The Devil's DNA

The Tactics Podcast | Can Atletico Madrid Sustain Their La Liga Title Challenge? Get Football Daily · Episode

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Get Football: The Tactics Podcast | Can Atletico Madrid Sustain Their La Liga Title Challenge? In this episode of the Get Football Tactics Podcast, Neel and Varun are joined by Spanish football expert Jamie Kemp to discuss Atlético Madrid's season so far. They touch on their interesting sum...

- Recovery from a rocky start
- Shift from back 5 to back 4
- Superb use of subs & 2nd half impact
- Season outlook and predictions

Can Atletico Madrid Sustain Their La Liga Title Challenge?

Link: podfollow.com/get-football...

With @jamiemkemp.bsky.social & @shelatneel.bsky.social ttx

The Tactics Podcast | Pioli to Fonseca to Conceicao: Are Milan on the Right Track? Get Football Daily · Episode

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Get Football: The Tactics Podcast | Pioli to Fonseca to Conceicao: Are Milan on the Right Track? In this episode of the Get Football Tactics Podcast, Neel, Varun and Alex discuss Milan's recent coaching changes. After analysing the circumstances around Paulo Fonseca's arrival at the start of t...

This week's episode is about AC Milan. We discussed in detail why Fonseca was fired & what was good & bad about his stint, but also zoomed out to figure out where Milan are headed in terms of 2 managerial hires in quick succession & Conceicao's tactics.
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yeah thats the hope!

Overall, I still stand by the idea that Hojlund can become an elite CF at his peak. His physical & technical profile enables him to be a good mover & efficient shooter. If he can scale up his shot numbers as United improve under Amorim, he can enjoy a great peak. That's the hope

3) Coaching: Hojlund's ability to generate shots can improve. Some potentia areas:
- Right foot usage
- Shots from non comfort zone positions (RHS, distance)
- Use of (his good) carrying to create separation for shot
- Aerial threat (Hojlund's run-and-jump timing can be better)

2) Tactical: Team not being able to generate space & enter final 3rd with patience has been a long-standing issue. Service & more importantly right type of service impacts CF the most. As we progress as a team & work more on final 3rd, that should improve
bsky.app/profile/thed...

With Rashford's (& maybe Zirkzee's) future in doubt, it would be wise to recruit an off-ball threat SS type profile who can play both AM & CF. Would help Hojlund when both are on pitch & rotate at CF to reduce goal burden. Would compliment Bruno, Amad, Mount & Garnacho too.

Hojlund had this with Lookman, who profiles close to Rashford. Even as AM Lookman would make opposing channel & box runs to Hojlund so that one of them could be the foil to the other at a given time. Rashford was being played RAM before the exile & I think LF-RF split was idea.

So, what are the solutions?

1) Team building: Amorim's ideal 3-4-3 has 1 AM who joins CF like a SS often forming a front 2 & splitting striker runs (like far post & near post). My hope was Rashford could split run-and-finish work with Hojlund, but his exile has hurt this plan.

In a sense, he's gone further into his comfort zones instead of breaking out of them. The ideal development was for him to add variety in shooting & find more ways to generate shots. We rarely see awkward or odd-position or dirty shots from Hojlund - a trait good scorers have.

Left-side bias in shooting that @jakeent.bsky.social mentions was something I noticed at Atalanta too. And with shot opportunities reducing due to poor creation at Man Utd, both volume & bias issues have become worse - he takes much lesser shots & much more from preferred left-side.

In fact, it can be argued that shooting a lot with avg or slightly above avg conversion rates is probably better than shooting less with high conversion rate. You'd rather be an elite shot-generator than have elite efficiency. In the long run, CFs who shoot a lot score a lot.

Firstly, point on shooting less is valid. I hyped his shooting efficiency & goals/shot from Atalanta time. He was scoring a goal every 6 shots & only an in-form Osimhen fared better. But that came while shooting less. Trend of high conversion but low volume continues at Man Utd.

Hojlund's next steps to evolve - THREAD

Great piece below on Hojlund. Nuanced & insightful. Matches my thoughts from the article I did on him + threads on him since move to Man Utd. Have comments on issues raised & solutions to help him evolve & reach his potential.
Short 🧵

The Tactics Podcast | 2024 Team of the Year and Awards

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Get Football: The Tactics Podcast | 2024 Team of the Year and Awards In this episode of the Get Football Tactics Podcast, Neel, Alex and Varun look back at 2024. They start with a team of the year draft, with each host building an XI for their coach of the year pick...

Are you tired of mainstream awards based on popularity, PR & trophies?

We cover:
- Our 3 Best XIs
- Team awards (Best high press, Best build up etc)
- Coach awards (Best in-game subs, Most overrated coach etc)

podfollow.com/get-football...

@shelatneel.bsky.social @alexanderbarker.bsky.social ttx

No, we were just losing more when palying with FBs and taking aggressive shots against teams sitting back with a lead. Our shot quality was worse.

The Tactics Podcast | Is Ange Postecoglu's Tottenham Project On Track? Get Football Daily · Episode

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Get Football: The Tactics Podcast | Is Ange Postecoglu's Tottenham Project On Track? In this episode of the Get Football Tactics Podcast, Neel, Varun and Alex analyse Tottenham Hotspur's season so far. They look at how the team has evolved since Ange Postecoglu's arrival at the sta...

Tottenham have scored the most goals in the PL (39) & yet have 4 losses in their last 5 games and are in the bottom half. Our experts investigate.

Is Ange Postecoglu's Tottenham Project On Track?

Link: podfollow.com/get-football...

With @shelatneel.bsky.social & @alexanderbarker.bsky.social ttx

Not that I've seen. We pass and shoot more but thats mainly because we've been trailing more so have more of the ball and take more desperate shots. There is no negative impact on open play defence.

ttx

Amad main reason but his vertical threat also creates space for opposite WB/AM to execute more carries into final 3rd. Notice we take shots closer to goal in winger scenario.

My suggestions:
- Always start Amad/Antony at RWB
- Try Garnacho at LWB (my Amorim article hot take)

[Impact of winger at wingback, Amorim's first 7 Manchester United games, EPL 24/25]

When a winger plays WB, team has ~2x carries & 30% more progressive carries & carries into final 3rd. This leads to better shots within box, resulting in 9 goals compared to 0 when FBs play WBs.

Was looking at Man Utd data of when a winger plays WB vs when both fullbacks play at wingback. The headline stat is - all 9 goals in PL under Amorim have come when a winger played WB. We are yet to score with FBs at WB.

More insight into why that happens in a viz later today.

Thanks a lot. Means so much

Varun's work is outstanding if you're interested in a) Manchester Utd, and/or b) tactical and data analysis (football/soccer) in general. Highly recommend following him and his work^^

It's out here!
bsky.app/profile/thed...

My guess is: as we evolve as a team & become confident & clear - 1) Amorim will push for more central progression patterns 2) Playmaker CMs, build up CBs & vertically progressive WBs might be targeted in future.

That's all I had. This took some time, so RTs appreciated.
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