The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast

Ali Maxwell is alongside The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Duncan Alexander to explore the data behind David Beckham's incredible career - to discern just how good a player DB7 really was...The best crosser of the ball of all time? How accurate was the documentary? Our panel dissect the free-kicks, assists, goals and tactical roles to find out.Produced by Adonis Pratsides Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Duncan Alexander to look ahead to the first Premier League meeting between last season's Top 2: Man City and Arsenal...How often have head-to-head games between the eventual top two Premier League teams decided where the title ended up?And ahead of Man City's trip to Arsenal on Sunday, a tactical preview of where the game might be won and lost and some squad selection headaches for both managers analysed.Produced by Adonis Pratsides & Jay Beale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme to assess the concept of 'Ewing Theory' - the idea that any team can lose their star player and actually improve?How is this playing out in the Premier League so far this season, at Spurs after Kane... but also at West Ham after Declan Rice, Crystal Palace after Zaha and Brentford without Toney too?And can you become overly-reliant on a goalscorer in particular?The panel also find examples of the phenomenon on the continent and throughout recent history too.Produced by Adonis Pratsides Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme to pick out their tactical insights and highlights from the opening round of Champions League group games...Why are Man United so fragile after conceding a goal, and how good was Bayern's Jamal Musiala? - 2:05As Arsenal cruised to a 4-0 win over PSV in their return to the competition - was that the perfect preparation for this Sunday's North London Derby... and are they a different proposition when Gabriel Jesus leads the line? - 7:55Did AC Milan and Newcastle BOTH think they were the underdogs at San Siro? - 13:05Are PSG a better team even if they're less exciting to watch now, having ditched so many of their Galacticos in the summer? - 17:01Is Julian Alvarez making Man City fans forget about Kevin de Bruyne? - 20:40... Later in the pod, the panel preview the North London Derby and discuss Michael Cox's article in The Athletic - where he suggests Chelsea are playing better than their results would suggest! - 23:32Produced by Adonis Pratsides Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ali Maxwell is joined by Michael Cox, Liam Tharme and Mark Carey to reflect on Jude Bellingham's performance vs Scotland, debate whether Neymar should be considered one of football's true greats, and ask where the Spanish playmakers have gone?Plus, Nigeria's striker dilemma, Bielsa's Uruguay, and Fernando Diniz's anti-establishment tactics.Produced by Jay Beale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ali Maxwell is joined by Michael Cox, Liam Tharme and Arsenal correspondent Art de Roche, to celebrate Bukayo Saka's evolution into possibly, the best right-sided forward in the world right now...The panel reflect on his breakthrough as a left wing-back, the tactical challenges Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta sets for him and the amazing numbers he's already posting, despite having only turned 22 years old this week!Produced by Adonis Pratsides***Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to https://nordvpn.com/tactics to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 4 months for free! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liam Tharme, an Athletic writer and tactician, and Mark Carey, a journalist focused on football analytics, delve into the intriguing trend of central midfielders transitioning to successful managerial roles. They explore how skills like leadership and tactical awareness from the pitch translate to the dugout. The guests discuss the implications of modern analytical methods on coaching styles and the skyrocketing market value of defensive midfielders, highlighting the midfield's pivotal role in contemporary football tactics.

Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Mark Carey, Liam Tharme and Tottenham writer Charlie Eccleshare to dissect the radical tactical overhaul in progress at Spurs...How quick, is too quick to try and implement a new tactical system and playing style - especially after losing Harry Kane so late in the window? And what can we learn from an impressive win over Manchester United last weekend?How does Ange Postecoglu's impact compare to Mikel Arteta's three years ago at Arsenal, is Bissouma good enough to play as a single pivot in midfield and are Spurs' attackers simply lacking confidence?Plus, with a week to go before the transfer window closes, where might they still need to strengthen, and you'll also hear a snippet from Mark's exclusive interview with their former set-piece coach Gianni Vio.Produced by Adonis Pratsides***Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to https://nordvpn.com/tactics to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 4 months for free! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Mark Carey, Liam Tharme and Duncan Alexander, to reflect on the opening weekend of a new Premier League season...When did Newcastle's Sandro Tonali start making those runs into the box, is Richarlison the right profile of striker for Postecoglu's Spurs and is Saka the best right-sided forward in world football right now?Plus, defenders taking goal kicks, man-to-man trends and more as our panel open their tactical notebooks once again.Produced by Adonis Pratsides Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Mark Carey, Liam Tharme, Ahmed Walid and Thom Harris, to preview the rest of the Premier League teams and the biggest tactical question they'll each have to answer this season;Will Sheffield Utd have to change system after losing so many players?Why Everton are still reliant Dominic Calvert-Lewin's fitness.Will Manchester City continue to use ball-to-feet wingers?Could a more possession-based style help Nottingham Forest survive again?If building from the back will help Chelsea get back to winning ways?How will Unai Emery combine Mings and Pau Torres in the Aston Villa defence?Where are goals coming from for Wolves this season?Can Andoni Iraola give Bournemouth more of an identity?How will West Ham reconfigure their midfield after losing Declan Rice?Can Eberechi Eze lead Crystal Palace's attack this season?... And by which metric did Ali decide the running order for the entire preview?!Produced by Adonis Pratsides & Jay Beale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.