Lee Carsley
Euro U21: Lee Carsley Tactics For England U21 – Tactical Analysis
Despite losing to the eventual finalists in the quarter-final, England’s performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup highlighted early signs of a golden generation. With Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, Man City’s Phil Foden, and Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham leading the line, the Three Lions have quality for years to come. Just behind them, the Young Lions [...]
Analysis
Euro U21: France Under Sylvain Ripoll Tactics – Tactical Analysis
It’s no secret that France produces some of the world's most incredible footballers. You need to look no further than the last edition of the FIFA World Cup for proof of that, with the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni lighting up the tournament. The current crop of talent eligible to play for France [...]
Analysis
Euro U21: Belgium – Tactical Analysis
In the upcoming edition of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final tournament, which will be held in Georgia and Romania, Belgium will participate in Group A with the host nation, Georgia, and two big ones, Portugal and the Netherlands. Unfortunately, Belgium U21, which had a golden generation in the previous decade, failed to live up [...]
Euro U21: Germany – tactical analysis
At a conference in Frankfurt in March, national team director and German legend Rudi Völler, men’s national team boss Hansi Flick and the U21s head coach Antonio Di Salvo all recognised the need for a conjoined programme which would incorporate the country’s highest youth level players with the first team. Players such as AC Milan [...]
Euro U21: The Netherlands – tactical analysis
The number of games that Erwin van de Looi has left of his tenure as the Netherlands U21s boss will be determined by how far the country go in the upcoming U21s European Championships. This is the final opportunity for Van de Looi to showcase his work over the past five years, ever since initially [...]
Euro U21: Top 5 Midfielders – data analysis
Creative midfielders are the artists of the beautiful game and therefore, are very in demand from scouts if they go to watch tournaments like the U21 championship. These players possess a unique blend of vision, technique, and intelligence, which allows them to orchestrate the team's attacking movements and unlock stubborn defences with their creativity. They [...]
Euro U21: Portugal – tactical analysis
The Portugal U21 team have had a successful qualifying campaign securing their spot in the tournament with nine wins and one draw. The team’s convincing performances led to them being considered one of the Euro 2023 favourites along with the current European champions Germany. The coach Rui Jorge will be looking for revenge after leading [...]
Analysis
Euro U21 2023: Czech Republic – Tactical Analysis
The Czech Republic enters this year’s U21 European Championships hoping to go one step further than they have in the most recent iterations of this competition, having not made it past the group stages in 2015, 2017, and 2021, and failing to qualify for the U21 Euros in 2019. For this upcoming European Championships, the [...]
Norway
Euro U21: Norway – Tactical Analysis
Norway have been responsible for producing some outstanding talent over the years in men’s football, with the likes of current Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard, former Manchester United striker and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Chelsea legend Tore André Flo all hailing from within its shores. However, despite that, success on the international stage at the [...]
Analysis
Euro U21: Israel – Tactical Analysis
Almost 10 years later, without a presence in the UEFA U21 Championship, Israel’s national team has finally qualified for a final phase in this competition. With six victories, three draws, and three defeats, Guy Luzon’s side was second in the qualifying stage, right behind the powerful German team. In a very difficult group with England [...]
Euro U21: Spain – tactical analysis
Spain has been a feared football nation since winning the EURO 2008, 2012, and FIFA World Cup 2010. From time to time, they have a good number of players emerging from academies across the country and this year’s Spain U21 is also the same. Since Luis de la Fuente has moved to the first team [...]
Are elite players developed or recruited by the biggest clubs?
I'm a Real Madrid fan. Guilty as charged. But visiting the hollowed grounds of La Masia has long been a bucket-list item. When I visited Barcelona, the will of the coach and analyst overpowered that of the fan. Taking in the glory of the humble farmhouse was breathtaking, sending memories of players and El Clásicos [...]
Euro U21: Five defenders to watch – data analysis
The 2023 UEFA European U21 Championship is set to kick off on Wednesday, 21st June. This tournament will provide a platform for some of Europe’s brightest upcoming talents to showcase their talents and abilities on a prestigious stage, perhaps doing their reputation some good when their name is mentioned thereafter. Germany are the defending champions [...]
Euro U21: Georgia – tactical analysis
The European U21 Championship provides a fantastic opportunity to watch the European football stars of tomorrow showcase their ability against each other. Starting in 1978 after replacing the U23 challenge cup, the tournament has created a platform for European talents to compete amongst each other at the highest level and has given us a glimpse [...]
Analysis
2024 Euro U21 Italy – Tactical Analysis
Italy boast one of the strongest and most exciting teams for the upcoming Euro U21 tournament. They have a team full of stars of their generation with a lot of professional experience, among whom several have excelled in the best teams in the country recently. Paolo Nicolato's side come into the competition off the back [...]
Euro U21: Switzerland – tactical analysis
Current Switzerland U21 manager Patrick Rahmen only took over in September 2022, by which point the qualification phase was already over and the Swiss had already progressed. They achieved this under previous manager Mauro Lustrinelli, who departed to take over at FC Thun. New boss Rahmen has had three fixtures in charge, all friendlies; a [...]
Group A: Player to watch out for: Fabio Silva(Portugal)
Fabio Silva, Wolves’ record signing from 2020, has not been playing for Wolves during the last year. Signed from Porto as an 18-year-old, Silva had a very difficult time in Wolverhampton during the first two seasons — not playing regularly and struggling to consistently find the back of the net. In the summer of 2022, [...]
Netherlands
Group A Player To Watch Out For – Ian Maatsen Of Netherlands
Some amazing talents have come out of the illustrious Chelsea academy over the years – players who have become established players at the top-level leagues across the globe. Ian Maatsen is one of those, although the 21-year-old is a Netherlands youth international and originally from the Feyenoord academy. Early in his youth career, he moved [...]
Croatia
Group B: Player To Watch – Roko Šimić From Croatia
Roko Šimić, on loan at FC Zürich from Red Bull Salzburg, is an exciting young forward advancing in his career hailing from Croatia. Šimić, naturally spending most of his youth career in Croatia and moving to the Austrian Bundesliga in 2021, will turn only 20 years old in September. He has been on loan at [...]
Nico González (Spain)
Group B Player To Watch Out For – Nico González (Spain) – Data Analysis
Barcelona’s famed La Masia has not been producing talent like it used to. However, there are still players from La Masia who have made it to the big stage. One among those recently is Nicolás González — also simply known as Nico. The 21-year-old, having played for Barcelona a decent number of times last season, signed [...]
Group C: Player to watch out for: Taylor Harwood-Bellis(England)
Burnley are back among the big boys of the Premier League next season after winning the championship title and getting promoted in Vincent Kompany’s first season in charge. One player who was pivotal for Clarets’ success was Manchester City loanee Taylor Harwood-Bellis. The centre-back was a regular in the starting XI under Kompany apart from [...]
Group C: Player to watch out for: Armel Bella-Kotchap(Germany)
It’s safe to say Southampton have had a sorry season. They are relegated to the championship and the way back to the Premier League may be difficult for the Saints. There have been a number of changes off the pitch in terms of staff leaving and there will be more changes as the club prepares [...]
Analysis
Group D Player To Watch: Nicolò Rovella (Italy)
Juventus made an interesting signing in the winter window of 2021 — bringing in Nicolò Rovella from Genoa. The midfielder born in 2001 remained in Genoa until the end of 2022 and did not make an appearance for Juventus until the beginning of this season. He then moved on loan to Monza in the summer [...]
Analysis
U21 Euros 2023 – Group D Player To Watch – Michael Olise (France)
Crystal Palace have made some shrewd signings in the last couple of summer transfer windows. In the summer of 2021, when the club lost several players through free transfers, Palace signed some top young players who have since become key parts of the current set-up. One such player is Michael Olise. Olise was signed from [...]
Euro U21: Ukraine- tactical analysis
Ukraine has produced incredible talent to don the stage across Europe over the past few years. From 2004 Ballon d'Or winner Andriy Shevchenko to Andriy Yarmolenko, and the recent Ukrainian and Chelsea superstar Mykhailo Mudryk, Ukraine’s U21 National team has seen many talented players turn out for them in tournaments that go on to have [...]
Euro U21: Top 5 Goalkeepers – data analysis
The UEFA European Under-21 Championship is about to start; it is scheduled for late June and teams are already preparing for this tournament in order to bring new talents to light and showcase them while aiming for the title. In fact, numerous teams are approximately on the same level at the moment and little details [...]
Analysis
Even before I was lucky enough to work in recruitment, the European U21 Championship was long my favourite of the international youth tournaments. While the U20 World Cup is always interesting, the sheer quality that would be on show in the European tournament has always made for compelling viewing. The tournament, for me, reached its [...]
Euro U21: Romania – tactical analysis
Romania are looking to be one of the tournament's breakout teams at this summer’s EURO U21 Championship, with a squad full of young players from their home country's SuperLiga, as well as some names who are playing in Europe's top leagues and will want to show the world their talent. Despite not boasting one of [...]