The 2024/2024 Premier League season gets underway this weekend with the curtain-raiser being a Friday night clash between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag’s new-look side take on Marco Silva’s João Palhinha-less XI in what is undoubtedly a highly anticipated match-up.
United endured a difficult 2023/2024 campaign, particularly in the Premier League, suffering their worst-ever finish since the competition began. Plenty of speculation surrounded manager Ten Hag, but the Dutchman kept his job after sealing the FA Cup trophy.
After announcing Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt earlier this week and Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee earlier in the window, United’s starting XI might look slightly different this weekend, with the Red Devils strengthening heavily in multiple areas and young stars coming through the ranks.
This season could see the emergence of Amad Diallo. The young winger was given minimal opportunities to impress in the senior squad last campaign, but with Antony failing to stamp his authority, we could see Diallo grab his chance with both hands if he’s given a role in the starting XI on Friday.
Possible Man United Starting XI, made with the new FotMob lineup builder, make your own – here
In the corresponding fixture last term, Fulham ran out 2-1 winners at Old Trafford, so the Manchester outfit will be seeking revenge in front of their home crowd.
Fulham are preparing for the new campaign without two of their key stars last season, Tosin Adarabioyo and João Palhinha, who left Craven Cottage to join Chelsea and Bayern Munich respectively. Jorge Cuenca has come in from Villarreal to replace Tosin, while Emile Smith Rowe has arrived from Arsenal as an option in midfield.
Ten Hag will be worried about the threat of Rodrigo Muniz in attack for Fulham, especially if he can continue his goalscoring exploits that he produced towards the end of the 2023/2024 season. The Brazilian ended the campaign with nine goals from 18 Premier League starts, showing what he’s capable of when given the opportunity.
Muniz shot map, Premier League 2023/24
It will be interesting to see how Silva’s side deal without the duel-winning monster Palhinha in the middle of the park. Although Smith Rowe has come in as another body in midfield, he’s a different profile to Palhinha, with the former Arsenal man being more of an attacking threat while his successor often sits and protects the back four.
We’re set for an intriguing encounter as United’s new signings bed in and Fulham continue to build under Silva in the Premier League.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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With Liverpool missing out on their priority target in the No. 6 role this summer in Martin Zubimendi, the onus falls on Ryan Gravenberch as Arne Slot’s in-house solution.
After trips to San Sebastián and verbal assurances from the player himself, Liverpool thought they had finally landed on their solution to a long-standing problem position.
Having been spurned by Aurélien Tchouaméni, Moises Caicedo and Roméo Lavia in recent years, Martin Zubimendi was lined up as a much-needed successor to Fabinho in the No. 6 role. Owners Fenway Sports Group were prepared to activate the midfielder’s €60 million release clause with plenty of leeway when it comes to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
But Zubimendi, who has played for Real Sociedad since he was 12 years old having been picked up from youth side Antiguoko in his hometown of San Sebastián, had a change of heart and informed Liverpool’s sporting director, Richard Hughes, that he could no longer make the transfer.
That has left Liverpool in a bind, with sections of their support furious with subsequent reports that they will not pursue an alternative before the summer transfer window closes at 11pm on August 30, Arne Slot instead relying on the options already at his disposal.
Pre-season results
This comes after a pre-season that saw the new head coach experiment with a number of players in the No. 6 role – a role which, unlike in Jürgen Klopp’s strict 4-3-3, is less defensive midfielder and more deep-lying ball-player, working alongside a more adventurous No. 8 in a fluid 4-2-3-1.
Wataru Endo started the opening friendly of Liverpool’s tour of the United States but it quickly became apparent that the 31-year-old did not meet the specification, substituted at half-time in the 1-0 win over Real Betis to be replaced by youngster Tyler Morton. Curtis Jones had been called upon in an earlier behind-closed-doors defeat to Preston at the AXA Training Centre, while Slot then turned to Dominik Szoboszlai as his No. 6 in the 2-1 win over Arsenal in Philadelphia.
Stefan Bajčetić and 17-year-old Trey Nyoni also had stints as the deepest midfielder, but the most telling decision was in starting Ryan Gravenberch in back-to-back friendlies against Manchester United in South Carolina and Sevilla back at Anfield.
Gravenberch player traits
That 4-1 victory over Sevilla was the primer for Liverpool’s campaign opener at Ipswich, with Slot fielding what many believe to be his starting lineup for the trip to Portman Road in his first competitive game in charge.
In the absence of a new signing in the area he has highlighted to the club’s hierarchy as Liverpool’s transfer priority, the Dutchman fielded his compatriot, Gravenberch, as No. 6 with Alexis Mac Allister alongside him in a midfield pivot and Szoboszlai advanced as a No. 10.
Having urged his players to “kill them with passes” during training sessions throughout the summer, it has become clear the profile of midfielder Slot wants in this nominally deeper role.
“I sometimes like it when players try to keep the ball and not play the difficult ball, where Jürgen or the former regime maybe liked the chaotic scenes in and around the [box] a lot as well,” the head coach told French broadcaster Canal+ ahead of the trip to Ipswich.
Whereas Jürgen Klopp wanted his No. 6 to win the ball and quickly play the ball forwards – praising Endo after a 5-1 thrashing of Toulouse in October for “how often he broke lines with one touch” and “the forward passes he played” – Slot prefers a calm, composed approach with his midfield the focus.
Jones himself made that clear in a press conference while in the States, telling reporters: “I feel like now the centre-mid is going to be more like the heart of the team.”
“I feel more in the past a bit it was like a rush, we get the ball back and it was a little bit too direct, I would say, and it was up and down, up and down,” the 23-year-old elaborated. “Now he wants us to have all the ball and completely kill teams.”
Slot’s No. 6 is required to take the ball from the centre-backs on the turn, stay composed in tight areas and contribute heavily to a steady buildup phase before Liverpool can pick the lock and spring attacks through the opposition’s defence. It was seen countless times throughout pre-season with an ‘up, back and through’ pattern of possession, with Slot’s tactical cues as much Pep Guardiola as they are Jürgen Klopp.
That is why Liverpool identified Zubimendi as their ideal candidate in the transfer market; a player who replaced Manchester City’s Rodri at half-time in the final of this summer’s Euros and produced an influential display on the way to victory over England. Zubimendi is stylistically similar to Rodri, which stands to reason as to why he would be viewed as perfect for Slot’s system.
But having seen a move fail, the onus falls on Gravenberch as the next best option. Tall and nimble, schooled in the Ajax academy, the 22-year-old was earmarked as a No. 8 in Klopp’s 4-3-3 but showed in those brief glimpses in pre-season that he could play with the discipline and composure needed as a No. 6 in Slot’s 4-2-3-1.
It is a big ask, though, to translate the effective performances seen against Manchester United and Sevilla in warmup friendlies to the biggest challenges to come at the top end of the Premier League and Champions League. Clearly Slot and Liverpool’s recruitment team felt the same, but bar a surprise development before the transfer window closes, they will forge on with the players already at his disposal.
Gravenberch will be viewed as the next best thing, perhaps more raw in his ability than Zubimendi but with the basic skills required to operate in such a pivotal role.
After a season lost at Bayern Munich and a slow adjustment in his first campaign at Liverpool, the Netherlands international is poised for a big chance under new management at Anfield. All involved will be hoping he can finally realise the vast potential he has shown ever since his breakthrough at Ajax all the way back in 2018.
(Images from IMAGO)
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Wolves finished 14th in the English top-flight. On paper, their 2022/23 campaign was better with a 13th-place finish. However, O’Neil’s men racked up five more points last season and scored 19 more goals.
It was a successful campaign, especially so after losing club captain Rúben Neves in the summer.
Had their end-of-season form not been so terrible, a top-half finish was on the cards for Wolves after a run of seven wins in 11 matches. However, they won just one of their final 10 and missed out on a 10th-place finish by just three points. If they’d added six points to their total, they would’ve finished level with ninth-place West Ham United.
Fine margins, eh?
A better end to the season and they’re in ninth position. A better end to the season and they could’ve been playing in an FA Cup semi-final. Wolves held the lead over Coventry City heading into the final minutes only to concede two goals in stoppage time.
In truth, their defence was an issue all season. They managed to keep just five clean sheets in the Premier League and had the sixth-highest Expected Goals Conceded total. Combine that with the fourth-lowest xG and you quickly realise how lucky they were not to be in a relegation battle.
The scoring exploits of Hee-Chan Hwang and Matheus Cunha kept them out of a relegation dog fight. The pair netted 12 goals each, enjoying their best goalscoring runs in England under O’Neil. Pedro Neto despite the injuries, racked up nine assists. It goes to show that Wolves, when everyone is fit and firing, have a forward line that can cause a number of teams some problems. If they build around that area of the team, while improving the defence, they’ll be a handful.
What has happened during the summer?
Wolves lost skipper Max Kilman. The centre-back joined West Ham United in a deal worth £40million. He is yet to be replaced in the squad but there’s still time before the transfer window closes.
The club have made signings though. Rodrigo Gomes, a Portuguese winger, joined from Braga. The highly-rated Pedro Lima moved to Molineux despite reported interest from free-spending Chelsea. Tommy Doyle made a £5million move from Manchester City while Jørgen Strand Larsen joined on loan from Celta Vigo to bolster the forward line.
Strand Larsen player traits
It will be interesting to see how the club spend the Kilman money.
The most important thing for Wolves this summer was to keep hold of João Gomes and Neto. Manchester United were reportedly keen on the former but Chelsea’s offer for the latter was too good to turn down. Keeping your best players is always beneficial so we’ll see what impact that loss has on O’Neil’s plans in the coming weeks.
What they should be aiming for next season?
Firstly, they need to avoid a relegation battle. Once they have achieved that, they should start looking at a mid-table finish. If that is secured, then a top-half finish. Wolves have the squad to finish in a comfortable position. Are they able to defend well enough though? That is the big question heading into this campaign. If they can shore things up, they’ll be fine. If they’re as porous as last season, they’re going to struggle.
Prediction: 15th
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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David de Gea had 15 months to plot his next move. Freed by Manchester United at the end of the 2022/23 season, the Spanish goalkeeper was linked with Saudi Pro League clubs. Bayern Munich reportedly considered a move. A return to Atlético Madrid was even mooted.
Instead, de Gea has pitched up at Fiorentina over a year after his last professional match.
On pedigree alone, de Gea is a notable capture for La Viola. At Old Trafford, he was one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League for a number of years and is experienced at the elite level. Manchester United, however, had their reasons for letting de Gea leave and those might come to the fore once again in Serie A.
The biggest reason was de Gea’s weakness in possession. Long gone are the days when elite level goalkeepers could get away with launching the ball long every time it came near them. Instead, they are expected to start build-up moves from deep. They are now footballers as much as they are goalkeepers and this is where de Gea has been left behind.
de Gea passing stats per 90, Premier League 2022/23
This wouldn’t have been a problem for many of the teams linked with de Gea. Atlético Madrid, for instance, aren’t known for passing out from the back. Fiorentina, however, are expected to adopt a possession-heavy approach under new manager Raffaele Palladino. De Gea might be at a new club, but he could suffer the same old problems.
Palladino arrived at the Stadio Artemio Franchi this summer having achieved a great deal at Monza. Under the former Juventus winger, Monza punched above their weight, finishing 12th in Serie A last season playing an attractive brand of modern football that attracted Fiorentina after Vincenzo Italiano left for Bologna.
Fiorentina find themselves at an interesting crossroads. Under Italiano, La Viola have firmly established themselves in the top half of the Serie A table, also making the Europa Conference League final in back-to-back seasons, but there is ambition within the club to take the next step towards a top four challenge and Champions League qualification.
“I want Fiorentina to be ambitious and with a strong mentality,” said Palladino. “We’ve got to be able to fight it out against anyone. We can win or lose, but what interests me is the mentality of taking the game to them. We’ve got to entertain the people of Florence and are working to build a great Fiorentina side.”
While Palladino has demonstrated tactical flexibility during his two seasons in management, he will likely use a back three at Fiorentina designed to give his team a variety of routes out of the defence in possession. From there, La Viola will be able to move into midfield and activate attackers like Nico González. They could also use the wing backs as a funnel into the final third.
All this, though, is dependent on de Gea having the technical ability to pick a pass and that is something that has been proven to be a weakness of his in the past. It’s the reason Erik ten Hag pressed for the signing of the more possession-comfortable André Onana to replace de Gea only 12 months ago.
de Gea shot map, Premier League 2022/23
It should also be mentioned that even as a shot-stopper, de Gea dropped off towards the end of his time at Manchester United. Indeed, his save percentage (70%) in his final season at the club was lower than at any other stage of his United career. His shaky performance in the 2022/23 FA Cup final against Manchester City – de Gea’s final game for United – really hit home how far he’d fallen.
Since then, de Gea has sat on the sidelines. “I am fit, I trained every day, even more than before. I am on a good level,” the 33-year-old said in response to concerns that he will struggle for sharpness. “Perhaps it will take some time in the first games, but I’ve been playing for many years, so you just need to put me in goal.”
Maybe de Gea will rediscover his former level as a shot-stopper. He certainly wouldn’t be the first player to improve after leaving Manchester United in recent times – just ask Jadon Sancho, Andreas Pereira, Chris Smalling, Romelu Lukaku, Mateo Darmian and Memphis Depay among others. The new surroundings of Serie A might reinvigorate de Gea.
Alternatively, de Gea could discover that modern football will demand the same of him at Fiorentina as it did at Manchester United. There may be fewer eyeballs on him at his new club, but his manager will certainly be watching and the early indications are that de Gea will be an awkward fit for Palladino’s approach just as he was for ten Hag’s.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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After a disappointing end to the David Moyes era, West Ham will be hoping former Spain manager Julen Lopetegui can get them back on track following his arrival at the club.
To describe the 2023/24 campaign as inconsistent would be an understatement.
The Hammers kicked off their season with a four-match unbeaten run before losing five of the next seven. They got things back on track with one defeat in 11 before the wheels well and truly came off from February onwards.
Rumours of the impending Moyes departure no doubt played a part in their good form coming to an abrupt end.
West Ham dropped points in 12 of their final 16 games, losing eight and drawing four. They suffered some heavy losses, conceding 20 goals in matches against Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Newcastle United.
Their defensive structure was a huge issue last term. Only the bottom three conceded more goals than the Hammers. They finished with a negative goal difference despite their ninth-placed finish in the Premier League.
Moyes’ men kept just five clean sheets and finished with an Expected Goals conceded total of 72.2. For context, only Sheffield United and Luton Town, two of the three relegated teams, had a higher total.
West Ham could only finish with the 13th best xG haul too. In another season, with the same underlying numbers, they definitely find themselves in a relegation scrap rather than mid-table security.
The goalscoring exploits of Jarrod Bowen played a huge role in their comfortable finish. The forward finished with 16 goals while new recruits Mohammed Kudus and James Ward-Prowse also played their parts. Kudus claimed eight goals during his debut season with the club while Ward-Prowse finished with seven assists, the joint-highest for the Hammers.
It will be interesting to see whether new manager Lopetegui can get the same sort of numbers out of this trio.
What has happened during the summer?
West Ham acted quickly to secure the services of Lopetegui. This is a coup for the club. They have backed the new boss too.
Max Kilman was signed from Wolves for a fee believed to be in the region of £40million. The club snapped up Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United. The Dutch winger had been believed to be a target for Liverpool and Chelsea. German forward Niclas Füllkrug arrived from Borussia Dortmund following his exploits with Germany at Euro 2024. The fee was a large one for someone of his age and he’ll need to hit the ground running to ensure he isn’t viewed as an expensive flop.
Füllkrug player traits
Guido Rodríguez bulks up the midfield while Luis Guilherme, a Brazilian wonderkid, could be a wildcard for the Hammers next term. He’s certainly one to watch anyway.
The club parted ways with Flynn Downes, Said Benrahama and Thilo Kehrer but all three spent time on loan last season, so that isn’t a huge blow to the squad.
Kurt Zouma is expected to leave on a free transfer but his departure is covered by the arrival of Kilman.
More importantly, West Ham have managed to keep hold of Bowen, Lucas Paquetá and Kudus.
It is a strong squad. They need to have a strong performance this season.
What they should be aiming for next season?
They need to be aiming for a European finish. They might not achieve it, this is a strong Premier League and a lot of clubs in and around them have also strengthened, but they need to be in the conversation. Lopetegui needs to be aiming to shore things up defensively. If he manages that, West Ham will be in a good position.
Prediction: 9th
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The manager and the players will want to build on their 2023/24 campaign and gatecrash the Champions League places after narrowly missing out last term.
What happened last season?
Tottenham had to settle for a fifth-place finish last season after what could best be described as a topsy-turvy campaign. Postecoglou’s side started the season on a 10-match unbeaten streak and there was a genuine belief that they might be able to battle it out with Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool for the Premier League title.
They then lost four of their next five before seemingly getting things back on track during a sequence in which they lost just twice in 10 outings. Their place in the top four looked to be a formality but, in the end, they missed out to Aston Villa, finishing two points behind the Villans.
What really damaged their hopes of a Champions League place was their form during the run-in. Spurs lost five of their final 10 and this included a run of four successive defeats in which they conceded 13 goals.
Possession, Premier League 2023/24
That sequence summed up Tottenham’s first season under the former Celtic boss. Sometimes brilliant. Sometimes not so brilliant. Ultimately, that inconsistency cost them a place in the top four.
Only Man City could better Tottenham’s 62% possession in the Premier League last season. They adapted to life under Postecoglou. And they looked a threat going forward despite losing Harry Kane. They finished the season with the sixth-highest Expected Goals haul (69).
The issue, however, was that Spurs weren’t great defensively. They kept just seven clean sheets all season. For reference, Arsenal topped the charts for this metric with 18. Tottenham finished the season with an xG conceded total of 64.6. They’re going to want to 20 goals off that if they’re serious about a sustainable top four finish.
Heung-Min Son, who else, was the star of the show for Spurs. The newly-appointed captain chipped in with 27 goal involvements made up of 17 goals and 10 assists. He did the unique double-double. Despite his goalscoring exploits, he was trumped by James Maddison when looking at the FotMob average player rating. The England international finished with a rating of 7.59 during his influential debut campaign with the club.
What has happened during the summer?
It has been a productive summer transfer window for Spurs, though it might not look like it.
They sold Joe Rodon to Leeds United. In return, they brought in the highly-rated Archie Gray.
And we can expect Spurs to be more of a threat next term with the big signing of Dominic Solanke, who scored 19 goals in 38 appearances for Bournemouth last season, at a rate of 0.51 goals per 90.
Solanke shot map, Premier League 2023/24
In the nicest way possible, a lot of deadwood was shifted and this allowed the club to free up the wage bill. The likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Ivan Perišić, Eric Dier and Ryan Sessegnon all left the club on free transfers while Pierre-Emile Højbjerg left on loan to Marseille and Bryan Gil joined Girona for the season.
What they should be aiming for next season?
A top four push is going to be the aim. Rivals have strengthened but the players know what Postecoglou expects. They’re in a better position to carry out his instructions and if they can avoid an injury crisis, they have the squad to compete for a Champions League place. And adding a goalscoring centre-forward will definitely help their cause.
Prediction: 4th
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Unless they’re active in the final few weeks of the transfer window though, they might be a bit of a challenge for Marco Silva’s men.
What happened last season?
The Cottagers finished 13th on 47 points, a five-point drop on what they posted during the 2022/23 campaign. Despite their inconsistent form, they weren’t ever in any danger of being dragged into a relegation battle.
Fulham’s longest unbeaten run all season was three games and they won back-to-back games on just two occasions.
They beat Manchester United, Spurs and Arsenal but dropped points against Sheffield United and Burnley, two of the relegated sides. This was a snapshot of Fulham’s 2023/24 campaign. Capable of upsetting the big teams but couldn’t always see out matches against the struggling sides.
Silva’s side kept 10 clean sheets but conceded 61 goals. When a clean sheet wasn’t kept, they were conceding, on average, 2.2 goals per 90. The defence was an issue. They also struggled in attack too. Only one team created fewer than their 35 big chances in the Premier League. And perhaps more worryingly, Fulham missed all 35 of their big chances.
Rodrigo Muniz did make a name for himself though. The 23-year-old scored nine goals in 26 outings, fully making the most of the first-team opportunities afforded to him following the departure of Carlos Vinícius and the injury to Raúl Jiménez. The Brazilian is expected to have a key role this season after being given the No. 9 jersey at Craven Cottage.
Muniz shot map, Premier League 2023/24
Antonee Robinson also had a fine season for Fulham, finishing the campaign the highest FotMob rating (7.17). The left-back earned rave reviews for his performances and the Cottagers have done a good job to retain his services despite links with a move elsewhere.
What has happened during the summer?
Fulham have lost some of their key players during this transfer window.
The Cottagers managed to keep hold of João Palhinha for an extra 12 months but he’s now, finally, a Bayern Munich player. The German giants paid £47million for the 29-year-old. His departure is going to be a huge one for Fulham, he was one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League last season. He finished the campaign with an average FotMob rating of 7.15.
Tosin Adarabioyo also left the club. The centre-back, courted by a number of clubs due to his contract situation, signed for Chelsea on a free transfer. Only Tom Cairney played more successful passes than the centre-back for Fulham last term on a per 90 basis. Adarabioyo also made the most clearances and blocks for the Cottagers.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid joined Leicester on a free transfer. He scored six goals and chipped in with two assists last term across his 1,424 minutes. He wasn’t a regular starter but the 31-year-old was still important to Silva and his team.
Fulham have broken their transfer record to sign Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal. Jorge Cuenca arrived from Villarreal and will likely fill the void left by Adarabioyo. Ryan Sessegnon returned to the club on a free transfer.
Cuenca player traits
All three are good signings, but is it enough to catapult them up the table? Are they going to be more defensively resilient? Doubtful. Are they going to be more of a threat going forward? It is putting a lot of pressure on Smith Rowe.
What they should be aiming for next season?
First off, they’ll want to avoid a relegation battle. There’s a chance of freefall with this Fulham side, especially if they get off to a tough start to the season.
If they’re able to get points on the board early on though, the next aim for them should be consistent results. An unbeaten run. A winning run. Just something to breed confidence. If they struggle to do that, they might struggle overall.
Prediction: 16th
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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One month after losing to France on penalties in the Euro quarterfinals, Pepe has retired from professional football and called it quits on an epic career that saw him capture eight league titles at Porto and Real Madrid, spearhead Portugal to their first-ever major trophy, and emerge as one of the best centre-backs of his generation.
Today, we’re paying homage to the battle-hardened, bald-headed, bellicose bulldozer in defence that was born in Brazil, but that became a legend in Portugal.
Named Kepler Laveran Lima Ferreira in honour of scientists Johannes Kepler and Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran, Pepe headed across the Atlantic and joined Marítimo after turning 18, starting off with the reserves before eventually impressing for the first team. It wasn’t long before the top sides in the mainland were attempting to snap him up: Pepe was allowed to train with Sporting and negotiate a deal, but he returned to Madeira empty-handed, leading the island side to a sixth-place finish and UEFA Cup qualification before joining Porto in 2004 and replacing the Chelsea-bound Ricardo Carvalho.
After struggling for minutes in his debut season, Pepe excelled as the stopper in the middle of Co Adriaanse’s 3-4-3 as Porto reclaimed the championship from Benfica and won the Taça de Portugal, before defending their league title the following year. His performances at the Dragão did not go unnoticed, with Brazil manager Dunga contacting him about a potential call-up. However, Pepe declined the invitation and preferred to wait six months to receive Portuguese citizenship. He became naturalised in August 2007 and looked set to make his debut, only to suffer an injury and have to wait another four months to suit up for his adopted country. That same summer, Pepe headed across Iberia and joined Real Madrid for €30 million.
Pepe made 23 appearances across his maiden season in Spain, none more important than his performance in his first-ever El Clásico on December 23 where he marked Ronaldinho out of the match and proved insurmountable at the back, recovering quickly in transition and holding his nerve in a 1-0 victory which laid the foundations for Real’s second-straight league title. The 2008/09 season, however, was marked with injury woes and one moment of madness against Getafe. With Real drawing 2-2, Pepe brought down Javier Casquero in the box before kicking him in the shin and lower back, shoving his head into the ground, stamping on him on several occasions, and striking Getafe’s Juan Ángel Albín in the face during the ensuing brouhaha. He received a 10-match ban and anger management classes for his troubles, and Real Madrid’s title charge would fall apart in his absence.
Whether stepping on Lionel Messi’s hand or lashing out at his teammates in training, it seemed that Pepe was a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment. The loose cannon blew up in Portugal’s face during the opening match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, bringing down Thomas Müller, coming to blows with the striker and receiving his marching orders in the 37th minute. Müller would make them pay by scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 demolition before spurring Germany to their first World Cup title in 24 years. As for Portugal, they failed to reach the knockout round. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back: it was time for Pepe to grow up. Whilst El Clásico rival Luis Suárez was learning to keep his teeth away from opponents, Pepe finally managed to get a hold of his unhinged rampages. It would be another four years before he saw another red, picking up just two expulsions in the following eight years after that ignominious night in Brazil.
Live ticker excerpts from that 2014 World Cup sending off
Arguably the best season of his career occurred in 2015/16, where he started in Real Madrid’s last six Champions League matches en route to a penalty shootout victory against Atlético Madrid in the final. He didn’t have plenty of time to celebrate before jetting off for France and taking part in the European Championships, where Portugal conceded just twice across 540 minutes of football (apart from a 3-3 draw vs. Hungary) and reached the final. Two decades after losing to Greece on home soil, Portugal were looking to spoil the party for hosts France, but their efforts suffered an early blow as Cristiano Ronaldo was forced off due to injury. Pepe needed to step up, and he did just that, winning three out of four ground duels, three out of five aerial duels, 10 clearances, three blocks and three recoveries. The Seleção stemmed the flow and held on for extra time, where Eder’s 109th-minute goal saw them prevail at the Stade de France. For the first time ever, Portugal were champions.
After amassing 334 appearances for Real Madrid, Pepe headed east for Istanbul, where he spent 18 months at Beşiktaş before returning to Porto in January 2019. Back in Portugal after 12 years, he didn’t take long to become the general of the Dragons’ backline, leading them to two league titles and three Taça de Portugal titles and replacing Danilo Pereira as club captain. Over the past eight months, he has become the oldest scorer in Champions League history, the first outfield player over the age of 40 to contest a Champions League knockout match, and the oldest player to feature in a European Championship match. And yet, even at 41, he has continued to age like fine wine and deliver at the highest level: eight years after making FotMob’s Team of Euro 2016 with a 7.2 rating, Pepe returned to the Team of Euro 2024 with a 7.7 rating.
Once a model of uncontrollable fury, Pepe evolved into a model of composure and consistency, racking up 141 appearances for Portugal – bettered only by João Moutinho (146) and Cristiano Ronaldo (212) – and leaving an indelible mark on Real Madrid and Porto. “The way he reads the game and competes is a wonderful example for Portuguese football and football in general,” said Portugal manager Roberto Martínez. He uses the 24 hours to be a professional footballer. That’s very easy to say but we all know players who probably prepare for two hours a day and then live a normal life and one day expect to retire. Pepe doesn’t. Everything is done down to the detail. He’s an example of how a player can extend his career, 24 hours a day.”
France were denied the fairytale ending to the men’s football tournament at the 2024 Summer Olympics as Spain defeated them in extra time in the final, but they had a successful tournament on the whole as they won their first Olympic medal in four decades. Surely, then, Thierry Henry’s first international tournament as a head coach must be considered a success.
Given their recent success at the senior international level under Didier Deschamps, it might be quite surprising to learn that France failed to qualify for the men’s football tournament for five consecutive Olympics since the turn of the millennium. They did not fare too well in Tokyo 2020 either, getting knocked out of the group stage after losing to Mexico and getting hammered by the home team.
Now as the hosts themselves, they had a much better campaign in 2024. Les Bleus won their first medal in 40 years, meaning it was their first in the under-23 era of the Olympic tournament. Of course, having a mightily talented squad went a long way in helping achieve this success, but head coach Thierry Henry deserves his fair share of credit too.
The legendary Arsenal striker’s previous track record as a head coach was pretty poor as he endured unsuccessful stints in charge of Monaco and CF Montréal. He now seems to have found the perfect job in international football, where he gets to work with some of the world’s most promising talents.
The 46-year-old Frenchman certainly enjoyed his best tournament as a coach at the 2024 Olympics, so let us take a look at how he fared from a tactical and analytical viewpoint.
A Player-Focused Approach
Unlike club football where the manager can have a lot of say about the kinds of players they want, international football leaves the coach’s hands fairly tied in terms of the personnel they have to work. Of course, they get to pick from the pool of eligible players, but the distribution of quality across the squad will ultimately be fairly random, particularly at youth levels.
The French under-23 national team head coach has always enjoyed a top-class talent pool to work with, so Henry certainly did not have to contend with a glaring lack of quality in any part of his squad. He did, however, have some tough decisions to make in terms of who he selected and who would get starting spots, while fitting all of his best players in a coherent XI was no straightforward task either.
Consider the midfield department, where France called upon a diverse group of players plying their trade across Europe’s top leagues. Among them were established Borussia Mönchengladbach defensive midfielder Manu Koné, soon-to-be Bayern Munich star Michael Olise, Stuttgart talent Enzo Millot, Monaco starlet Magnes Akliouche and a man coveted by many of the world’s biggest clubs in Désiré Doué.
Of course, there was no way to field a sensible XI with all of these players, but even finding the best combination was a complicated process. Ultimately, Henry had to come up with an out-of-the-box solution.
Unique Tactical System
Considering the nature of his squad which included two star overage strikers in Alexandre Lacazette and Jean-Philippe Mateta besides this cohort of midfielders, Henry devised a rather unique 4-3-1-2 system.
He stuck to not just the formation but also a first-choice starting XI throughout the tournament, as the defensive unit remained unchanged in every meaningful match, Koné and Olise were fixed on either tip of midfield with Millot and Chotard partnering them for the most part, and the front two naturally picked itself.
This 4-3-1-2 system gave them a lot of attacking advantages which we will soon touch on, but the key to making it work was having a good out-of-possession plan. The lack of wingers or wide midfielders in this formation makes teams using it susceptible to being threatened down the flanks, but France prevented that from happening by setting up in a high block and setting pressing traps as they initially allowed teams to pass out wide to their full-backs before springing, with the ball-side midfielder pinning the full-back in using the touchline and the remaining trio tightly marking their counterparts to prevent any easy passing options.
Using this approach, Les Bleus kept the most clean sheets in the tournament and conceded just one goal en route to the final.
Their attacking play was more eye-catching, though, largely thanks to Henry’s willingness to give his stars the freedom to deal damage in their own way. He platformed them with a back-three formed by asymmetric full-back movements, as Kiliann Sildillia stayed deep and used his centre-back-like passing qualities, while Adrien Truffert got forward freely on the left. Beyond them, Koné stuck to his task at the base of midfield and was supported by Chotard when needed, while Olise enjoyed full freedom in a number ten role from where he often drifted out to his favoured position on the right wing, while Millot hovered around him.
With that, as well as some clever in-match tweaks from Henry such as asking his strikers to swap positions in the final third if needed to ensure Mateta always attacked crosses at the back post against Egypt, France generated some of the best attacking creation of the tournament even though they often faced staunch low blocks.
Ultimately, Les Bleus were just about beaten on the big day by Spain, who have gotten quite used to winning across all levels of late. On the whole, though, they were right up there as one of the very best teams at the Olympics in terms of squad quality, tactical setup and execution, so all of their players and coaching staff should be quite proud of the job they did.
History is on the line for Real Madrid and Atalanta as last season’s Champions League and Europa League winners face other in Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw.
Los Blancos can become the first team to win six Super Cups while their Serie A opponents are aiming to get their hands on the trophy for the first time just two months after glory in the Europa League final.
Kylian Mbappécould make his competitive debut for Real Madrid with Endrick another summer signing in line to feature for his new team. Wednesday’s match will offer the first real indication of how Carlo Ancelotti plans on squeezing so much attacking talent into his lineup. Many eyes will be on Mbappé’s position and role in the team.
Possible dream Madrid XI, made with the new FotMob lineup builder – make your own here!
Vinícius Júnior has earned a reputation as a big game player, contributing 10 goal involvements in the 10 finals he has played for Real Madrid and so the Super Cup meeting with Atalanta could be ripe for the Brazilian to make his mark again.
Atalanta will pose an attacking threat of their own. Ademola Lookman will surely feature after scoring a hat trick in the Europa League final triumph over Bayer Leverkusen while Mateo Retegui, signed from Genoa in the summer transfer window, has added to Gian Piero Gasperini’s options up front.
Gianluca Scamacca will miss Wednesday’s match in Warsaw after being sidelined with an ACL tear last week. The Italian international’s absence opens the door for Retegui to start with Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere – signed permanently from AC Milan this summer – expected to provide support.
Gasperini’s high-energy, high-intensity approach proved too much for Sporting CP, Liverpool, Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League last season and it’s possible Atalanta could unsettle Real Madrid too, in a similar way.
On talent, though, last season’s Champions League winners are firm favourites to add another trophy to their collection in Poland, although the number of Real Madrid players not long back from Euro 2024 and Copa America duty will give Ancelotti a number of lineup decisions to make.
The outcome of Wednesday’s match could set the tone for both Real Madrid and Atalanta as the 2024/25 season gets under way. While the former have made moves to further firm up their standing as Spanish – and European – football’s dominant force, the latter continue to fight above their weight. Wednesday’s Super Cup will see punches thrown by both sides.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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