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Jon Mackenzie Profile picture
Jon Mackenzie
@Jon_Mackenzie
Writer and presenter @TheAthleticFC. Noticer™. Not CEO of AS Monaco. Out of possession is nine tenths of the lore.
2 subscribers
Nov 3 • 34 tweets • 10 min read
It’s Monday… and on Monday’s we notice.

And today we have a real treat because #DidYouNotice we got a masterclass from Pep Guardiola on how to cause problems for Andoni Iraola's famous press…? Image In fact, all three of City’s goals came from them exploiting this press to some degree or another...
Sep 29 • 31 tweets • 7 min read
It's a Monday... you know the drill...

So #DidYouNotice how Martin Odegaard changed the game for Arsenal in their comeback 2-1 win against Newcastle this weekend? Image If you did notice it, you're not the only one... here's what Eddie Howe had to say after the game:
Sep 21 • 13 tweets • 3 min read
There seems to be a bit of a debate going on about whether or not Guardiola/City specifically planned to play low block and counter vs Arsenal. Don't have any big opinions but these are some points I think are important: * Guardiola post-match makes it sound like City intended to play with more control in and out of possession but suggests that Arsenal limited them on both fronts hence why they were reduced to transitions
Sep 10 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
One of the things that the Liverpool-Arsenal game got me thinking about was the gradual shift we're seeing in build-up intentions in the European game. In the first half, Arsenal were able to press Liverpool well enough to prevent them from getting the sort of settled possession that they want to build their more direct attacks.
Sep 2 • 18 tweets • 5 min read
Guys, I have to get this off my chest because I'm analysing Brighton vs City and the City out of possession approach is blowing my mind... This is the set up vs goal kick. Here's the thing. City are going m2m with their front 5 players. Nothing odd there on paper until you realise they're going m2m against the GOALKEEPER as well. So it's CF->GK, WFs->CBs, CMs->CMs... Image
Sep 1 • 31 tweets • 7 min read
It’s a Monday and on Mondays, we notice so…

#DidYouNotice how Arne Slot swung the game in Liverpool’s favour against Arsenal this weekend? Image It’s pretty clear when you look at the per half data that @markrstats put out that this was a game of two halves… Image
Aug 18 • 36 tweets • 7 min read
In this week’s #DidYouNotice, I want us to have a think about Man United’s build up. You can catch the video at the end of this [thread]: Image Because there has been a lot of criticism of their build up under Amorim and rightly so.
Mar 31 • 35 tweets • 10 min read
It’s Monday! And the first Monday after my annual leave! So what better way to spend it than by noticing how my beloved Andoni Iraola lost to Manchester City!!!

So, yes. Here’s a thread on how Pep Guardiola used Bournemouth’s famous press against them [thread] Image Let’s start with some pressing theory: under Iraola, Bournemouth use a kind of press that I like to call “hybrid” pressing.
Mar 17 • 42 tweets • 11 min read
It’s Monday and so we’ve got some noticing to do…

And what a game we have at our disposal today with Newcastle’s first trophy win in 70 years which was achieved through Eddie Howe's creative use of this guy [thread] Image It was actually an incredibly interesting game on a number of levels but I think it can only truly be appreciated by viewing it through the lens of the 2-0 win Liverpool managed against Newcastle in the PL a few weeks ago. Image
Mar 10 • 43 tweets • 10 min read
It’s Monday, so we notice.

And today we’re noticing things about the Man United - Arsenal fixture which I thought gave us a new angle on some of Arsenal’s same-old problems in possession… [thread] Image Across the last few seasons, we’ve spent a lot of time talking about Arsenal’s ball progression.

The fact of the matter is, when they’re looking to build from the back, Arsenal have tended to play around the opposition block.
Feb 3 • 29 tweets • 9 min read
Ok. Ok. Settle down. I know it's a Monday afternoon and the transfer window is about to close but we are obliged to notice something before the day is out.

It couldn't be anything but Arsenal and let me tell you, I'm positively frothing to talk about their pressing [thread] Image Over the last few months, Arsenal have been quite interesting out of possession. Last season, they tended to defend out of a 442 shape (actually much more often a 442 diamond) with Martin Odegaard joining the front line next to the striker. Image
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Jan 27 • 27 tweets • 8 min read
Dearly beloved. We are gathered here this Monday afternoon to notice something from the weekend's football.

And oh me oh my... today we're actually talking about Manchester City! Because I noticed how important Josko Gvardiol was to City's win against Chelsea [thread] Image Last season, Pep Guardiola trialled a system which used full backs in a more traditional way - as width providers higher up the pitch.
Jan 20 • 38 tweets • 10 min read
Ah yes! Another Monday afternoon on our gradual trudge into the future…

Which means we notice! And today I’m noticing something that has maybe gone largely unremarked at Spurs given the general misery of things recently… but Postecoglou has been evolving… [thread] Image During his time at Spurs, Postecoglou has been accused of being too tactically inflexible by a lot of people (myself included tbh).
Jan 17 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
Positional play simply refers to a playstyle in which the positions of the players are used to generate tactical advantages. There is nothing about this definition that precludes players from changing positions in a "non-ordained" way. There's a concerted effort by a group of people on this app to persuade you that positional play is actually synonymous with the worst form of rigid structuralism you can find in football. They are doing this to give their approach more clout.
Jan 13 • 30 tweets • 7 min read
It’s Monday afternoon so we gird our mental loins and turn our minds to noticing things…

And today I want you to come with a bit of a thought experiment with me as we consider Arsenal’s FA Cup loss to Manchester United from the weekend… [thread] Image If I was a more flippant man, I might make some sort of glib comment here about how Arsenal try to turn everything into set pieces these days…
Dec 20, 2024 • 22 tweets • 4 min read
I keep getting @'d into a lot of online discourse about Ange Postecoglou and all kinds of things are being attributed to me so I thought I would just clarify a few things to save me having to reply to everyone: 1. I like Ange Postecoglou. I like him as a personality. I think he is a very good coach. I think the Premier League is a better league for having him in it. I hope Spurs keep him and he finds a way to make it work. I believe that he can. This is the context to everything I say.
Dec 11, 2024 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Seeing as it's going under the radar a bit, just a few observations on how Chelsea pressed Spurs' build up. Think we saw a few things that a lot of teams are doing against Spurs to cause them problems. The principle is be bold and press up against them and have a FB solution. Here's some of the key points: Image
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Dec 9, 2024 • 28 tweets • 8 min read
It's Monday. And on Mondays, we notice.

Today, we get to notice the impact that Enzo Maresca has been having at Chelsea which resulted in a 4-2 win from a 2-0 deficit vs Spurs yesterday... [thread] Image But rather than focusing on the obvious topic here - 'How did Maresca's tactical changes at half time influence the game?' - I'm aware that I've already done some noticing on a similar situation which you can read here:
Dec 2, 2024 • 28 tweets • 7 min read
I’m back from some time away but if anything that has simply made me even more insatiable when it comes to noticing.

And boy did we notice things about Liverpool! Swatting away City and doing it in a manner that Jurgen Klopp would have been proud of! [thread] Image What really struck me was how spot on Liverpool got the out-of-possession side of the game against Manchester City.
Nov 11, 2024 • 30 tweets • 10 min read
While the rest of you are trawling through David Coote’s Liverpool fixtures, I’m here noticing things because on Mondays, we notice.

Today it’s the next chapter in the story of how teams are setting up against Chelsea - and this weekend it was Arsenal’s turn! [thread] Image Before we get into that, though, here's the link to the thread detailing how Arne Slot responded to Chelsea's in-possession shape in case you want to do your homework beforehand...

Nov 4, 2024 • 35 tweets • 9 min read
It’s Monday afternoon and on Mondays, we notice. So buckle yourselves in for a discussion of Chelsea and Enzo Maresca’s decision to flip the system at half time in the game against Manchester United [thread] Image The thing is: Maresca completely flipped his system at half time and… it didn’t really work. So what went wrong? Image
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