Though I’m personally a Man Utd fan – with a soft spot for Brentford and Brighton -, like many lovers of the “beautiful game” I enjoy watching many Premier League games every week, and this season is no different. But merely watching passively isn’t enough, is it? I’m one of those nerds who want to analyse games and understand what’s going on tactically. So this is an ongoing list of notes and resources about the 23/24 teams, because it’s easier to follow what’s happening during games if you know about the teams/coaches’ tactics and characteristics.
As always, let’s not forget how fundamentally rotten modern football is, no matter how much we might enjoy the games/competitions themselves… Capitalist oligarchs and greedy superstars playing with amounts of money that are inherently obscene, clubs protecting abusers and practicing fraudulent financial/commercial affairs with no more than a slap on the wrist (or not even that), autocratic regimes and betting companies joining in to exploit the huge popularity of this sport, the list goes on and on. Man Utd are no different in that, and more likely than not the specific club you’re supporting is not much better; although certainly Man City and Newcastle are a step above the rest of the league in terms of fundamental ethical/social rottenness (because they’re owned by horrendous regimes, and I’d say the same about my club if Qatar takes over). With that necessary caveat out of the way, for now we’re focusing on PL tactics!
General + Title, European spots and Relegation Races
Here are the predictions by the writers at The Athletic and the Opta supercomputer at the start of the season. Let’s just hope that City don’t win it again and that Chelsea don’t reach the top 4, that’s all I ask really!
- The Opta Predictions page/PL simulation is updated throughout the season
- John Muller: Do we have a proper Premier League title race on our hands?
Newcastle
- The Purist: The Confusing Brillance of Eddie Howe’s Newcastle
- Christoph (@Chris17_t): Team Analysis: How Eddie Howe is transforming Newcastle
- Football Meta: Why Newcastle Are the Perfect Hybrid Team
- @martics97’s thread (22/23 season)
- @martics97’s thread about the first 23/24 game against Aston Villa
- Jacob Whitehead and Mark Carey: What’s wrong with Newcastle United? Part one: New midfield and intensity issues
- George Caulkin, Jacob Whitehead and more: What’s wrong with Newcastle? Part two – transfer strategy, Pope’s struggles, and pressure on Howe
- Tifo IRL: How good actually are Newcastle?
- Jacob Whitehead and Mark Carey: Newcastle’s improvement explained: Longstaff’s passing and Guimaraes’ intelligence
- Football Bunseki: Can Eddie Howe’s Team Do As Better As Last Season? [Newcastle United Tactical Analysis 23-24]
Aston Villa
- Christoph (@Chris17_t): Aston Villa’s front line dynamics under Unai Emery
- Football Bunseki: Aston Villa Tactical Analysis [Unai Emery’s Domination of the Depth of the Pitch]
- Ahmed Walid: Breaking down Aston Villa’s special attacking move: Cutbacks to the far midfielder
- Jacob Tanswell: Unai Emery and Aston Villa’s high line malfunctioned
- Football Bunseki: Unai Emery’s Positional Play & Reason of the ‘Back 6’ [Aston Villa Tactical Analysis 23-24]
- Thom Harris: How Aston Villa’s clever movement and inverted ‘wingers’ left Manchester City in a spin
Manchester City
- The Purist: Pep Guardiola Can See the Future | Manchester City 4-1 Arsenal Tactical Analysis
- The Purist: Manchester City Have Reached a new Level | City 3-0 Bayern Tactical Analysis
- Football Meta: How Guardiola Revived a Century Old Tactic
- Football Bunseki: How Does Pep Improve the Treble Winners? [Manchester City Tactical Analysis 23-24]
- Tifo IRL: How Pep Guardiola is Reinventing Man City… again
- Sam Lee: Are Manchester City stronger or weaker this season?
- Oliver Kay: Liverpool and Arsenal are testing Manchester City in a new way – which of the three will prevail?
Brighton (BHA)
- Christoph (@Chris17_t): Brighton’s 4-2-4 Build-Up and Progression under De Zerbi
- Christoph (@Chris17_t): Aspect Analysis: Brighton’s double pivot staggering under De Zerbi
- Football Bunseki: Brighton & Hove Albion Tactical Analysis, How Is De Zerbi’s Back 4 Working?
- Ninad Barbadikar: Brilliant Brighton: The Seagulls’ recruitment strategy explained
- Guillaume on the Grass: Roberto De Zerbi and the Hourglass. A play on tactics, time, timing and tempo
- Football Meta: Why Premier League Managers Fear De Zerbi’s Brighton
- Liam Tharme: De Zerbi’s Brighton have a tactical weakness that opposition managers are starting to exploit
- Jack McCormack: Should You Sit Deep Against Brighton?
- Football Bunseki: The Beauty of Roberto De Zerbi’s Football ~Sharing Space & Helping Each Other~ [Brighton & Hove Albion Tactical Analysis 23-24]
- Football Bunseki: How to Beat Brighton’s Build up Structure? [De Zerbi’s Conquest & The Rise of Rebellion]
- Tifo IRL: Have Brighton been found out?
- Dharnish Iqbal: Is a clear blueprint to stop Brighton emerging? Roberto de Zerbi has a problem
- The Purist: How Roberto De Zerbi is changing football
Liverpool
- JJ Bull and Jon Mackenzie on the TAA dilemma(s) that Klopp is facing
- Football Meta: Is Klopp Changing His Philosophy?
- Tifo IRL: Do Liverpool’s new midfielders actually fit?
- Tifo IRL: The real reason for Liverpool’s return to form
Manchester Utd
- Guillaume on the Grass: How ten Hag’s game model platforms early success
- Guillaume on the Grass: How team-tactical philosophy leans into training periodization and didactics
- Football Meta: How Onana Is Already Transforming Man United
- Tifo IRL: Why Mason Mount is actually ideal for Manchester United
- Football Bunseki: What Is Going Wrong with Erik ten Hag? [Manchester United Tactical Analysis 23-24]
- Football Meta: The Problem With Ten Hag’s Tactics
Spurs
- Coaches’ Voice: Ange Postecoglou: Coach Watch
- Spurs’ new system is fun and refreshing, but a work in progress
- Tifo IRL: Why Tottenham will be fun to watch this season
- The Overlap: Why Spurs Are Better with Postecoglou
- The Purist: The incredible philosophy of Ange Postecoglou | Tottenham Hotspur tactics explained
- Football Bunseki: Ange Postecoglou’s Attacking Football with Rotation in Wide Areas [Tottenham Hotspur Tactical Analysis 23-24]
- Football Meta: How Postecoglou is Revolutionising Spurs
- Liam Tharme: Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs tactics are risk and reward – you can’t have one without the other
- Tim Spiers: Ultra-attacking Tottenham do not score many goals – how can Postecoglou change this?
Arsenal
- Tifo IRL: Arsenal are doing something different…
- Football Bunseki: Can Arteta Overcome Pep This Season? [Arsenal Tactical Analysis 23-24]
- Liam Tharme: Saka and Martinelli are being double-marked – but Arsenal keep finding solutions
- Football Meta: Is Arteta Breaking Free from Positional Play?
Chelsea
- Coaches’ Voice: Mauricio Pochettino: tactics and formations
- Tifo Football: The Rise and Fall of Pochettino’s Spurs
- Tifo IRL: How Pochettino is fixing Chelsea
- Liam Twomey: Chelsea have a hugely talented investment portfolio. Now they need a football team
- Football Bunseki: Why Does Mauricio Pochettino’s Side Struggle with Scoring Goals? [Chelsea Tactical Analysis 23-24]
Brentford
- Dharnish Iqbal: Brentford: Thomas Frank tactics analysed
Burnley
Bournemouth
- Neel Shelat: Hybrid Pressing and Avoiding Zone 14: Andoni Iraola’s Rayo Vallecano
- Coaches’ Voice: Andoni Iraola tactics watch
Fulham
- Football Bunseki: How Marco Silva Utilises Rotations in Wide Areas? [Fulham FC Tactical Analysis 23-24]
- Peter Rutzler: Fulham: The most erratic team in the Premier League
Wolves
- Steve Madeley & Tim Spiers: Gary O’Neil: Methodical, tactically versatile and with a point to prove
Luton Town
- Ahmed Walid & Thom Harris: Luton Town – a tactical guide: Direct, determined and two big men up top
Nottingham Forest
Sheffield Utd
Crystal Palace
Everton
- Coaches’ Voice: Sean Dyche on his 4-4-2
- @htomufc: How Sean Dyche Will Keep Everton Up
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