Analysis

Does the Leeds United midfield have a winning formula? The Athletic's Leeds United writer Beren Cross debriefs the QPR draw. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ nordvpn.com/tsb · Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Wednesday night Atletico Madrid found a new way to suffer Champions League heartbreak at the hands of Real Madrid. Diego Simeone's side were knocked out courtesy of penalties after Julian Alvarez had his effort rule out for a 'two-touch' kick. From VAR, to penalty shootouts, to near misses, Atleti have once again failed to find a way past their neighbours. So why is there always something stopping Simeone’s and his team from getting over the line in this competition? Adam Leventhal is joined by The Athletic's Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero and Phil Hay to reflect on a chaotic night at the Metropolitano, discuss Atleti's 'El Pupas' curse and analyse how Simeone lifts his side for the La Liga title run-in. Host: Adam Leventhal With: Phil Hay and Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inter Milan’s U19 team is the only side in this season’s UEFA Youth League to have won all their matches so far, finishing the group stage of the “Youth Champions League” in first place. They also secured victory in the knockout playoff round and will now face Bayern Munich U19 in the Round of 16. […]

After a week in which they were dumped out of the Champions League and given a dose of reality by Liverpool, Man City got back to winning ways, beating Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 courtesy of Erling Haaland on his return from injury. So, with Haaland back from injury and their new recruits bedding in is the City rebuild not as big a job as we thought it might be? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Man City correspondent Sam Lee as well as Jack Pitt-Brooke to analyse City's performance at the Tottenham Hotspur season before assessing the state of their squad rebuild. New signings Abdukodir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez are all discussed as well as the ageing spine of Guardiola's dynastic team before questioning whether the Spaniard can return City to their previous standards? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Sam Lee and Jack Pitt-Brooke Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Wednesday's OTB Breakfast Bite - your FREE bitesize taster of this morning's full Off The Ball Breakfast. On a packed show this morning, former Ireland defender Méabh de Búrca reviewed a disastrous evening for the WNT in Slovenia. GAA referee David Coldrick discusses the new rules in Gaelic football. Former Munster hooker Mike Sherry joins to talk Six Nations and more. And we were joined by Watford's on-loan defender James Abankwah. And that's where we take our Bite this morning, but not until after Ger and Colm address Ireland's terrible Women's Nations League result in Koper. Catch Off The Ball Breakfast LIVE weekday mornings from 7:30am or just search for Off The Ball Breakfast and get the podcast on the Off The Ball app. SUBSCRIBE at OffTheBall.com/join

Sue Ronan joins us to analyse a poor performance by their standards from the Irish Women's National Football team, as they lose 4-0 away in Slovenia in the UEFA Women's National League. #Football on Off The Ball with William Hill Ireland.

Huge six-pointers all around and we take stock of the teams we covered last week (City, Forest, Newcastle, Chelsea, Bournemouth) and ask how much we need to think further about Brighton and Villa after they made up ground. Simon Tinsley's PL projections: https://analytic-fpl.streamlit.app/ Support the show

There are probably right now five teams in a race for three spots. We take a close look at Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, City, Bournemouth and Newcastle and handicap the race. It's a close one! Simon's projection website: https://analytic-fpl.streamlit.app/ Support the show

On Friday night Chelsea suffered a fourth defeat in eight Premier League games, going down 3-0 away to Brighton & Hove Albion. Having slipped from fourth to sixth, frustrations have come to the fore including from star player Cole Palmer. So, has Maresca ball gone flat? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by Chelsea writer Liam Twomey and senior football writer Oli Kay to analyse Chelsea's recent shortcomings, discuss the form and contributions of Palmer as well as assess whether or not Chelsea are improving under Maresca. Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Liam Twomey and Oli Kay Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Leeds stick 7 (seven) past Cardiff Graham Smyth from the YEP talks about strikers. Do we need another? EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ nordvpn.com/tsb · Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Matchday 23, the two surprise teams of the Premier League faced off. Nottingham, unbeaten in their last nine matches, has impressed this season with outstanding defensive work. Bournemouth, coached by Andoni Iraola and now unbeaten in 12 games, takes a completely different tactical approach compared to most other teams. In an interview with TNT […]

Rúben Amorim’s Manchester United faced Hürzeler’s Brighton on Matchday 22. While Manchester United focused on creating a pressing system that was as difficult as possible to bypass, Brighton once again showcased their incredibly challenging vertical play. You can find the tactical analysis of the match here. Manchester United started in a nominal 3-2-4-1 formation, which […]

Tottenham's defeat at Goodison Park on Sunday made it seven defeats in their last nine Premier League games. So what is going wrong for Spurs and will Ange Postecoglou be given enough time to turn things around? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Jon Mackenzie and Jack Pitt-Brooke, who was at Goodison Park covering the game, to analyse Spurs' run of form, the depth of their injury crisis and whether they can improve things with any additions in the January transfer market. Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Jack Pitt-Brooke and Jon Mackenzie Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A key tactical tool in modern football is the use of overloads. Creating a (situational) numerical advantage allows for more effective combinations, opening up spaces, and disrupting the opponent’s defensive structure. This article explains the strategic benefits of overloads in various areas of the pitch and demonstrates how they can be created and exploited to […]

The crisis at Manchester United keeps recurring. We take a closer look at the early weeks of Ruben Amorim’s tenure. In the first part of this analysis, we examine the development with the ball, carefully scrutinizing all steps taken. (MX) After Erik ten Hag was dismissed by Manchester United’s owners, Rúben Amorim took charge earlier […]

WATCH OR LISTEN TO THE FULL SHOW ON REDMEN PLUS: https://theredmentv.com/liverpool-4-0-accrington-stanley-the-final-word/ Ste was joined by Luke and Jay for the Final Word after Liverpool beat Accrington Stanley at Anfield in the FA Cup this weekend. In this clip they discuss Arne Slot's comments about Jayden Danns could potentially leave the club on loan for his own benefit! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite a 23-point gap between Liverpool and Manchester United, on Sunday there was nothing to separate them. So, how did Man United unsettle Liverpool? And with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s poor performance under the microscope, amid transfer interest from Real Madrid, is his contract uncertainty causing a distraction? Host: Ian Irving With: Adam Crafton and Simon Hughes Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WATCH OR LISTEN TO THE FULL SHOW HERE: https://theredmentv.com/liverpool-2-2-manchester-united-player-ratings-podcast/ Ste and Jamie where in the studio after Liverpool's disappointing draw against Manchester United at Anfield. The major talking point was Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose performance left a lot to be desired against The Red Devils... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new financial fair play / registration crisis at Barcelona as a judge backs La Liga's determination that they cannot register Dani Olmo under La Liga FFP, setting him up for free agency. But Barcelona's financial situation has changed a lot in the last couple years, and the possible negative effects of this are not as stark as they were potentially in the past. And we talk a little about how Barca lost their lead in the table. El Confidential on the court ruling: https://www.elconfidencia...

It is still the most interesting statistical and tactical story in the Premier League. In world football probably. Pep Guardiola is trying some new tweaks on his system and his team keeps dropping points. We talk through what's changed since the slide began, what happened against Everton, and what to expect in the transfer window. Support the show

Join Joe and Jay as they figured out exactly what is wrong at Manchester United and why we've been so bad over the Christmas period! Become a member! - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7w8GnTF2Sp3wldDMtCCtVw/join Stretford Paddock has content out EVERY DAY, make sure you’re subscribed for your Man United fix! - https://bit.ly/DEVILSsub 📱 Follow us over on Twitter: https://twitter.com/StretfordPaddck 📷 And on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fulltimedevils/ 🎙️ Listen to Our Podcast: https://podfollow.com/stretfordpaddock/ 👕 Merchandise: http://www.paddockmerch.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nathan Murphy and Brian Kerr sit down to react to another Manchester United mess after being humiliated by Bournemouth, 0 - 3, in Old Trafford. Does Amorim need to let go of his strict 'system' or do the players need to step up? It's not all down to Man Utd's weaknesses though, as Bournemouth show their class and move to fifth overall at the top of the #PremierLeague table. The Sunday Kickback on Off The Ball with William Hill Ireland.

Hello CheckingVAR Family. Today we review the weekend's games and deeply dive into the fortunes of a few teams, Man City, United, Arsenal, Chelsea etc.

Leicester City fired Steve Cooper a few weeks ago, and this weekend the two managers in 19th and 20th place in the Premier League, Gary O'Neil of Wolves and Russell Martin of Southampton, both got the sack. We take a look at the very different stories of these three clubs, what we expect from the relegation race this season, and the trend of defensive possession at the bottom of the table. Support the show

It’s now one win and eight losses in 11 games for Man City after the weekend’s derby defeat to Manchester United. So… what will it take to fix their current situation? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Sam Lee and Rory Smith Executive Producer: Abi Paterson Producer: Mike Stavrou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Sunday, Atletico Madrid made it 11 wins on the bounce with Alexander Sorloth scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Getafe. Having drawn level at the top of La Liga - next up they head to table-toppers Barcelona. So can Diego Simeone’s new-look Atleti sustain their challenge? Ayo Akinwolere is joined from Madrid by The Athletic's La Liga correspondent Dermot Corrigan as well as Colin Millar to analyse Atleti's red-hot form, their summer investment in the transfer market and whether their title challenge is sustainable ahead of the trip to face Barca. Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Dermot Corrigan and Colin Millar Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PREMIER LEAGUE: takeaways from worst Manchester daerby in recent history, why it may get worse for Pep before it gets better, Forest earns more flowers and thoughts on this weekend's spate of managerial sackings HALFTIME: What If you played KickIt (soccer tennis) vs Messi and Jordi Alba... who from MLS are you picking at your partner? ROUND THE WORLD: Gianni Infantino just pissed on our leg and told us it is raining with the shocking (but not surprising) official unveiling of World Cup 2030 and 2034 hosts STOPPAGE TIME: Ivan Toney's Best Bets and GOAWs

Spurs have lost 19 of their last 43 matches in the Premier League, and their most recent defeat against Chelsea was particularly damaging. So have Spurs evolved under Ange Postecoglou? And will he be given the time to turn their season around? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Jack Pitt-Brooke and Charlie Eccleshare Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Mike Stavrou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five losses in a row, three in the league. And it's not really a five-match thing, the losses are somewhat fluky but performances have been down badly at City ever since Rodri got injured. We break down what's (relatively) wrong with City and why we're skeptical it can be wholly fixed. Support the show

USMNT: Thoughts on Poch's decisions and who impressed most as USMNT put the finishing touches on a fun, solid but far from flawless performance against an undermanned Jamaica HALFTIME: What If FIFA decided to implement a change to VAR that would see coaches get a limited number of challenges rather than the current "constant eye in the sky" system - would it be a net positive or negative? PREMIER LEAGUE: matches resume on Saturday f/ City welcoming in their personal bogey team in Tottenham while Arsenal are on upset alert against a plucky Nottingham Forest STOPPAGE TIME: Ivan Toney's Best Bets and GOAWs

After another defeat Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou was quick to accept responsibility following their 2-1 home loss to Ipswich Town. So why are the Spurs so inconsistent and what can they do to fix it? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare and Phil Hay to analyse Spurs' start to the season with Jon Mackenzie also dropping in to analyse their underlying numbers in comparison to last season's lightning-fast start. Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Phil Hay, Charlie Eccleshare and Jon Mackenzie Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So Man City suffered defeat in the Premier League for the first time this season away at Bournemouth on Saturday. Added to that, ahead of the game manager Pep Guardiola outlined their mounting injury list, so how much trouble are City in - and could the demands of the season lead to a more open title race? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by Oli Kay and The Athletic FC newsletter’s lead writer Phil Hay to analyse the champions start to the season. Man City writer Sam Lee explains the context of their injury list. As well as that senior data analyst Mark Carey drops in to provide context to the state of the table after 10 games and NBA Daily host Dave DuFour has his say on Guardiola drawing comparisons to NBA over fixture congestion. Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Oli Kay, Phil Hay and Mark Carey Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Defence, passing and the letter Z! Opta's Jonny Cooper breaks down the first 12 games of Leeds United's season. Sponsored by Boojum 🌯 Get £10 off (min spend £20) via Uber Eats: sqbl.co/boojum Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arne Slot has settled in nicely at Anfield with his side are top of the Premier League heading into the October international break following their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday. Despite winning nine of their 10 games under the Dutchman in all competitions, Liverpool are yet to beat anyone in the top half of the Premier League table. So how serious is Liverpool’s challenge for the title? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Oli Kay and James Pearce to analyse Liverpool's start to the Slot era with La Liga writer Dermot Corrigan also dropping by to discuss Trent Alexander-Arnold's contract uncertainty amid possible interest from Real Madrid. Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Oli Kay, James Pearce and Dermot Corrigan Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul and Errol discuss Virgil Van Dijk's performance against Crystal Palace as Liverpool keep yet another clean sheet with the skipper putting in a MOTM display. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ste was joined by Abi and John for The Final Word show following Liverpool's 2-0 win overe Bologna in the Champions League. In this clip, they discuss Darwin Nunez's performance and his start to the season under Arne Slot. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kris and Jez review the action in Ligue 1 and the Europa League, and the international retirement of Antoine Griezmann.

An extremely strange match, and one in which Manchester City's tactical approach to the second half most particularly deserves analysis. But the draw and the injury to Rodri in the first half leave us with a peculiarly wide open Premier League title race. Much to discuss! Support the show

We discuss the Canada disaster and the New Zealand clownshow, argue about who boosted and hurt their stock this window (f/t a sad farewell to a long-time soldier), and reminisce about the Mikey Varas era. But most importantly we focus on where USMNT goes from here now that Mauricio Pochettino has officially signed on the dotted line.

Newcastle United didn’t make any flagship signings this summer after their seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season. They...

Today we’re picking the bones out of Liverpool’s 3-0 rout of Manchester United. Arne Slot has begun life at Anfield with three wins from three, as for Erik ten Hag’s side they’ve already lost twice this season. So have Liverpool improved or are Manchester United just not the test they once were? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Manchester United writer Carl Anka and Liverpool writer James Pearce, who were at Old Trafford, to analyse the difference between the two sides and examine the start to life under Slot for Liverpool. Plus David Ornstein drops by to discuss the latest around Mohamed Salah's contract situation following his comments after the game, as well as reviewing Liverpool's transfer dealings this summer under new sporting director Richard Hughes Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: James Pearce, Carl Anka and David Ornstein Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What a difference a week can make in football. When Chelsea hosted Manchester City on the opening weekend of the...

WATCH OR LISTEN TO THE FULL SHOW HERE: https://theredmentv.com/liverpool-2-0-brentford-the-final-word/ Chris, Ste Plunkett & John Machin where in the studio for The Final Word show to discuss Liverpool's 2-0 win over Brentford at Anfield on Sunday evening. In this clip from that show they discuss the form of Ryan Gravenberch who has been sensational in the first two games of the season and whether or not his presence repairs the No. 6 shaped hole many feel is still plaguing LFC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One game, one win but Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich had to leave it late to get the job done! Serge Gnabry with a late winner as they came from behind to beat Wolfsburg 3-2. So after Bayer Leverkusen ended Bayern’s run of 11 straight titles last season, can Kompany lead them back to the top? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's German football writer Seb Stafford-Bloor and Andy Jones, who watched Kompany's Burnley during his two-year stay at Turf Moor to analyse the Belgian's start to life with Bayern. Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Seb Stafford-Bloor and Andy Jones Executive Producer: Abi Paterson Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After missing out on European football last season, it’s been a summer of uncertainty at Newcastle United. Changes in the boardroom have seen Eddie Howe lose a key ally in Amanda Staveley and with a new Sporting Director Newcastle are yet to truly flex their strength in the transfer market. So will Newcastle do the business they need and is the manager’s position vulnerable? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Newcastle United writer Chris Waugh and The Athletic FC's lead newsletter writer Phil Hay to analyse the changes at St James' Park with football correspondent David Ornstein sharing the latest on their pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi. Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Chris Waugh, Phil Hay and David Ornstein Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bayern Munich failed to win the Bundesliga title last season for the first time since 2011-12. Manager Thomas Tuchel left...

A reasonably comprehensive 2-1 Spain victory ends the Euros. We break down how Spain got it done and why England never managed to click into gear the whole tournament. And we look to future for the top European sides, what questions do we have heading into the next World Cup for England, Spain, Germany and France? Support the show

England left it late, but thanks for Ollie Watkins' last minute winner are through to the final at Euro 2024. So are they now good, or just really lucky having relied on a number of big moments throughout the tournament? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Oli Kay who was in Dortmund for the 2-1 win over the Netherlands as well as Jack Pitt-Brooke and Tim Spiers to analyse England's route to the final and the role of manager Gareth Southgate. Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Oli Kay, Jack Pitt-Brooke and Tim Spiers Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Related articles: England, a team of comebacks, late winners and finals. These are extraordinary times - The Athletic Ollie Watkins, Cole Palmer and an England goal that was worth the wait - The Athletic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try as he might, Cristiano Ronaldo is still waiting for his first goal at Euro 2024, despite having 20 shots at goal during the tournament so far. Maybe, time is finally catching up with the 39 year old. If that’s the case - is the power and influence Ronaldo has on this Portugal side still worth it? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by Oli Kay, who was in the Frankfurt Arena for Portugal's last 16 tie with Slovenia on Monday night, as well as Tim Spiers to analyse what Ronaldo brings both on and off the pitch ahead of Friday's quarter-final against France. Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Oli Kay and Tim Spiers Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Related articles: Cristiano Ronaldo cannot rage against the dying of the light forever - The Athletic The cult of Cristiano Ronaldo - The Athletic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clayton and James conclude their coverage of the last 16 at The European Championship with discussion on last night's games and how Matchday 4 concluded in Euro Fantasy, and for James that included a Cody Gakpo captaincy haul. Will Wildcards now be activated or not? The Netherlands were dominant in beating Romania and in pouring rain in Leipzig well fancied Austria were beaten by Turkey. There's tactical detail on both last night's victors and if others should fear them later in the tournament. Or do they need to find another gear to win this tournament? Plus, there's reflection on just why many really enjoyed last night's later game despite technical qualities being short of some other nations and there's an overview of the final 8. Tomorrow on Planet FPL: The People's Poll Podcast with Suj, vote for your choice of topic on Twitter before 430pm BST https://x.com/PlanetFPLPod/status/1808439104796844104 Today on Patreon: The Transfer Window Show and The Euro Goals Review For the full Planet FPL schedule this week, including our offering on Patreon view this post: https://www.patreon.com/posts/schedule-july-107229643 Want to become a member of our FPL and SkyFF community and support the Podcast? Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/planetfpl Follow James on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlanetFPLPod Follow Suj on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sujanshah Follow Clayton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/claytsAFC Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PlanetFPL Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/planetfpl Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planetfpl #EuroFantasy #Euro2024 #EuropeanChampionship Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices