Devils in the Details: Recent Episodes
Aaron Moniz and Kees van Hemmen
A Manchester United podcast focused on detailed, evidence driven analysis. Hosted by Aaron Moniz (@amonizfootball) and Kees van Hemmen (@HemmenKees) – two data scientists and United fans.
On this episode, Kees and Aaron discuss depth at the fullback positions and how to balance the midfield with the current options.
Today, we take a look at ongoing progress in the transfer window following the signing of Leny Yoro and analyze how parts of the squad are shaping up for the season ahead.
This special episode takes a deep dive into 18-year-old central defender Leny Yoro, whose move to Manchester United is set to be finalized over the upcoming days.
On this week's episode Kees and Aaron discuss Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, and Jarrad Branthwaite, as well as digging in on the possibility of a front 2 at United and what Mason Mount's role will look like in the 2024/25 season
This week, we analyzed the links to Bayern Munich's Mathijs de Ligt and PSG's Manuel Ugarte before Kees detailed implications of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake's appointments given their respective tenures in Dutch football.
On this episode Aaron and Kees discuss Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee and his links to Man United on a transfer this summer, as well as potential additions in midfield.
Kees and Aaron are back with a discussion of Man United's retention of Erik ten Hag as manager, as well as a discussion on centreback targets in the transfer market and their picks for favorites and dark horses as the group stages of the European Championship come to a close.
To cap off a long and difficult season, we welcome the wonderful Brent Maximin (@logoffbrent) to help us recollect our players, goals, and moments of the season, before discussing the future that lies ahead for Manchester United.
Desolate performances and results seem to finally be arriving in their full transparency, as United stare down their most disappointing season this century. We discuss this situation, and what comes next, with as much new detail as we possibly can offer.
United conceded dozens of shots and expected goals as they failed to win across three separate attempts this week. We broke down where exactly Ten Hag's setup is breaking down before talking about some positive lights in the side - Kobbie Mainoo, the returning Mason Mount, and recent academy promotee Willy Kambwala.
After missing a few International Break uploads, we return to discuss some pertinent topics from last week's Liverpool game and how it pertains to the team as a whole moving forward.
Kees and Aaron discuss Alejandro Garnacho's season to date before starting their summer transfer preview series with a section on Amadou Onana.
Two consecutive league defeats virtually end United's prospects of finishing the league in a Champions League place. With that in mind, and more than a quarter of the league season still to play, we revolve around the question... what now?
United's predictable demise on the pitch gives us little to discuss, but their significant overhaul at executive level prompts a discussion about the upcoming search for managers and players, and where the club went wrong under Solskjaer and Ten Hag.
Aaron and Kees discuss whether or not United stole a win at Luton, whether Bruno Fernandes is the problem for this side, and rehash to what degree Ten Hag or the players are responsible for the side's wastefulness in possession.
Aaron and Kees chat United's tactical problems, the top 4 race, and a slew of players in United's squad.
Much better Starting XIs, slightly better performances, and two wins. But it's the three youngest players in United's Starting XI – Kobbie Mainoo, Rasmus Hojlund, and Alejandro – who own the headlines this week after their match-winning performances. Here, we discuss why there's so much hype around these players.
This week, we reflect on the difficulties of scouting managers, both as they pertain to the time Erik ten Hag was hired at United and to the possible near future. We also discussed whether United as a team should be looking to return to more traditional wingers, and how important it might be.
Kees and Aaron answer you questions on all things United, as INEOS make their first major change to United's front office.
We returned from a month away to a Twitter Q&A that received a massive response. Most questions pertained to the significant changes in United's wing and midfield outlook during the holidays, giving us an opportunity to deep dive into these areas of the squad and how they are shaping up for the long-term future.
Aaron and Kees discuss a slew of rocky performances, and the crossroads that United seem to find themselves at as a result with the festive period nearing.
During this international break, we took a look at expiring contracts and their implication on long-term squad planning. Then, we did a quick update on Hojlund and Onana's injuries as well as current performances of rival teams, and what they mean for United in the short term.
With the return of the international break, we take the opportunity to get a birds-eye view of United's problems, and in turn attempt to forecast where United go from here. Note: A previous version of this episode was taken down due to issues with the audio.
The international break - combined with United's mixed results against Crystal Palace and Brentford prior - give us the opportunity to revisit the tape and discuss United's ongoing personnel issues in buildup and how (much) they're hurting the side.
A win, a loss, a win at the death, and a loss at the death put United even further into limbo than before. The side aren't obviously bad but they aren't good either. This week, we try our best to break down the chaos and navigate what comes next.
After losing to Bayern, United got their first win in four against Vincent Kompany's Burnley, but not without struggles. In light of the injury crisis, we assess how much can be expected of United in upcoming weeks.
United lost their third game in the first five of the new season after falling to Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton. Key to this match, Erik ten Hag's side rolled out a new 4-4-2 Diamond formation, with mixed results to say the least. We discuss the tactical changes in detail, how Brighton exploited them, and what they could mean for the side moving forward.
On this week's episode we discuss United's newest signing, Sofyan Amrabat, both in terms of how he plays and how he's likely to fit into United's squad as a result. We also touch on the signing of Sergio Reguilón, and the state of United's right wing position.
In the wake of a tough-to-swallow loss at the Emirates we break down the tactical and personnel driven forces that dictated the match, as well as digging in on what Rasmus Højlund's impact could look like going forward this season
After a comeback win over Nottingham Forest, we discussed the driving factors behind the team's improved performance, and what they mean looking ahead to Arsenal.
This week, we rewatched the loss at Tottenham in slow and thorough detail for you, and brought back a report on United's pressing, midfield dynamics, forward play, buildup issues, and whether you should be worried about any of these.
After a victory against Wolves that was underwhelming to say the least, we attempt to dissect the madness and whether you should be worried. We then discussed the departures of Fred and possibly Harry Maguire, and the names linked to replace them.
In this episode we discuss all things Rasmus Højlund, from his strengths and weaknesses to his potential ceiling, and why he his fate could make or break this United side's long term outlook. Also: our predictions for this season's Premier League, both in Manchester and around England...
A variety of topics to cover this week as we return from a number of episodes with special guests. We first discussed preseason to date and some emerging faces in the side. Then, we dove into the complex nature of exploiting market inefficiencies in the modern transfer market, and what it means for teams to be possession-based versus transition-based in their approach, if anything at all.
Two great new signings, two great guests to give us the best info. We first welcomed Orlando Valman (@0rland1nh0) to give us the lowdown on Mason Mount's career to date, after which Marc Geschwind (@MarcGeschwind) spoke to us about Andre Onana's rise to fame at Ajax. You can find Orlando over at Scouted Football (@ScoutedFtbl) or The Chelsea Spot (@TheChelseaSpot) and Marc at EiF Soccer (@EiFSoccer).
Erik ten Hag can't stop talking about rest defence. On this episode, we dive into the origins of rest defence, which sides use it, and how it's done. We also talk about the details of United's rest defensive approach, the role it has played in United's improvement, and how this is a departure from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United sides.
This week, we briefly touched upon Mason Mount and Andre Onana - for whom a big episode is coming in a few weeks - before further discussing links to Rasmus Hojlund, Sofyan Amrabat, and how United's transfer activity overall might shape the tactical trends of the team.
In this week's episode, we go over some noteworthy transfers around the Premier League, answer some questions about how we watch the game, and are surprised at the end of the episode by the breaking news of Mason Mount's transfer to Manchester United.
After a slow week of irritating transfer rumours, we stopped to dissect the most reliable and prominent: Marcus Rashford's massive reported new deal, stalling negotiations for Mason Mount, and the possibility of Andre Onana playing in goal next season.
To cap off the season, we welcomed our friend Carl Anka (@Ankaman616) to talk through tactical trends, our players/moments of the season, and how Ten Hag’s ideas have played out on the pitch. We also welcomed Stephen Ganavas (@StephenScouted) from Scouted Football (@ScoutedFtbl) to chat briefly about their incredibly exciting new project in the football content space. You can get involved in their crowdfunding round here.
Summer of 2023 marks ten years since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. On this episode, we go back through every transfer window in the intervening years, and attempt to answer the key questions: What has gone wrong? Why have things gone wrong? And what can we learn from the mistakes that have been made?
This week, we take a deep dive into United's loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup Final and what went wrong before re-evaluating previous stances on the Mason Mount rumours, looking at some links to new strikers, and discussing United's major rivals heading into next season.
Devils in the Details returns to discuss Manchester United's last two fixtures of the Premier League season, transfer rumors involving stars like Mason Mount, Harry Kane and Neymar, and their upcoming date with Manchester City at Wembley...
We're back! And this week we've taken a look at United's squad, playing 'keep, sell, or loan' with each of member of the side's squad. Also on this episode: a review of the Bournemouth match, transfer rumors, and some Q&A!
Today's two-part episode looks at some player quality deficits between United and the best teams in the league and explores dozens of possible transfers to fix them. We also looked at some players we love from past United sides
A disappointing night in Sevilla was followed up by a nervy marathon win at Wembley at the weekend. Who's at fault for the issues? Who can offer the solutions? And where will United go from here...
Key Topics: Sevilla (1:15), Controlling Games (4:30), Injuries and Fatigue (9:55), Inverting Fullbacks (27:30), Weak Links Football (32:30), Antony (42:30), Counterpressing (52:00), How to beat Brighton (1:01:00), Looking forward (1:07:00)
Key Topics: Tactical evolution in the PL’s bottom half (1:15), Swapping Bruno and Sabitzer? (8:30), Why Everton crumbled (17:30), Sancho and Antony’s importance (20:45), Missing Chances and xG Samples (26:15), Rashford’s Injury (39:00), The Run-In (50:45)
United finally paid dearly for recent underwhelming displays, as they were leapfrogged by top four rivals Newcastle United. We felt the performances warranted a long discussion on personnel weaknesses, squad assembly quirks, and player profile combinations as they apply to the current squad.
To make up for a few weeks of lost time, we thought we'd publish an extra episode this week. This Friday upload answers every question you could possibly ask about the transfer window, including pl
We've missed a few uploads! We finally had the chance to sit down this week and chat for nearly two hours. Today's half of the discussion covers the matches against Liverpool, Southampton, and Fulham, and increasing worries about team performances. Don't miss Part 2 Thursday!
This week, we discussed the progress that has been made by the greatest team in the history of football, after they knocked out Barcelona under the Thursday night lights and lifted the EFL Cup trophy.
Unbeaten in eight, and the topic of conversation has to be the attack, including some of the new faces playing at 10, and the ridiculous form of the wearer of the number 10 shirt, Marcus Rashford.
After playing press-heavy Leeds twice, we discussed United's struggles playing out of the back, Casemiro’s role in United’s press, and why top coaches are combining man-to-man and zonal pressing. We also discussed how good Garnacho actually is and why.
United fought through injuries, red cards, and goal deficits to secure 4 points this week. Today we discuss new and returning figures- Fred, Garnacho, Sabitzer, Sancho, Dalot- as well as Rashford up front, and struggles playing out of a press.
This week, we scouted new signing Marcel Sabitzer, dove into concerns about how United's squad is being built and rotated, and discussed how Sancho can find a place in the team again after his return to the side.
This week, we hit a number of new topics based on your recommendations. Some include: building around Bruno, Weghorst’s first goal, youth forwards and player development trends in football, position changes, and summer recruitment plans.
This week, we looked at the goals in United’s euphoric Derby win before discussing key topics around the Crystal Palace draw; game management, Wout Weghorst and creating attacking space, and the role of probability in interpreting long winning streaks.
In this week’s special episode, we welcomed the wonderful Maram AlBaharna (@maramperninety) and Jon Mackenzie (@Jon_Mackenzie) to help us do a three-part progress report on United's ability to dominate inferior on-paper opposition; including pressing ability, playing out of the back, and stable chance creation.
This week, after victories over Wolves and Bournemouth, we discussed the factors that underpin United’s improved but imperfect match control, and their ability to break down stubborn opposition defences.
United's triumphant return to action prompted a discussion about Antony's strengths and limitations, expected activity in the January transfer window, and whether Cody Gakpo's move to Liverpool is a big blow for the Red Devils.
Missing the World Cup? Tune into this week's podcast! We talked USMNT exit, Dutch darkhorses, Messi & Mbappe magic, enigmatic England, brilliant Japan, Croatia's pacing, Spain's unique sufferball, Portugal's rotation, low blocks of varying quality, and quarterfinal previews.
This week's discussion is a quick walkthrough of all 8 groups and their nations after 2 matches, including how they fared on the pitch, notable moments and matches, and favourites to progress to the knockout stages.
Hey everyone! Given the awkward timing of this week with our usual Tuesday uploads, we decided to start talking World Cup next week. Hope you understand. Thanks for the continued support!
We’re here to return some headlines that were stolen over the weekend. McTominay's new role, Martial's importance, and Garnacho's rise all featured in the match reviews before we interpreted some goalscoring data from the season to date.
United couldn’t get the result they needed at either Real Sociedad or Aston Villa. This week, we rewatched both matches with Casey Evans (@Casey_Evans_) and discussed exactly where they slipped away tactically.
Unbeaten in 8 and increasingly solid, but not perfect. This week, we discuss United's struggle to close the match against West Ham and the situations that Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo find themselves in.
How far can United go this season? This week, we welcomed tactics titan Jon Mackenzie (@Jon_Mackenzie) for a progress report on United’s pressing variations, buildup schemes, and final third decisiveness against Chelsea and in recent weeks.
Special Thursday Upload! To celebrate the win over Spurs, we converse through the performances of every member of United’s Starting XI. The discussion dives deeper into tactical hints from prior matches, and dissects the tactical foundations developing under Erik ten Hag. First Half: How meaningful was this win? (0:30), Fred’s influence (10:05), Majestic defensive double pivot (15:00), The Bruno Fernandes dichotomy (18:30), Can Sancho help Bruno? (21:35), How Antony improves team shape (26:00). Second Half: Varane and Lisandro’s relentless aggression (28:35), Shaw’s passing and mentality discourse (34:05), Dalot’s 1v1 defending (42:35), Rashford’s shooting technique and xG optimization (46:45), De Gea’s improvements and shortcomings (51:50)
United are unbeaten in four as they enter a tough week. On today's Devils in the Details, we welcome the wonderful Rhys Jenkins (@rtjenky) and Orlando Valman (@0rland1nho) to preview this week's opposition, Spurs and Chelsea, respectively. Spurs: Struggles hitting top form (3:15), Rhys' Spurs XI (6:15), How United match up to Spurs (11:00), Conte's impact (15:35), Son's strange form (19:00), Spurs Predictions (23:00). Chelsea: Potter's appointment (26:35), Early results (28:30), Inheriting/fixing a broken attack (31:15), Orlando's Chelsea XI (36:15), How United match up to Chelsea (39:00), Chelsea Predictions (44:30).
This week’s podcast uses last week’s matches to discuss why United struggle to dominate games, how to help Sancho find form, and Martial’s injury woes. We also looked at Newcastle’s vibrant squad and the future of Harry Maguire.
After a difficult derby loss, we're here to cheer you up with a very special episode. Today on Devils in the Details, we welcomed the brilliant Carl Anka (@Ankaman616) to discuss a variety of different topics, including the Manchester Derby and what's next, the art of tactical compromise, and the struggles Erik Ten Hag faces conducting the most difficult rebuild in world football.
On this week’s episode, we previewed the Manchester Derby- the evolution of Guardiola’s City, United’s relative past success against them, and likely XIs for Sunday. Then, we discussed factors behind player development in top-flight football. First Half: Recent Derbies (1:30), Dealing with Erling Haaland (5:45), City’s Stylistic Evolution (10:50), United’s Defence (19:40), Attack (20:10), Midfield (22:55), City’s XI (33:00), De Gea & Player Development (34:50), Where will United finish this season? (45:00)
The new Devils in the Details theme song preceded a quick review of the Sheriff game before we dove into a Q&A based on your submissions to @DevilsITDPod. Key: New Music (0:14), Sheriff Review (1:30), Malacia at Right-Back? (5:00), Bruno's Long-Term Future (8:45), Sancho in Midfield? (12:00), Best Academy Players (14:40), Amad Diallo (18:50), Replacing De Gea (20:20), Future Targets (25:50), Outro & Credits (32:20)
A one-month progress report of Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United, including out of possession game (1:00), Struggles in possession (8:20), Europa League progression & squad rotation (11:50), Surprise positives (16:15), Surprise negatives (22:25), Top 3 players (28:05)
4/4, Arsenal in the mud, new DITD logo. Today on Devils in the Details, we broke down the system that has seen United go on this run, with focus on the Leicester and Arsenal games. We also discussed the Brazilian debutants and dove into Rashford's big game excellence. Leicester: United out of possession (1:00), In possession (5:20), Casemiro (9:00), Buildup (11:50). Arsenal: Passing sequences and THAT first goal (23:10), Antony and United's right hand side (27:50), Rashford (32:20), Substitutions (37:30). Finally, a quick look at Sociedad (42:15)
Notice: Episodes moved to Tuesday, starting next week. As for this week's episode, Kees and Aaron will be appearing on Pot Shot Pod on Friday to preview the Man Utd vs Arsenal match. Apologies for any inconveniences caused, and enjoy deadline day and the games!
This week, United unveiled a new signing AND beat Liverpool. Today on Devils in the Details, the brilliant Om Arvind (@OmVASports) gives us the best Casemiro breakdown you will find before we break down the Liverpool game and consequences moving forward. Casemiro Discussion with Om: Chaos at Real Madrid (2:20), Casemiro in Buildup (6:00), Covering for Weaknesses (14:30), Concerns about Age and Wage (20:20), Casemiro’s Best Role (25:00). Breakdown of Liverpool: Direct Buildup (31:30), Christian Eriksen (36:30), Tyrell Malacia (39:10), Lisandro Martinez (41:00), Out of Possession (42:45), Southampton Lineups (49:15), Martial and Rashford (51:15), Gakpo and Antony (55:15), Goals from Midfield (58:30)
United are the talk of the town. This week on Devils in the Details, we rewatched the Brentford game and performed an autopsy, including every goal, issues in buildup, every United shot, key players, and how to fix it. We concluded by evaluating 16 different transfer rumours.
New manager, new system, same players. Episode 2 of Devils in the Details is a thorough deep dive into the Brighton game, particularly in buildup and defensive transitions, and a look at in-house and on-the-market solutions to the personnel issues. Topics: A new buildup scheme (1:30), David de Gea (3:02), Midfield on the ball (6:30), Ronaldo’s presence (22:50), Marcus Rashford (27:00), Suboptimal Shooting (28:10), Midfield in defensive transition (29:35), United’s Pressing (34:30), The back four (36:50), What could Frenkie fix? (40:40), Adrien Rabiot (43:30), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (46:10), Lineup for Brentford (47:45)
Overview of United's confirmed and rumoured transfer activity, best XI from players currently at the club, and a brief preview of the Brighton game. Highlights: Tyrell Malacia (3:00), Christian Eriksen (6:30), Lisandro Martinez (14:50), Frenkie de Jong (21:40), The attack (27:20), Current league standing and rivals (31:50), Best XI and Predicted XI for Brighton (34:15), Brighton (49:55), Marc Cucurella to City/Chelsea? (52:00)