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What if Lionel Messi were available?
Imagine for a moment that Lionel Messi was leaving Barcelona, and he really wanted to join your team. Imagine budget wasn’t an issue (stay with me), but that he was a totally wrong fit for your team’s style of play. Would you still sign him?
For pretty much any club, the answer to this would be […]
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Liberal football
We all know that culture matters. It’s not as easy to quantify – either objectively or subjectively – as talent, but we know that at the margins it can make a difference between winning and losing.
It feels right that culture can also influence the way in which we play too. Directors at clubs have often […]
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The pressure to attack
All clubs recognise that football is a results industry, but many would also say that providing entertainment is more important than it has ever been. Clubs and leagues’ competition is no longer just other teams or even sports, it’s often TV box sets and video games.
This shift has coincided with an era of coaches […]
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Pass and move
In terms of on-field output, there are broadly two things a team can try and control: how they play, and how well they play. Unfortunately, as we all know, one is harder to influence than the other.
We often feel that making a strategic decision to change our team’s playing style can have a significant and […]
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The Money League trend
The 21st annual Deloitte Money League report highlights the rate of financial growth at the top of the game, with revenues up 6% in the top 20 and as much as 58% for Leicester City and 46% for Internazionale.
Combined with our own World Super League, which ranks teams globally in one ‘league table’ based on […]
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The right head coach
Barely two months into the season, and ten men have already lost their jobs as head coach or manager of clubs in England, Spain, Germany and Italy’s top divisions. This level of turnover is now an accepted part of the game, despite it being a clear inefficiency.
Recruiting a head coach is a tougher task than […]
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Where should we loan him?
Loaning out a young player comes with risk. There is no guarantee it will continue his development any better than staying at ‘home’, not to mention the uncertainties around putting him at the mercy of often unknown coaches, players and physios.
However, without some risk there is often no reward, so the question turns to finding […]
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The underdog theory
It’s been a remarkable week for footballing underdogs: on Monday Leicester City completed their astonishing title charge, while 24 hours later Atlético Madrid reached a second Champions League final in three years.
Theories abound as to the reasons for their extraordinary success, ranging from team spirit to the degree of luck enjoyed. A discussion of these […]
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Copying Spain
Between 2008 and 2012 Barcelona and Spain’s possession-heavy playing style led to unparalleled domestic and international success. Tactically, the game across the continent shifted, led by an effort to mimic some of the best aspects of these teams.
What people also noticed was that Spain and Barcelona were winning trophies with players well under six foot […]
