This week's column is all about how tactical innovation doesn't always need to be future-facing.
In their last two games, Pep Guardiola has won the battle of build-up vs Mikel Arteta by posing an old problem to his team.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/721...
This is so good. My favorite theme that pops up throughout is the problem of what a ref can know, why applying the rules all the time is something nobody wants, and why judgment is therefore needed.
I was thinking of you
In one window too! You'd think a Liverpool fan would pipe down in the circs.
When Arteta took over at Arsenal in 2019, the club had failed to live up to expectations for years. But he managed to turn them around and make them title challengers.
On our show this week, we ask: If Man United appoint Carrick in 2026, can he do the same thing?
youtu.be/lTXVb6I9n7k
On paper, this is a podcast episode all about refereeing and VAR, but there's also a quiz about the films with the most instances of the word "fuck", a story about how my mate got the Archbishop of Canterbury to say "minge", and Joe learns a new word.
open.spotify.com/episode/1dht...
Thank you!
Some people are calling it the best RfA yet...
Trigger warning: Joe's massive face
On paper, this is a podcast episode all about refereeing and VAR, but there's also a quiz about the films with the most instances of the word "fuck", a story about how my mate got the Archbishop of Canterbury to say "minge", and Joe learns a new word.
open.spotify.com/episode/1dht...
NEW: Andoni Iraola will leave AFC Bournemouth better than he found it. His dynamic, direct approach brought the best out of many players — an entertaining alternative to the Premier League’s tenser teams.
Reflecting on his brilliant Basque-inspired Cherries: www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Not at all!
Pep Guardiola used Liam Rosenior's tactic against him to help Manchester City to a 3-0 win over Chelsea...
@jonmackenzie.bsky.social
Did You Notice: my first DYN column is up on the website?
This one is all about how Liam Rosenior's plan to keep Nico O'Reilly quiet worked... until it didn't...
www.nytimes.com/athletic/719...
I think this was an internet buy tbh
*shrug*
By the way, a lot of you on here have complained that I don't upload my Twitter thread which accompanies this video on BlueSky.
Well, good news! As of tomorrow, these threads will actually be posted as full articles on The Athletic and I will share the link on here.
This week's Did You Notice video is all about how Chelsea tried to stop Nico O'Reilly but in the end it didn't work...
I know that probably doesn't answer the question you asked, but I hate seeing fans torn up around thorny issues when the people who actually made the initial decision sleep soundly in their beds at night. This isn't on you so just do what *you* need to do for your own good conscience.
If you feel that you can't watch anymore in good conscience, then don't. If you do, then do. Either way, you are not morally culpable for the decision your club took, so you shouldn't feel racked by the weight of anything outside of your own gut feeling.
One thing I like to remind fans of clubs is that you don't bear the moral burden for the decisions your clubs make. When it comes to these sorts of tricky situations, you are only responsible for your own behaviour I think.
On today's show, we explore an aspect of De Zerbi's football that isn't really talked about but which could be decisive going into the last 7 games of the season: the defensive aspect.
Will an improvement in possession even matter if Spurs can't defend better?
youtu.be/OX2JKU13Phg
On today's show, we explore an aspect of De Zerbi's football that isn't really talked about but which could be decisive going into the last 7 games of the season: the defensive aspect.
Will an improvement in possession even matter if Spurs can't defend better?
youtu.be/OX2JKU13Phg
This week's post for the @thetransferflow.bsky.social is on Middlesbrough, and how their season has unfolded since hiring Kim Hellberg in November. I wrote about:
- The uniqueness of Hellberg-ball
- Very strong underlyings
- Attack going cold at the wrong time
www.thetransferflow.com/p/how-middle...
How Pep Guardiola got Manchester City to open Liverpool up by playing backwards 🔎
@jonmackenzie.bsky.social
Our Show this week is out a day early because of the Easter weekend and it's all about the miraculous rise of PSG...
But although they're very good, they're not unbeatable. So here's some of the ways we found that you can beat them.
youtu.be/yTl3LwQCS-k
Just a weak pun
Our Show this week is out a day early because of the Easter weekend and it's all about the miraculous rise of PSG...
But although they're very good, they're not unbeatable. So here's some of the ways we found that you can beat them.
youtu.be/yTl3LwQCS-k
Just realised that James Blunt's You're Beautiful was preceded by over 150 years by John Keats' To a Woman Seen for a few Moments at Vauxhall
