Something happened in Luxembourg on Friday that will either bring an end to football’s transfer system as we know it, make the stars even richer, jeopardise player development and ruin hundreds of clubs across Europe, or it will make FIFA rewrite a couple of sentences in its rulebook. As Sliding Doors moments go, that’s a […]
If Manchester United want to know what a well-structured performance looks like, they should rewatch Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-0 victory at Old Trafford. Against a lifeless press and non-existent cover on the transition, Spurs ripped Erik ten Hag’s side to shreds. The rotations in Ange Postecoglou’s midfield proved too much for United’s organisation without the ball,
How Spurs tore Manchester United apart in 45 minutes Read More »
Football’s dark arts. You may have read, heard or watched a bit about that subject this week. Wind-up merchants, rule benders, injury fakers, divers, pinchers, medical staff who love running on the pitch, time-wasters… every club has them, but how dark arts-y is your team? We can — and will — use metrics and data
Ranking each Premier League club for ‘dark arts’ Read More »
Plenty of attention has been paid to the new ‘Dynamic Kick-off’ regulations in American football’s NFL in the early days of its 2024 season but even in the fluid realm of the Premier League, how a team begins play is an increasingly-rehearsed process. And despite the ongoing evolution in intricate tactics, even the greatest of
How do Premier League teams kick off games in 2024-25? Read More »
Nothing heralds the beginning of autumn more than people stating that it is “too early to look at the league table”. Listen to some and you might be convinced there was once a glorious era when those interested in football didn’t even glance at the standings until eight, 10, maybe even 12 games in. The
Three games in is too early to trust the Premier League table… or is it? Read More »
At Premier League HQ, it wasn’t just the summer transfer window that closed on Friday evening. There was also a deadline to apply for two senior positions in the legal department as — to quote from the job spec — “the scope and complexity of the league’s financial regulations continues to evolve”. That is an
Why the Premier League transfer window is messier than ever Read More »
