had been an even and entertaining game. These two attack-minded sides dominated one another in separate spells throughout the 90 minutes, with both goalkeepers on top form to keep the game scoreless. But a moment of brilliant athleticism by Simon Rolfes in the 86th minute saw the Bremen defence caught off-guard and a deserved point cruelly snatched from their grasp.” Defensive Midfielder

Stoke 0-0 Chelsea: Villas Boas starts with draw

“A decent game, but a 0-0 draw in Andre Villas Boas’ first game in charge of Chelsea. Tony Pulis gave a a debut to Jonathan Woodgate at the back, and started with Stoke’s usual 4-4-1-1 from last season – two wingers, plus Jon Walters just off Kenwyne Jones. Villas Boas kept Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka on the bench, using two wide players either side of Fernando Torres. Chelsea struggled to get going and spent most of the first half dealing with Rory Delap’s long throws into the penalty area, but got better as the game went on.” Zonal Marking

How Arsenal have been shaping up for 2011/12

“With all the talk of Arsenal’s pre-season performances centring around defensive meltdown, it’s arguable (and we will argue that in our next article this week) that replacing Cesc Fábregas – or at least replicating his creativity – will be Arsenal’s main concern this impending season. Frustratingly for us tactical anoraks and dissectors, he hasn’t played a single minute in pre-season which means any tactical conclusions that are to made — if Cesc Fábregas stays of course — will be treading on the hypothetical.” Arsenal Column

LFC Season Preview – Time To Go Fourth?

Lucas Leiva
“My previous look at the season ahead revolved around the work we had done on the Transfer Price Index, and how the cost of a club’s XI (called its ‘£XI’, as inflation is taken into account) over the course of the season correlates fairly accurately with where they will finish in the table; and the higher up the division you go, the more predictable it gets. No team’s chances are chained to conclusions taken from retrospective analysis, but they do set a benchmark – a starting point – for what is probable.” Tomkins Times

Why Lucas is needed ahead of the rest of Liverpool’s midfield army
“I was at Anfield on Saturday for the final warm up match before the 2011-2012 Premier League season begins. It was a competent win against a good Valencia side. Agger was my man of the match yet others such as Downing impressed. Lucas was fantastic when he came on with a patient, intelligent and exciting performance within just 45 minutes of playing time – surprisingly sharp considering he’s only just back at training after his break following Brazil’s Copa America exit.” Joshua Kearney

A Degree of Progress Will Be Enough: Liverpool FC 2011/12 Preview
“When Paul Konchesky was sold to Leicester City earlier this summer, one of the strangest and most stressful periods of the past two decades in Liverpool’s history came to a close. Seen as the embodiment of the mediocrity that had somehow become the norm at the club, Konchesky’s departure was deemed as confirmation that the standards that had been allowed to drop were now being pushed upwards again.” A Liverpool Thing

Bielsa set to thrive in Bilbao

“It has been 13 years since Marcelo Bielsa has managed a club side. Six years as coach of Argentina and four in charge of Chile endeared him to the world, but with international football placing obvious restrictions on how much a manager can shape his team, there has always been a lingering question – what would Bielsa do with a club side?” Zonal Marking

Nottingham Forest – Shadows And Tall Trees

“Last season was a bit of a déjà vu experience for Nottingham Forest fans, as their team looked a good bet for promotion to the Premier League for much of the campaign, only to be defeated in the Championship play-off semi-final for the second year in a row. Their disappointment was not lessened by the fact that they lost to the eventual winners, Swansea City and Blackpool, on both occasions.” Swiss Ramble

Energie Cottbus 0-5 1860 Munich

“A Benjamin Lauth-inspired 1860 Munich ruthlessly destroyed one of the 2. Bundesliga favourites for promotion, aided by the early sending off of Cottbus defender Konstantin Engel. But the hosts had looked ropey and were 1-0 down even before their right-back saw a straight red for hauling down the superb Lauth, and were always going to struggle to contain the likes of Lauth and intelligent livewire Kevin Volland anyway.” Defensive Midfielder

Augsburg 2-2 Freiburg
“Quality met commitment in this opening round Bundesliga tie between two of the division’s minnows, as Augsburg twice fought back through their new hero Sascha Mölders to earn a point from the kind of game they know that they could not afford to lose if they are to have any chance of staying up this season. After a chance-free first half which saw Papiss Cissé offer nothing, the Senegalese showed one moment of quality early into the second half to open the game up.” Defensive Midfielder

Balotelli, Mancini & The Schizophrenia of the Manager

“The brief furore surrounding Mario Balotelli’s fluffed backheel and subsequent substitution by Roberto Mancini left the public divided. Was this just the latest indication of a player on the verge of a mental breakdown or a manager over-reacting to a bit of fun in a pre-season knockabout?” Ghost Goal

ZM’s Copa America Best XI

“The outstanding performers from July’s Copa America tournament in Argentina.” Zonal Marking

Uruguay’s momentum, Paraguay’s bumpy road, more Copa America
“Going into the Copa America, we posed questions about the campaigns of the 10 South American sides. Now that the 43rd Copa America is history, we look back to find out if the tournament came up with the answers. (Listed from winners down to the teams eliminated in the group phase) SI – Tim Vickery

PSV Eindhoven – Champions League Or Bust

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Ola Toivonen
“Another disappointing end to the season saw PSV Eindhoven come third in the Eredivisie, finishing behind champions Ajax and FC Twente. Although this was enough to secure qualification for the Europa League, things could have been so much better, as the Boeren (farmers) had led the table going into the winter break. Driven forward by the exploits of Hungarian Balázs Dzsudzsák and Swede Ola Toivenen, PSV were actually the league’s highest scorers, though this was assisted by the astonishing 10-0 demolition of old rivals Feyenoord.” Swiss Ramble

Twente 2 – 0 Vaslui: Solid result in tough game

“Based on the 2-0 final score line you wouldn’t tell that Twente had a tough time breaking down their Romanian opponent at home. Twente missed four key players and had severe problems building attacks from the back. As a result, the transition from last season’s double holding midfielder system to an offensive 4-3-3 didn’t go all that smooth yet.” 11 tegen 11

Uruguay light the way

“In the end, it was only a slightly surprising result. The 2011 Copa America might not have gone the way of holders Brazil or hosts and favourites Argentina, but Uruguay were probably the next in line to win it. Sunday afternoon’s 3-0 win over Paraguay was the result most expected after the semi-finals, and sees the Celeste lift their 15th Copa, pulling clear of Argentina, who they’d previously been level with on 14 tournament wins.” ESPN

Future bright for Copa kings Uruguay
“The record 15th Copa America triumph came with a fair dose of suffering – the only way Uruguay know how. They drew both their first two games. Then they mounted a heroic rearguard action in the quarter final against hosts Argentina, where they had a man sent off in the first half. But in the end it was conclusive. And so was the message from Buenos Aires after the 3-0 win over Paraguay in the final – last year’s run to the World Cup semi finals was no fluke. Uruguay are back.” BBC – Tim Vickery

Uruguay 3-0 Paraguay: Tabarez gets things right
“Uruguay won their record 15th Copa America with an excellent, controlled performance. Oscar Tabarez likes to spring a surprise with players and formations, but it was his expected XI for this match, in the 4-4-1-1 system that can reasonably be described as his first choice shape throughout this tournament. Gerardo Martino’s side was less predictable – he made four changes from the semi-final win over Venezuela, but kept roughly the same system – a narrow 4-4-2 / 4-5-1 with Pablo Zeballos making forward runs from a wide-left position, although Nelson Valdez sometimes switched positions with him. Uruguay were better all over the pitch – they were more secure at the back, more potent upfront, and most crucially, they won the midfield battle.” Zonal Marking

Uruguay’s Copa América triumph ushers in another golden age
“This has been a tournament that has persistently defied expectations, but not in the final. Uruguay were comfortable winners over Paraguay, collecting a 15th Copa América title and so, on Argentinian soil, moving past Argentina to become the most successful team in the tournament’s history.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Suarez pays tribute to team-mates
“Luis Suarez was named Player of the Tournament after helping Uruguay to a 3-0 victory over Paraguay but paid credit to his team-mates for the success. Suarez scored the opening goal and set up Diego Forlan for the third to round off a hugely impressive tournament as Uruguay cruised to victory.” ESPN

Paraguay 0-0 Venezuela (AET): Paraguay win on penalties – again

“Paraguay are, amazingly, through to the Copa America final having drawn all five games in the competition so far. As he did for the Spain game in last summer’s World Cup, Gerardo Martino made numerous changes to his side, partly because of Antolin Alcaraz’s suspension, which meant a big reshuffle at the back. Nestor Ortigoza returned to the midfield.” Zonal Marking

Paraguay 0-0 Venezuela
“Paraguay rode its luck through another penalty shootout to beat Venezuela on Wednesday and set up a Copa America final against Uruguay. Paraguay, which has not won any of its five matches in the tournament, booked its place in the final following a goalless draw and a 5-3 victory on penalties. The only miss in the shootout came when Justo Villar stopped Franklin Lucena’s shot. Dario Veron held his nerve to net the final spot kick and set up Sunday’s final against Uruguay, which beat Peru 2-0 in the other semifinal on Tuesday.” ESPN

Uruguay 2-0 Peru: Tabarez changes formation again to take Uruguay to the final
“Luis Suarez scored two second half goals in a confident Uruguayan performance. Oscar Tabarez was without Diego Perez, so Napoli’s Walter Gargano took his place. Sebastien Coates returned at centre-back. Sergio Markarian brought in Giancarlo Carmona for Renzo Revorendo, and Yoshimar Yotun for William Chiroque. With both sides contesting the quarter-finals as underdogs and both used to playing reactive football in this competition, much of the game was something of a stalemate, with neither side committing enough players into attack to overload the opposition.” Zonal Marking

ADO 2 – 0 Tauras: Half time improvement sees ADO through to the next EL qualifying round

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“Judging by the score line of 2-0 ADO did a good job beating Lithuanian side FK Tauras, admittedly of a lower standard, to reach the third qualifying round of the Europa League. But the performance to go along with it was rather flat, with ADO only taking full advantage of their superior playing qualities in the second half, when the pressure on their opponents was significantly increased.” 11 tegen 11

Brazil 0-0 Paraguay: Brazil fail to score in 120 minutes – then miss all their penalties too

“Paraguay are through to the semi-finals of the Copa America, having drawn all four games so far. Gerardo Martino took the surprising decision of dropping Nestor Ortigoza, bringing in Victor Cacares in the centre of midfield. Roque Santa Cruz dropped out, with Nelson Valdez making his first start of the tournament.” Zonal Marking

Venezuela 2-1 Chile: Borghi’s changes put Chile on top, but set-piece vulnerability proves fatal
“Venezuela are through to the semi-finals after two goals from dead ball situations. Cesar Farias’ defence and midfield were as expected – the only decision to make was upfront, where Miku played just off Giancarlo Maldonaldo, in a fairly basic 4-4-2. Claudio Borghi was without Jean Beausejour, so Arturo Vidal moved out to the left and Carlos Carmona came into the centre of the pitch. Chile were poor in the first half, then excellent in the second. Venezuela were never particularly inventive, but retained a threat from set-pieces – and that was enough for them to win the game.” Zonal Marking

Uruguay 1-1 Argentina (AET): Uruguay progress after disciplined defending and superb penalties
“The hosts are out of the Copa America after an engaging 1-1 draw. Oscar Tabarez kept faith with the same narrow 4-4-1-1 system as against Mexico, although there was one change – Martin Cacares came in for Cristian Rodriguez, with Alvaro Pereira moving forward to the left of midfield. Sergio Batista named an unchanged XI in broadly the same system as in Argentina’s final group game against Costa Rica. The game started frantically and then slowed down but remained enjoyable – the two red cards opened up the game, but didn’t produce any more goals.” Zonal Marking

Peru 2-0 Colombia (AET): Colombia waste chances and Peru exploit goalkeeping mistakes
“Carlos Lobaton and Juan Vargas scored thumping extra time goals to put Peru into the semis. Hernan Gomez named his expected side, in a 4-3-3 formation. Sergio Markarian also named 4-3-3, though his side featured many changes from the final group stage game against Chile, when various players were rested. Colombia had the better chances, but Peru were always in the game and largely defended well.” Zonal Marking

Manchester City’s Amazing Deal: Know Your Rights

“When Manchester City announced that their commercial agreement with existing shirt sponsor Etihad Airways was to be expanded into a 10-year deal worth up to £400 million, the reaction of most observers in the football world was one of disbelief. This hugely lucrative contract includes the renaming of the City of Manchester Stadium in a naming rights deal that is likely to be the highest ever signed in football.” Swiss Ramble

Eintracht Braunschweig 3-1 1860 Munich

“Newly-promoted Eintracht Braunschweig fired a warning shot to the rest of the league as they tactically outwitted 2. Bundesliga stalwarts 1860 Munich with a potent display. A vociferous home crowd couldn’t prevent the visitors from jumping into the driving seat early on, bossing the ball, winning a corner, and having three blocked efforts on goal. With Collin Benjamin throwing himself into a mopping up job with relish, the former HSV man helped maintain 1860s pacy start, and ruined Braunschweig’s attempts to position their midfield bank of four as near to the lone striker Dominick Kumbela as possible.” Defensive Midfielder

Uruguay 1-0 Mexico: Uruguay’s pressing leads to dominance, and progression to the knockouts

“Alvaro Pereira’s scrappy goal set up a quarter-final showdown with Argentina. Oscar Tabarez dropped Edinson Cavani and Martin Caceres, bringing in Alvaro Gonzalez and Cristian Rodriguez either side of a narrow 4-4-1-1, moving Alvaro Pereira to left-back. Luis Fernando Tena made one change, with Miguel Ponce replacing Javier Aquiano. Mexico also lined up in a broad 4-4-1-1 system, with Giovani dos Santos behind Rafael ‘Lugo’ Marquez.” Zonal Marking

Argentina’s Copa Begins In Earnest
“‘A new Copa has started’, Lionel Messi told the press after Monday night’s 3-0 win for Argentina against Costa Rica. Messi wasn’t in a press conference, or a mixed zone; he was picking up his man-of-the-match award. Normally he’d just stand for a couple of photos and leave with the gong, to answer questions outside, but he grabbed a microphone to thank ‘the people of Córdoba for how they’ve treated all of us, especially myself.'” In Bed With Maradona

West Bromwich Albion’s Risk Averse Strategy

“At one stage last season West Bromwich Albion seemed destined to be relegated from the top flight yet again, despite the sterling efforts of top scorer Peter Odemwingie and the tough tackling Youssouf Mulumbu, but a timely change of manager inspired a solid series of results in the last few months, culminating in the club’s best ever finishing position of 11th in the Premier League.” Swiss Ramble

A chance is a chance is a chance?

“Before we dive deep into soccermetrics territory to aim for a method to assign different value to different chances created during a football match, let’s take a big step back in time. Back to our early childhood, the school yard… I’m pretty sure that the majority of us have enjoyed playing marbles at that time. Not just the fun of playing the simple one-on-one game, but also the trickery trade that came with it. There were those guys (or girls) you looked up against, who always had the biggest and most shiny marbles of all, making your bunch look pale and insignificant.” 11 tegen 11

Sergio Batista and the Sharpening of Long Knives

Sergio Batista
“We’re one week into the Copa América, and if nothing else it’s proven correct those who made pre-tournament predictions that it would be the most closely-fought Copa in a long time. For the first time ever, both Argentina and Brazil failed to win their opening matches. It must be said that not enough credit was given to the two sides who foiled them in those games; Venezuela in the case of the holders Brazil, and Bolivia in the case of hosts Argentina.” In Bed With Maradona

Critics attack ‘disastrous’ Brazil after they scrape Paraguay draw
“Perhaps Dunga wasn’t so bad after all. He may have been pragmatic and have refused to pick the public’s favourites, but at least he won games. Brazil, after underwhelming in a 0-0 against a Venezuela team that, after Saturday’s 1-0 win over Ecuador, improbably tops Copa América’s Group B, were highly fortunate to scrape a 2-2 draw against Paraguay. Two thirds of the way through the group stage, none of the seeds have yet won a game and, amid all the grumbling about Argentina’s form, the one consolation for the hosts has been that Brazil have been even worse than they have.” Guardian

Can Argentina salvage their Copa America hopes?
“We’re one week into the Copa América, and if nothing else, it’s shown that those who predicted that this would be the most closely-fought Copa in living memory, have been proven correct. For the first time ever, both Argentina and Brazil failed to win their opening matches. It must be said that not enough credit was given to the two sides who foiled them in those games; Venezuela in the case of the holders Brazil, and Bolivia against the hosts Argentina.” World Soccer

Brazil 2-2 Paraguay: Brazil snatch the draw
“Mano Menezes ditched the “European” 4-2-3-1, went for a Dunga-style compromise system, then ended up with 4-2-2-2… He dropped Robinho from his starting line-up, favouring Jadson who played much narrower on the right, as he has done in previous friendlies. Gerardo Martino went for the 4-4-2 / 4-3-3 hybrid that he often favoured at last summer’s World Cup. Roque Santa Cruz played on the right, and made diagonal runs to a centre-forward position.” Zonal Marking

Set-pieces dominate the first week of the Copa

“For a tournament often hailed for its flair and unpredictability, the Copa America has clearly been lacking excitement. So far, the goals per game count stands at a pathetic eight, from seven matches. That gives a goals per game rate of just 1.14 – roughly half the goals per game rate of last summer’s World Cup, where the figure was 2.27. There have been three 0-0s, and only Chile have scored more than once.” Zonal Marking

Argentina 0-0 Colombia: another goalless draw
“The third 0-0 from seven Copa America games so far, as Argentina again struggled. Sergio Batista made one change from the opening day 0-0 against Bolivia. Marcos Rojo dropped out, with Pablo Zabaleta coming in on the right. Javier Zanetti moved to the left. Hernan Dario Gomez also made a single change, bringing in Carlos Sanchez for Gutavo Bolivar, a straight swap in midfield. Argentina had much of the play but failed to create enough chances to get the breakthrough, a common feature of this tournament. Colombia sat back and played on the break, and deserved their point.” Zonal Marking

Chile 2-1 Mexico: Borghi’s change in formation prompts Chile’s comeback

“Chile recovered from 1-0 down to record a 2-1 victory in an excellent contest. Claudio Borghi lined up with a 3-4-1-2 formation containing various players who are familiar from last year’s World Cup, and there were no major selection surprises. Like Costa Rica, Mexico are competing with an Olympic squad in this tournament, and assistant manager Luis Fernando Tena is in charge. He played a 3-5-2, with Giovani dos Santos just behind Rafael Marquez Lugo, not to be confused with the more established Rafael Marquez.” Zonal Marking

Copa América 2011: Chile Rely on Set-Pieces to Get Victory
“Chile embarked on their journey for a first Copa America trophy against a weakened Mexico side. With last month’s Gold Cup Mexico’s main international competition of the summer, a mostly under-22 side make up the Copa America squad for the tournament invitees. This meant that Chile, with the likes of potentially Barcelona bound Alexis Sánchez, as well as Humberto Suazo and Matías Fernández, were clear favorites. Meanwhile Giovanni dos Santos – Tottenham-loanee and spectacular goal-scorer in the Gold Cup final – the main player of note for the Mexicans.” the elastico

Brazil 0-0 Venezuela: Brazil fail to impress

“Mano Menezes’ first competitive game as Brazil manager ended with a poor 0-0 draw against a resilient Venezuela side. Menezes played his expected side, which meant Ganso playing as the playmaker behind a front three. Cesar Farias named a solid 4-4-2 side, with La Liga duo Nicolas Fedor and Jose Rondon upfront. Brazil dominated possession, of course, and in the first ten minutes of the game looked like they were going to run riot. The longer Venezuela went without conceding, however, the more confidence the underdogs had, and the better they defended.” Zonal Marking

Seleção Draw Blank Against Venezuela in Copa América
“As opening gambits go, it was far from convincing. Having watched their most bitter of rivals stutter against Bolivia (a result which was reported with considerable verve in Brazil) the seleção met Venezuela, hoping to put down an early marker in the competition. A year after being knocked out of the World Cup with barely a whimper of protest, opportunity hung heavy in the La Plata air; this was the moment for Brazil to shake off the dust, to reintroduce itself to the world. A team rich in youthful vim and logic-defying hair styles marched onto the pitch. Mano Menezes looked on sagely as Neymar, Ganso et al. took their starting positions. The stage was set. And then… nothing.” Snap Kaka A Pop

Colombia 1-0 Costa Rica: Ramos goal beats ten man Costa Rica

The Lady and The Unicorn, Domenico Zampieri
“Colombia squeezed past Costa Rica in a poor game. Hernan Dario Gomez surprisingly left out Cristian Zapata, sticking with the partnership of Luis Parea and Mario Yepes at the back. Hugo Rodallega was also on the bench. Costa Rica are participating in this tournament with an Olympic squad, so the majority of players are under 23, and the XI was unrecognisable from the side which contested the Gold Cup.” Zonal Marking

Palermo – Pretty In Pink?

“After a promising start to the 2010/11 season, when their exciting young team appeared to be mounting a serious challenge for a Champions League place, Palermo hit the buffers in February, suffering what their irascible president Maurizio Zamparini called a “black-out”, as they lost six matches in a row, including a devastating 7-0 home defeat to a rampant Udinese. The campaign had been going so well with the youthful talents of the Argentine playmaker Javier Pastore and Slovenian midfielder Josip Ilicic to the fore, ably supported by the attacking full-backs Federico Balzaretti and Mattia Cassani.” Swiss Ramble

FC Krasnodar 2-2 Anzhi Makhachkala

“Big-spending Anzhi Makhachkala have fallen seven points behind table-toppers CSKA Moscow after the Dagestani side could only draw 2-2 with fellow 2011 surprise package FC Krasnodar. Round 16 of the Russian Premier League’s 2011 season concluded with two of this year’s surprise packages coming together. Like city rivals Kuban, whom Krasnodar faced in the top-flight’s first ever non-Moscow derby last weekend, the home side were flying high in the table, and knew a win here could see them go sixth in a league of 16 teams.” Defensive Midfielder

Brazil 3-0 Chile: Dunga prevails over Bielsa in the tactical contest of the tournament

“A fascinating game of two vastly different styles – with one clear winner. Brazil were without both Felipe Melo and Elano through injury, and so Dunga chose Dani Alves on the right of midfield, with Ramires in a deeper, left-sided role. The rest of the team was as expected.” Zonal Marking

Using the TPI to Set Realistic Expectations at Aston Villa

“Plenty has been written about the unreasonable expectations of Aston Villa’s management team and some of their supporters since they began their search for a new manager. Chris Nee wrote a great piece at Two Footed Tackle, detailing Villa’s history in the Premier League. He makes the case that their “expectations may not have been unrealistic fifteen or even ten years ago, and maybe they haven’t changed. But football has.” Simon Clancy wrote in the NY Times Goal blog of the recent management carousel at the club which was kept alive by the appointment of Alex McLeish given that some fans don’t want him. I even spilled some digital ink on the topic, identifying several Aston Villa managers as large over-performers when it comes to the expectations set by the club’s transfer expenditures.” Pay As You Play

Santos 2-1 Peñarol: greater attacking variety gives Santos the Copa Libertadores

“After a goalless first leg, goals from Neymar and Danilo gave Santos their first Copa Libertadores for nearly 50 years. Muricy Ramalho made a few changes from the first leg, including a significantly different back four. Danilo dropped back from the midfield to become a right-back, whilst Leo started at left-back, and Edu Dracena returned at centre-back. Ganso had recovered from injury to take Danilo’s place in midfield.” Zonal Marking

Tactical Observations and Talking Points of the 2010/11 Bundesliga Season

“While the Bundesliga may not necessarily be known for the tactical nous of Seria A it has become increasingly more aware of modern trends and more and more coaches are putting an emphasis on the tactical aspect of the game. This season saw several bold moves being made by coaches throughout the league. Whether it was deviating from the norm or taking a risk in their approach, there were several tactical talking points or trends of interest. Here are some of the more noteworthy tactical observations of the 2010/11 Bundesliga Season.” Bundesliga Fanatic

United States 2-0 Jamaica: US dominate centre

“A deflected strike from Jermaine Jones and a cool Clint Dempsey finish put the US into the semi-finals of the Gold Cup. Bob Bradley left out Chris Wondolowski and Landon Donovan, bringing in Sacha Kljestan behind Jozy Altidore, and Alejandro Bedoya on the right. He was dealt an early blow with Altidore’s injury, meaning Juan Agudelo had to replace him upfront.” Zonal Marking