Recency bias is something that often distorts football analysis, with records achieved prior to 1992 and the advent of the Premier League often disregarded by younger fans. Similarly, currently players and managers are often afforded reverential and disproportionate...

While football teams have always pressed their opponents to some degree or another, the modern game has seen the sophistication of this tactic and the evolution of more organised, collective pressing. Nowadays, the overwhelming majority of top flight teams adopt some...

While few sides deploy man marking in open play in the modern age, this remains a common and arguably preferable tactic when defending set pieces. In fact, the debate between man and zonal marking continues to rage at all levels of football, with each offering...

Earlier in this series, we discussed the best defensive strategies when playing against a team in a 3-5-2 shape. However, the 3-4-3 is arguably a more contemporary and popular iteration of the 3-5-2 formation, with this having been deployed by great managers like...

Pressing is now arguably the most studied and talked about tactical concept in the sport of football, having entered the mainstream since the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp in the Premier League some eight or nine years ago. Nowadays, the ability to...

Football has evolved through numerous tactical phases over the years, from the simplistic, attack-laden formations of the early 20th century to the Italian-inspired and highly organised ‘Catenaccio’ system that was incredibly defensive and helped Inter Milan win...

If the iconic 4-4-2 formation is synonymous with the previous generation of English football, it’s the 4-3-3 shape that defines modern-day football. This has been deployed with distinction by managers like Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Erik Ten Hag, for example,...

While it’s fair to say that the low defensive block is no longer in vogue, it has been effectively deployed by successful coaches throughout the 21st century. Two of the tactics main supporters are Jose Mourinho and Diego Simeone, with the latter’s defence-minded and...

Nowadays, the combination of a technical director and head coach is commonplace in football, with this particular model proving highly successful for clubs like Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. This is a far cry from the 1990s, which saw a number of...

People almost talk about the iconic 4-4-2 formation with a sense of nostalgia, with this having become less commonplace in an age where midfield dominance and the deployment of fluid attacking lines take precedence. However, this shape has enjoyed something of a...

Pretty much all of Europe’s leading sides now adopt some form of high pressing game, from EPL giants like Liverpool and Manchester City to Bayern Munich and Xavi’s Barcelona team. Of course, this philosophy was a direct response to the threat posed by low defensive...

Tactical trends in football tend to be cyclical, with the notion of playing with three at the back once again in vogue at elite level. Certainly, managers like Thomas Tuchel (primarily with Chelsea) and PSG’s Christophe Galtier have deployed a 3-5-2 formation or...

Back in 2012, the FA voted through a number of major changes to how youth football was structured in England, in order to place a greater emphasis on the development of technical skills rather than winning in the short-term. Of the 778 votes cast in total, some 87%...

In recent times, the so-called “high press” has become synonymous with the world’s leading coaches, including pioneers in this respect such as Ralf Rangnick, Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel. While this is highly rewarding and capable...

While many have talked about the demise of the classic 4-4-2 formation, this is a misconception that doesn’t accurately reveal the nature of football’s tactical evolution since the 1990s. More specifically, while we’ve seen well-resourced teams with creative attacking...

The Most Important Coaching Principles in Youth Football The ‘Special One’ Jose Mourinho has achieved many things in his time as an elite level coach, but outside of his on-field accomplishments, he also arguably ushered in the age of the ‘superstar’ coach. Prior to...

While some trends in football may come and go, the use of the Video Assistant Referee (or VAR) at the sport’s elite level is likely to become increasingly prevalent in the coming months and years. Of course, VAR is also a highly controversial topic for discussion,...

Football has always been renowned as a working-class sport, which inspires passion and fervour in both fans and players across the globe. For connoisseurs of the sport, however, the sport’s tactical evolution through the ages has been arguably as fascinating as the...

England will hardly approach the 2022 FIFA World Cup in good form, having endured a catastrophic UEFA Nations League A campaign that saw them go winless in six matches and ultimately suffer relegation to the tournament’s second tier. What’s more, fans have been...

There are many things that can be coached and taught in the UK, although it should come as no surprise that football is the most popular of these activities. In fact, football accounts for 18% of all coached activities on these shores, with training required at...

While it’s the iconic 4-4-2 formation that remains the single most recognisable set-up for any football team, it can be argued that the 3-4-3 system has the longest and richest history. Unlike the 4-4-2, of course, the 3-4-3 has experienced various peaks and troughs...

As positional play becomes increasingly important in contemporary football, we’re seeing a much wider range of systems and formations being deployed by managers. Take the 3-1-4-2 system, for example, which is a variation of the classic 3-5-2 and utilises a structured...

Being a referee can be a thankless task, especially in the world of professional football where players have occasionally been known to disrespect and harangue officials. I mean, who can forget Jaap Stam and his Manchester United teammates surrounding referee Andy...

Being a football coach can be a challenging pastime, particularly when it comes to setting your side up in the best and most effective way. While you may have a preferred formation and style of play as a coach, for example, this may not suit either the players at your...

The 3-5-2 formation is a relatively recent team shape, especially when compared to historically popular systems such as the 4-4-2 and the 4-3-3.It’s also one that tends to experience peaks and troughs in terms of popularity, largely thanks to its relative complexity...

Tactics Explained - A Look at the 4-1-4-1 In our piece exploring football tactics, we’re going to cast our eyes over the increasingly popular 4-1-4-1. Despite primarily being seen as a defensive system, the 4-1-4-1 has been reimagined in recent years, largely thanks...

Why is Playing Three at the Back Popular Again? The tactical side of football has become increasingly evolved over the course of the last decade, particularly with the renewed focus on positional play and structured, organised pressing. This has also seen a sustained...

Last season we witnessed a brilliant Premier League season, with drama down to the final day providing for outstanding viewing. With the Premier League currently being the best league in the world it is no surprise the quality of the teams seems to be growing each...

While football is a team game in which everyone must contribute for a side to become more than the sum of its parts, there’s no doubt that special status is afforded to strikers. After all, strikers are widely considered to have the hardest job in the sport, while the...

There has been a great deal of speculation about the future of football on these shores, following a series of concerning events and the general influx of investment from overseas over the course of the last decade. These issues led to an independent, fan-led review...