The Athletic Football Tactics Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Athletic
Michael Cox is The Athletic's football tactics writer, Mark Carey is The Athletic's football analytics writer, and along with host Ali Maxwell they break down the tactical and technical details of football each week - looking at trends, systems, players, managers and all manner of statistics in order to give you a deeper look at the matches and moments that define football.
On this final show of the season, we’re bringing you the eagerly anticipated listener mailbag.
We’ll focus on strikerless systems, wing-backs vs full-backs and much, much more.
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme
Producer: Mike Stavrou
On behalf of the entire Tactics team, thank you for all of your entries and your support this season. Please complete our listener survey: https://forms.gle/atPcQnohDvRWQG2M7
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On this week’s show, we’re reviewing the 2024-25 season - looking at statistical trends across the Premier League.
We’ll also focus on the teams who impressed us, and those who disappointed us.
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme
Producer: Mike Stavrou
Listener survey: https://forms.gle/atPcQnohDvRWQG2M7
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In this special edition of The Athletic FC Tactics podcast - Duncan Alexander, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme preview the Champions League final between Inter and PSG.
Two teams with contrasting styles meet in the final in Munich - so we break down how we think this one might play out.
Host: Duncan Alexander
With: Mark Carey and Liam Tharme
Producer: Mike Stavrou and Liam Warburton
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In this episode, it’s alternative team of the season time!
To remind you of the rules, instead of focusing on the top teams - we all pick an eleven with one player from each of the bottom 10 teams in the Premier League table (as it stands on Thursday 22nd May) and then one “wildcard” player - basically one other player from the bottom half clubs.
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme.
Producers: Mike Stavrou and Steve Hankey.
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In this episode, we’re talking Italian managers.
Specifically… Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte.
Ancelotti will be joining the Brazilian men’s national team this summer, drawing his second spell at Real Madrid to a close.
Meanwhile, Antonio Conte could be about to win the Scudetto with a third Italian club… potentially adding Napoli to his successes with Juventus and Internazionale.
Broadly speaking, Ancelotti has been more successful in European competitions — with Conte having a better success rate bringing home the domestic bacon.
But is there something in their tactical philosophies that has caused this? That’s what we talk about in this episode.
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme.
Producer: Steve Hankey.
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On this week’s show, we’re focused on the second legs of the Champions League semi-finals.
We’ll analyse a tie for the ages - Inter’s 7-6 aggregate win over Barcelona. And also PSG’s victory against Arsenal.
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Mark Carey and Liam Tharme
Producer: Mike Stavrou
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On this week’s show, we analyse the first legs of the Champions League semi-finals.
We’ll discover how PSG’s press nullified Arsenal, and discuss probably the game of the season so far — Barca’s thriller against Inter.
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Mark Carey and Thom Harris
Producer: Mike Stavrou
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This week we’re looking at an incredibly tight race in the Premier League to seal European football for next season.
And we’ll discuss which of those teams are best set-up for success.
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Mark Carey and Liam Tharme
Producer: Mike Stavrou
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In this episode, we look back at the Champions League quarter finals.
We also look ahead to the semi-finals and discuss the merits of Arsenal, Paris St Germain, Internazionale and Barcelona.
If you want more on Inter, listen here - https://pod.fo/e/2296a4
For our bonus PSG episode, listen here - https://pod.fo/e/2c3d48
Or watch here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB5AzIuR_cU
For a bit on Barcelona, listen here - https://pod.fo/e/27b242
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Liam Tharme, Mark Carey, Thom Harris and Michael Cox.
Producer: Steve Hankey.
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This week we’re focusing on French footballing identity.
And we’ll attempt to discover why there is a lack of French managers across Europe’s top leagues.
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey, Tom Williams
Producer: Mike Stavrou
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In this bonus edition of The Athletic FC Tactics podcast - Alex Barker and Liam Tharme tell you all you need to know about Luis Enrique’s PSG.
They’ve just wrapped up Ligue 1 and could become the first side to win the title unbeaten.
They’re also in the final of the Coupe de France and face Aston Villa in the quarter-finals of the Champions League this week.
So how has Enrique made them so dominant?
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This week… we’re talking about Nuno Espirito Santo’s Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest.
We’ll break down how a team who flirted with relegation last season have become one of the most difficult sides to play against in the division.
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme
Producer: Mike Stavrou
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This week we’re focusing our attention on the metrics which win you football matches - other than goals and assists.
We’ll talk second balls, duels and explain what coaches are actually watching on those tiny screens on the touchline.
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme
Producer: Mike Stavrou
We want to hear about your podcast habits. Go to theathletic.com/athletic/survey25 to fill out a short survey and be in with the chance of winning £/$100 Amazon vouchers
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In this episode, we’re focusing our attention on international football.
German head coach Thomas Tuchel takes charge of his first games as England manager this week.
So we’re going to reflect on some of the great, and not so great, examples of foreign international managers and ask whether the impact they had in the past still applies today?
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Duncan Alexander.
Producer: Steve Hankey.
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We’re focusing our attention on the Champions League.
This season’s competition is at the quarter-final stages — giving us the perfect moment to look back on what’s happened and what the rest of the Champions League has in store for us.
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme
Producer: Mike Stavrou
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This week we are breaking down the mechanics of set pieces.
Are they a reliable and consistent source of goals, how do you stop them, and which teams are the best or worst at them?
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme
Producer: Mike Stavrou
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This week we are looking at how positions and roles on the pitch have changed over the past five years.
For example, what do No.8s do differently now and how have the No.9s responsibilities changed?
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme
Producer: Mike Stavrou
Building the ideal modern day centre-back: https://pod.fo/e/2ac7ed
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We have a special guest with us - Paul Power from sports data company, SkillCorner, joins us to chat about how clubs really use data in recruitment and analysis
Plus… what the future could hold in terms of football’s relationship with AI?
Host: Michael Bailey
With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Paul Power
Producer: Mike Stavrou
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Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Mark Carey, Liam Tharme and Tottenham writer Charlie Eccleshare to dissect the radical tactical overhaul in progress at Spurs... How quick, is too quick to try and implement a new tactical system and playing style - especially after losing Harry Kane so late in the window? And what can we learn from an impressive win over Manchester United last weekend? How does Ange Postecoglu's impact compare to Mikel Arteta's three years ago at Arsenal, is Bissouma good enough to play as a single pivot in midfield and are Spurs' attackers simply lacking confidence? Plus, with a week to go before the transfer window closes, where might they still need to strengthen, and you'll also hear a snippet from Mark's exclusive interview with their former set-piece coach Gianni Vio.
Produced by Adonis Pratsides
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Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Mark Carey, Liam Tharme and Duncan Alexander, to reflect on the opening weekend of a new Premier League season... When did Newcastle's Sandro Tonali start making those runs into the box, is Richarlison the right profile of striker for Postecoglu's Spurs and is Saka the best right-sided forward in world football right now? Plus, defenders taking goal kicks, man-to-man trends and more as our panel open their tactical notebooks once again.
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Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Mark Carey, Liam Tharme, Ahmed Walid and Thom Harris, to preview the rest of the Premier League teams and the biggest tactical question they'll each have to answer this season;
Will Sheffield Utd have to change system after losing so many players?
Why Everton are still reliant Dominic Calvert-Lewin's fitness.
Will Manchester City continue to use ball-to-feet wingers?
Could a more possession-based style help Nottingham Forest survive again?
If building from the back will help Chelsea get back to winning ways?
How will Unai Emery combine Mings and Pau Torres in the Aston Villa defence?
Where are goals coming from for Wolves this season?
Can Andoni Iraola give Bournemouth more of an identity?
How will West Ham reconfigure their midfield after losing Declan Rice?
Can Eberechi Eze lead Crystal Palace's attack this season?
... And by which metric did Ali decide the running order for the entire preview?!
Produced by Adonis Pratsides & Jay Beale Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Mark Carey, Liam Tharme, Ahmed Walid and Thom Harris, to preview the new Premier League season - and the big tactical dilemmas facing each team... In part one, the panel debate;
How quickly the Spurs players can adapt to new manager Ange Postecoglu's principles
If Brighton can 'evolve' before they're worked out
Why Brentford can cope without Ivan Toney for the first six months
What Newcastle will have learnt about Anthony Gordon from his success with Englands U21s
If Vincent Kompany's Burnley will have to adjust their playing style in the Premier League
How Arsenal's efforts to become more versatile will help them challenge for the title again
If Liverpool will still suffer from the same defensive achilles heel
Why Fulham must improve their record against the 'big teams'
Why Manchester United have to get better at attacking set-pieces
And why Luton are going to be a lot of fun to watch
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Jay Harris introduces The Athletic's new podcast series, Access All Areas: Brentford. It's a behind the scenes look at how to build a modern Premier League team. In this episode - episode 2 of the series - Jay talks to those responsible for Brentford's famed recruitment strategy to detail how they scout and how they convince players that west London is a place for them to thrive. To listen to the full series click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Athletic has just launched its brand new, daily 10 minute podcast for all those people who are just too busy in the mornings for anything longer. It’s called The Daily Football Briefing and will bring you right up to speed with the biggest stories from the night before and what to expect from the day ahead. Missed a big transfer story? David Ornstein will have you covered. What’s the latest about that club’s takeover saga? Matt Slater will have the latest. What’s Lionel Messi getting up to in MLS? Our American experts will know best. It’s your essential guide to the biggest stories in football - all wrapped up before you’ve finished your first cup of coffee. Follow and subscribe to The Athletic’s Daily Football Briefing for free wherever you get your podcasts so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Ali Maxwell is joined - straight after the full-time whistle - by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Liam Tharme and Ahmed Walid, to dissect Manchester City's 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final... The panel break down the tactical story of a cagey finale in Istanbul, big team selection decisions and the culmination of City's tactical evolution into a truly formidable 'cup side'.
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Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic’s Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme to discuss whether tournament and league football should be treated differently, viewed as entirely different disciplines.
Plus, a look ahead to this weekend’s Champions League final, as Manchester City look to complete the treble vs Inter Milan.
Produced by Jay Beale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Athletic's Mark Carey, Michael Cox and Ahmed Walid pause to reflect on the conclusion of the World Cup group stages... The panel discuss the strength of England's last-16 opponents Senegal, as well as Argentina's aggression and Messi in a more classic false-9 role. Whether it's actually fair to judge Australia by their low xG numbers and how else to decide between two teams level at the end of the group stage besides fair play!Ahmed reckons Morocco's Hakim Ziyech is back to his 'Ajax best' and Michael explains why Belgium's golden generation have already won. Plus, Spain's Achilles heel and how Japanese tinkering almost cost them a place in the knockout stages. Produced by Adonis PratsidesLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark Carey is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Liam Tharme to reflect on the most interesting tactical trends and data insights from the second round of World Cup matches... A distinct lack of shots from distance, the impact of substitute strikers and why any memorable tournament really needs the big favourites to make it out of the group stage. Plus, 'steering wheel' full-back systems, how Brazil are coping without Neymar and Onana's goal kicks!
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Mark Carey hosts in Ali's absence as The Athletic's tactics writers, Michael Cox and Ahmed Walid, reflect on the key takeaways and trends from the opening round of World Cup group games... How did Japan and Saudi Arabia pull off two historic World Cup upsets and how much of it was down to tactical flexibility and ingenuity. Were Spain actually underrated going into the tournament and how are their front 3 functioning even without a more traditional number 9? Plus, France's many ways to hurt the opposition, Kieran Trippier's importance to England, goalless draws, increased injury time and a bit of a Canada love-in too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In part two of The Athletic Football Tactics Podcast’s World Cup preview, host Ali Maxwell is once again joined by Michael Cox, Liam Tharme and Mark Carey to run through the rest of teams competing at next week’s tournament... In this episode they cover: Group B (featuring England, Wales and the USA), C (Favourites Argentina), D (Reigning World champions France) and last but not least, Group F (Belgium, Canada and 2018 finalists Croatia).The panel discuss whether England fans are too negative, and why USA supporters have a similarly downbeat view of their own national side. How far can Canada’s Golden Generation go? And could Canadian striker Jonathan David have an outside chance of scooping the Golden Boot?
Produced by Mike Stavrou Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Liam Tharme and Mark Carey to breakdown the data and the tactical trends behind every World Cup nation set to compete in Qatar next week... In this podcast (part 1 of 2) our panel navigate Groups H and E (their own personal favourites) as well as Group G (Brazil's) and Group A (containing Netherlands & Senegal). Will Cristiano Ronaldo's club drama plague Portugal too, how much can we expect from Uruguay's very old guard and who will shine the brightest from the 'Group of Wonderkids', including Bayern's Jamal Musiala, Barcelona's Pedri and... Sunderland's Jewison Bennette! Plus, were Cameroon unlucky at AFCON, why Coxy has a soft spot for Netherlands and more.
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Host Ali Maxwell and The Athletic's Michael Cox delve into World Cup data from every tournament since 1998 in an attempt to establish the anatomy of a World Cup-winning team... How good do you actually have to be to win a World Cup? Is current form actually the best reason to pick a player and how big a role experience plays on the biggest stage of all. Plus, odd trends involving unlikely stars of the tournament, slow-starters in the group stages, non-goalscoring no.9s, clean sheet records, Didier Deschamps' underrated tactical intelligence and plenty more myth-busting besides. ... Make sure you're subscribed to this feed to ensure you catch our two-part World Cup 2022 preview podcasts next week.
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Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey to review the bonkers and the brilliance from the Champions League group stages as 16 teams made it through to the knockout rounds... Are Man City deserving favourites, how Spalletti's super-slick Napoli continue to impress, Milan's interesting age-profile, leaky Dortmund, patchy Liverpool and so much more.
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Host Ali Maxwell is joined, as usual, by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey to investigate the stats behind set-pieces and how they have evolved as the influence of data and analytics has grown... Precisely what constitutes a set-piece goal, how decision-making has been impacted, are out-swinging or in-swinging corners more effective in the Premier League and who are the best and worst exploiters? Plus, Megan Campbell, of Liverpool Women, and her extraordinary throw-ins, Ben Tozer's threat in League Two, why Michael has been impressed by Fulham this season and which countries possess the biggest World Cup set-piece threats?
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Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey to discuss Karim Benzema's Ballon d'Or win... The numbers behind an incredible year for the Real Madrid striker, comparisons with the legendary Brazilian striker Ronaldo, and how his form has forced those who work in football data analytics to reconsider a player's 'peak age'. Plus, how Mane pipped Salah in the standings, Mbappe the provider, if Courtois had a point, which of the Kopa finalists have the highest ceiling and why Alexia Putellas shouldn't have won the Women's award for a second successive year.
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Ali Maxwell is joined by the Athletic's tactical maestros Michael Cox and Mark Carey for an in-depth preview of Sunday's game at Anfield - Liverpool against Manchester City. Should Klopp start Nunez and is there more to his game than just being a big no.9? How can that porous Liverpool defence stop the likes of Foden, Silva, De Bruyne and of course Haaland from exploiting the space in behind? Is there any way Klopp can play a front four again and try to press the life out of Man City? An intriguing clash awaits and we dig down into the tactics and the data to see how it might play out. Plus there's also a look at the resurgence of no.9s playing for the Premier League's big six clubs - the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Harry Kane, Aubameyang, plus Nunez and Haaland. What impact have they made this season and why have clubs reverted to a focus on proper central strikers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey to explore how and why certain Premier League stars are being deployed in some unusual roles and positions recently... Has Ben White's move to Right-back hurt his World Cup chances, why Ruben Neves' makes sense at centre-back and if Joelinton was always destined to play in midfield? Plus, a fascinating discussion about whether or not footballers actually have 'natural' positions, why 'all-rounders' are so sought after in the modern game, if a key metric for measuring football IQ actually exists, as well as, some of our favourite examples of players who changed position in history and who our panel think should be next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's tactics writers Michael Cox and Ahmed Walid, to preview an intriguing clash of tactical styles as Arsenal and Spurs face off in the first North London Derby of the new Premier League season... The panel discuss Arsenal's progress since the arrival of players like Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko and why Conte might elect to start an attacking trio of Kane, Son and Richarlison, despite Kulusevski's impact. Plus, why set pieces have become a massive strength for both teams, how Xhaka's redemption story is going, Kane's suffering for club and country and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ali Maxwell is joined by the Athletic's Italian football correspondent James Horncastle and our tactics writer (and Brighton fan) Liam Tharme for a deep dive into the Premier League's newest head coach Roberto De Zerbi. We look at De Zerbi's journey from the very bottom of Italian football in Serie D right up to his recent successes in Serie A with Sassuolo and his time at Shakhtar Donetsk. Known for a strong commitment to possession football, we assess which members of this Brighton team will most benefit from his arrival and how his particular style will fit into the Premier League. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
New York Times' Chief Soccer Correspondent Rory Smith joins host Ali Maxwell, The Athletic's Michael Cox & Mark Carey to reflect on football's data revolution... While its effect on recruitment has been undeniable, the group discuss if data has actually impacted matters on the pitch. High-defensive lines, VAR, tactical fouls, crossing, goal-kicks and more all under the microscope as the search for a key metric for winning football matches continues... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this bonus podcast episode, one of England's Euro 2022 heroes, Keira Walsh, sits down with The Athletic's Michael Cox to analyse her own performance in the final... Keira talks with fascinating depth and insight about:
Sarina Wiegman's tactical plans for Germany
Her technique and early Barcelona influences
Her relationship with teammates like Georgia Stanway, Leah Williamson & Alessia Russo
The nuances of being a deep-lying playmaker and inspiring the next generation to play in midfield
The emotions of that historic Wembley final & more.
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Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey to delve into the data and attempt to uncover the modern European stars who most closely resemble some of the biggest footballing icons of the past... Is Harry Kane actually the most Messi-eque player besides Leo himself? What do Ruben Dias and Fabio Cannavaro have in common? And what position would Luis Figo actually play today? Plus: immediate reaction to Thomas Tuchel's sacking at Chelsea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Brentford correspondent Jay Harris, as well as, Liam Tharme and Mark Carey to explore the relationship between 'distance covered' and winning football matches... Do the best teams, also run the most in the Premier League and is there better data to show 'hard work'. What is the Robert Huth Theory and why Paolo Maldini and Jamie Vardy might both have had something to say to TV pundits in the wake of Brentford 'out-running' Manchester United earlier this month! Plus, do centre-mids cover more ground than wing-backs, is the Premier League actually the most physically demanding in Europe and how have those demands changed over the last decade or so? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After 3 Premier League games, just 5 sides currently have 2 points or less... Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's tactics and analytics writers - Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme - to explain the various mistakes a team can make at the start of a new Premier League season... Has Liverpool's high-line been exposed one too many times and why Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez can't play next to each other. Wolves are finally shooting-on-site but should they actually shoot less, why Everton are crying out for new signings and why both Leicester and West Ham are victims of their own success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey to explore some of the interesting quirks they've noticed so far in this new Premier League season... The pros/cons of being able to make five substitutes, three-at-the-back formations winning out across the top flight and the consequences of referees 'letting the game flow more' this year. Plus, how the Haaland v Nunez debate is shaping up after just two weeks, if the deepening crisis at Old Trafford is showing any signs of letting up, Brighton's most unlikely wing-backs and if a free-kick is suitable punishment for tactical fouling? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Athletic's giant tactical minds, Michael Cox and John Muller, join host Ali Maxwell to carefully deconstruct their work on how we might redefine modern player roles and why Burnley's relegation last season signals the end of the long-ball in the Premier League... The panel reflect on the long-ball's 'glory years' and debate whether it will ever make a return to the Premier League in the future? Then, John reveals how he developed 18 new player roles, using data to better understand what role box crasher Phil Foden, Progressor Joao Cancel or Unlocker Mason Mount really play in their respective teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Mark Carey and pod-debutant - newly appointed tactics writer - Liam Tharme, to put all three newly promoted sides under the microscope ahead of a new Premier League season... How will Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic follow up his record-breaking 43-goal season in the top flight and fill the void left by Fabio Carvalho? Can Scott Parker's Bournemouth afford to shift to a back-three without defensive reinforcements, plus, Billing 'the unicorn' and Lloyd Kelly for England (too soon?) And despite not being promoted automatically, is Forest's style actually the most conducive to starving off relegation in their first season back in the big time? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey, join host Ali Maxwell, to dissect two captivating semi-finals and assess the German threat to England's chances of lifting the European Championship trophy... Who's been the player of the tournament regardless of what happens in Sunday's finale, what are Germany's strengths besides Alexandra Popp, how should we reflect on France's tournament and why Michael has totally given up any hope of Alessia Russo starting the match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell, to preview the semi-finals, with England facing their toughest opponents to date - Sweden and their set pieces. How exactly did Sarina Wiegman turn the tide against Spain and could Michael's player of the tournament so far - Kosovare Asllani - cause big problems for Millie Bright and the English defence on Tuesday night... Plus, the panel discuss why the current xG model may not be fit for Women's football, why Belgium have paid the price for not investing in the women's game, why Arsenal's Stina Blackstenius is due a goal, how the French lifted their QF Euros curse and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to preview England's Women's Euros Quarter-Final against Spain... How best to get the ball to Lauren Hemp, why Alessia Russo should start over Ellen White and if England's defence will receive its first proper test? Plus, a review of some of the standout performers of the tournament so far, how Germany have impressed, why Norway fell short, if Miedema can shock an unconvincing French defence and if you can pick a 'dark horse' this deep into the competition! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell, to reflect on England's amazing 8-0 hammering of previously fancied Norway, looking at the stand-out performance of hat-trick hero Beth Mead but also heaping praise on the likes of Lauren Hemp, Ellen White and Keira Walsh Plus, the panel look at the rest of the tournament so far with an eye on whether France's performance in thrashing Italy 5-1 still keeps them as the team to beat, and there's analysis of Holland's 1-1 draw with Sweden Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell, to reflect on England's nervy win on opening night at Old Trafford... Millie Bright's passing range and a selection headache for head coach Sarina Wiegman... Plus, the panel assess England's major threats; whether Group B can actually be described as a 'Group of Death', if Sweden will finally get over the line in a major tournament, if Spain can adapt to missing Alexia Putellas & Jenni Hermoso, Marie-Antoinette Katoto's unbelievable numbers and Viv Miedema's legend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to preview an all-star Champions League final as Liverpool prepare to face Real Madrid on Saturday... What can Klopp learn from Real's performances in Europe this season, how might they adjust tactically in Thiago's absence, and what has a thrilling, but ultimately draining, Premier League title race done for their chances? Plus, why Ancelotti could deploy Camavinga from the start, Trent Alexander-Arnold vs Vinicius Jr and a mind-blowing statistic about Spanish teams in European finals.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to explore the shortlist for this season's Premier League Manager of the Season... How the award should be judged, who else deserved a nomination and should we be able to use underlying metrics to make a better case for some of them. Is Thomas Frank the best pound-for-pound boss (literally ££), should Eddie Howe even be eligible and has David Moyes become a victim of his recent success? Plus, whether or not it's still too soon to judge Vieira at Palace, if Klopp's incredible cup runs count, does a 'new manager bounce' actually exist and what the numbers can tell us about Antonio Conte and Mikel Arteta's respective progress.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to preview the FA Cup final between Tuchel's Chelsea and Klopp's Liverpool. Our panel explore the key tactical battles, possible team selection and analyse two unorthodox number 9's, in Sadio Mane and Kai Havertz, who will be expected to lead the line for their respective clubs on Saturday... Plus, why Tuchel has failed to find 'balance' in the final third, why Salah has struggled against Rudiger in previous meetings and why Chelsea will have paid close attention to the way Conte's Spurs frustrated Liverpool last weekend.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to take a closer look at Carlo Ancelotti's managerial career, after he became the first manager to win all five big European league titles... Sounds great... but should he have won more? The panel explore the common tactical themes of his title-winning teams, why Michael thought his fourth title would be his last, how he is perceived by supporters and big players and ultimately, whether he should have won a lot more! Plus, an all-time Carlo XI to die for.
All goals are worth the same, or are they? The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to try and work out whether it's possible to accurately measure the true value of a goal, and try to find out which players score the most valuable goals. Taking our lead from Mark's recent piece on the subject, we delve into the data to look at the likes of Didier Drogba, Christian Benteke, Richarlison and Christian Eriksen as we attempt to work out why certain players appear more capable of delivering in the big moments than other more renowned goalscorers.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to explore the recent tactical battles between Liverpool and Manchester City and the questions both Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp will face, if both sides reach this season's Champions League Final... Why Zack Steffen's FA Cup semi-final-freeze was predictable, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joao Cancelo's impact in the 2-2 draw at the Etihad. Plus, Jesus over Mahrez, Keita or Henderson and whether it's too soon to write this off as the greatest rivalry in English football history?
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to explore what Manchester United fans can expect, should Erik ten Hag become their next permanent manager... The panel analyse the tactical system employed by Ajax in the Champions League and why he wouldn't necessarily be able to just copy and paste at Old Trafford. Plus, wingers doubling up on the same flank, left-footed vacancies in the current squad, whether they will finally sign a defensive midfielder and what his arrival could mean for likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to explore the art of (and the data behind) Free-Kicks... The best and worst FK takers in Premier League history, the cult-heroes, the myths and why the 'knuckle-ball' isn't as good as the 'whip n' dip'. Why James Ward-Prowse is an even better free-kick taker than you already thought, whether or not you actually need a wall, plus, Watford's unwanted record and the ambidextrous exploits of Salernitana's Simone Verdi.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and John Muller join host Ali Maxwell to assess Xavi's impact at Barcelona, since returning as Head Coach... But was the club's 'crisis' slightly overplayed and how do Xavi's team differ to the ones he played in? Plus, the trio celebrate Pique's long-passing, Busquets longevity and the shift in the physical profile of their newest signings.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell, to run the numbers of Gareth Southgate's latest England squad... Will Southgate alter his formation to accommodate the wealth of attacking talent? Mings over Tomori, justifying the omissions of Sancho and Rashford, plus, who starts in goal in Qatar? Our trio shine a light on England ahead of this year's Winter World Cup.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to explore the hype around Brighton boss Graham Potter, which has led to the widespread belief that a 'Big 6' Premier League team, a Champions League club abroad or even the England National Team job are on the horizon... The trio assess the notorious xG underperformance, the bold response to going behind in games, the admiration from the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, as well as, why not all Brighton fans are quite so enamoured by him.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to assess Mikel Arteta's Arsenal - just over two years on from his arrival... Does the club now have an established tactical identity, in which key areas have they dramatically improved and what's next - irrespective of whether or not they finish inside the Top 4 this season. Plus, how Odegaard has helped unlock their attacking potential, being less reliant on Kieran Tierney's relentless crossing, how to replace Lacazette and if Ben White should go to the World Cup?
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to discuss how shooting has evolved in the Premier League thanks to the rise in analytics over the last decade... Have we properly addressed the shared 'nostalgia bias' associated with long-range wonder goals, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes and more... Then in part two, building on the recent revelations made by The Athletic's Dan Sheldon over Southampton's 'manufactured' stoppages; How important is the rhythm of a Premier League match and how might some minor rule tweaks better impact the game.
The Athletic's Michael Cox (tactics) and Mark Carey (data) join host Ali Maxwell to re-open their Premier League notebooks to discuss the sudden outbreak of a genuine title race after Conte's Spurs shocked the Champions last weekend... But will Liverpool's attack or Manchester City's defence ultimately prevail? Have West Ham officially run out of steam and are Arsenal the favourites for the last Champion's League spot? Plus, why Everton, Crystal Palace and Brentford should be looking nervously towards the relegation places.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to explore 'transitions' in football... How are they distinct from counter-attacks, how 'brave' it is to press high, as well as whether or not typically good counter-attacking sides like Liverpool and Leeds are still defined by this style? Plus, which Premier League teams are both the best and the worst in transition and which style is best=suited to Rangnick's Manchester United.
A bonus chance to hear what happened when The Athletic's Michael Cox, joined The Athletic Women's Football Podcast, to discuss a fascinating title race in the WSL this season, as well as, why he thinks the league might benefit from a 'mid-season split'. Our weekly tactics podcast will be available from Thursday morning.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell, to talk Premier League centre-backs... How to properly 'rate' them, both in and out of possession, playing in different tactical systems, within teams which are more dominant than others and within their respective centre-back partnerships too.
The Athletic's tactics and data analytics writers Michael Cox and Mark Carey, join host Ali Maxwell, to explore the rise and fall of three-man defences in the Premier League in recent years... Plus, the trio discuss their colleague John Muller's article, which encourages us to start giving the pass-receivers some long-overdue credit. How the league's best created 'receiving value' over the course of the 2020/21 Premier League season, what Liverpool's front-three stats can tell us about Trent Alexander-Arnold's passing and how advanced analytics at a Belgian University can help us to better understand a target man's true value.
The Athletic's tactics writer Michael Cox and Spurs correspondent Charlie Eccleshare, join host Ali Maxwell to reflect on Antonio Conte's start to life as Tottenham head coach... The trio reflect on his own personal 'tactical timeline' and explore comparisons between his Chelsea side and the team he is currently building in North London, with reference to the recent trilogy of defeats at the hands of his former employers. Plus, as the January transfer window draws to a close - why outcasts Ndombele, Alli, Rodon and others have failed to impress their new manager.
The Athletic's Mark Carey and Michael Cox join host Ali Maxwell to debate the results of this week's FIFPro World Xi... Have Ronaldo and Messi outstayed their welcome or do the statistics support their continued selection? Do trophies skew the numbers and do footballers watch enough actual football? Plus, Alex Ibaceta (from the Box To Box WSL podcast) joins us to help correct an even more eyebrow-raising Women's Xi - as Champion's League winners and Olympic gold medalists were overlooked.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to explore a recent trend, affecting goal-scorers in the Premier League... The trio reflect on how their role has changed over the last two decades and put the current crop of leading men under to spotlight, to see how their collective goal output has been affected and why.
Are Man City simply playing against themselves now, did Lukaku have a point about Tuchel's system and why are Arsenal better in Aubameyang's absence? The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey once again open their notebooks and re-join host Ali Maxwell, following a busy period of festive football, to assess the state of play in key areas of the Premier League table in 2022... Is the title race already over, will Burnley's relegation record count for anything this season and has Ralf Rangnick actually improved Manchester United at all?
Ali Maxwell. Mark Carey and John Muller are on a mission. A mission to go through the Premier League and identify a position and transfer for each team. It's a data scouting special!
The Athletic's tactics writer Michael Cox and data analytics writer Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell for a festive dissection of the 'Christmas Tree' Formation... They trace it's roots from Crystal Palace in the 1970's, Ancelotti's fabled 80's Milan teams, through to Terry Venables 90's England and all the way to modern day Aston Villa and new manager Steven Gerrard. The trio debate its strengths and weakness, and even pick their own 'Xmas Tree PL XI' - one player per club rule!
The Athletic's newest signing and data analytics writer, John Muller, makes his podcast debut alongside Michael Cox and host Ali Maxwell, to discuss the growing trend of UNDER-lapping full-backs... The trio explore what it means to underlap both laterally and diagonally, who the real pioneers of this tactical evolution are and why more and more coaches are setting up their teams in this way.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey, join host Ali Maxwell to discuss what incoming manager Ralf Rangnick's Manchester United may look like from a tactical perspective... The trio assess what they can learn from his old Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig sides and reflect on the nuanced differences between pressing and Rangnick's notorious 'gegenpressing' ideals. Plus, why the age profile of the current Manchester United squad adds another layer of interest to Ralf's appointment and which players might be the biggest winners and losers of his reign at Old Trafford... cough, Donny van de Beek, cough.
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and host Ali Maxwell are joined by German football expert Raphael Honigstein as their European tour extends to Germany... Rafa guides the trio through Bayern's latest anti-vaxx headache and how Jude Bellingham is carrying an entire Borussia Dortmund midfield at just 18 years old! Plus, more on RB Leipzig's identity crisis, why Freiburg are the 'neutrals darlings' and why Union Berlin manager Urs Fischer and Sean Dyche need to grab a pint/stein together sometime.
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and host Ali Maxwell, continue their survey of Europe's major leagues - Next stop, Spain, as Dermot Corrigan guides them through an usually chaotic start to this La Liga season... Together they explore why Klopp's recent criticism of Diego Simeone's Atletico was way off the mark, how much harm the Newcastle links have done to Unai Emery at Villarreal, if Barcelona youngsters Pedri and Gavi can form a similar partnership to the one their new manager Xavi had with Iniesta, why Vinicius Jr. needs confidence, not tactics, and much more.
The now Germany-bound Tom Worville stopped off in Milton Keynes with host Ali Maxwell for one last interview with MK Dons Sporting Director Liam Sweeting... Liam reveals how data contributed to an emergency manager search when Russell Martin departed for Swansea a week before the new League One season, how the Dons average as much possession as PSG, what midfielder Scott Twine has in common in Messi and more.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and host Ali Maxwell are joined by James Horncastle to discuss Jose Mourinho's latest vendetta with the Italian referees, what Juventus and Manchester United have in common, Milan's best start to a domestic season since the 50s and a Venetian Xmas Tree... Plus, how Diego Simeone's son has become Europe's hottest striker, why Fiorentina's starting XI is perennially changing, how Atalanta keep on surprising us and much much more.
For Tom Worville's last podcast (before leaving us to join RB Leipzig!) host Ali Maxwell and The Athletic's Michael Cox, join him to reflect on the continued rise of data and analytics in football journalism and Tom's pioneering work in the field... From xG going mainstream, 'field tilt' being referenced on MNF, 'translating' the language of football data, the remaining 'blindspots' in the profession and even some advice for aspiring analytics writers - we say a fond farewell to Tom.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell to assess how the careers of Neymar, Arjen Robben, Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski might be viewed if they didn't simply exist in an era dominated by both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi...
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell, for a fascinating exercise in hypothetical Premier League squad-building... From unbalanced centre-back partnerships to midfield weakness, asymmetrical quality on the flanks and whether the goalkeeper or the main striker is the most important? Under strict parameters, our trio attempt to build one squad capable of lifting the Premier League title AND one of avoiding relegation.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to assess the Newcastle United squad following their takeover last week. Which areas will they need to strengthen in January? And if and when a new manager is announced, will they be able to improve the performances of the current squad? Plus...Michael outlines a number of changes he would like to make to the laws of the game.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell to reflect on the chaotic but tactically fascinating contest between Liverpool and Man City - and discuss how a common trend among England's top three clubs could hold the keys to this season's Premier League crown...
Plus, Tom explains how Mo Salah and Phil Foden were able to wreak such havoc last Sunday, and later, adopts the role of European data scout to highlight four young prospects who Premier League fans should keep a close eye on.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell to reflect on Lionel Messi's role in PSG's victory over Manchester City. Plus, a closer look at how Adama Traore is performing under new Wolves boss, Bruno Lage, and how both Brighton and Brentford's numbers continue to impress.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to assess the respective journey's of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Raheem Sterling - on their way to scoring 100 Premier League goals... The trio analyse not only the changes in the individual players but the wider game around them, as well as, the influence of their coaches, as a new type of forward starts to join an illustrious group of goal scorers. Who will end their respective career with the most goals? What are their biggest strengths and weaknesses and who would you choose if you could only have one in your side?
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell to assess whether or not 'assists' tell the whole story when it comes to measuring a players creativity... The trio investigate how expected assists (xA) and other metrics can provide a clearer picture, if Pogba stands any chance of breaking the Premier League assists record this season, as well as, to what extent set-pieces 'stat-pad' for the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The Athletic's Tom Worville and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to assess the big winners from the summer transfer window on the continent. How AC Milan got back into the Champions League after an eight-year hiatus, why Norwich are better prepared for a season in the top flight this time around and more...
Plus, Mark elaborates on the innovative new ways in which data can be used to assess how consistent some of the world's top forwards really are.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell to assess the many ramifications of one of the biggest Premier League transfer stories in history - as Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Manchester United... Does he slot into Solskjaer's team as a pure no.9 and how will his arrival impact the likes of Mason Greenwood and notably, Paul Pogba from a tactical perspective? Will it become a struggle to accommodate a 'passenger' in big games this season and how might he have fit in at Pep's Manchester City had United not intervened?
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell to discuss an interesting trend in the number of Premier League right-backs, simply not playing at right back... Our tactical trio discuss Trent Alexander-Arnold's narrow positioning against Burnley, a marauding Reece James at the Emirates, Matty Cash's long-throws, Livramento's debut and if Kyle Walker is better technically that he gets credit for?
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville open their notebooks and join host Ali Maxwell for their reflections on the opening weekend of a new Premier League season... The differences between Everton and Arsenal's crossing tactics, Mason Greenwood and Adam Armstrong's finishing, plus, Chelsea's "total dominance" and much more.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell to assess each Premier League club's chances for success this season. How might European football impact on West Ham's campaign, are Liverpool and Man United genuine title contenders, will Bielsa's Leeds be immune to 'second season syndrome' and much more.
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell are here to gently ease you back in to the new football season as they take a look at how the transfer market and player recruitment is changing - with teams increasingly on the lookout for young talent could those teams who gamble on a slightly older vintage gain an edge? How have the combined forces of the Euros and the ongoing pandemic affected the market this summer? And after Messi finally won an international tournament with Argentina this summer we take a look at the curious position the great man now finds himself in - he's out of contract but undoubtedly still Barcelona's best player, but is he still the world's best player? We look at his numbers to assess his current role and cast an eye over the contenders lying in wait to take over his status at the pinnacle of the game.
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell open the Euros notebook for the last time in order to reflect on the final between England and Italy and work out how the game was won and lost. We look at England's cautious approach after going ahead so early, how the midfield of Verratti and Jorginho dominated possession, the substitutions and tactical decisions from Southgate & Mancini and of course the penalty shoot-out that ultimately decided the tournament. We also reflect on Euro 2020 as a whole and pick our alternative team of the tournament.
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell open the Euros notebook for the penultimate time as they look back at two contrasting but equally thrilling semi-finals and then look ahead to Sunday's final of England against Italy Will the Italians dominate midfield? Will England's pace on the flanks be the difference for them? These questions and more answered as we preview the game from every possible tactical angle
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell open the Euros notebook once again for a look back at the key tactical moments from the quarter-finals and look ahead to the semi-finals Will Southgate change England's system again or will we see a similarly high-pressing intense approach that vanquished Ukraine? Could Denmark switch their outstanding right-footed left-back to the right side to take advantage of Luke Shaw's surges forward? And who will come out on top in the battle of the possession obsessed midfields of Spain and Italy? Could Italy's dependable centre-back pairing of Chiellini and Bonucci be the difference compared to Spain's haphazard duo of Pau Torres and Aymeric Laporte?
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell are here with the latest edition of our Euros Notebook, picking out the key tactical observations that tell us how the round of 16 games were won and lost - particularly what went wrong for the big boys France, Portugal, Germany and Netherlands. We also look ahead to all four quarter-finals with versatile Switzerland up against the passing masters of Spain, injury-wracked Belgium taking on the impressively deep squad of Italy, the resilient Czech Republic against gung-ho Denmark and of course Zinchenko-inspired Ukraine will face Gareth Southgate's rock solid and tactically flexible England.
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville an Ali Maxwell open the Euros notebook once again to share their insights on the final round of group games and look ahead to the round of 16 There's a look at how France are progressing and in particular how impressive Paul Pogba has been so far, talk of Spain's improvement as the group stage has gone on, and picking out some intriguing trends from across the tournament as a whole. We also go in-depth on the two most tantalising round of 16 ties in Belgium v Portgual and England v Germany. Can Belgium exploit Portugal's weakness at full-back? Will Ronaldo sweep aside Belgium's ageing back-line and break the all-time national goalscoring record? Will Gareth Southgate match up Germany's 3-4-3? Can he trust Jack Grealish in a game like this? Will Kai Havertz continue his excellent form and break English hearts? All this and more discussed on the Zonal Marking Euros Notebook
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell are back with another Euros tactical notebook, picking out a variety of interesting things from across the second batch of group stage games. Topics covered include a possible explanation for Gareth Southgate's cautious use of England's full-backs so far, a look at Turkey's astonishingly bad defence, and Portugal's repeated struggles to deal with the threat of Germany's galloping wing-back Robin Gosens. All that plus we pick some of our stand-out players of the tournament so far both good and bad - David Alaba, look away now.
The Athletic's Micheal Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell have been hard at work watching every second of Euro 2020 so far and have been noting down anything and everything they consider to be interesting enough to bring to your attention. From England's creative throw-ins, Sweden's flat pack four, France's surprising counter-pressing, a proliferation of alliteration, a Scotsman with a better xG than record-breaker Cristiano Ronaldo, and loads more, we've got every tactical and analytical angle covered.
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell are back with the second of our big Euro 2020 previews and this time we cover the second side of the draw with groups D, E and F Plenty to get stuck into here as England find themselves in group D with Croatia, Czech Republic and of course Scotland. Could Sweden be one of the tournaments 'dark horses' in Group E with Spain, Poland and Slovakia? And we've got the official Group of Death with France, Portugal, Germany and Hungary in Group F We look at every team in-depth and pick out the player to watch for each side - the perfect way to set yourself up for the start of the tournament in a few days time
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell for the first of our big Euro 2020 preview pods and we kick things off with groups A, B and C. Michael has watched many hours of footage to bring you his considered take on every team and Worville has been scouring the data to try and unearth the key player to watch for each side. So if you want to learn more about the tactics and the players of Italy, Wales, Switzerland, Turkey, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia, Austria, Netherlands, Ukraine and North Macedonia then step right this way!
This episode originally went out in March but seeing as we're having a week off to prepare for our massive Euro 2020 preview episodes next week we thought we'd kick this back up the feed for any of you who may have missed it first time round. Enjoy! The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell travel back to summer 2018, to the hazy days of waistcoats and wasted pints, as Gareth Southgate's England came within twenty minutes of a World Cup final. We all remember the penalty shoot-out and the Trippier free-kick, but were England actually any good in that tournament? Cox and Worville have looked at the footage and the data to determine whether Southgate's Three Lions were worthy semi-finalists. We look at the supposed lucky draw, the reliance on set pieces and penalties, plus pick out some highlights featuring the likes of Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard that you've probably forgotten about by now.
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Ali Maxwell look ahead to Saturday's Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea from a tactical and analytical perspective. Can we learn anything from the two games they've played against each other recently? Will City stick with their strikerless approach or throw in Jesus or Aguero? Which of Chelsea's array of attackers are best suited to exploit City's high defensive line? All this and more as we study the game from all manner of tactical angles
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell gather to offer their distinctive take on football's traditional end of season awards Tasked by Ali with picking an alternative team of the season, with the stipulation being that they can't pick any players who got more than one vote in The Athletic's writers poll, Tom and Michael have picked the players they think have gone under the radar this season and were perhaps more deserving of a bigger share of the votes. As well as the teams we go through a few alternative categories of our own including Tactical Change of the season, Underrated Player of the Season and the inaugural Zonal Marking Data Darlings award.
DO YOU LOVE FOOTBALL MANAGER? WE'VE GOT THE PERFECT EVENT FOR YOU... Join The Athletic's Iain Macintosh on May 25th for the ultimate Football Manager masterclass. Sports Interactive's Tom Davidson will deliver a top level briefing on the secrets of FM21 and then former Rangers, Aston Villa and Birmingham manager Alex McLeish will be in the studio to pass on some real life lessons from nearly 25 years in management. There are top prizes to be won too, not least the opportunity to take on McLeish in a live streamed, winner-takes-all game of FM21. Your ticket will give you full access to the Football Manager Masterclass. This includes an audience quiz and a chance to take on Alex McLeish in a live streamed Football Manager game. You will also get top tips and game insight from Sports Interactive insider, Tom Davidson and a touch of football management reality from Alex McLeish. All for £7. link.dice.fm/masterclass
On October the 15th, four games into the Premier League season, we released a pod titled 'How does Guardiola get Man City back on top?' - they were struggling and looked miles off the pace. Eight months later they have won the Premier League at a canter and have reached the Champions League final - so how has Pep done it and how does this side compare to the title winners of 17/18 and 18/19? The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell look at the tactics, the numbers, the key performances & performers to get to the bottom of City's title-winning campaign.
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell have called time on Fulham and West Brom's stay in the Premier League and all but consigned them to the Championship for next season along with Sheffield Utd, so what went wrong for them this season?
Why have they been the worst three teams in the Premier League and what are their respective chances of bouncing back next season?
And we also look at whether Norwich and Watford's immediate return to the top flight could give this season's basement boys any hope for the 2021/22 season
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell complete their quest to classify every possible position and role on a football pitch with the third and final edition of the ZM pod footballing glossary, this time focusing on defenders and goalkeepers. What's the difference between a libero and a sweeper? When is a back three really a back five? Should the outside centre-backs in a three man defence be called full-backs? Is Joao Cancelo the modern half-back? What is the opposite of a sweeper keeper? All these questions answered and more as we journey deep into the the defensive third
This week's Zonal Marking pod is a European Super League Free Zone, come shelter from the storm with The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville as they take a deep dive into that most quintessential part of the English game - crossing. Tom has scoured the data to look at how effective crossing is in the modern Premier League, how many teams focus on it as a main source of attack, which players are best at it, and the best positions to cross the ball from. You won't believe how many time Aubameyang has crossed the ball without getting an assist!
The race to qualify for the Champions League looks set to be the most exciting thing about the run-in as we approach the end of the Premier League season. Leicester, West Ham, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Everton are all still in contention with eight games remaining. The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell have studied the form and the data to give you their considered take on each team's chances of making it into those sought-after top 4 spots
What makes an entertaining football match? Loads of goals? Tactical battles? Tension? The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell pick five games from the Premier League this season with the highest and most evenly balanced xG they could find to see whether they can crack the code and determine the key ingredients needed for the ideal crowd-pleasing game.
Game 1 - Arsenal 3 - 1 Chelsea
Game 2 - Leeds 1 - 4 Leicester
Game 3 - Manchester United 6 - 2 Leeds
Game 4 - Liverpool 3 - 0 Leicester
Game 5 - Newcastle 2 - 2 Tottenham
When Michael Cox is away... The Athletic's Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell will delve into the Championship and pick out the most interesting stats and best players to watch from each of the 24 teams as we prepare to head full-steam into the business end of the season
With the international break upon us The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell thought it would be the ideal time to travel back to summer 2018, to the hazy days of waistcoats and wasted pints, as Gareth Southgate's England came within twenty minutes of a World Cup final. We all remember the penalty shoot-out and the Trippier free-kick, but were England actually any good in that tournament? Cox and Worville have looked at the footage and the data to determine whether Southgate's Three Lions were worthy semi-finalists. We look at the supposed lucky draw, the reliance on set pieces and penalties, plus pick out some highlights featuring the likes of Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard that you've probably forgotten about by now. There's also a look ahead to the forthcoming set of international fixtures and the Euros that loom in the summer - what is Southgate's best XI? Are we going to end up with a very similar team to 2018? Do the likes of Ollie Watkins or even Patrick Bamford have any hope of making the squad in the summer? And what's going on with Trent Alexander-Arnold?
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Ali Maxwell are joined by our new analytics writer Mark Carey to tackle the thorny issue of how we measure the performance of that most unique of positions - goalkeepers. Taking the lead from Mark's recent pieces on Kasper Schmeichel and Vicente Guaita we look at the various metrics we use to analyse goalkeeping performance, how useful they are at accurately assessing their performance, and we try to dispel some common myths around the importance of save percentages and distribution. And it wouldn't be a pod about goalkeepers if we didn't try to work out who should be England's no.1 for the Euros so we look at the numbers to try and work out whether Pickford, Pope or Henderson deserves the shirt for Southgate's side.
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell set out to select an XI from across Europe's top five leagues consisting of players who are unique in their positions - whether it be a curious tactical style, strangely high or low stats compared to what you'd expect, or just the fact that they are ridiculously tall, this is Quite Unique FC See if you can guess who we've picked from these clues:
A veteran keeper who keeps it simple and is the best cheerleader around
A right-back who would be more at home in 1992 than 2021
A young Premier League centre-back who doesn't really tackle but also doesn't pass
A ball-playing centre-half from Serie A who loves to use his weaker foot
An all-action left-back from Berlin who loves to surge forward
A decorated defensive mid who has quietly turned into an attacking midfielder
An Italian midfielder who plays like a young David Silva
The most tactically diverse midfielder in Europe
A prolific Argentinean who has never scored for Argentina
A 6ft7 striker with elegant feet on a hot streak
A sleep-loving Spanish winger whose mother named her dog after her son's famous night on Merseyside
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to bring you the definitive guide to the many, many roles and positions you may find among attackers.
Are West Ham genuine top four contenders? Can Leicester do what they failed to last season and hang on to a Champions League spot? The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to examine the contrasting tactical approaches of the Premier League's gatecrashers and assess whether either side is the real deal.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to preview the Champions League knockout stages which get underway on Tuesday night. Coxy has studied the tactics, Worville has mined all the data, and Ali will guide us through all the ties as we look at every single game and every single team left in the competition in detail. The Champions League last 16 in full:
RB Leipzig v Liverpool
Barcelona v PSG
Sevilla v Dortmund
Porto v Juventus
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Lazio v Bayern Munich
Atalanta v Real Madrid
Gladbach v Man City
What do Leeds, Nîmes, Montpellier, Union Berlin, Elche, Nice, Freiburg, Brighton, Burnley, and Benevento all have in common? They're all mixing it with the big boys of European football in areas you might not expect. Punching well above their weight or standing out like a sore thumb when it comes to a whole host of different metrics. In this week's ZM pod The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to look at why these clubs and their players are among Europe's biggest statistical outliers
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to delve into the world of running stats and explain the many different ways in which they are used in the modern game. We'll look at whether the 'distance covered' stats actually mean anything, at how intense pressing sides may end up running less than you think, and the role of tracking data in the recruitment process. Plus we consult the data to reveal which players top the sprinting, jogging and walking charts in the Premier League.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to tell us what Chelsea can expect from Thomas Tuchel, the tactical chameleon. We'll study his career to date starting with his first job causing a scene at Mainz, his first big gig at Dortmund where he pushed Bayern close but not close enough and then on to PSG who he guided to the Champions League final last season. There's a look at how Pep and Klopp influence his tactical style to differing extents, his preference for using his players in a variety of different roles, his knack for getting the best out of his strikers, and of course the big question is what he'll do with his under performing compatriots Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to assess the legacy that Mesut Ozil leaves behind at Arsenal as his seven and half year spell at the Emirates comes to an end. We remember the excitement which greeted his arrival, the way Arsene Wenger had to adjust to fit him in to a playmaker-laden squad, and of course all those assists. There's also plenty of discussion of how it all unravelled for Ozil at Arsenal, when and why did his numbers start to decline? Should he have lead the team to the title in 2015/16? Why didn't Emery or Arteta ever really trust him? All this plus further reminiscing on his career pre-Arsenal and a look at what could be in store for him in Turkey as he gets set to join Fenerbahce
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to bring you the definitive guide to the many, many roles and positions you may find in midfield. What's the difference between a 6 and an 8? What makes a true holding midfielder and is it different to the 'Makelele role'? Why do Argentineans love no.5s so much? What's the difference between an Enganche and a Trequarista? And what on earth is a shuttler? All these questions and more answered as the ZM pod goes box-to-box for the next fifty-five minutes
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The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to explain what's going wrong with Frank Lampard's out-of-form Chelsea side from a tactical point of view. Why have they struggled to beat anyone above them? Why are they so easy to pass through? Is it all down to poor finishing from Werner and bad goalkeeping at the other end? What would be the ideal midfield with the players they have? What's the best role for Werner and Kai Havertz? These are just some of the questions being asked of Lampard at the moment and we've studied the data and the footage to deliver the answers.
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell round off 2020 by looking at all 20 Premier League teams and picking at least one interesting stat, observation or quirk for each of them. You'll find out which team has taken the most throw-ins, the player has had zero touches of the ball in his own penalty area, which team is best at 'winning' offsides, and how about the team who have scored the most goals from outside the box but taken the second-most touches in it? All these and loads more statistical curiosities you never thought you needed to know, until now...
Is Big Sam really just a boring long ball merchant? The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell gather to look at the stats, the data and the evidence from Sam Allardyce's career in the aim of answering that very question. From his days as a pioneer of Pro-Zone at Bolton, to 'out-tacticing' Jose Mourinho with West Ham, through to his more recent great escapes with Sunderland and Crystal Palace, whatever you think of Big Sam there is certainly a bit more to him than the caricature suggests. All this plus a look at the situation facing him at his new club West Brom as they sit 19th in the Premier League having won just once this season but crucially still only five points from safety.
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The Athletic's Michael Cox and Ali Maxwell are joined by our women's football writer Katie Whyatt to look at why Arsenal are struggling in the big WSL games this season after they lost to Manchester City at the weekend, a result which followed up failures to win against Manchester United and Chelsea earlier in the season. We look at how manager Joe Montemurro is responding to increased scrutiny in the face of these disappointing results There's also a look at the WSL more generally as we assess the credentials of the other title challengers which include Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.
When Mikel Arteta recently referred to Arsenal putting in 33 crosses in one game as "pure maths" it piqued the interest of The Athletic's resident analytical gurus Michael Cox and Tom Worville - what could Mikel mean by such a phrase and is this really a good idea? The pair join Ali Maxwell this week to look at why Arsenal have recently become obsessed with slinging the ball into the mixer and to take a broader look at the various problems besetting Arteta's side at the moment as they find themselves in 15th place in the Premier League after 11 games. We also get an informed take from Worville on Dominik Szoboszlai who has been heavily linked with the Gunners and it sounds like he could be just the player Arteta needs to breathe some much-needed creativity back into midfield.
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The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell take an almighty leap into the stats to work out what sort of player Cristiano Ronaldo is right now in 2020 as a 35-year-old at Juventus. We know his game has changed dramatically since his early days coming through as a brilliant dribbler and speed merchant at Manchester United, and the assumption is that he's even changed quite a bit since his days as a ruthless goal machine at Real Madrid, but if you look at the numbers it seems that there may well be a bit more variety to Ronaldo's game since he's gone to Serie A than you think.
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell are back with another tactical masterclass, this week casting their eye on some of the more unconventional roles and positions we've seen a host of players taking up this season in the Premier League and beyond. Has Nuno turned Wily Boly and Max Kilman into the first ever pair of inverted-centre backs? Pep Guardiola loves to conjure up interesting roles for his players and Joao Cancelo has gone from conventional right-back to what we're calling half-back over on the left. There's also a look at the roles Moussa Sissoko and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg are playing at Spurs dropping into the defence and doubling up out wide, and at Arsenal there's the ever versatile Bukayo Saka who's been playing almost everywhere. Michael and Tom give you their considered verdict on all of the above while Ali witters on about funky full-backs and Stuart Dallas.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Ali Maxwell are joined by Argentinean football expert Rupert Fryer to celebrate the career of Javier Mascherano as he announced his retirement this week after an outstanding 17-year career. We chart his career starting with the early days coming through at River Plate, his move to Corinthians in Brazil, that bizarre spell at West Ham before establishing himself alongside Gerrard and Alonso at Liverpool under Rafa Benitez. Our focus then turns to his time at Barcelona where things really got interesting as Pep Guardiola, either by luck or design, converted him into a centre-back with surprisingly effective results. There's also discussion of his storied exploits for Argentina, serial runners-up during his time with the national side but not without some memorable highlights along the way, chief among them that tackle on Arjen Robben in the World Cup 2014 semi-final, if you know, you know. Sign up to The Athletic for just £1-a-week for access to Michael Cox's brilliant tactical analysis - simply head to theathletic.com/zonalmarking
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell for a whistle-stop tour across Europe to look at five unheralded teams who have found themselves in unexpectedly lofty positions in the league table so far. Starting on home soil with high-pressing Southampton. We also head over to Italy to look at a swashbuckling Sassuolo side who find themselves second in Serie A, before crossing to Spain to look at the surprising top two of Real Sociedad, who we think could be the real deal, and Villareal who are of course managed by Unai Emery. There's also a trip north of the border for some detail on Rangers, currently nine points ahead of Celtic, with The Athletic's Rangers correspondent Jordan Campbell Will any of these sides go the distance and deliver on their early promise? We look at the numbers and the eye test to give you our verdict
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The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell for the second part of our series looking at the challenges of staying up after being promoted to the Premier League. This week we look at the various ways teams have gone about trying to establish themselves in their second season. Looking at how Leicester famously managed to win the league in 2015/16, back-to-back 7th placed finishes for Wolves, to Burnley's less heralded Europa League clincher in 2018, we examine what you need to do to thrive after you've survived. There's also plenty of cautionary tales too from the likes of Ipswich in 2001/02 to the Huddersfield side of 2018/19 plus teams like Bournemouth and Stoke who eventually went out with a whimper after appearing to have cracked it - what is it that these sides got wrong?
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The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to debate the various 'do's and dont's' for a maiden season in the top flight of English football... Is it better to sack or stick with the manager who brought you up? Discard the playing style and sure things up at the back? Splash the cash in the market or trust in the players who won so many games last year? The Zonal Marking team delve into the Premier League archives to find out...
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to get a few things off their chests about the use of statistics in the general conversation around football. Do assists really tell us anything about creativity? Why do we harp on about manager win percentages? Does it really matter that Team A haven't won at Team B's ground for 27 years? And don't get us started on pass completion percentage. All these and loads more sloppy statistics are picked apart, but it's not just one big moan-fest as the guys also provide some suggestions as to how we can be smarter with the data in the future. Subscribe to The Athletic for access to Michael Cox and Tom Worville's unrivalled analysis of football from all manner of tactical and data-driven perspectives - head to theathletic.com/zonalmarking to sign up for just £1-a-month
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Sam Lee join Ali Maxwell to look at Manchester City's start to the season and assess the ways Pep Guardiola's side have changed their tactical approach since they last won the title. Why did they come up so short so often last season? What went wrong in the Champions League? Are there early signs of the same problems being an issue this season? Have we underestimated the loss of Leroy Sane and David Silva? Are we too quick to pounce on Pep at the first sign of anything going wrong? Sign up to The Athletic for access to Michael Cox's brilliant tactics pieces and Sam Lee's unrivalled Man City coverage - head to theathletic.com/zonalmarking to subscribe for just £1-a-month
The Athletic's Michael Cox joins Ali Maxwell to assess what has been a goal-tastic start to the season in the Premier League as we head into the international break.
They look at the numbers and the tactics to try and understand why there have been so many goals, high-scoring games and a distinct lack of 0-0 draws in the opening weeks of the season.
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The Athletic's Michael Cox and James Horncastle join Ali Maxwell for an in-depth look at one of the most iconic clubs in world football: AC Milan. Taking the lead from James recent behind-the-scenes piece on the club we cast our eye back through the history books to examine the great sides and coaches that built the legend, before examining the past decade of disappointment, and finally looking at whether the present day set-up is poised to bring restore the Rossoneri to its former glory as they prepare to move away from the famous San Siro. Subscribe to The Athletic to read James Horncastle's deep dive into AC Milan and his unrivalled coverage of Serie A just head to theathletic.com/zonalmarking to sign up for just £1-a-month
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to profile every Premier League squad by average age, depth of quality and numerous other quirks along the way. Who is well-stocked across the pitch? Who are the unsung players who could have good seasons? Who could yet dip into the market for a bit more depth? All this and more answered in this week's ZM pod. Subscribe to The Athletic for access to Michael Cox and Tom Worville's unrivalled tactical & technical analysis including the piece this pod was based on: https://theathletic.com/2059611/2020/09/12/leeds-are-youngest-burnley-the-oldest-every-premier-league-squads-age-profile/ Head to theathletic.com/zonalmarking to sign up for just £1 a month
Right now we're offering listeners of this show the opportunity to try out The Athletic for just £1 a month You can enjoy all of Michael's great tactical analysis, including a recent article on how Bielsa's Leeds approached their first game back in the Premier League and another looking at why Chelsea repeatedly went route-one against Brighton Just go to theathletic.com/zonalmarking to sign up for just £1 a month
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Right now we're offering listeners of this show the opportunity to try out The Athletic for FREE. You can enjoy all of Michael's great tactical analysis, including a recent article on how Pep's decision to field a 'Mourinho Team', saw City crash out of the Champions League to Lyon. Just go to www.theathletic.com/zonalmarking to sign up for a 30 Day Free Trial.
Sign up to The Athletic now for access to Michael Cox's tactical musings and Tom Worville's statistical masterpieces - including recent pieces breaking down the tactics that lead Arteta's Arsenal to triumph over Chelsea in the FA Cup final and why ball retention actually does matter a lot more than you may think Head to theathletic.com/zonalmarking for a 30-day free trial
The Athletic's Raphael Honigstein, James Horncastle and Dermot Corrigan join Ali Maxwell for a comprehensive look ahead to the return of the Champions League - looking at every single game on the schedule and all the potential storylines that could emerge from this truncated single-leg knockout format. It promises to be a furious festival of elite football and we've got every angle covered. We also dive into the Europa League with teams like Manchester United, Wolves, Inter, https://dashboard.simplecast.com/shows/ba079c3d-1cf0-42ea-9801-64f6137198c0/episodes/theathletic.com/steilcastpodRoma, Sevilla, Getafe and Leverkusen all still in the mix there is plenty to look forward to in that competition too. Sign up to The Athletic now for Honigstein, Horncastle and Corrigan's unrivalled Champions League & Europa League coverage - head to theathletic.com/zonalmarking for a 30 day free trial
There were seven managerial changes in the Premier League last season, three of them at Watford, but did Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham, Everton and the Hornets make the right calls in sacking their managers? The Athletic's Michael Cox joins Ali Maxwell to evaluate those decisions, to look at what's happened since the likes of Mourinho, Arteta, Moyes and Ancelotti took over at their respective clubs, and also to look at what lead to the departures of Pochettino, Emery, Pellegrini and Marco Silva. We're also joined by The Athletic's Watford correspondent Adam Leventhal to examine the chaotic season at Vicarage Road which started with Javi Gracia in the dugout, saw Quique Sanchez Flores return, only for him to be replaced by Nigel Pearson who then himself got the boot with two games still to play. Sign up to The Athletic for access to Michael Cox's unrivalled coverage of football tactics and trends - head to theathletic.com/zonalmarking for a 30-day free trial
The Athletic's Michael Cox joins Ali Maxwell for a look at the tactical increasingly fashionable trend of playing a back three this season after Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea all used the system last weekend in the FA Cup semi-finals. 13 of the 20 Premier League sides have tried a three-man defence at some point this season, some like Sheffield Utd and Wolves have used it in different ways but to great success, and others like West Ham and Southampton found it more difficult, so we examine the philosophy, the type of players and the tactics required to make a back three work. Elsewhere Ali takes us down into the EFL with details of a spectacularly successful 3-6-1 system at Coventry and a League Two which is overflowing with three-man defences.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and James Horncastle join Ali Maxwell to assess Maurizio Sarri's first season at Juventus. On the verge of leading Juve to their ninth straight Serie A title, we look at how Sarri has measured up to expectations in Turin, how he has impressed his tactical philosophy on the squad, as well as how he's used key individuals like Cristiano Ronaldo, Aaron Ramsey, Matthijs de Ligt and Miralem Pjanic. Sign up to The Athletic for James Horncastle's unrivalled coverage of Serie A and Michael Cox's tactical insights - head to theathletic.com/zonalmarking for a 30-day free trial
The Athletic's Michael Cox & Laurie Whitwell join Ali Maxwell to look at Manchester United's recent transformation from a struggling mid-table outfit into the Premier League's form side with attacking options aplenty.They look at how Solskjaer has managed to fit Rashford, Martial, Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba into the same side, and how the individual roles they are all playing all knit together so well Elsewhere we study the re-emergence of Nemanja Matic as a crucial part of the team, plus the role of the full-backs, the Maguire-Lindelof axis at the back, the form of David De Gea and also how the rumoured pursuit of Jadon Sancho and a new striker could affect the squad next season. Subscribe to The Athletic for access to Michael Cox's insightful tactical pieces and Laurie Whitwell's unrivalled Manchester United coverage - head to theathletic.com/zonalmarking for a 30-day free trial
The Athletic's Michael Cox & Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to look at a perhaps underappreciated aspect of this all conquering Liverpool side - their possession game. We dive into the data to analyse how Liverpool use the ball and the passing combinations they most rely upon. Looking at how crucial Alisson is to starting the moves, how Van Dijk's passing differs from Matip & Gomez, how Trent Alexander-Arnold is able to dictate the play from right-back, the changing role of Henderson, the importance of Fabinho, the calmness of Wijnaldum and the creative skills of Salah, Mane and Firmino. Sign up to The Athletic for access to Michael Cox & Tom Worville's unrivalled tactical and data analysis. For a 30-day free trial head to theathletic.com/zonalmarking
The Athletic's Michael Cox joins Ali Maxwell to look at the first batch of Premier League games under Project Restart and pick out the teams & players who have best adapted to the unfamiliar conditions - with a particular focus on Tottenham, Man Utd, Brighton, Newcastle and Southampton. Elsewhere The Athletic's Crystal Palace writer Matt Woosnam drops in to give us the lowdown on how Roy Hodgson continues to inspire impressive performances from the Eagles, plus we look at the impact of the new five subs rule, the unexpected benefits of drinks breaks, and how the players have been affected by empty stadiums. Subscribe to The Athletic for access to all of Michael Cox's brilliant tactics coverage and get a 40% discount - just head to theathletic.com/zonalmarking
The Athletic's Michael Cox and James Horncastle join Ali Maxwell ahead of Serie A returning this week for a look at the next generation of Italian midfielders, starting with a man some have compared to the legendary Andrea Pirlo - Brescia's Sandro Tonali. Tonali has been lighting up Serie A this season and drawing comparisons to Pirlo but is there more to his game than that comparison suggests? Elsewhere we take a broader look at the history of Italian midfielders - be they registas, fantasistas or medianos - and also run the rule over some of the other contenders aiming to grasp the midfield mantle for the Azzuri from the established figures of Jorginho and Marco Veratti to the emerging talents of Gaetano Castrovilli, Stefano Sensi, Nicolò Zaniolo and Nicolò Barella. Sign up to The Athletic for access to Michael Cox's tactical musings and James Horncastle's Italian dispatches plus the best Premier League coverage you'll find anywhere - head to theathletic.com/zonalmarking for a 40% discount
Ahead of La Liga returning this weekend The Athletic's Michael Cox & Dermot Corrigan join Ali Maxwell to look at current state of Barcelona. They discuss how recently installed manager Quique Setien is settling in, how his tactical approach differs from his predecessors, why they're more reliant on Messi than ever, why Griezmann hasn't really hit the heights yet, plus a wider look at what's to be decided in La Liga with ten matches remaining. Subscribe to The Athletic for access to Michael Cox's unrivalled coverage of football tactics & trends - head to theathletic.com/zonalmarking for a 30-day free trial
Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell are joined by The Athletic's Bournemouth writer Peter Rutzler to look at what has been a disappointing season for Eddie Howe's side. We pick apart the tactics - which may not be quite as open & entertaining as they once were - and look at the individual players who will be key if the Cherries are to avoid relegation when the season returns. Sign up to The Athletic here to access Michael Cox's unrivalled tactical coverage of the Premier League and get a 30 day free trial
Jose Mourinho spoke to The Athletic's James Horncastle last week for an exclusive interview looking back at his treble-winning Inter Milan side ten years on, so for this week's pod we got James together with Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell for a deep dive into that famous season looking at the tactics, the players and the stories from one of the great sides of the modern era. Subscribe to The Athletic here for access to Michael Cox's unrivalled tactics writing and get a 90 day free trial
The Athletic's Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell are joined by our resident Manchester City writer Sam Lee for a look at the tactical reasons behind City's failed title defence this season.Aiming to evaluate how much of an impact has the loss of Sane made, whether other teams have simply got better at playing through City's press, and assessing the pivotal relationship between De Bruyne and Aguero. Sign up to The Athletic here for access to Michael Cox's tactical musings and Sam Lee's unrivalled Manchester City coverage and get a 90 day free trial
The Athletic's German football writer Raphael Honigstein joins Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell to look at the teams, coaches, and players to look out for when the Bundesliga returns this weekend.Rafa explains how Hansi Flick has turned Bayern's season around, how this Dortmund side compares to Klopp's famous team, and we look at the strengths & weaknesses of the clutch of sides chasing the top two including RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Sign up to The Athletic here for Raphael Honigstein's exclusive Bundesliga coverage and get a 40% discount
The Athletic's Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell are once again joined by our resident Spanish Football Writer, Dermot Corrigan, this time to give Athletic Bilbao the Zonal Marking treatment...
A whole host of familiar names including Marcelo Bielsa, Aymeric Laporte and Inaki Williams, a truly unique recruitment policy and a history inextricably linked to English football.
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The Athletic's Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell are joined by football data analyst Jay Socik - aka Blades Analytic - for an in-depth look at the tactics that Chris Wilder has deployed in getting Sheffield United to 7th in the Premier League, and how they've evolved over time
The Athletic's Michael Cox & James Horncastle join Ali Maxwell for a look back at Alberto Zaccheroni's Milan side of the 1998/99 season, featuring players such as George Weah, Zvonimir Boban, Leonardo and of course Paolo Maldini. A campaign which saw them clinch the title in a thrilling race with Lazio & Fiorentina that went right down to the wire.
Earlier this week Michael Cox joined The Athletic's Manchester City podcast 'Why Always Us?' for a chat about his recent written piece where he proposed some potential tactical tweaks Pep Guardiola may choose to experiment with when football returns, and we thought regular Zonal Marking listeners would appreciate hearing Michael explain why he thinks Kevin De Bruyne would make a good right-back or why Pep could make Rodri into a number 10, so here it is. Enjoy!
The Athletic's Michael Cox & James Horncastle join Ali Maxwell to examine how and why Atalanta have become one of the most exciting teams in Europe over the last year or so, culminating with their recent Champions League victory over Valencia Sign up to The Athletic today for all of Michael's tactical insights... Get a 40% discount by visiting the athletic.com/zonalmarking
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to examine why Liverpool's imperious defence has been the driving force behind their outstanding season and not necessarily their glittering front three, uncovering a number of surprising stats along the way
The Athletic's Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell are joined by Dutch football expert Priya Ramesh to look at how Ajax have adjusted to life after losing two of their star players last summer in Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, looking at their replacements, Ajax's fortunes in Europe, and the future of their much-admired coach Erik Ten Hag Sign up to The Athletic today for all of Michael's tactical insights... Get a 40% discount by visiting the athletic.com/zonalmarking
Sign up to The Athletic today for all of Michael's tactical insights... Get a 40% discount by visiting the athletic.com/zonalmarking
The Athletic's Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell are joined by our resident Everton expert Patrick Boyland to look at the tactical changes Carlo Ancelotti has made during his reign at Everton so far, how he has attempted to fix some of the problems he inherited from Marco Silva, while also casting their eye back on Carlo's long and storied career as a top level manager Sign up to The Athletic now for all of Michael Cox's tactical musings and get a 40% discount at theathletic.com/zonalmarking
Was Gary Lineker right when he famously announced that NO goal should be of greater value than another? It's the debate you never knew you felt so strongly about... Should 'Away Goals' be scrapped?
Ali Maxwell & Michael Cox are joined by Omar Chaudhuri, Head of Football Intelligence at 21st Club, to present their arguments... Where did the law come from, is it fair, and what if two teams have the same home ground??
Does it really make sense to play out from the back or are you better off hoofing it down the field? The Athletic's new Football Analytics writer, Tom Worville, joins Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell to explore the impact of the latest changes to the goal-kick rule...
The trio assess the risks and the rewards of shorter goal kicks, how the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and even Burnley have exploited it, plus, Michael's suggestions for even more rule changes!
- Why do they keep coming up short? - 3:30
- Tuchel vs Emery - 11:30
- Neymar and Les 4 Fantastiques! - 15:30
- Cavani the outcast - 16:30
- The importance of Idrissa Gueye - 23:40
- The Dortmund threat - 28:30
The Athletic's Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell analyse the key tactical features of Mikel Arteta's Arsenal so far during his first 10 games in charge - looking at the way he's used the players at his disposal, to what extent he's mirrored the approach of Pep Guardiola, and whether what we've seen so far could tell us much about what his team might look like next season.
The Athletic's Michael Cox & Liam Twomey join Ali Maxwell to reflect upon the career of a player so good they named a position after him - Claude Makelele. Why was he so good at playing defensive midfield? Did he have more to his game than just getting it and giving it? And how has his legacy in that position affected those who've played it since?
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Ali Maxwell and Jack Lang take a closer look at the goalkeepers who made a career out of doing the business at the other end of the pitch. Not just popping up for the odd corner or accidentally knocking in a long goal-kick but those - and there are quite a few - who have genuinely played an attacking role for their teams.
The Athletic's Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell are joined by our Chelsea writer Liam Twomey to analyse the tactical approach Frank Lampard has taken so far in his inaugural season as a Premier League manager, with a particular focus on how he has tackled the games against the other 'top 6 teams'
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Ali Maxwell are joined by our Spurs writer Charlie Eccleshare for an in-depth look at Harry Kane and how his game has changed in the years since his breakthrough in 2014, and we also assess the tactical options at Jose Mourinho's disposal after Kane's torn hamstring looks set to keep him out for a lengthy spell.
Rafa Benitez once cited the relatively little-known Colombian coach Francisco Maturana as one of his biggest influences, but who is he and what's his story? The Athletic's Michael Cox is joined by Rafa Benitez himself and Colombian football writer Carl Worswick to delve into Maturana's fascinating career. It's a story that takes in triumphs, tragedies, and many colorful characters from Colombia's footballing past along the way.
The Athletic's Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell are joined by The Athletic's Brazilian football writer Jack Lang to examine how the 7-1 humiliation at the hands of Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi-final affected Brazilian football; breaking down the details of the match itself, how the nation coped with the aftermath, and how the team have rebuilt since.
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Ali Maxwell are joined by The Athletic's resident German football writer Raphael Honigstein for a look at the managerial career of Jurgen Klopp and how his tactics & philosophy have evolved from his days conquering the Bundesliga with Dortmund to his current outstanding Liverpool team. Zonal Marking is a podcast where The Athletic’s Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell break down the tactical & technical details of football past & present, focusing on a single subject each episode with the help of expert guests. Subscribe to The Athletic and receive 40% off by following this link: theathletic.com/zonalmarking
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Ali Maxwell are joined by Swedish football journalist Frida Fagerlund for an in-depth look at both the playing and coaching career of interim Arsenal head coach Freddie Ljungberg, as they attempt to work out whether he's got what it takes to land the Arsenal job full-time Zonal Marking is a podcast where The Athletic’s Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell break down the tactical & technical details of football past & present, focusing on a single subject each episode with the help of expert guests. Subscribe to The Athletic using the special promo code UKPOD and receive 40% off! Also, subscribers will have access to exclusive episodes. SIGN UP NOW: http://theathletic.com/ukpod
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Ali Maxwell and Liam Twomey examine Jose Mourinho's career from Porto, through Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid, right up to Man Utd, with a particular emphasis on how his style of play has evolved over the years and what that might tell us about how his Spurs reign will pan out. Zonal Marking is a podcast where The Athletic’s Michael Cox & Ali Maxwell break down the tactical & technical details of football past & present, focusing on a single subject each episode with the help of expert guests. Subscribe to The Athletic using the special promo code UKPOD and receive 40% off! Also, subscribers will have access to exclusive episodes. SIGN UP NOW: http://theathletic.com/ukpod
Subscribe to The Athletic using the special promo code UKPOD and receive 40% off! Also, subscribers will have access to exclusive episodes.