That's a problematic take imo. The idea that you need to play defensive to fight relegation is mostly based on confirmation bias: If a defensive team gets relegated, noone questions their approach. If an attacking team stays in the league, they are overlooked. Swansea? Hello??

https://twitter.com/OfficialVizeh/status/1865713766131970177

There are many examples of teams who would potentially fight relegation and don't even get into trouble because they are able score and grab enough win. Swansea, Werder Bremen, Nagelsmann with Hoffenheim. Brentford has the 4th worst defense in the EPL, but scored 2nd most goals!

As usual when it comes to extreme streaks of good/bad results, ManCity's crisis is the result of a multitude of factors. Thread about what I think are the main issues:

1. Fitness & Rodri
2. (Increasingly) Strong opponents
3. Lack of sharpness in possession
4. Finishing streak 1.) Fitness & Rodri: City conceded about 2xg in all of their lost games. That's alarming and underlines how this is not an unlucky streak, but they fundamentally lack stability. Rodri is one reason for that, the other is fitness and their possession (see point 3).

A train of thought about classical coaching, modern coaching and future coaching: Oldschool coaching is mostly individual improvement in specific situations. Which is a logical approach, but it's ineffective because in football there are so many situations with so many options. Newschool coaching massively decreased this sort of micro-management and focuses on the team-level. You want to control what situations appear and be best prepared to solve these together. Optimally, you'll prepare players individually for these SPECIFIC situations.

Translation of the recent thread about Bayern and the general issue of impatience in positional play under the mental pressure of being forced to win.

This pressure leads to impatience, impatience distorts decision making.

This also changes what's a winning mindset. The classic winning mentality is what Joshua Kimmich has down to a tee: When things are going badly, when it counts, step on the gas even more. Will, commitment.

(It's somewhat ironic that Kimmich of all people is now being criticised for doing exactly what is usually demanded).

Langer Gedanke über Bayern & generell Teams, die "zum Siegen verdammt sind", ich find's auch vergleichbar mit der Situation vom BVB vor 2-3 Jahren:

Mentaler Druck führt zu Ungeduld. Ungeduld verzerrt deine Entscheidungen.

Das ändert auch, was "Siegermentalität" konkret ist: Die klassische Siegermentalität ist, was Joshua Kimmich bis zum Anschlag hat: Wenn es schlecht läuft, wenn es drauf ankommt, gib noch mehr Gas. Wille, Einsatz.

(Stück weit ironisch, dass ausgerechnet Kimmich nun kritisiert wird, der genau macht, was immer gefordert wird.)

I think this debate can be broken down to some very clear and practical question: when the opponent shifts towards the ball, do we try to play through them on their strong side or do we try to switch and play through them on their weak side?

https://twitter.com/Jon_Mackenzie/status/1738534758424936734

When I am this player and the ball is on the far side, I am not directly involved in the play, so I can do two things: Prepare for the moment where the ball comes to my side or move towards the ball to help there.

Hajduk Split reaches the finals of the UEFA Youth League with an impressive 3-1 win over AC Milan after beating Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund too. First of all congratulations to my former club and the U-19 team and coaching staff!

I worked 3 years for Hajduk as... [1/x] ...the first assistant coach of the U-19/U-21 with @MarioDespotovic and as the Academy's Head of Tactical Planning and Analysis. Some thoughts and insights about what made this success possible:

The core of football tactics and its evolution is to give all players a function. The great ideas of football are all about involving the whole team in one concept. That even applies to man-marking and Catenaccio. More obviously to "total football", positional play and pressing. Teams that are (tactically) bad, who are not coached, usually have the problem of often having several players in positions where they can't do anything and have no effect on the game. You effectively play a temporary 9v11, 8v11, not an 11v11.

Goal analysis of Napoli's 1:1 in the 1:6-win over Ajax: What looks like a simple cross in the end, was a result of good compactness and good pressing, two crucial possession mistakes from Ajax, a great 3v3-solution and a fantastic showcase from left-back Mathías Olivera. Starts from a throw-in where Ajax seems to lack an idea of how to solve it. Two simple back-passes that Napoli uses to cut them from the far side. Winger pushs forward onto the center-back, a typical move in the 4-3-3 that Ajax also uses frequently.

I'll start my goal analyses with the deciding goal from Real Madrid in the CL finals against Liverpool. Great attack from them, especially by Modric and Carvajal who got an advantage back after losing it. Starting point was a throw-in. Good solution from Real to switch to the far side. Perhaps Liverpool could have stopped it here already with perfect defending. Position from Diaz questionable, could have had access to the square pass without taking a risk.

Was noch mal unterstreicht, was ich schon seit paar Saisons sage: Die Bundesliga ist mittlerweile eine "Trainerhölle", weil das Niveau der Trainer so hoch, die Konkurrenz so gut ist. Extrem schwer für jeden. Das führt zu unrealistischen Erwartungshaltungen.

https://twitter.com/TobiasEscher/status/1527602362814275584

Die Top 3 der Premier League waren vorher in der Bundesliga. Und selbst Klopp und Tuchel hatten schwächere Saisons in Deutschland. Glasner gewinnt die EL, wird in der Bundesliga nur Elfter. Hütter, Kohfeldt, Marsch, Favre, etc, da scheitert ne Menge Qualität.