This guy gave me butterflies for all the wrong reasons every time the ball went near his goal - even if it was a back pass…
Probably the biggest stinker of a tournament from an established world class player in his prime of this tournament…
Germany feature heavily here as their defence was truly shocking and devoid of leadership. Serbia also get a mention here as it ultimately destroyed their campaign…
Maehle was also a strong contender for this role but Olivera came into this tournament on the back of strong form at club level…
Tielemans will never be world class. This tournament was just further evidence of that fact..
The heir to Eriksen disappointed heavily and failed to live up to the hype generated on the back of his Euro performances.
The faces that never seem to fit… Bergwijn and Torres are a proven formula that will rarely if ever exceed expectations
Was a tough one leaving Cristiano out but the man has suffered enough and he is 37 years old.. he shouldn’t have been at the World Cup in the first place. What is David’s excuse?
Agree? Disagree? What would be your XI..
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➡️ Yamal sat deep to great effect 1H
➡️ Enrique gambled with Hakimi positioning
➡️ Thus Rashford had acres of space BUT
➡️ Martin brutally exposed by Hakimi/Barcola gangbang
➡️ Vitinha initially quiet but held firm v Pedri
DEEP DIVE👇
Starting XI's... Barca with a 4-2-3-1, PSG with a 4-3-3.
Notably no Dembele, Doue, Kvara, Marquinhos and Neves... away from home, and beating a pretty strong Barca side is impressive.
Barcelona fans can console themselves that there is still other midfield options they can toy around with, Lewa and Balde not in the side, or Joan Garcia.
So ultimately more of a feeler out game rather than both sides at full full strength.
First tactical choice which really stood out was Yamal's positioning in this game. He sat deeper, almost sucking in Mendes as a marker and used his passing to bring his team mates into the game.
This left Pacho exposed to runs in behind and because Yamal can suck in multiple defenders, he was finding his team mates who were now in acres of room. This included Torres running in behind and Kounde on the underlap driving from deep.
Giovanni Leoni - ULTIMATE Scout Report (Video v Data)
Big, physical, proactive and a real presence inside the box but can he play ball or is he an Italian De Ligt? I was taken aback by what I saw.
Let’s break down what he brings and what he doesn’t - for Liverpool 👇
#LFC
Aerial Ability (Eye Test)
💪 6ft 4 at age 18 allied with an explosive spring, strong shoulders, on paper complete package aerially.
⚡ Quick off the mark, inside the box - can make the first step and get in ahead meeting the ball first
🔍 Reads trajectory EXTREMELY well and adjusts positioning
Summary: Premier league ready in terms of aerial ability. He would relish a battle with a forward who is a brute inside the box... and if Liverpool are defending deep, facing a bombardment of crosses at the death - holding on to a lead... Leoni is an asset.
Aerial Ability (Data)
📈 64.5% aerial duels won
🥅 0.07 headed goals per 90
✅ Outperform - Araujo, De Ligt
Summary: High win rate makes him reliable in defensive set-piece scenarios AND adds attacking threat at corners which could prove valuable for Liverpool in tight matches away from home where set-pieces decide games.
➡️ Ideal foil for Slot system
➡️ Trivela pass from LIF = tap in by Mo
➡️ Can drift deep & rotate with Mo
➡️ Becomes 4321 with Salah CF IP
➡️ Encouages LFC to dominate territory
➡️ Fast combo with Wirtz edge of box
A THREAD 🧵
#LiverpoolFC
1️⃣ Telstar Index Breakdown
✅ A high-level carrier
✅ A high-level connector
✅ A natural provider
This makes him perfect for Salah. He drops deep, feeds runners, links play.
Mo shifts from wide support to central finisher… the ideal foil in a two-man frontline.
2️⃣ The 4-3-2-1 Shift
A 4-3-2-1 rather than a 4-2-3-1 could make Salah more efficient in terms of pitch coverage. Saves his ageing legs - not that there is any sign of slowdown yet.
With Frimpong + Robertson holding width, Salah finally plays inside, not stuck wide like with Trent.
Ekitike can also take up LIF position which allows Liverpool to go diamond, put another body into midfield and make their attack even more unpredictable.
Club World Cup Preview [Thread]
Is this a lopsided competition dominated by Europe or can we find some hidden gems in the global game?
Are Messi's Inter Miami overrated? And which Minnows can win the tournament?!
Let's use ELO to answer those questions 📊
by @sjatfkb
What is ELO? 🤔
Imagine every team has a ‘strength score that ticks up or down after each match—unexpected wins move the needle more.
Created by Árpád Elo, it’s great for tracking who’s hot or cold. It's commonly used in chess but we can apply it to Football
So what does the ELO landscape look like?
As you'd expect the Big 5 leagues lead the way in terms of overall league strength. But what becomes apparent is that certain leagues have outlier teams punching above their weight - and several are heading to the CWC.
- Regardless of formation, he should feature centrally
- With freedom to roam wide, deep and in behind
- Why him?
- Post Salah, he becomes the spinal figure...
- This another VVD/Alisson moment - core component
A THREAD 👇
#LFC
If we look at Liverpool's chief creators outside of Trent, and even Trent for that matter we can see there is no one who truly masters creative play in the efficient or pure volume sense.
Salah, Mac Allister, Szobo have elements but it is a collective excercise.
Through balls in particular, Liverpool don't really use them super precisely to open up sides.
Wirtz on the other hand is a master of killer passing. He's a chance creation machine whose looking to slide balls in and unlock defences. He is a true 10 and a throwback maestro who takes it on himself to supply his team mates.