The efficiency and intelligence of the modern game is quite astounding. Positional play has produced extraordinary levels of synchronicity within teams. For the very best teams, the only word to describe their play is "mesmerizing." As a result, pressing has dramatically improved in recent decades. Because teams easily attacked space,...
The Premier League’s 2023/24 season is almost here. It’s the time of the year when clubs plan to buy and sell players. Some clubs planned ahead and made signings for this season in January 2023, and the rest are chasing the pack to sign the leftovers. After an excellent few...
The 2022/23 was a roller coaster for Bournemouth, which ended with them staying in the Premier League, finishing in the 15th position. However, the start of that campaign wasn’t the happiest time for the team and fans, with the sacking of Scott Parker after losing against Arsenal, Manchester City, and...
Bournemouth have surpassed expectations this season after a tragic opening month to the season. After sacking Scott Parker within a month of the season's opener, Gary O'Neil took the reigns and has since made Bournemouth a difficult team to play against. Although Bournemouth are not mathematically safe from relegation yet,...
At the end of August, Scott Parker was sacked by Bournemouth after a 9-0 drubbing at the hands of Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool. Now, almost exactly four months later, the Englishman has been hired as manager of the current Belgian champions, Club Brugge, after they sacked Carl Hoefkens. The former Tottenham Hotspur player...
Chelsea returned to winning ways and finished their five-game winless run since mid-October with a decisive convincing 2-0 win against Bournemouth in the Premier League. This victory takes Chelsea up to eighth and six points adrift of the top four, while the Cherries stay 14th and only three points above...
The seventh game of the Premier League season saw Newcastle United draw 1-1 at home to Bournemouth, with the home side coming from behind thanks to a VAR decision that caught spectators and players off guard in a tepid encounter at St James' Park. Prior to the match, Newcastle and...
Saturday saw Liverpool vs Bournemouth in the Premier League. We've broken down all the key stats for you to digest in this tactical analysis and provide insights around; * shot maps * pass flow * heatmaps * defensive actions * average positions and much more! We also try to answer...
Saturday saw Bournemouth vs Arsenal in the Premier League. We've broken down all the key stats for you to digest in this tactical analysis and provide insights around; * shot maps * pass flow * heatmaps * defensive actions * average positions and much more! We also try to answer...
On the opening weekend of the Premier League season, the newly promoted Bournemouth met an optimistic Aston Villa side with high expectations from spectators. This fixture looked quite simple for Aston Villa, with Bournemouth being the bookies' favourites to being relegated and not spending too much in the transfer market....
Even by our own standards at Total Football Analysis, this tactical theory article is on the niche side, I understand. However, details matter, and some teams pay a lot of attention to how they kick off. This isn’t the majority — in fact, when researching this article and watching an...
While the regular EFL Championship season may have concluded, with Norwich City and Watford having bounced straight back up to the Premier League following relegation last season, the identity of the third team to join them will take the scenic route through the playoffs, with Brentford, Swansea, Barnsley and Bournemouth...
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...
In a game marred by some horrific refereeing decisions, Bournemouth and Wolves shared the spoils at the Vitality Stadium. The man in the middle, Roger East, got a number of things wrong, including, but not exclusive to, a handball by Chris Mepham in the penalty area which went unpunished, an elbow from...
Who would’ve thought that the guy that played for the non-league Tamworth six years ago would make his England debut anytime soon? Callum Wilson’s first cap didn’t come the easy way as the Englishman had quite some time to build on his self-confidence and work hard so he can find...
