thing that makes him an exceptionally dangerous transition player as well as a penetrative dribbler against a block.
of the box and shoot. Straight line dribblers. Defenders prefer this as it is more predictable. Your worst nightmare is a guy that always runs towards goal, backs you up, forces you to commit or risk letting him get to shooting range. Think Martial v Skrtel. You can't just back off.
More just a
I don't say any of this as a criticism. What he has - the ability to run at players and destabilise a block from the side is fucking exceptional at this age. A rare and expensive to acquire quality.
Most wingers learn that its easier to just go outside and clip crosses in, or cut across the front
your number 1 target as a defending team is delay. Not trying to win the ball (the risk of removing yourself is too high) but in slowing down the verticality - and ideally get the player facing his own goal or passing backwards outside your shape. They achieve both here.
even if you are in possession in the same spot on the pitch for both, you are only 0.7% likely of scoring in that possession compared to 2% beforehand.
Verticality. Making sure you move the ball towards goal quicker than opponents can get back is the key to effective transitions. And that is why
an opponent. As a rough estimate.
So if your chances of scoring on the halfway line with 5 opponents closer to goal than the ball in a transition is 2%, it rises to 2.4% if you remove an opponent. But if you add an opponent it drops to 1.67%.
To go from 5 to 9 opponents behind the ball, ends
In defensive transitions, your saviour is delay. Find a way to slow down the verticality of the opposition and have players in your team willing to run hard to get back behind the ball.
While it is an exponential curve, you can say that your chances of scoring increase by 20% every time you remove
Rio still looks an amazing talent
The biggest thing he needs to learn now is when to NOT run the ball. Here for example, with the right passes we likely end up 4v4 or 3v3. Instead he carries into the middle of the pitch, gets turned facing his own goal - passes back and WW have 9 men behind the ball
This is shite. LFCHistory is easily the best Liverpool FC content out there. If you have any internet skills to help them out, please do!
Another example for the long list...
If something can be explained with variance, it is almost always variance.
Phoenix Rising have been doing some interesting stuff, so we looked at that over at @analyticsfc.bsky.social
analyticsfc.co.uk/blog/2026/01...
Nobel Peace Prize, my ass
someones football manager career on youtube as a source for something I was asking it about a player for example.
If you are going to use it - assume it will be wrong. Check and test rigorously its answers. The problem is when you cannot and are relying on it entirely.
Also prompting it with 'rules' before you start. No hype. No exaggeration. Highlight clearly when assumptions are made.
I caught it using
Article superbly highlights a lot of the problems I am encountering with AI. Its primary aim doesn't seem to be accuracy but a desire to please.
But also, it adds hype and exaggeration as it learns to mimic language that influencers use and states everything as absolute fact with 100% conviction.
He didn't stand out. Vitor Roque looked good. Has a touch of the Neymars in how he gets "injured" every time he is tackled and rolls around. I do like him though.
Mauricio also impressed. Was meant to be on the wing but was absolutely everywhere.
The Palmeiras LCB was also good. Name escapes me
Luighi - on the bench for them - is one of the players who popped out most in Brazilian youth football in the past in data I was tracking. Already starting for Brazil at U20 level at the world cup
Allan starts for Palmeiras v Sao Paulo in about 30 minutes in the Paulistão semi final.
Palmeiras striker Vitor Roque is worth a watch. Also 21.
16 in Brasileirão last year. 4 in his last 4 games. Turned down an offer from the gulf states last year apparently.
www.espn.com.br/futebol/palm...
Remember he had a horror game in the cup against Chelsea fairly early on - where we left space all around him and he was just dragged around the pitch having no impact. Many were writing him off.
Then was outstanding by December.
happening very well for us in Robbo & Fabinho's first seasons.
Grav was a little thrown to the Wolves though. Wirtz initially struggled but has been absolutely ridiculous for a few months now. I hope the same is true of Isak. Frimpong's stop start season is hard but he is showing glimpses.
This was about a year ago.
Its great when new guys walk in the door and immediately raise the bar in their position.
More often though, especially at a club this size, they need a minute. So you need the other in their position to hold things down while you phase them in.
I remember that
I had seen enough at Bournemouth to be on board. And agreed, it was just a few iffy moments in games. Lots of players in the pats have talked about the change in pressure coming here and feeling it and needing to settle into it.
Think we saw that with Grav too in his first season.
Really starting to enjoy Kerkez's performances. He looks like a superb signing who could nail down the LB spot for the next 8-10 years.
Are you shocked that a 21 year old moving to Liverpool had a few iffy games at the start here?
I'm even more shocked how many were keen to write him off.
The 'sources' in Brazil seem to be fan-owned/ran sites.
It is similar to how I view this for EPL clubs - often overstated. Guestimating. Exaggerating for engagement. Sometimes they will be on the mark with things and there could be a nugget of truth (we contacted them?).
🥶🥶🥶
This is the best summation of VAR and the extraordinarily incompetent PMGOL I’ve seen 👌
It is still amazing they let that Diaz decision stand. They knew it was wrong - all of them - and just went along with it because they couldn't stop the game and say 'we made a mistake on that call 10 seconds ago'
Very much so. Defender near side played him on.
Yesterday morning kids were sent running from their bus stop in panic because ICE showed up. This guy at today’s ICE Out of Lindenwold protest is a must watch 😭. @maddow.bsky.social
VAR has become a bulletproof cloak that PGMOL have wrapped themselves in.
We wanted VAR because PGMOL are dogshit. Predictable, giving shit people a new tool produces shit results.
PGMOL implemented it in the most dogshit way. VAR took the flak, not them.
