Keith Andrews tactics are shaping Brentford's identity after his promotion to head coach. He’s been promoted internally to replace Thomas Frank, who was a brilliant coach and has now moved on to Tottenham Hotspur. While maintaining some of Frank’s principles, Andrews has already stamped his own identity on the side. This...
Brentford hosted Chelsea in matchweek 4 of the 2025/2026 Premier League season, which ended in a 2-2 draw. However, this matchup was far from monotonous, as fans witnessed end-to-end action; with four goals on the night, the fixture delivered on its promise to be exciting. The Bees opened the scoring without reply in...
While the UEFA Europa League is only the second biggest international stage in European football, we had an absolute big-name match-up going on on Thursday in Ajax against Galatasaray. Two of the biggest clubs in Europe facing off should always be an interesting matchup, but the situation before the game...
The highline in football is not a new concept but one that coaches still treat with some trepidation, mainly because it is rarely coached and often just told. Many coaches don't spend time on the skill of catching an opposition forward offside, but when teams employ a high press, coaching...
During the recent international break, England confirmed its qualification for the 2024 European Championships, to be held in Germany this summer, following a victory over defending champions Italy. While selecting some players into the Euros squad is considered a no-brainer, such as captain Harry Kane and world-class talent Jude Bellingham, other positions...
Is there a more polarising figure in football at the moment than Trent Alexander-Arnold? The 23-year-old Liverpool and England right-back is widely admired for his ability in the attacking phases and there are few if any players out there who have a more effective passing range than the young Englishman....
The highly anticipated UEFA Champions League 2021/2022 final saw two of the best teams in the world go up against each other. In the end, Real Madrid gained the edge in a very tight battle, winning their 14th Champions League title. The former AC Milan and Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti...
Breaking down a low block is something that top sides around the globe can face on a weekly basis. The reason opponents engage in defending in this way is to reduce the opportunity of being caught out and ensure they remain organised, stay compact, and consequently reduce space for the...
This month, I have finally gotten around to writing part two of my previous analysis on the transferable elements between American football and football set-pieces (also known as soccer to some). When originally planning the first article, I had planned to detail specific plays used in the NFL by teams, but became...
If you have read Jonathan Wilson’s extraordinary book Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Soccer Tactics, you are well aware of football’s historic march from attack-centred formations and subsequent footnotes. As the book portrays, football tactics started with attack-minded systems, then became more defensive in pursuing results. Tactical trends and formations followed...
Set-piece situations can define a team's season and secure vital points, which can be the difference between staying up and relegation, or between continental qualification and mid-table obscurity. As a result, like everything in football, more focus and detail are being put into set-pieces, with different strategies and trends used...
The showpiece event of European football took place at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid on Saturday evening. For the first time since 2008, the Champions League Final was an all-English affair, pitting Tottenham against Liverpool. Having been defeated in last year's final by Real Madrid, Liverpool were one of the...
