Liam Tharme
@LiamTharmeCoach
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Graduate @ucfb (BA) & @chiuni (MSc) / Football Tactics Writer @TheAthleticFC ⚽️ (views are my own) / formerly @officialbhafc @cufcgoalkeepers
London, England
Joined September 2018
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Pinned Tweet
Went to Nyon to watch the UEFA Youth League final: Olympiacos 3-0 Milan.
A piece on 10 years of the tournament, its roots from NextGen, what players/coaches think, if/how it develops future stars and English team’s recent ‘failures’. W/
@jacklang
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That’s 100% a pen. Dubravka lands on his foot, it’s knocked him off balance because of how fast he’s moving. He falls over on his next left-footed step (which is the one that gets hit). Neville saying he takes 3-4 steps is just objectively wrong
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If anyone wants to make any money lump on Mitchell Duke scoring a header. It’s the only way I see a goal in this game
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If you’re bored of robotic possession 235/325 teams here’s some suggestions:
Nice - counter-attacking
Reims - pretty direct, all-action defensively
Sociedad - everyone who watches La Liga tells me that
Girona - they’re Girona
Inter - win games, score goals, strike partnership
Pep has absolutely killed this sport. Full backs in midfield, CBs at fullback, no wingers on the pitch
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Fair argument that is one of England’s best displays ever under Southgate. A game won or lost on moments is something you can take.
But going toe to to with the World Champions and dominating parts of that game is a serious marker of evolution
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Close to three month's work and about 30,000 words later, the World Cup tactical group guides are live.
A massive thanks to everyone who gave me insight, or produced work, analysis and podcasts that helped inform these.
So that you can easily go through them, here's a thread:
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TNT have gone from Horncastle’s phenomenal Atalanta analysis on Thursday to the stupid Bolt/Van de Ven comparison. Genuinely tragic
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Think the difference in kicking ability is evident for both sides here. Brighton so much more inclined to press because De Gea has limited angles especially off his left, meanwhile Sánchez can kick if about four miles
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Some personal news...
Ridiculously excited to be joining
@TheAthleticUK
, as of today, as a Football Tactics Writer! Can't wait to start analysing - for your reading pleasure - a football season that is shaped like no other.
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Liverpool’s pressing against Aston Villa was pure 2019-20 Liverpool.
Pressing traps to exploit Pau Torres — 7 final-third regains in the first-half. They managed that just once last season.
@TheAthleticFC
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The hybrid coach analyst role is the next step in performance analysis.
Analysts who coach and work directly with players, and follow coaches across clubs.
I spoke to those in the role, in the EFL, PL, UCL and World Cup.
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BT giving West Ham fans significant praise for behaving themselves in the city centre earlier in the day is hilarious
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If you needed time to work out who succeeds Potter, I don’t see it as valuable to sack him for someone who is actually even less proven as a head coach
The idea that Potter had previous game-saving jobs and there’s no replacement is quite funny
The context is mad but Lampard to Chelsea makes sense for both parties.
Boehly/Eghbali need time to figure out who succeeds Potter, and it’s an easy PR win.
For Lampard, it’s an unexpected chance to rehab his coaching rep - plus the CL knockout tilt he was denied in 2021
#CFC
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Why Manchester City are targeting Marc Cucurella:
✔️ Positional versatility
✔️ Penetrative passes + crossing threat
✔️ Zinchenko upgrade
✔️ Brighton & City style similarities
The full (+ my debut) piece for
@TheAthleticUK
, w/
@MarkCarey93
&
@SamLee
:
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I’m a huge fan of De Zerbi’s style of play but he’s having too many of these defensive collapse games for my liking
Haven’t tested Villa’s high line anywhere near enough (couple of excellent Gilmour balls), March got in-behind once and then had a poor touch
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Ahead of 2023-24, I’ve compiled a list of teams I think would be tactically interesting to watch:
🇩🇪 Bayer Leverkusen
🇫🇷 Lens
🏴 Middlesbrough
🇧🇷 Fluminense
🇳🇱 AZ
🇮🇹 Fiorentina
@TheAthleticFC
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We need to talk about AZ Alkmaar’s academy.
• 22/23 UEFA Youth League winners
• Clear pathway to an overachieving first team (in 🇳🇱 and Europe)
• Modern coaching styles
• Use of neuroscience
• Billy Beane’s involvement
& more
@TheAthleticFC
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Evan Ferguson, the most technically gifted early developer I’ve ever watched. 🇮🇪
Just turned 18, already scored left-foot, right-foot and headed PL goals. Senior Ireland international. A scarily high ceiling and a pure No 9.
@TheAthleticFC
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This is exactly what the reworking of academy football in England in 2011 was designed to do. Create better footballers with better coaching, better facilities and talent ID/development. Mainoo has played Youth League, FAYC, PL2 football on quality pitches. Not even had a loan!
How is Mainoo more composed than the ones with hundreds of appearances to their name?
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Rayan Cherki.
He’s been around for years and he’s only 19. Two-footed, a creator and goalscorer, dribbler and line-breaker.
@TheAthleticFC
Youngest player in a UCL semi-final & Lyon’s youngest-ever scorer.
But he needs to be carefully managed.
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My 2022:
Graduated with a distinction in my MSc ✅
Finished placement at a cat 1 academy ✅
First full-time role - tactics writer ✅
Worked on 2022 World Cup ✅
Returned to London ✅
Spent time with good people. Visited new places. Ran lots. Grateful & excited for 2023 🥂
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Opta opening themselves up to the fantastic idea of having a 100m sprint race among PL goalkeepers
35.11 - Robert Sánchez has the highest recorded top speed of any goalkeeper in the Premier League this season (35.11 km/h vs Brentford). Chase.
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That Tyler comment that it is/was a “foreigner thing” for players waving an imaginary card after being fouled, is absolutely horrid
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Football, once again teaching you that everything you thought you knew is absolutely, totally wrong
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I’m not sure I agree on the England head coach needing to be “English” and also think it’s an increasingly grey area
Does that mean born in England? English parents/grandparents? Lived in England for X number of years? What if they were born in England but left as a baby?
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Manchester United have significant problems — technically, tactically and psychologically — that they need to fix in away games this season.
Bayern will be the first of many big tests.
@TheAthleticFC
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Manchester United and the mythology of “the United way”.
How (and why) does Ten Hag implement a possession system with a squad suited to counter-attack/direct play — they win more, score more and concede less the more they counter-attack.
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Thought United were very good in-possession for 60 minutes last night (until their subs, basically).
@TheAthleticFC
Ten Hag spoke pre-match about wanting a “dynamic” team that would “surprise opponents”. Their positional rotations did just that.
#mufc
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Gonna need everyone to do me a massive favour and not compare the average speed of a 100m WR to the maximal speed (not being held for 9.58s) of any other sprint. It doesn’t work like that
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Genuinely find this hilarious that people (let alone apparently board members) read anything into modes of transport to work
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West Ham with 30 goals in 12 Conference League games this season.
They’ve scored 29 in 30 games in the Premier League. Mental.
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@ReeceDSport
Also that being an applied statistics degree is nuts — how do you get data into that?
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Good. Horrific that it’s taken this long. Hopefully the start of some serious rethinking in athletics
BREAKING: Olympic 800m gold medallist Caster Semenya wins human rights court appeal over athletics testosterone rules
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Really impressed by Everton’s game plan against Brighton yesterday
Dyche described it as a “patient press”. Their mid-block set traps that Brighton kept walking into (like Sideshow Bob with the rakes in that Simpsons episode) and Everton counter-attacked
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Mikel Arteta is the Premier League’s third-youngest head coach/manager with the youngest team.
@TheAthleticFC
Looking at Arsenal’s All or Nothing series and their Inside Training videos, I analysed some of his drills and coaching techniques.
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37 years of age and he’s celebrated a goal that he knows he fully well did not touch. What a petulant human
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A big game goalscorer, positional versatility and two-footedness.
Assessing Leandro Trossard’s style evolution, how he compares to Arsenal’s forwards and where he might fit tactically.
@TheAthleticFC
#afc
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PSG are 100% getting pressed into a 3-0 away defeat in Real Sociedad. Luis Enrique will be stubborn and continue to play out and they’ll give up way too many turnovers. I know PSG have him in as a project coach but can they take a 3rd last 16 exit in a row?
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Nice: the last unbeaten team in Ligue 1, yet to go behind in a game, with the best defence in Europe.
Farioli’s side are doing some tactically interesting things with and without the ball. Already beaten PSG, Marseille, Monaco & Rennes.
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What Tottenham can expect from their new set-piece coach, Gianni Vio, for
@TheAthleticUK
:
⚪️ More set-piece shots & goals
⚪️ Unpredictability & coordinated player runs
⚪️ Attacking walls at direct free-kicks
⚪️ Quirky corner & wide free-kick routines
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The Premier League’s best pressing team this season? Bournemouth, for goals from final-third regains (8).
The tactics behind Iraola’s 4-1-3-2 press: wide-area jumps, co-ordinated overloads, the 10 role + why high press coaches need time.
@TheAthleticFC
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Over 90% of PL penalties have been scored this season (average is 78%). Set to be the highest ever.
Why - among other things - left-footers taking nearly half of them might explain it. GKs struggle to predict them.
@TheAthleticFC
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No Salah, no Alexander-Arnold, no Endo — no problem for Liverpool v Bournemouth.
Their biggest away win of the season. Klopp’s acceptance to be tactically adaptable (not dogmatic) according to opponents and player profiles is massively underrated.
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The 4-4-2 is back? Yeah, it never left. Here’s how and why the top domestic (Arsenal, City) and international sides (France, Argentina) defend in 4-4-2 mid-block.
Featuring some wonderful insight from
@CarlonCarpenter
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Manchester United hosted an open training session yesterday. Here’s a look at what we’ve learned so far from ten Hag’s training.
Full article for
@TheAthleticUK
:
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The first-ever all-United
#CarabaoCup
final — here’s your tactical guide.
@TheAthleticFC
Why Newcastle might press less without Pope, reasons for Rashford at LW and the importance of set pieces.
#newmun
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City are pragmatic and one of the most defence-first teams in the league, they just do it with possession
They've lost 37 PL games in 274 under Guardiola. They've only been xGed in 11 of them and of those 11, only 5 were by an xGD of more than 1.
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Spent two days
@PSV
’s academy.
Inside the club that developed Gakpo, Madueke, Depay and Bakayoko in recent years.
Innovative pitches, physical testing, cognitive training, U21s in a senior league — a long read.
@TheAthleticFC
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Benoit Badiashile makes his Chelsea debut against Crystal Palace.
Analysis of the 21 y/o with
@liam_twomey
for
@TheAthleticFC
.
#ChelseaFC
#CHECRY
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Evan Ferguson becomes just the 4th player to score a hat-trick while younger than 19, as per
@OptaJoe
.
Three very different goals from such a versatile No 9. He’s maturing into an incredible footballer.
@TheAthleticFC
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Unbelievable that I missed this interaction in real time. Cox handing out ratios is top tier content
@LukeEdwardsTele
I remember as I then asked someone who you were, was told, and then felt guilty that I'd inadvertently played a part in helping a Luke Edwards article reach the world wide web
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Analysing tactical trends from the 2022-23 Premier League:
• Defenders playing inside (4-3-3 into 3-2-4-1)
• Through ball goals at a 5/yr high
• 5 subs hasn’t had a significant impact
• Most back fours since 16-17
• Goalkeepers playing direct
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Chelsea’s left-sided attacking at Spurs was stagnant and predictable.
Here’s how Potter adapted with a back three (and no Reece James) to get Ben Chilwell in-behind Leeds’ back four.
@TheAthleticFC
#chelee
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Today marks one year for me
@TheAthleticFC
.
Been excellent fun so far and privileged to do this professionally.
Here’s a few of my favourite pieces that I’ve done:
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Enzo Le Fée — the all action midfielder. The only player in Ligue 1 with 100+ dribbles, shot-creating actions and tackles.
Set to leave Lorient this summer, my analysis of the 23 y/o in
@TheAthleticFC
’s 50 to watch series.
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Really fascinating insight this
Pep “If I want to buildup from left, I’ll always play Laporte, If I want defenders in the box I play Ake and Dias. If I want runners in midfield Foden and Gundo are the best. If my tactics work they say I’m genius, if it doesn’t they say I’m overthinking”
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Doing some research on Arteta as a coach and wanted to stress how good a resource this is.
Ben has made a 90 minute video, all broken down by drill type, of Arsenal’s publicly available sessions over the past few seasons. Incredibly good
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Just like an ankle tap in rugby really — also, why go down with an empty net unless you’ve been knocked over? Doesn’t do it remote justice in slow motion (needs to be seen in full speed)
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Across World Cup 2014, 2018 and now 2022, Ochoa has made 37 saves from 46 shots on target faced.
Those saves have prevented over 5 additional goals more than the average goalkeeper would be expected to (based on xG) — clutch.
#mex
#WorldCup2022
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Have really enjoyed Arsenal’s rest defence this season. Well structured, works with their unique profiles. Not conceded a counter-attack goal since September. Here’s some analysis:
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Had a theory that a disproportionate number of central midfielders become head coaches.
Turns out to be true. Spoke to some experts in the game, looked at the data. Possession more homogeneous than ever.
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Pascal Gross has the 11th-most assists of anyone currently in the Premier League. He’s on 10 this season, which only Watkins and Trippier can match.
I sat down with him to analyse some. Here is Pascal Gross’ My Game in My Words for
@TheAthleticFC
:
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Kai Havertz as a left-sided No 8 at Arsenal makes a lot of sense.
His best moments at Leverkusen (17 goals in 2018-19) and at this year at Chelsea (Dortmund UCL 2nd leg) came as a No 10 in a 3-4-3 — similar to No 8 in Arsenal’s 3-2-5.
W/
@liam_twomey
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Including today, Croatia have lost just 2 of 23 games since Euro 2020.
Won their Nations League group, top 4 at WCs two tournaments running, not the most stylish/exciting but one of the most effective footballing sides going
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Feel like more teams than ever are alternating shapes in/out of possession.
Spurs typically 343 with those personnel but looks like they’re building with a 4 from the GK, letting them push Perisic on
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Darwin Núñez is flying for Uruguay under Marcelo Bielsa. Top scorer in CONMEBOL WCQ, scored in four consecutive qualifiers (3rd Uruguayan ever).
Bielsa has improved Núñez’s movement — smarter runs, more first-time shots, and more goals.
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@SebC__
You’re reaching a bit with some of these questions. Trossard was a wing-back for a few months under Potter (coincided with the team’s best run of form and start to 22-23)
Got rid of Ryan to bring in a younger, better shotstopper (was conceding more than average) + box defender
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Premier League Djed Spence: How he attacks like a winger, defends like a full-back and compares to Tottenham’s current wing-back crop and Conte’s requirements. W/
@MarkCarey93
for
@TheAthleticUK
.
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@FootballCliches
The compilation has to consist of exactly the following: three line breaking passes in his own half in build-up (bonus points if he drops between CBs to do this). One overhit Hollywood ball in final third (“he’s trying things”) and ended with a crunching tackle
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On a personal level, this World Cup was great fun.
The first I've worked on professionally like this, so getting so much time to prepare and research was incredible and I'm very grateful for that.
Lots of writing, lots of talking about teams, tactics and players...
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How does he keep being in the right place at the right time?
Erling Haaland’s vision and scanning as the key to his record-breaking goalscoring this season, for
@TheAthleticFC
.
#mcfc
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Cannot believe nobody has bought this guy. Over/underlapping CB in final-third. Outrageous final ball. Good availability, neat passer in deeper zones, big enough to defend in the air and the box too. Just so much to like…and he’s still only 24 with 170 Serie A apps…
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David Moyes is right and wrong.
He’s brought history at West Ham. Their winningest head coach, consecutive top seven PL finishes & the UECL trophy.
But they spend lots, could tactically evolve, and he doesn’t use the academy enough.
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I am once again asking how the Lampard appointment was a 'win-win' for Chelsea as a club/fanbase. He has won literally nothing in these four games
@karandhar89
@EuroExpert_
I’ll come back to this when Real win both legs and you finish 9th and see how you feel
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To replace Southgate with England would be a massive jump but having watched quite a bit of Reims, Will Still’s football looks incredibly suited to tournaments
Strong defensive base/shape, defend wide spaces well, keep clean sheets, transition at speed, good at set pieces
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City’s win against Bayern owed to some excellent defensive tweaks.
@TheAthleticFC
Pep reverted back to the 4-2-4 press (wingers out-to-in, pressing from FB to CB) that worked against Leipzig, and City’s 6-2-2 low block worked well too.
#mcibay
#mcfc
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European Champions.
🏴 Won 6/6 games, scored 11 and didn’t concede at all.
🏴 Beat Spain and both 2021 finalists (Germany/Czechia).
🏴 False nine, asymmetric, high-possession 4-2-3-1.
Lee Carsley’s England Under-21.
@TheAthleticFC
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Enzo Fernandez starts for Chelsea against Fulham - a Premier League debut. 🇦🇷
@TheAthleticFC
#cheful
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Congratulations for not fighting? Smashing the place up? Throwing things? The bar is so low. Absolutely hideous behaviour for any fans to ever throw anything at any players. Grow up. Hope whoever caused that cut gets charged
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All the cool kids are watching Frankfurt vs Napoli tonight
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Everything I wrote in here for that second Bayern goal.
Issues defending cutbacks without wide support, can’t defend or track runners. United concede twice in four minutes.
@TheAthleticFC
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Reims are 4th after their win at Nantes today. 6 wins in their first 11, 4 points off leaders PSG.
I went there last month (for their game v Monaco) and wrote about a cool football club and cooler city. Here’s that piece.
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Jason Steele’s assist against Brentford was almost identical to the one at the Amex in April.
@TheAthleticFC
Brighton’s long ball against a high (man-for-man) press is excellent. It worked vs City, Chelsea & Arsenal last season.
#bhafc
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Would be all over this. Slight but outrageously technically good LF No 10. Has won golden ball at youth World Cup, can take set pieces, good ball striker from distance and eye for a final pass too
🚨 Brighton have bid €10m for Mallorca’s South Korean star Kang-In Lee. They do not want to lose the 21yo this window but would be open to letting him leave in the summer; talks will continue in the coming days.
[
@MatteMoretto
] 🥇
#bhafc
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@Jon_Mackenzie
Can we set up an experiment where you run really quickly and we see how much I need to push you for you to fall over (in the name of science?)
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Sky cutting AFCON off for the Super Bowl as soon as the FT whistle blows is absolutely WILD
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Well, that wraps up 2022-23 for me. Thank you if you’ve read, listened to or engaged with anything I’ve written/said/created this season.
An absolute privilege and a pleasure to work in football and the people that I work with.
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I went to Reims for the game against Monaco.
A writing of a team in renaissance, a club and city steeped in history — of Will Still and media attention, of Flo Balogun and tactical adaptations.
This, is Reims.
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Wrote this in pre-season back in July and now Erik ten Hag is Premier League manager of the month.
#mufc
@TheAthleticUK
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Incredibly refreshed to hear Joe Cole on TNT not pandering the borderline ridiculous “unlucky” narratives around Newcastle’s injuries. A crisis? Certainly, but absolving them of responsibility is ridiculous
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Cole Palmer with a perfect hat-trick and even countable by German standards, fantastic stuff
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A good afternoon to
@TheAthleticFC
’s Fulham faithful.
In
@AhmedShooble
’s absence I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for the next two matches.
If it’s any consolation the two games of yours I’ve seen this season (Brighton x2) have both ended in Fulham wins.
#ffc
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Funniest part about all of this is that Chelsea don’t play next Wednesday
Quotes from Lampard after the game :
“All the basic parts of football - to fight, to run - we were short on”
“For me it’s all about the basics”
“Our fans will be watching a team on Wednesday that will be giving everything”
“Conor Gallagher was another one who gave every…
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Liverpool have been impressive at 10 v 11 this season (vs Newcastle and Tottenham in particular).
Klopp praised their calmness against Everton. Playing 11 v 10, they took their time but found a way against the 5-3-1.
@TheAthleticFC
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“You see English football now, nobody is defending” said Diego Simeone in November.
He’s right, especially in an increasingly positional/possession game. On course for its highest-scoring season, direct/counter-attack football will always have a place.
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In breaking Greaves’ record, Harry Kane became the third player (after Shearer & Rooney) to hit 200+ PL goals.
We all know about his transition from box forward to dropping deeper, but how has his goalscoring evolved? W/
@MarkCarey93
for
@TheAthleticFC
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This goal is something I expect to see more next season (almost identical to Mitoma’s vs Brentford last season). So many teams — largely effectively — press high MFM and will go 6v6 against Brighton’s 4+2. Everyone loves the incisive build through midfield, but this is effective
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You’re a top tier loser if you scrap people at football btw. Sooner we eradicate this stupidness the better
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De Zerbi as Pep’s replacement? Not yet, but one day.
Both want the ball but use possession very differently. De Zerbi is tactically more Bielsa than Guardiola and doesn’t yet have his pragmatism/adaptability. Reminiscent of Potter to Chelsea too.
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