Writer and presenter @TheAthleticFC. Out of possession is nine tenths of the lore. Order my book now - https://teapawt.net/t.co/o2tbJxCpwz
Joined September 2011
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If you want to know why the Premier League feels like such a strange place tactically already this season, I wrote a book about it and you can buy it here:
geni.us/TheSpectreOfPep
Jon Mackenzie retweeted
Leeds are 7th through 8 matches, and in some ways represent where the PL is at in 2026. This week's post for @TheTransferFlow looks at Leeds attack, including:
- Utilizing physicality going forward
- Set-piece reliance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin's brilliance thetransferflow.com/p/leeds-…
Jon Mackenzie retweeted
If you are interested, I wrote about Salida Lavolpiana returning into mainstream prior to the Champions League final:
szabopeet.substack.com/p/psg…
There is a special place in hell reserved for people who make comments on videos making corrections to the video on topics that are addressed in the video. Flee! Flee from the wrath to come!
Looking forward to attending a launch event for George's book this evening. If you can't make it to the event, this post explains what the book is all about.
“This is why I tell people FADA! is a portrait of a club and a city.”
“The thread of attachment, belonging, and the price attached to it is one of the major themes when it comes to these human stories.”
My latest for @VirageFootball on my first book.
viragedispatches.substack.co…
Always a pleasure to be invited onto @SecondCaptains and chat with the virtuoso @kenearlys. This time, I went on to discuss my book, The Spectre of Pep.
You can listen here:
patreon.com/secondcaptains/p…
(Via @markrstats)
Jon Mackenzie retweeted
𝑫𝒊𝒅 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆: It's a cliche, but it always looked like Spurs 'had an extra player' against Chelsea.
In his regular series, @Jon_Mackenzie examines how Spurs' created and exploited the use of 'free players' in their victory at Stamford Bridge.
Jon Mackenzie retweeted
My Did You Notice? piece this week is about how sometimes "sportuguese" is permissable. Because Spurs really did feel like they had an extra player vs Chelsea.
nytimes.com/athletic/7726980…
My Did You Notice? piece this week is about how sometimes "sportuguese" is permissable. Because Spurs really did feel like they had an extra player vs Chelsea.
nytimes.com/athletic/7726980…
First time I saw Harry Kane, he was on the bench for Leicester behind Chris Wood and Jeff Schlupp. So, you know... never give up on your dreams!
This is what this is really about btw
teapawt.net/HKane/status/211485851…
I may be misremembering but I remember a general consensus in the summer that Liverpool might regret passing up the chance for Alonso. Iraola's Liverpool still a long way off competancy but I wonder if that consensus has shifted at this point?
We did a Build Your Perfect GK with Joe Hart on our channel with a focus on current PL keepers. Zion Suzuki picked up more categories than any other keeper. Seems Joe Hart knows ball...
Jon Mackenzie retweeted
Highly recommend @Jon_Mackenzie's book The Spectre of Pep.
The section that dives into Mourinho's approach, tactical periodisation and comparison to Conte particularly interesting.
We are seeing this playing out right now and is the reason why Mourinho was picked to manage (not micro-manage) this group of players.
Teams have gotten so good at a) building up and then creating against loose defensive units and b) so good at defending against build-ups that aren't very clearly defined and the players' ability to 'decide' games with moments is going to be key for him to succeed. Will it be enough?
Jon Mackenzie retweeted
Col tempo ho trovato l'utilizzo di "relazionale" - che di per sè sostituisce "funzionale" nella definizione originale - abbastanza limitante se non molto controproducente, poiché il discorso viene sempre posto come una guerra tra opposti che non prevede posizioni a metà, oltre a un sacco di confusione online (soprattutto qui) su come si manifesta in campo.
È vero che dobbiamo trovare un lessico/linguaggio comune per definire certe cose e ha senz'altro avuto successo da questo punto di vista, ma - considerando che il gioco vive/vivrà di relazioni a prescindere dalla struttura - trovo più utile parlare semplicemente di prossimità e mobilità (incentivata) in funzione degli spazi.
Secondo me c’è ancora della confusione sul tema posizionismo/relazionismo (spero che la traduzione automatica di X non mi freghi in questo caso): nell’azione citata il movimento di Valle, e in generale tutto lo sviluppo dell’azione è classica dei concetti posizionali
Cercherò prossimamente di mostrare esempi in cui le due filosofie si fondono