Page 115 – The Pulse of Football

May

2024

How Thiago Motta got Bologna to the Champions League – and won Europe’s attention

Up until this season, Thiago Motta’s managerial career had been a good deal less remarkable than his playing career. A gifted and aggressive midfielder in his time, who graced the pitch in Barcelona, Paris, and Milan, the Brazilian-born 41-year-old won 30 caps for Italy, reached a European Championship final, claimed two Champions League winner’s medals and a total of eight league titles in three different countries. Compare that to being fired after two months as head coach at Genoa and lasting a single season with Spezia, and life in the dugout was not proving quite as successful. But in 20 months with Bologna, all that has changed.

By Karl Matchett

Despite the incredible job he has done with the Serie A club, who now sit in the top four and are guaranteed a place in the Champions League next season, Motta is unlikely to reach his two-year anniversary at a club all the same. Not because they want rid of him, though. Instead, this time it’ll be because overtures have been made his way by much bigger clubs, seeing his potential, his leadership, and his tactical acumen as being a good fit for themselves.

In the summer, Thiago Motta’s contract at Bologna ends; they’ve attempted to renew but with Juventus circling, Barcelona previously linked, and even Manchester United mentioned as a possible destination, it seems he’ll be departing the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara for a grander, more historic…And possibly bigger-spending club.

Zoom out beyond this season and it’s not hard to see why. Motta had never had a season as coach where he wasn’t fighting relegation up until last term; guiding Bologna to a ninth-placed finish was as notable for them as for himself, though. It was their best campaign since 2012, over a decade previous, and only just shy of their best finishes at all in the modern era – seventh in 1997 and 2002. Prior to that, you have to go back to the 60s and 70s for anything better.

Fourth spot for this season, then, would prove near-historic. And he’s done it by giving the home fans magnificent outing after magnificent outing: only the two Milan clubs have won at Bologna this term, over six months apart. They have been relentless on home soil, including a run of ten clean sheets in 13 matches at one stage.

Needless to say, they are among the finest in the league with several defensive metrics: joint-second in goals conceded per 90, third for clean sheets, fourth-best for xG against, joint-first for tackles per game.

And yet there’s plenty more to them than just a resolute group who are tough to break down – it’s not entirely a team in their manager’s own mould as a player, after all. Motta has spoken before about his wish to see flexible systems with players who rotate positions, offering up five, six, or even seven players to attacking phases of play. His base system might be a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1 – he’s used both a single and a double-pivot in midfield this term – but similarities of play remain regardless of systemic changes. His centre-forward is a catch-all: creative, an outlet, good link play and good finisher. Joshua Zirkzee has fitted the bill well this season, mustering 15 goals and assists in Serie A. Riccardo Orsolini and Alexis Saelemaekers have been productive alongside him or from wider and deeper flank areas, both as schemers and direct runners.

Motta hasn’t made it a terribly complicated system, but instead has set up his team to allow his players to flourish in their own ways, doing what they are good at.

They are not necessarily like a dominant Inter Milan or Juventus at their best, high volumes of territory advantage and constantly in the opposition penalty box – Bologna rank only ninth in Serie A for touches in that zone. They’re also 19th for corners, seven for goals, 12th for accurate long balls and 12th for possession won in the final third.

But they’re also behind only Napoli for average possession per game. They’ve created just a handful of big chances fewer than Juventus. Only Inter and AC Milan have scored more goals on the counter-attack than them this season.

This is a triumph of the collective, a togetherness and a cohesion which has seen them be better than other teams, more consistent than them and, ultimately, place higher than them. That is Motta’s true recipe for success this term and the truer reflection of Motta’s ethos as a player – and that is also what will almost certainly land him a far higher-profile job this summer.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game in Ligue 1 with xG, deep stats, and players ratings, on FotMob this season. Download the free app here.

May

2024

FotMob Reaction: Real Madrid’s brain and heart were on show at the Bernabeu

Of course, they say that it all comes down to eleven players versus eleven, and in one extremely obvious sense it does. But by the time you reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, it’s more than that. It’s one institution against another. For the rest of us, peering up at this distant summit, it’s all a matter of who’s a little further away at any given time.

By Ian King

Before last night’s semi-final match, when asked what it would take for Real Madrid to reach the final, Carlo Ancelotti replied, “Brain and heart”. Don Carlo. As economical with his words as he is luxurious with his tailoring habits. Such is their aura that it can be easy to persuade yourself that Real Madrid winning this tournament is inevitable, but it’s not like that any more. They’ve only won it once in the last five years. Once you’re in the closed shop, things get competitive.

Bayern Munich arrived for this game at a definite crossroads. From out of nowhere, Bayer Leverkusen have ended their 11-year run as the champions of Germany. From somewhere even more surprising – and ‘Neverkusen’ running a marathon at the speed of Usain Bolt on all fronts this season has been pretty surprising – third tier Saarbrücken knocked them out of the DFB Pokal in the Second Round.

It was inevitable, therefore, that Thomas Tuchel’s job was dependent on winning this fixture. Were Bayern Munich to win, the Champions League – all they have left – would still be possible. Lose and their season would be very suddenly and very definitely over. As, most likely, would be Tuchel’s time at the Allianz Arena.

Small wonder Bayern were cautious for much of the first half, deeply encamped in their own half as Real Madrid waited for a gap to exploit. The quality of players on the pitch ensured that there were a few chances. Manuel Neuer pulled off a string of outstanding saves, including one double-save from Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo which proved beyond reasonable doubt that they simply make adults younger, these days.

Tuchel wasn’t the only member of the Bayern party with something to prove. Harry Kane went to Munich to win trophies and, well, that hadn’t been going so great. He can hardly be held responsible for this. Going into this match, he’d scored 36 in 32 in the Bundesliga this season and 44 in 45 in all competitions. He’s done his bit.

And when Bayern did attack, he was the main conduit of their best attacking play. After six minutes, he almost got his toe on the end of a low cross sent skidding across the box by Serge Gnabry. Later in the half, his low shot had to be tipped round the post by Andriy Lunin. But it was an injury that would indirectly cause the first major shift in the balance of the evening, when Gnabry twanged a hamstring and had to be replaced by Alphonso Davies.

Davies had never scored a Champions League goal before, but he more than made up for that almost exactly midway through the second half. Kane, if anything, was the provider, moving the ball down the left-hand channel for Davies, who cut in and fired an unstoppable rising shot past Lunin. It looked like a classic smash and grab, all the more so when Real had an equalising goal disallowed after Nacho shoved Mats Hummels over as the ball was deflected in off Matthijs de Ligt.

But when you’re playing Real Madrid, you’re not just playing eleven players. You’re playing the institution, the crushing weight of their history, the howling, baying crowd. And when things start to turn, they can turn very quickly.

With five minutes to play, Tuchel withdrew Kane and shifted to a more defensive position. Two minutes later, substitute Mato Joselu, who’d only been on the pitch for five minutes himself, scored after Neuer, so previously brilliant, spilled a harmless looking shot into his path. Three minutes later, after being incorrectly ruled out for offside, Joselu scored again, this time from close range.

With more than ten minutes of stoppage-time to play, Thomas Tuchel could have done with a striker like Harry Kane, but that was the one player definitely not at his disposal, and in addition to that his team had also switched to a more defensive formation.

Whether bad luck or bad judgement on Tuchel’s part, even this was almost overshadowed 13 minutes(!) into stoppage-time, when the ball was hooked into the goal by De Ligt, only to be ruled out for an offside that was flagged and whistled strangely early. It may well have been that the player in question, Noussair Mazraoui, was offside, but it seemed strange that there was such reticence to forensically review the decision.

And in those chaotic final few minutes, Thomas Tuchel’s position at Bayern Munich surely came to its end. As for much of this season, Harry Kane did what he could, but it wasn’t quite enough. If there is a Curse of Kane, it’s a curse that happens to him rather than one that he causes. If there was a curse on anybody in Madrid last night, it was on Manuel Neuer, for allowing a poltergeist to occupy his gloves with three minutes to play, and on Thomas Tuchel, who couldn’t overcome the weight of history that came crashing down on upon both him and his team in the Bernabéu.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow the Champions League Final live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2024

Mehdi Taremi: Inter’s latest summer steal

Freshly-crowned Serie A Champions Inter have run away at the top of the league this season despite their significant financial difficulties, thanks in no small part to their shrewd transfer business – explored here. They have leveraged the free agent market particularly well and look set to repeat the trick this summer, with Mehdi Taremi’s move to Milan all but officially announced.

By Neel Shelat

As far as value for money is concerned, few if any of the world’s top teams are doing as good a job in the transfer market as Inter have been doing in recent years. Besides their excellent identification of players whom they can sign for cut prices or even as free agents, their squad planning and preparation going into windows is concerned.

Inter look set to deliver yet another transfer business masterclass this summer as they have already gone about identifying potential signings and reportedly even struck some deals, including one that will see Mehdi Taremi join the club after his contract at FC Porto runs out in June.

This move will not only be an important one for Inter but also a huge one for Iranian and Asian football as one of their biggest stars is joining a club that has consistently competed at the world’s highest level of late. Even more impressive is the journey the 31-year-old striker has been on to reach this point in his career.

Unique Road to Europe

Taremi will surely be one of very few if not the first person to join a champion of one of Europe’s big five leagues having previously played for a team in the second-tier league of an Asian country.

He spent his youth career at a couple of local clubs in his hometown Bushehr before getting a break at the senior level for the city’s most historic team, Shahin Bushehr. After a couple of years, he took a break to complete his mandatory military conscription period before returning to football at the start of the 2013/14 season with Azadegan League side Iranjavan, whose youth academy he came through.

With an impressive return of 12 goals in 22 games, Taremi caught the attention of clubs around the country and was picked up by Persepolis, Iran’s most successful club in the summer of 2014. After taking a season to settle back in the Persian Gulf Pro League (in which he still scored 7 times), he took off and never slowed down.Taremi scored close to 40 goals in the two subsequent seasons, almost moving to Rizespor in Türkiye between them before signing a contract extension at Persepolis. His next transfer finally came in January 2018 when he joined Al Gharafa, with whom he spent the next year and a half, impressing both in the Qatar Stars League as well as the AFC Champions League.

Finally, after spending almost a decade playing senior football in Asia, Taremi moved to a club in Europe.

Prolific Record in Portugal

Portuguese side Rio Ave signed the Iranian international after his contract at Al Gharafa expired in what would prove to be one of their best transfer moves in recent memory. In his very first season in the Primeira Liga, Taremi averaged 1.1 goal involvements per 90 and finished as the league’s joint top-scorer, besides crossing 20 goals across all competitions.

Thanks to his prolific record in front of goal, Rio Ave recorded a memorable fifth-place finish and entered the Europa League qualifiers. However, he unsurprisingly attracted interest from bigger clubs including Porto, who signed him for just under €5 million that summer in another deal that looks like an absolute bargain in hindsight.

Taremi has crossed 20 goals in each of his three full seasons for Sérgio Conceição’s side, getting as many as 31 last term! He brings a lot more than goals to the table too, as his movement at the top of the line can open spaces for his teammates to operate in, he can use his body very well to hold up the ball and he is excellent at linking up with his teammates.

On top of all that, he can also create chances for his teammates with great regularity having broken into double digits in terms of assists in the Portuguese league in two of his three full seasons at Porto.

Role at Inter

Taremi seems the perfect signing for Inter this summer. They do need another striker in their squad as Alexis Sánchez and Marko Arnautović have not been in the best of form and look set to leave at the end of their contracts this summer.

Taremi’s well-roundedness means he alone might be able to replace both of them. Simone Inzaghi encourages his strikers to be dynamic in their movement and positioning in his favoured 3-5-2 formation, but they do end up operating in slightly different roles. Marcus Thuram tends to be the one who leads the line more and often runs in behind, while Lautaro Martínez drops into the space opened up between the lines and sees the ball at his feet more.

The Iranian international should be able to play both roles, so ideally Inter will hope to manage their forwards’ game time by picking any two of their three rather than having a clear first-choice strike partnership as they have done this season. Besides load management, Taremi should also help Inzaghi tweak his game plans for different types of opposition depending on who he starts alongside.

Of course, there is no such thing as a completely free transfer in football as players command hefty wages, but Taremi should surely prove to be worth every cent of his reported €3 million annual salary.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Inter game on FotMob – featuring deep stats coverage, including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2024

Carlo Ancelotti shows his immense adaptability with another title win in LaLiga

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is far from being a proponent of positional play but he is definitely someone who is a shining light of adaptability in the modern-day sport. The Italian has shown that once again with his title win at Real Madrid.

By Kaustubh Pandey

Perhaps, the best example of Ancelotti’s tactical nous and pragmatism is the case of Jude Bellingham, who arrived at Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund as a midfielder.

During his time in Germany, and with Gareth Southgate’s England national team, Bellingham was generally used as a box-to-box midfielder who was most effective in and around the final third. While he often played a deeper role at Dortmund, Bellingham wasn’t seen as a player whose future lay in a deep midfield position.

The move to Real Madrid came when Los Blancos were, as it always has been the case, linked with a move for Kylian Mbappé. The exception at that point was that Karim Benzema was heading towards the exit door and Real Madrid desperately needed a striker who could fill in the boots of the Frenchman. Besides Mbappé, even Victor Osimhen was linked, and Joselu was roped in from Espanyol, albeit, he wasn’t expected to be a regular starter for the club.

As the transfer window slammed shut, Real ended the phase with no star striker signed and the big-money signature of Bellingham, who had never played upfront before.

But when a positional play-oriented manager would have first put his system before the strengths of the unit, Ancelotti did the opposite. He put the needs and strengths of his best players first and that isn’t something he is a stranger to. After all, this is a manager who once played four attacking midfielders in the same team during his historic stint at Milan.

Bellingham has been utilised to his absolute strength. Ancelotti’s usage of him as a false nine has seen his final third ability get expedited, thereby making sure that he scores more. Bellingham is less involved in build-up and is doing what he is best at – being dangerous around the penalty area. That was highlighted in his performances for club and country, but the burden of operating in more positional systems made sure that he plays deeper.

The 20-year-old hasn’t just scored goals, he has scored at vital points. Early on in the campaign, he contributed to all three goals in a 3-1 win over Almería. He followed that up with goals in close wins over Celta Vigo and Getafe. The goals against Barcelona have been the real highlights but there is a killer instinct to his approach in the final third, as is shown by the significant overperformance on his xG by a significant margin.

Whether that overperformance happens next season remains to be seen but the Englishman playing in a false nine role makes sure that the wide players – Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, have a lot of free space to operate in and also have a target inside the box. Space, room and time on the ball is exactly what an explosive inside forward like Vinícius needs.

Handing him that time on the ball and the licence to take defenders on is exactly why Vini’s numbers have increased since Ancelotti returned to the club.

There is a clear pattern at play. Ancelotti joined after a strange spell at Everton in the 2021/22 season and his ability to alter the system for the players has made sure that Vinícius is scoring more than 20 goals each season.

With his current tally at 21, there is every chance that this season ends up being his most successful – at least in terms of goals scored. That could even catapult him into the Ballon d’Or picture.

While some sections of the fanbase do still criticise Rodrygo, he too has the chance to make this his best goalscoring season and he is developing into a forward who hits double figures regularly. Having the surprise element of a false nine around him seems to have helped Rodrygo too.

Fede Valverde has scored only twice but the Uruguayan has now become an all-important and versatile engine in the side. His constant movement across the midfield and the frontline makes him the perfect fit for a system that relies on adapting, shape shifting, and compromise.

Young Arda Güler already has two goals and while Brahim Díaz was consistently inconsistent in his loan stint at Milan, he has ten goals back at Madrid, and that is the highest goalscoring tally of his career in a single season.

Then there’s also the curious case of Joselu, who is a very different player to Bellingham. But when the Spaniard steps on the pitch, it is almost as if a switch is flicked and the approach changes, which has made sure that Joselu also has a tally of 15 goals across all competitions.

It is fairly easy to forget how young the spine of the Real side is. Aurélien Tchouaméni is 24 and Eduardo Camavinga is 21. While Tchouaméni has often played at centre-back in times of need, Camavinga has been used differently, even compared to last season.

The 21-year-old was often used at left-back but he has operated quite centrally this season and he too has shown the adaptive qualities that Ancelotti adores in an individual.

One of Camavinga’s main strengths is his ability to carry the ball forward and move it quickly, which is perhaps why Ancelotti used him at left-back last season and still uses him there sometimes, as we saw recently against Barcelona.

The Frenchman’s case can be used as a template for how good Ancelotti is at identifying what a player is good at, and then using him as per that strength, depending on how and when the team can benefit from that quality.

In fact, there were question marks over when the talented French duo of Tchouaméni and Camavinga would become regulars in the first-team. This season has been one where they indeed have become regulars, with Luka Modrić’s role gradually reduced. Toni Kroos has been sublime, showing what a resurgence truly looks like.

Camavinga has deputised at left-back at rare points this season but Fran García’s incorporation in a side at the highest level is another major positive for Los Blancos. The low-key summer signing has made regular starts, coming up with four assists and his transition to being a regular at the club has been another pleasing aspect of the season.

It isn’t as if injuries haven’t troubled the side – they have. Thibaut Courtois, who single handedly won Real a Champions League final two seasons ago, has been missing for a major part of the season. When that could have proved to be a negative, Andriy Lunin has made his mark between the sticks and has emerged as not just someone who can be an effective back-up, but an effective first-choice as well.

In a way, the season could have been much worse for Real considering the injury list and that they hadn’t signed a leading striker over the summer. But that is exactly why Ancelotti and Los Blancos are the perfect match. The club has the perfect profiles to play his adaptive brand of football and Ancelotti never disappoints.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Real Madrid game on FotMob – with deep stats, xG, and players ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2024

FotMob Profile: The much talked about Rúben Amorim

When Jürgen Klopp announced he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the campaign, everyone assumed the managerial merry-go-round would be galloping at break-neck speed all the way into next season. Since then, it’s slowed to a gentle canter.

By Alex Roberts

Xabi Alonso wants to continue his good work at Bayer Leverkusen, Xavi is set to stay at Barcelona, Julian Nagelsmann has committed himself to the German national team, and Liverpool have found their Klopp replacement in Arne Slot from Feyenoord.

Still, Sporting manager Rúben Amorim is making headlines, young Portuguese managers have a history of doing just that after all. It’s unclear where he may end up come the summer, but he remains one of the most interesting managers to come out of the country in a long time.

Unlike those that came before him, Amorim is winning trophies at Sporting. The Leões are a huge club, consistently playing continental football, but they’re forever third. FC Porto and city rivals, Benfica dominate domestically, especially since the turn of the century.

As a player, Amorim was a big fish in a small pond at Belenenses before making the move to Benfica, where he was more of a squad player. His versatility made him useful, Amorim was deployed as a midfielder, right-back and even a winger, but never nailed down a spot.

A loan move to Braga gave him consistent first-team football, but the Arcebispos decided against making the move permanent. After a second loan move to Qatari side Al-Wakrah SC, Amorim decided to call it quits on his playing career and turn his hand to management.

His first job was at Casa Pia, a small club based in Amorim’s hometown of Lisbon. Unfortunately for both parties, it didn’t last very long.

In January 2019, the team were deducted six points, and Amorim was suspended from all activity for one year after giving instructions during a match without having the required coaching level to do so. He resigned shortly after.

Eventually his ban was overturned, and Braga gave Amorim a second bite of the apple, appointing him as their reserve team manager. He wasn’t there for long, but this time it was a positive move. Just three months after taking over the reserves, Amorim was appointed first-team manager, replacing the dismissed Ricardo Sa Pinto in December 2019.

He was an instant revelation. In his very first game in charge of the club, Braga battered Amorim’s old side Belenenses 7-1. Just three weeks later, he won his first trophy, beating Porto 1-0 in the 2019-2020 Taça da Liga.

Amorim only lost twice during his time as Braga manager, both to Rangers in the Europa League. This rapid rise to prominence piqued Sporting’s interest and four months after his appointment as Braga manager, he made the switch.

After starting in early March, Amorim quickly adopted his now favoured 3-4-3 formation, turning Sporting’s poor season around by winning six and drawing three, only losing to city rivals Benfica and Porto before the end of the campaign.

During the off-season, Amorim perfected his now favourite formation. Amorim plays a 3–4–3, with two midfielders being responsible for protecting the defence, and emphasis on the attacking capabilities of the wing-backs.

Defending in a low block, Sporting’s players stay behind the line of the ball to keep a compact shape, prevent any potential shots from the edge of the box, and limit attacking opportunities.

The team use interchanging movements to distract the opposing defenders and create space for the attackers to capitalise on. They focus on exploiting the wings and half-spaces with players like Pedro Gonçalves playing inside.

The number nine presses hard, looking to create a space in the defensive line of the opposition that can be quickly attacked, in order to allow the man in possession to initially look for a vertical passing option.

And then, in his first full season at the helm, something incredible happened, Sporting won their first league title in 19 years. His young side took the Liga Portugal by storm, only losing once throughout the entire campaign, a 4-3 defeat to Benfica in the penultimate game of the season.

Sporting also got their hands on the Taça da Liga, beating holders Braga 1-0 in the final. Amorim was starting to earn a reputation as one of the most tactically astute young coaches on the continent.

Whether the notion of ‘second season syndrome’ is legitimate or not, Amorim’s 2021/22 wasn’t quite as successful. Sporting finished second, losing out to Porto by a measly six points. They did win another Taça da Liga, so the season wasn’t a total loss.

Being successful at a club the size of Sporting means the vultures will start to circle, and players will be picked off. Pedro Porro, Nuno Mendes, João Palhinha, and Matheus Nunes all left the club, either on loan or permanently.

Amorim had to rebuild, and transition was inevitable. As a result, Sporting finished fourth last season, their worst position under the young manager. Despite that, they had come a long way, and this season, all the pain has proved to be worth it.

Under the stewardship of captain Sebastián Coates, Gonçalo Inácio and Ousmane Diomande have proven to be two of the most exciting young defenders in the world. With fellow wonderkid Iván Fresneda joining last summer, they could be set up for quite some time, depending on the aforementioned vultures.

Hidemasa Morita and Morten Hjulmand have effortlessly filled the large, Manuel Ugarte shaped hole in Sporting’s midfield after the Uruguayan moved to Paris Saint Germain for €60 million.

Savvy transfer dealings have become a hallmark during Amorim’s time at the club, and they don’t get much savvier than the signing of Viktor Gyökeres from Championship side Coventry City.

The Swedish forward is one of the most in-form players on the planet having amassed an incredible 27 goals and 10 assists in 31 league appearances this season. His signature face-covering celebration has been embraced by young and old alike.

Sporting and Amorim have now won their second league title together and it may be the beginning of the end for a beautiful partnership. Should Amorim leave the club, whomever he joins will have gained a capable young coach with the ability to herald in a golden age.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Liga Portugal live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2024

Analysis: Kieran McKenna at the forefront of Ipswich Town’s blockbuster Championship season

With a commanding 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town this past weekend, Ipswich Town became the first team in over a decade, and just the fifth-ever to seal back-to-back promotions to the English Premier League. Their rise from a mid-table finish in League One just a couple of seasons ago has been quite incredible, and the main man behind it all has been head coach Kieran McKenna.

By Neel Shelat

Founded all the way back in 1878, Ipswich Town are one of the more historic football clubs in England. Of late, though, they had been enduring tough times out of the spotlight having last played top-flight football back in the 2001/02 season and suffering a further relegation to League One in 2019.

They did not look in great shape down in the third tier either, settling in as an upper-mid-table club who did not really get close enough to the play-off spots. Looking for a change, they hired Manchester United first team coach Kieran McKenna to take charge in December 2021. Since his arrival, the only way for the club has been up.

Winning promotion to the Championship with a 98-point season in 2022/23 was impressive enough, but to immediately win automatic promotion to the Premier League in their first season back in the second tier is an achievement that cannot be commended highly enough given just how competitive the league is.

Dominating the Championship despite a limited budget

Despite being the second tier of English football, the Championship has to be considered one of the top 15 European leagues. With relegated Premier League clubs seeking to bounce back with significant financial capacities as well as some sleeping giants looking to return to the promised land with the backing of wealthy owners, the division has been hugely competitive over the last few years. Even Championship regulars have found it tough to keep up with the promotion contenders, so few could have expected Ipswich Town to compete right at the top immediately after coming up in to the league.

Indeed, their own accounts did not seem to suggest that they were pushing too hard for promotion. The Tractor Boys have not spent over €5 million in a single transfer window since 2009, and their player payroll ranked 14th in the Championship according to data from Capology – that’s about a fifth of Leicester City’s.

With that in mind, it should be easy to see why their incredible 96-point season with by far the fewest defeats in the division has to be regarded as an incredible overachievement.

Their success has not been built on having superior player quality than their competitors but rather thanks to McKenna’s well-oiled tactical set-up that has consistently served them well from their time in League One to the brink of the top 20.

The Northern Irishman sets his side out in a 4-2-3-1 formation, on paper, which becomes a 3-2-4-1 shape in possession as the right back stays deep while the left back pushes forward. His side likes to control possession and territory, but their primary focus is always on breaking down opposition defences with intricate forward-minded passing as well as individual quality in attack.

While teams like Leicester City and Southampton followed a similar approach in the other direction (first establishing control before breaking down defences), Ipswich’s more attack-minded play yielded rich rewards as they were the Championship’s top scorers with 92 goals despite only ranking seventh in terms of possession.

The potential downside of such an approach is that it can become too gung-ho at times and lead to end-to-end matches where both defences are breached regularly, but the Tractor Boys have not fallen into that trap. McKenna has ensured his side’s best defensive set-ups have always been solid (helped by having defenders such as Axel Tuanzebe in the back line) while also getting his side to press with good intensity without committing too many bodies forward.

All in all, Ipswich Town were fantastic out of possession as they posted the third-lowest xG conceded tally in the Championship this season.

Of course, many of their players also exceeded expectations in their first season back in the Championship – particularly in attack as Ipswich exceeded their xG tally by a significant margin – about 17 goals! Rather than a couple of star forwards, though, everyone from the team pitched in.

Left-back Leif Davies turned out to be their creator-in-chief in his free attacking role when in possession, though a good chunk of his assists also came from his dangerous set-piece deliveries. He ended the season as the outright leader in terms of assists in the league, and by a good margin.

Many of his teammates benefitted from his services, including the club’s joint top-scorers in the Championship season Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead. Three of their other teammates also crossed double digits in terms of goal involvements, namely Chelsea loanee Omari Hutchinson, George Hirst and Wes Burns.

Can Ipswich Stay up in the Premier League?

The ever-increasing financial might of Premier League teams is making it increasingly difficult for new teams to stay up in the league, as is evidenced by the current standings, with the relegation zone made up of the three teams that won promotion from the Championship last season.

For Ipswich Town, the task is made all the more difficult by the fact that they have already overachieved in the Championship. Indeed, their current squad value is less than a tenth of the Premier League average, and even Luton Town’s squad value is well over two times greater than theirs.

From a tactical perspective, their style of play clearly is well-suited to competing at the top of a table as is evidenced by their back-to-back promotions, but it is perhaps not best-suited to a relegation battle. Especially in the Premier League, they will find it impossible to go toe-to-toe with the big-hitters like Manchester City and Arsenal, so a greater emphasis on a solid defence and counterattacking threat appears the best strategy to stay up. A great example of this is Brentford, who also rose up the tiers to reach the Premier League, albeit far more gradually than Ipswich.

Indeed, the big time may be a step too far too soon for Ipswich Town, but they will certainly give a good account of themselves and are heading in the right direction of late. Even if they do get relegated in their first season back up, the financial boost and experience a campaign will provide will surely help them to take stock and build towards a more sustainable promotion.

If there is one thing this Championship season has taught us, though, it is to not write off Ipswich Town.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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May

2024

FotMob Reaction: Borussia Dortmund seal their Wembley return

And so 11 years on, the Champions League final will be at Wembley again; 11 years on, Borussia Dortmund will be one of the teams contesting for the trophy again. The mirror image could yet be completed, should Bayern Munich go on to defeat Real Madrid and make it an all-German affair in London once more. Amid a semi-final draw three-quarters filled with star names, nine-figure spending power and enormous marketing brands, it’s the rather more down-to-earth and understated collective who have punched their ticket first.

By Karl Matchett

It isn’t just the squad list which sets BVB apart in this quartet either, but it has been the most identifiable part: instead of Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane or Vinícius Júnior as their key centre-forward, they have Niklas Füllkrug.

But beyond the lineups, the benches and the budgets, there was also a marked difference in the tactical approach of Dortmund compared to that of Bayern, Real, and PSG. Whereas the Spanish serial winners have their own unique aura which lends them an ability to cede the ball and still be a relentless threat, PSG have tended to be far more about ongoing possession, territorial dominance and moments of magic to top it off. Bayern, then, have been less-high-functioning this year than previously, but are still about power, big chance volume, individual talent within in a cohesive base and, of course, a single unstoppable goal source.

Which leaves Dortmund – certainly around this competition from the last eight onwards – as the outliers: the team of less tactical sophistication, but more flexibility. Less possession, but also less ego. And it works for them. If they are the underdog and it suits them to be so, why be snobbish about the way they need to play? And so Edin Terzić made his bed in direct diagonals, an effective target man to lead the line, set-piece prowess, and third-man runners.

Opportunity knocked when they were drawn with PSV in the last 16, and they deserved progression. Atlético Madrid in the last eight was tougher, but they again played in the manner which suited themselves, particularly in the home leg, when they won an effective shootout in a crazy, back-and-forth encounter thanks to perseverance, team structure and having a collection of potential finishers, more than just one or two who are relied upon.

And so to PSG, beaten 1-0 home and away, the French team out-thought, out-fought, out-performed with the roles given to each player in turn.

More than once, PSG should have scored across the two legs, of course. Aside from anything else, they hit the crossbar or post on six separate occasions. Inches in it, but while some were misfortune and almost worldies, other occasions simply lacked a clinical edge. Over 180 minutes, PSG didn’t score – that’s why they are out. Mats Hummels’ header gave Dortmund a famous win in the Parc des Princes, but they ultimately didn’t need it.

And while Dortmund spent large spells in their own defensive third to protect and preserve a hard-earned lead, the suspicion is that if PSG had have breached the backline, if Vitinha’s rocket had struck the crossbar and crossed the line for example, Dortmund simply would have been able to step up again, keep countering, keep pushing their own attacking intentions once more. They didn’t have to, so why push their luck by doing so?

Terzić’s team were compact, ferocious, non-stop in their tracking of runners, closing down long shots, defending set pieces. The midfield triumvirate of Emre Can, Julian Brandt and Marcel Sabitzer have all probably long since started the downward slope of their career arc, yet were any of them a worse player than Fabián Ruiz across the two legs? Were they less reliable than Warren Zaire-Emery? Did they deserve to be semi-finalists, or finalists, less than Marco Asensio or Kang-in Lee? They did not. They had their roles, stuck to them perfectly, and ensured the BVB collective was of far more value than the PSG patrol. Of the Parisian side’s midfield, only Vitinha was genuinely class across the two legs and the best that could be said about him was that he wouldn’t have looked out of place in Dortmund’s centre of the park, such was his endeavour as well as his ability.

So Hummels, Can, Brandt, and Füllkrug will be one spine of one team in north London on 1 June. They will definitely not top summer transfer target lists, they will probably not finish top four in the Bundesliga and it’s quite possible only one will make Germany’s Euro 2024 squad. But they not only understand their limitations these days, they embrace them in this competition. It is that same team-wide awareness and selflessness which could yet see Borussia Dortmund become perhaps the biggest surprise Champions League winners since they themselves almost did it over a decade ago, in the very same stadium.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Champions League game with xG, deep stats, and players ratings, on FotMob this season. Download the free app here.

May

2024

The MLS Team of the Week: Matchday 12

Our MLS expert James Nalton explains his two votes for the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) Player of Matchday 12 and picks three more standout players from the latest round of action in Major League Soccer.

By James Nalton

The stars of Inter Miami continue to take the headlines in MLS and the team retains their spot at the top of the overall standings in the Supporter’s Shield.

We are used to standout players driving their teams to success in this league, but Miami have assembled a team that includes two world-class talents spearheading the attack, and look unstoppable when they hit their stride.

Elsewhere, a Canadian former MLS Cup winner is resurgent thanks to one of their Italian stars, and there is a hat-trick for an English centre-forward.

But first, to Miami…

The Top Two

9.7 FotMob rating: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami

It was the Lionel Messi show once again in MLS this weekend, as he broke the record for the most assists in a single game with five.

His goal which gave Inter Miami a 2-1 lead in the second half, having gone a goal behind in the first, meant he had six goal contributions in the game, which is also an MLS record.

It all led to a 6-1 win for Inter Miami against a New York Red Bulls team who didn’t know what hit them after they went in 1-0 up at halftime.

Actually, despite that turn of phrase, they’ll know full well what hit them — Lionel Messi.

He did the same to New England last week and he’ll do the same to many more teams before the season ends.

9.8 FotMob rating: Luis Suárez, Inter Miami

It’s a testament to Messi’s displays that Suárez isn’t the star of the show in MLS week in, week out.

He scored a hat-trick against the Red Bulls this Matchday — all three of them assisted by Messi, which puts him alongside his teammate on ten goals this season so far.

Suárez is still as sharp as ever when it comes to scoring goals, finding an extra burst of speed and energy in those moments when there is a promising attacking move developing.

Each of his goals were clinical, textbook finishes, showcasing his world-class technique and movement.

On top of this, he added an assist of his own for Messi’s goal — a formidable partnership now doing the business in MLS.

Three more standout performers

9.7 FotMob rating: Sam Surridge – Nashville SC

If it wasn’t for Messi, Suárez would be taking this week’s Player of the Matchday honours, and if it wasn’t for Suárez, Sam Surridge’s performance in Nashville’s 4-1 win at home to Montréal would be the performance of the week.

Like Suárez, he scored a hat-trick of goals that displayed some clinical finishing ability and good movement to steer his team to a convincing win.

And it was much-needed for Nashville, who had gone five games without one and had only won once so far this season prior to this game.

His first goal was placed coolly into the far corner, his second turned home from the centre of the area from Hany Mukhtar’s pass, and his third was fired in on the half-volley after Mukhtar’s header came back off the bar.

A true centre-forward’s performance.

9.2 FotMob rating: Federico Bernardeschi – Toronto FC

Toronto have sneaked into the upper echelons of the Eastern Conference table and Federico Bernardeschi’s performances in recent weeks have played a big role in this improvement.

It’s now three wins in a row for the Canadian side who won a treble back in 2017 made up of the MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield, and Canadian Championship.

The 30-year-old Italian scored twice and assisted another in a 3-1 win against FC Dallas this week, netting once from a rebound after his penalty kick was saved by Maarten Paes, and another via a goal-of-the-week contender from outside the box.

His assist was just as impressive, playing a neat ball into the box for Matty Longstaff.

The team that finished bottom of the Eastern Conference last season are starting to look like their old selves, and under new head coach, John Herdman, are threatening to become a quality outfit once again.

8.9 FotMob rating: Matías Rojas – Inter Miami

Suárez and Messi will take the headlines for Inter Miami and across MLS this week, but it was the introduction of Rojas at halftime that really helped them turn things around against the New York Red Bulls.

Rojas scored the equaliser and the goal that made it 3-1, both assisted by Messi, of course, before Suárez bagged his hat-trick to turn a win into a rout.

Rojas also played a part in the goal by Messi that made it 2-1, winning the ball high up the field before Suárez played in Messi.

Rojas’s brace consisted of what were arguably the two outstanding goals of the game, amid a number of contenders, and the first of them, blasted into the top corner from outside the area, certainly gave Miami the belief they could turn the game around.

The 28-year-old Paraguayan was signed at the end of last month and is yet to make a first start for his new side, but in his second substitute appearance, he made a real case to line up from the off in the next game against Montréal.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from MLS live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2024

Lionel Messi is showing off his unrivalled finishing ability in MLS

Argentina’s World Cup winning captain is taking Major League Soccer by storm in his first full season in the league, and is already on course for a record-breaking campaign.

By James Nalton

In recent weeks he has stormed to the top of the MLS goalscoring charts alongside his Inter Miami teammate Luis Suárez, scoring and assisting goals in his last four games, carving through opposition defences at will.

Even as he approaches his 37th birthday, Messi remains world-class in the areas of his game soccer fans have become so familiar with across the past 20 years.

Beyond the acceptance he is the greatest we have ever seen in a number of individual areas of the game, there have been many debates as to what is his biggest strength.

Throughout his career, Messi has been an elite dribbler, carrying the ball with great threat and regularly taking multiple opposition players out of the game.

His set pieces and free-kick taking are up there with the best ever, and he is one of the best passers of the ball we have ever seen — something that really became noticeable, or more appreciated, later in his time with Barcelona.

But from his time as a youth player at La Masia to the present day, one of his greatest assets, and something that separates him from other greats of the game, is his finishing — the ability to score goals almost, it seems, at will.

The most recent game, against New York Red Bulls, was all about the MLS record-breaking five assists and, along with his goal, a record-breaking six goal contributions, but away from that assists haul, there has been the steady accumulation of goals since his return from injury.

Messi missed a few Miami games in March and the side exited the Concacaf Champions Cup at the beginning of April, falling to Mexican club Monterrey at the quarterfinals stage, but when he has been present in MLS lineups, he has always contributed to at least one goal.

And on the majority of those occasions, he’s scored. He has found the net in each of his last seven MLS games, with all of his ten goals scored so far coming in that run.

A brace against Orlando consisted of a goal that went in off his chest, and a brilliant header from the far post, directing Suárez’s cross back across to the opposite side of goal. Despite his small stature, he’s even a great header of the ball when scoring a goal requires that skill.

The left-footed strikes are by now familiar, but still breathtaking. Scoring such goals in front of packed crowds in large NFL stadiums, as was the case in away games against Sporting KC and New England Revolution, adds an extra flavour – almost a World Cup ‘94 vibe – to these goals.

There is still a smattering of outstanding long-range efforts, but many of these finishes are those of an accomplished No. 9 — goals slotted home from inside the penalty area.

He has run amok in the league and seems to be able to flick a switch and contribute when Miami need it most, at least against MLS opposition.

As well as leading the goalscoring charts alongside Suárez on 10, Messi leads the way in other statistical categories such as xG per 90, shots per 90, shots on target per 90, big chances created, xG + xA per 90, assists and, therefore, goals plus assists combined.

He has 19 goal contributions in total (or according to MLS which counts secondary assists taking him up to 12 assists in total, 22 goal contributions) and is on course to break MLS records.

The record for most goals in a regular season is held by Carlos Vela, who scored 34 for Los Angeles FC in 2019. The assists record, meanwhile, is held by Carlos Valderrama who registered 26 with Tampa Bay Mutiny in 2000.

Valderrama’s record has been considered unbreakable, especially as the secondary assists rule was even looser prior to 2003 when they were awarded similarly to the ice hockey definition of the previous two players to touch the puck/ball, rather than only including secondary assists that significantly affect the creation of the goal, as is the case in MLS today.

But if anyone can break a record considered unbreakable, even within different parameters, then it’s Messi.

Inter Miami have played 12 of their 34 matches this season and, if he stays fit, Messi is on course to break both of these records.

We wow at his visionary passing, quick dribbling and balance, his runs that encourage the passes he receives, technique, and his talismanic effect on a team, but the quality that most gives him the edge and strikes fear into opposition defences is his ability to score goals from almost any scenario, almost at will.

It is a quality that has seen Miami rescue points from losing positions or win games comfortably after going behind, and will likely see them lift the Supporters’ Shield (league title) at the end of the 2024 regular season and see Messi produce a record-breaking first full season in MLS.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from MLS live with FotMob. Download the free app here.

May

2024

Is this the end of the road for Darwin Nunez?

As the end of his second season at Liverpool nears, Darwin Núñez appears to be heading towards a difficult juncture – is this the end of the road for the No. 9?

By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com

After Liverpool’s emphatic return to form in their 4-2 victory over Tottenham, Jürgen Klopp and his players soaked in the atmosphere of the season’s penultimate home game and applauded the Anfield crowd for their support.

But one figure made a swift beeline for the tunnel, with Núñez spotted departing the field first while his many of his team-mates were still making their way around the pitch to shake hands with their opponents – to the sound of Robbie Williams, as stadium announcer George Sephton had a sly dig at Tottenham’s own anthem for manager Ange Postecoglou.

Núñez was followed by Ryan Gravenberch, Ibrahima Konate and then Dominik Szoboszlai, with the players heading to the dressing room to unpack a valuable win as they look to end the season on a high. But there appeared other things on the No. 9’s mind: later that evening, every photo of Núñez in a Liverpool shirt was mysteriously wiped from his public Instagram page.

Footballers are free to do as they please with their social media accounts, of course, but if there is going to be an indication that all is not right for a player, in this modern age it would be this.

It has been suggested that Núñez’s decision to scrub LFC from his socials is a response to the criticism he has received from so-called supporters after a frustrating end to the campaign – and that could certainly be the case – but this now reads more like an issue with the club itself.

In fact, it can be argued that the Uruguayan has been backed more heavily than any other player at Liverpool during his two seasons on Merseyside so far. His misses – of which, sadly, there have been many, with only Erling Haaland (32) wasting more big chances than Núñez (27) in this season’s Premier League – are regularly followed by his name being chanted from the stands.

He has become a cult figure among supporters, though that is not always reflected on social media. Perhaps that speaks to not only how football is consumed now, but also the society players are rooted in. James Milner, for so long the veteran of Klopp’s squad, once remarked following Liverpool’s victory over Chelsea in the 2022 FA Cup final: “You go into the dressing room after the game and all of the lads are straight on their phones. I’m saying: ‘You’ve won the FA Cup – get off your phone!’.”

A player’s perception can clearly be warped by the comments and messages they receive on social media, with another former Liverpool midfielder, Gini Wijnaldum, speaking on the subject after his exit in 2021, saying “when it went bad, I was the player who they blamed.”

“My feeling was that the fans in the stadium and the fans on social media were two different kinds. The fans in the stadium always supported me,” Wijnaldum acknowledged. “On social media, if we lost, I was the one who got the blame. There was a moment when I was like: ‘Wow. If they only knew what I was doing to stay fit and play every game’.” Perhaps that is the pit Núñez has found himself in; beloved in the stands, demonised on his phone. It is wrong to speculate but it is also impossible to ignore the damaging effects of social media for players and fans alike.

But as Klopp’s time at Liverpool draws to a close, there is a sense that this could prove a decisive summer for his No. 9, too. It was Klopp and his assistant, Pepijn Lijnders, who were the driving force behind bringing Núñez to Liverpool in 2022; such was the manager’s influence that a club-record deal worth £85 million was pushed through with Benfica to land the battering-ram centre-forward his side would be rebuilt around. It has since been reported by a number of reputable sources that Liverpool’s recruitment staff favoured Christopher Nkunku, then of RB Leipzig, with the Telegraph’s Sam Wallace claiming Klopp and Lijnders “declined” the chance to sign the French striker, who later made the switch to Chelsea.

A new structure is in place at Liverpool now, with the return of Michael Edwards as CEO of football, the appointment of Richard Hughes as sporting director and the reappointment of David Woodfine as assistant sporting director. Edwards, Hughes and Woodfine will spearhead recruitment, with Klopp’s successor, Arne Slot, acting as a head coach rather than a manager. Slot will no doubt have a say in players arriving and leaving, but his primary focus will be on coaching, rather than building the squad. Núñez, no doubt like others, will be left without his fiercest backers.

The shift in power of decision-making to those in the boardroom over those on the training field could cast a cold light on Núñez’s two seasons at Liverpool.

In 94 appearances for the club so far, he has scored 33 goals and assisted a further 17, averaging a direct goal contribution every 107.1 minutes in all competitions. But restricted to the Premier League, Núñez scored nine and assisted three in 29 games in his first season and with two fixtures remaining has 11 goals and eight assists in 34 appearances this time out. Twenty goals and 12 assists in 63 games, or one every two hours.

Eleven players have more goals and assists combined in this season’s Premier League, with Núñez the fifth-most productive centre-forward behind Ollie Watkins (31), Haaland (30), Alexander Isak (21) and Dominic Solanke (21). Ten players, including Haaland, Isak, and Watkins as well as Liverpool team-mates Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota, have a higher rate of goals and assists per 90 minutes.

Haaland – who was held up, unfairly, as a direct rival to Núñez when they both made the move to England – may be the only player to have missed more big chances, but he has also scored 14 more goals to lead the Golden Boot race. No player has been caught offside more than Núñez (32), who also averages significantly more offsides per 90 than any other player (1.43).

Núñez is 13th in the assist charts, with eight in the Premier League, but 19 other players have created more big chances than the Uruguayan, who is tied with the likes of Pascal Gross, Leon Bailey and Conor Gallagher. He also ranks towards the bottom end for passing, with an accuracy of 69.2 percent and only 14.9 completed per 90 minutes, with Núñez a striker who is often not involved in buildup play.

Weighing that data up alongside Núñez’s well-documented price tag, and those within Liverpool’s new kingmakers may decide that he is simply not offering enough to justify his status within the squad. Has a player Klopp openly admitted was a “long-term project” made enough progress to warrant his place? Long-standing interest from Chelsea, who enquired over his availability less than a year ago, along with previous links to Atlético Madrid may inform Edwards and Co further.

The future is certainly not clear for Núñez, and having potentially burned bridges at least with certain sections of the Liverpool support, it could be that he is nearing the end of the road at Anfield.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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