Diego Simeone is in his post-modern management era of finding meaning after completing all of his tasks as he and Atleti need each other more now than ever. Read more »
IQ - Soccer Analysis
A Tale Of Two Madrids, Part 1: Diego Simeone Goes Out In Peace
Cesc Fabregas Disrupts Serie A From The Outside
The ideal disruption in Serie A would be to have Como's success but with local owners, a young Italian manager and young Italian players, playing fast attacking football through wingers and pressing at high intensities. Read more »
Pep Searches For The Next Great Premier League Winger In Big Spaces
Pep Guardiola responded to mid-table Premier League clubs becoming more direct and athletic, which gave tactical problems to his careful, technical structures, by realizing he needed wingers with more physicality. Read more »
77 Days In Europe: Tactics Boards, Relegation Battles, And Survival
If and when the next MLS manager makes the move to Europe, the experience of managing complex, skeptical rosters will be as essential as any tactical ingenuity. Read more »
The Meaning Of Roberto De Zerbi In 2026
Under Roberto De Zerbi, the football will be beautiful, his sides will give up goals, and there will be emotional collisions. Read more »
Ruben Amorim & The Poisoned Chalice Of The Superclub Dream
We revere the tacticians and attacking innovators, but the most difficult challenges can come from overcoming the internal structures of a club, and still having enough of oneself left to pick up in the aftermath. Read more »
Maresca, Rosenior Test Limits, Possibilities Of Chelsea's Structure
Managerial instability has defined the club for over two decades now. But Enzo Maresca's sacking was distinct from the past and specific to Chelsea’s sporting structure. Read more »
Soccer Power Rankings, October 2025: Madrid, Mbappe, Kane, Haaland
Real Madrid, Arsenal, Bayern, Inter Milan and Marseille lead their respective leagues in xG, while Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Nico Paz and Mason Greenwood are the individual leaders. Read more »
Soccer Power Rankings, September 2025: Arsenal, Bayern, Pulisic
xG shows a different picture in the Premier League than the actual table, while Christian Pulisic ranks second in Serie A in WhoScored rating. Read more »
Soccer Power Rankings, August 2025: Liverpool, Yamal, Kane
Liverpool storm to the top of Premier League expected points while teenage phenom Lamine Yamal leads LaLiga with an incredible 8.74 performance rating and becomes football's most valuable player at €200 million. Read more »
Chelsea Grown An Attack, One Summer At A Time
The strategy appeared to be throwing as many young attackers on the field as a nine-figure budget would allow and seeing what stuck. But what if, either by precision or scattershot approach, Chelsea actually succeeded in building a cohesive, world-class attack, one characterized by directness, speed, and goals? Read more »
Xabi Alonso Tries To Resolve Real Madrid With Structure
Xabi Alonso has a roster loaded with talent, but he is navigating an unforgiving balance between stardom and structure. Read more »
Soccer Power Rankings, April 2025: Liverpool, Barcelona Top Leagues
The Lamine Yamal breakout season has continued with Barcelona winning a domestic treble. Read more »
Soccer Power Rankings, March 2025: Liverpool Sustain, Dembele Emerges
Mohamed Salah and Liverpool are atop the Premier League rankings, while things are far closer in Spain between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The critical top-5 clubs and players in the major European leagues. Read more »
Poets, Heavy Metal & Suffering: The Journey To Find A Different Way
There is always a search for a new way, new ideas to reconcile Platonic playing ideals with the pragmatism of an everyday budget. The compromise leads to a larger discussion of what football actually means. Read more »
Kylian Mbappe Enters His Redemption Arc
Going through a penalty miss trauma in front of the world is part of a soccer hero's journey. We always knew Kylian Mbappe was world class, but now he has a familiar narrative that invites us along with him. Read more »
Portrait Of A Manager Over 15 Years: Joachim Low's Final Tournament
Joachim Low's character arc, from World Cup winner to wanderer, is portrayed as a tragedy. There are even questions as to whether 2014 was a byproduct of a country-wide development program as widely venerated throughout the football world, or just a lucky Golden Age of players. Read more »
Luis Campos, Christophe Galtier, And Lille Paint Another Masterpiece
The constraints of the modern game make it almost impossible for midtable sides to build long-lasting dynasties. But Lille present a blueprint for what can happen when smart player recruitment and a manager ready to take the next step peak together for one season. Read more »
With Or Without Lionel Messi, Barcelona Embark On A New Era
All beginnings need to start somewhere. A new era of Barcelona was overdue whether it was structured by Laporta, forced by debt, and with or without Messi. Read more »