Tactics Journal

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• Will the zonal attack become outdated?

  26 July 2024

  Attacking zonally means that players stay in their zone, but the game looks more open when players enter other players’ zones where there is overlap to combine. The old approach forcing players not to roam might be outdated.

  

  If these attackers stay in the center of their zone, they should be able to pass around the back, but what about going forward? The old approach doesn’t reward risk-takers.

  Risk takers like Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer are annoying in a zonal attack because when you carefully and meticulously pass the ball around the back for 20 minutes, you don’t want to give the ball to one player and allow them to quickly lose it immediately.

  It is like working in an office cubicle. You stay within your cubicle, do your job, and pass the tasks around to the next worker.

  

  But then the more dynamic players become restless, and it’s only until then, when they go to the edge of their zone to overlap with another player’s, that the team starts to break down the opponent because then they can work the ball through the center.

  

  Current Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is working towards a zonal attack, and a non-zonal attack is what I think former manager Mauricio Pochettino was working towards.

  It is harder to work the ball forward and create chances in a super rigid zonal attack, but it is easier to defend with the ball. If Wrexham can stop a super rigid zonal attack, you could make the argument that it has been found out by most teams, that it might be becoming outdated.

  Technical and athletic system players like Raheem Sterling and Christopher Nkunku should perform better in a zonal attack because the rigidity helps showcase their sharpness, while playmakers and creatives like Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke should perform better in a non-zonal attack because they’d have more room and freedom to move.

  Match: Chelsea 2-2 Wrexham, 25 July 2024

• Chelsea will use inverted fullback(s)

  25 July 2024

  Due to the versatility of the defenders, there are many different combinations Chelsea can use, but the main option they’ll likely use is the right-back inverting, with the left-back operating as a left center-back in possession.

  

  As we know from Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca’s Coaches’ Voice video, he likes using a 3-2 sub-structure. Three center-backs and a double pivot in possession transform into a 4-4-2 formation out of possession.

  Enzo Maresca when asked if he would use an inverted left-back:

  No, no. In these weeks, we try different situation; we try James inside, Reece. I watch his game when […] he was loan from Chelsea to another club (Wigan in 2018/19); I don’t remember now; he was playing as a midfielder. I watched some games during the summer, so he can do that, to be honest. Malo (Gusto) is trying to do that, and he’s doing fantastic. Marc (Cucurrela), as you said, he can do that, and we also try a different situation, different players that they can do it.

  By “different situation,” he is referring to a different tactic where maybe the left-back doesn’t invert and the right-back does, or neither fullback inverts into the midfield.

  He did not mention left-back Ben Chilwill because, as everyone was already aware, he can’t play inside in the midfield. This is the new requirement for fullbacks; you either have to be able to play as either a center-back and fullback, a midfielder and a fullback, or both. Playing as a winger alone may not suffice, as most fullbacks typically lack the same level of skill at that position as natural wingers, whom they will be competing against for a position.

  When you see the depth chart, you can understand why they would be okay with selling Conor Gallagher or Trevoah Chalobah, even though you could argue they should get a place in the team ahead of some of the players lower on the list in their position. There will be a lot of players with nearly equal talent and potential on the bench.

• I don't like when inverted fullbacks are in line with the center-backs

  24 July 2024

  When the inverted fullbacks are in line with the center-backs in a 2-3 sub-structure, the distance between all five players makes passing out awkward. Manchester City provided an example of this against Celtic in their opening preseason match.

  

  One man is open, the right center-back, and then when they receive the pass, the second man has to get free. The focal point of the buildup deep in their half has to be the defensive midfielder because they are the ones that can drop in between the center-backs.

  To me, it doesn’t matter who you put in that position; the distance makes it hard to connect three passes, especially if those center-backs remain in their position. One from the center-back, to the defensive midfielder, and then out to a fullback. The fullback always receives under immense pressure.

  

  The open pass will always be to the wings, but that is predictable, and if there’s no pace on the wing, then it is hard to take advantage of the space offered to the offense. And with the midfielders higher up in the half-spaces, the center-forward is forced to be the main focal point in the buildup, to drop to receive if they want to play through the middle.

  Maybe I’d like it more if the five players dynamically rotated position to open space central as they drag defenders out of position. That would then allow for the midfielders in the half-spaces to get room when they drop to receive because, when those five players are static, there is no space.

  If they are going to remain static, I’d rather open space in the half-spaces for the midfielders to drop by placing one or both of the fullbacks wide.

  Match: Manchester 3-4 Celtic, 24 July 2024

• Victor Valdés' first conversation with Pep Guardiola

  23 July 2024

  Now it is common to have the center-backs spread wide away when the goalkeeper has the ball, but Victor Valdés was the first goalkeeper to put this new idea from Pep Guardiola into action. An idea he laid out in their first conversation.

  Goalkeeper Victor Valdés telling the story about his first conversation with Pep Guardiola before the 2008-2009 season for FC Barcelona:

  I remember my first conversation with Guardiola when he took over as coach. It was in his office at the Camp Nou. He had a tactics board with two small magnets on either side of the goal, just outside of the box.

  

  He said, “Do you know which players these two are?” I said, “Nope.” And he said, “These are your center-backs.”

  I had no idea what he was talking about; it sounded Chinese.

  And he said, “When you’ve got the ball, this is where I want them to be.”

  I thought he was crazy.

  And then he said, “You’ll pass to them, and it’s from here that we’ll build the play.”

  I still thought he was completely mad, but given that I’m a bit crazy myself, I felt in tune with him. So I told him the defenders would have to be brave and want the ball. And Pep said, “Don’t worry, that’s my job. I’ll make sure they want it.” And that’s how it all started.

  The center-backs push wide, which allows the fullbacks to move further upfield. That then frees the wingers to move infield and help overload the middle with the midfielders.

  At the time, in 2008, the spaces between defenders were large; the competitive advantage this one change brought was massive.

  It was “crazy” because if any of the players were unwilling or unable to play out like this, accurately passing, brave enough to play under immediate pressure from the front as they faced play, they would be completely exposed in the box once they turned the ball over.

• Key

  22 July 2024

  I have created a key to reference which defines the symbols and terms I use in my writing translated from English to Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, and German. I will keep adding to it. Let me know if you have any feedback.

  View the key.

• Arteta is simplifying training for sequences of matches next season

  21 July 2024

  Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hinted at simplifying the process of training for certain sequences of matches due to the more congested schedule. Instead of preparing for each individual opponent, they will prepare to play against a similar system.

  From his first interview before the start of preseason:

  You can look at it many different ways: Sequence of matches. I always look a lot at the type of opponent we’re going to play, what kind of formation, what kind of managers, can we have some consistency over a few weeks? The difficulty is when you look there, there’s not an easy game there.

  […] In the Champions League this season, we’re going to have to prepare many more games because in the group stages we were repeating matches; this season, this is not going to happen. So our analysts and ourselves as coaches we’re going to have very very different demands.

  So we’re going to put things in place to try to be more efficient, to simplify the messages as well because the preparation of games is going to be really short, so we’re going to have to maximize that time to give as much clarity and belief to the players to go and execute what they have to do to win the game.

  Every team that has a similar schedule will likely have to adapt in a similar way. This could have two different outcomes.

  One is that it might make things more predictable than before. For example, when Arsenal faces a high-pressing opponent like Bournemouth in matchweek 8, they’ll have one strategy to counter it. However, if they then face similar teams like Liverpool and Newcastle in subsequent matchweeks 9 and 10, they may struggle to adjust. Since Liverpool and Newcastle play similarly to Bournemouth, they’ll have a chance to prepare and counter Arsenal’s approach, which is likely to be similar to the one they used against Bournemouth.

  Two, this might force Arsenal’s staff to think less. They’ll be less likely to overthink things. If the strategy works, it might be easier to get into a rhythm because they’ll be forced to stick to one tactic due to the lack of time to find different solutions that would include more drastic changes from game to game.

• Early signs of improvisation from Tottenham

  20 July 2024

  There are early signs of improvisation from Tottenham in their first preseason match, as they lined up with no natural center-backs. Improvisation spawned from passing and moving, more movement off the ball, and one-touch one-twos.

  The back line in the first half was Jamie Donley, Oliver Skipp, Archie Gray, and Pedro Porro. I am a fan of using fullbacks and midfielders in the center-back position. Having players that can pass, dribble, and rotate in and out with the players ahead in the midfield and out on the wings is invaluable in games where you plan to have the majority of possession.

  

  Tottenham looked more comfortable. Of course, Hearts is not a tough opponent, but last season they had trouble breaking down teams that sat back, regardless of how even the game was.

  It helps having Dejan Kulusevski central because he is very creative, and that gives James Maddison an outlet central other than Heung-Min Son to combine with. He is a thinker who thinks ahead to not only the next pass but the pass after that, and because of that he can pull off those more expressive one-touch flicks in the tighter pockets of space.

  The problem they had was, ‘How do we get the ball from the halfway line into the box’, because they are good at crashing the front and back post, but they moved slowly and reminded static. Kulusevski was one of the few that was passing and moving, finding space, and dragging defenders. That led to an overabundance of crossing because they had to reset to create space.

  They should want to try to move the ball on the run because if they walk the ball into the box, the opponent’s defense can drop back and crowd the box. They need those quick one-touch passing combinations to play the crossing player through to find the player crashing the front or back post.

  

  Tottenham should continue to allow every player to get forward. Djed Spence is the last man; he plays a one-two, carries, and within a few seconds he finds himself near the front line. The players seemed more trained to notice when a player wanted to get forward and to see when that one touch was on to allow that player to continue forward. They don’t look as surprised or unprepared when they receive the first pass.

  I hope to see their center-backs get more involved in the attack and not be afraid to pass and move forward.

  Match: Hearts 1-5 Tottenham, 17 July 2024

• Basic level versus playing ability

  19 July 2024

  I was most looking forward to watching Pedri against Germany, and then, bam, in the 7th minute of the game, he is taken out by Toni Kroos in one tackle. We had crunching tackles before, but with less space, it is impossible to avoid them.

  Martin Rafelt made the good point that ‘the physical level in the Premier League is so high that good players don’t survive there’:

  […] I tend to use a simplified model that explains a lot of strange performance development: basic level and playing ability. How high can you play, and how good can you play?

  Basic level, aka, how high can you play? What’s your level of speed and strength? How high can you go in basic actions (running duels, aerial duels, picking up loose balls, just keeping the ball under physical pressure, playing simple passes quickly)?

  Playing ability, aka, how good can you play? On the given level that you can survive, how effective are you going to be there? How are your decisions, your positioning, and your timing to actually create offensive output? How often can you beat defenders that are evenly matched?

  […]

  The Bundesliga, and especially Dortmund, whose players scored the most in the tournament (Euro 2024), can afford to get very smart, talented players who might not have the basic level to consistently survive EPL physicality. (Sancho?, Götze, Lindström, Simons?, etc.)

  The EPL is so extreme in their physical selection that this leaves little space for these kinds of players. You end up selecting a lot of strong, fast players who are not necessarily great at knowing what to do but can survive at least. (Benteke or Mudryk, to name two extremes.)

  Pedri to me is someone right now that falls into that category of a player with world-class playing ability who doesn’t have the basic level to survive in a physical game. More specifically, a physical game with little space.

  As Messi said, there is less space and the game is more ‘tactical’. Lamine Yamal learned that you have to bulk up if you want to survive; even though he is young, just look at a picture of him then and now. Players are prioritizing muscle; you never saw this with Neymar. Bukayo Saka is the new baseline; he is built like a rock.

• Ian Wright should have suggested Saka play left-wing

  18 July 2024

  After Cole Palmer shined in a group stage cameo, Ian Wright suggested England move Bukayo Saka to ‘left-back.’ It would have gone over better if he said ‘left-wing.’ Why are we obsessed with the name of the position and the formation numbers?

  When Bukayo Saka plays for Arsenal, we say he is dropping deep from the right-wing to help Ben White defend, but when he plays for England, we say he is a right-wing-back. This does not match what is happening in possession during the game.

  Why are we not talking about the fact Gareth Southgate has attempted to copy the exact dynamic Manchester City uses with a left-back, Kieran Trippier for England or Josko Gvardiol for Manchester City, pushed up high to act as a left-winger in possession, with the left-winger, Phil Foden, inverted infield?

  

  I understand that it is common for a broadcaster to get the formation wrong, but this is a snapshot of the discussion online, on TV, during play-by-play commentary. Everything is seen through a defensive lens. It does not match what is happening on the pitch.

  

  When I watch England, I see a 4-3-3 formation that can transform into a 3-4-3 box midfield formation, a system popularized in England by Pep Guardiola two seasons prior, but everything Gareth Southgate does is seen through a defensive lens. Therefore, everyone assumes this is a 5-2-3 formation based on graphics like the one used by the BBC. It was a 5-2-3 out of possession, like how Arsenal defend deep when protecting a lead, but in possession it was not a 5-2-3.

  England has had 53% possession, 49%, 73%, 63%, 52%, and 59% during this tournament. They were on the back-foot defending after 20 minutes in the first two games, but throughout the tournament they have held the majority of possession. They are failing to attack, but they are attacking. Kyle Walker is the right-back; there is no right-wing-back Bukayo Saka when England have the ball. He is pinned high to the right.

  If I’m Gareth Southgate, I’d be out promoting the fact that they are attacking. They use “wing-backs” when out of possession, but in possession, there has been an effort to mimic the top English teams.

  When Saka plays on the left, he pushes high, like he did when he was trialed on the left against Slovakia, like Kieran Trippier did against the Netherlands, because they didn’t need Trippier to sit as deep as he did. Can we call that a left-winger dropping deep, or do we need to call him a left-back?

  This is a public relations or marketing problem with the way we are framing each position. The formation completely changes based on where the ball is or who has the ball. He’s a left-back if the opposition have the ball, but a left-winger when England have the ball; call him a left-winger then when you’re going to have a majority of the possession.

• Happy Birthday, Sergio Busquets

  17 July 2024

  Sergio Busquets never did what you would expect him to do; that is what made him special. The defense had to wait for him because he wanted to surprise with each action. He always chose the alternative. Players rarely do that nowadays.

  

  You would expect Busquets to pass back to the goalkeeper, pass back to the defender, or play to the opposite side to Xavi because there is a large space between the opposition’s forwards and midfielders, but he chooses the least obvious pass to Iniesta. It breaks a line; no one expects it, not even the person operating the camera.

  Whatever you think plan A is, he always takes plan C or B and will only take plan A to reset. Take plan A, the defense gets into shape, and then go hunting for the next unexpected pass. He did this when he dribbled and passed. A lot of midfielders don’t think like this. They want to follow a plan, a preset play. Play the quickest, safest solution.

  

  Busquets receives the ball, and he gets pressure from a defender in front of him. Every midfielder would immediately play the pass to the left to relieve pressure, but that is too predictable. He feints to the right and makes the defender miss towards the left, towards the predictable pass. Then the pass opens up to his right, but that is too safe; he wants to find the least obvious pass. He ignores that pass and passes forward to Iniesta.

  When he had the ball, each defender’s head is up looking at him, and their body language is restless because they were waiting anxiously for him. They can’t commit to what they expect because he is not going to play it safe. Messi, Xavi, or Iniesta aren’t anxious because they know he’ll find him. He controls the pace of play; his decisions are like the ref’s whistle, and then they go when he chooses. You can see the defenders waiting, almost like it is a free kick or dead ball whenever he takes his first touch.

  Happy Birthday to Sergio Busquets, who turned 36 yesterday!

• James Rodriguez is not the last playmaker

  16 July 2024

  The Copa America final was an ode to Messi, Di Maria, Otamendi, and the rest of Argentina’s greats in potentially their final tournament, but the highlight was James Rodriguez of Columbia because they don’t make many playmakers like him anymore.

  

  James Rodriguez is 33 years old, but everyone remembers his stunning volley from 30 yards in 2014 during the World Cup in Brazil. He won’t lose his edge in the same way an aging Cristiano Ronaldo, a speedy finisher, would. While your body gives out, the mind doesn’t change, and Rodriguez’s mind is his strength. I wouldn’t describe Rodriguez as a “physical freak” like Ronaldo was. That instinct to take risks and the class to come up with unorthodox solutions to hard problems doesn’t leave you.

  A playmaker’s thinking before they receive the ball is different from that of other players. There is no data point to point to the way he plays. He floats around to find the next chance. He never takes the easy option. He finds the quickest solution. He doesn’t wait for the ball in order to find the next pass. He maps out the pitch ahead in his head before he gets the ball, and then he is immediately a threat after his first touch.

  Playmakers are still being made. The doom and gloom around the lack of creativity and spontaneity is justified because, as viewers have eyes, we can see they are not taking risks like they were before, but there are players like Cole Palmer who do take risks on every action. When you see Palmer succeed, it is hard to be pessimistic about the future.

  The way James Rodriguez plays is the way I hope Lionel Messi, Kevin De Bruyne, and Mohamed Salah play as they inch towards retirement because it doesn’t require them to rely on the physical side of their game. Roam slowly, pick out passes, and focus on the next pass without having to sprint and dribble.

  Match: Argentina 1-0 Columbia, 15 July 2024

• Reminder to join my tactics community

  15 July 2024

  It brings me joy seeing people join my tactics community on Discord despite the fact that I don’t promote it. I put a link in the footer but nothing else. It’s a fun place to talk about football and tactics, you should join.

  For creators, you can share your content from social media or from your own blog with the rest of the community.

  It is a great place to get football news, data, visuals, videos, clips, team news by country all without ever having to log into social media because we have automated channels that grab that information from blogs and social media.

  It is an escape away from the divisiveness of social media. A group chat with meaningful but lighthearted discussions and debates about football.

  Join over 530 members in my tactics community.

• Will it ever come home again

  15 July 2024

  If you put Kane, Saka, Bellingham, and Foden into Spain’s side against the opposition England faced, I don’t think they would play worse than Morata, Nico Williams, Yamal, and Pedri. Look at the players passing the ball, not those receiving the ball.

  The problem lies with the players at the back because the players at the front were not fed enough ball all tournament. I’m not blaming one individual either, although they might play better with Adam Wharton in holding midfield. The instinct to look forward first can be learned from the coach.

  Declan Rice did not play that pass on dozens of occasions. He is awkward with his back to play; he takes too many touches; he plays too safe; and it is always sideways first. It is sideways first, and by the time he sees the forward pass, the gap closes, and he is not great at finding the pass on his first or second touch. He can learn how to take risks with time if he really wants to play in that position. When Rice did play that pass, England’s system worked.

  Trent Alexander-Arnold didn’t find Phil Foden or Jude Bellingham to feet in the tight spaces when he played in midfield, nor did John Stones frequently enough, Kieran Trippier, Kobbie Mainoo, or Conor Gallagher. Kyle Walker did try to fizz in a pass every once and a while, but he was positioned wide, so it was infrequent. Luke Shaw was sharper and more direct than Trippier against Spain.

  Marc Guéhi was the only player consistently looking to play forward to feet through the center of the pitch. He always looks forward first. I’d love to enter a simulation to see what they’d look like with Guéhi and Rice swapped positions.

  Watch Manchester City or Brighton. That pass is like oxygen for a possession-based team that plays slowly and doesn’t rely on pace or long, mazing dribbling runs. Once you realize that, you will be as obsessed as I am with looking forward first.

  It is a mindset to always look forward. Look forward, look forward, look forward, not on; play the safe pass. Not, look sideways, look sideways, look forward, gap closes, and play the safe pass. That is football’s version of constipation.

  England had an easier route to the final. If you put Rice, Mainoo, Trippier, Guéhi, Stones, and Walker into Spain’s side, they likely wouldn’t advance to the final after facing Croatia, Italy, Germany, and France. Put Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, Cucurella, Laporte, Le Normand, and Carvajal into England’s side, and they’d wipe everyone away.

  Not to say the forwards played perfectly, they did not, at times they were bad, but there is your problem. The match went as I thought it would, but England were more organized defensively than I imagined they would be. England did take more risks passing against Spain, but the quality of the passing under pressure is not to the same level of Spain.

  Match: England 1-2 Spain, 14 July 2024

• The problems for England against Spain

  14 July 2024

  England has yet to encounter an opponent of the caliber of Spain in Euro 2024. Spain has been on a tier to themselves. If England get pinned back in their own end, which they should, I don’t think they have the pace to counter Spain.

  

  England may try to press high. Their counter-press was sort of half-hearted against Switzerland and the Netherlands, but I don’t think it will work against Spain. Spain has too much technical quality; they should play through it.

  So say England are forced to defend deep as Spain’s wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams come crashing in. Bukayo Saka will be out wide on the right to assist Kyle Walker, marking Nico Williams either one-on-one or two-on-one. The hope will be to limit Spain to shots from outside the box, but no shot is a safe shot against Spain.

  If England get the ball, they will need to slowly progress the ball forward, working their way to the halfway line. They’ll need to move slowly because they’ll need players ahead of the ball. I can’t see a scenario, outside of a massive error by Spain, in which Harry Kane, Phil Foden, and Jude Bellingham outrun Rodri, Dani Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, or Cucurella on the counter as they collapse on each pass.

  Spain are effective at pressing high off the ball, but if England get past that press, Spain have a habit of intentionally leaving space wide.

  

  The problem for England is the way their first eleven are setup to attack. Dani Carvajal will push in from the right to mark Jude Bellingham, and Marc Cucurella will push in from the left to mark Phil Foden. Bukayo Saka will be high on the right, an outlet behind Cucurella, and Nico Williams will track back to mark him.

  Kieran Trippier is an issue. I argued they didn’t need a left-back in the group stage against lesser opponents, but unfortunately they will need one against Spain to defend against Lamine Yamal. If Trippier does not get forward high up the wing to pin Lamine Yamal back, Spain should be able to easily suffocate England centrally, pushing them back. Yamal will be able to help put pressure on Declan Rice and Marc Guéhi, with the midfielders, as they press England’s back-line.

  Spain showed France that they are flexible out of possession. They normally pack the center of the pitch but, like England, France progresses through the wings. Everything is sideways.

  The difference between France and England is that France had speed on the wings and in the center-forward position with Theo Hernandez, Kylian Mbappe, Kolo Muani, and Ousmane Dembele. Except for Bukayo Saka, England do not have pace on the wings, which is fine as long as you can effectively progress through the center of the pitch, but Declan Rice frequently ignores open passes to the feet of Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham.

  If England avoids passing through the center all together, then Spain should be able to spread out and/or push resources inside and back towards England’s backline.

  If England can come out of the first half with the game tied or if they can grab the lead, they have succeeded. If they go down a goal, the difference will need to come from the bench, as it often has for England in this tournament. That is a bit harder to predict because it is dependent on who Spain brings on off the bench. I know England will likely throw on Cole Palmer, Connor Gallagher, Luke Shaw, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, or Trent Alexander-Arnold at halftime or past the 70th minute.

  I think England will get pinned back, and Spain will pick away at them slowly. I’m picturing a one-sided game in favor of Spain, but it could be more open. In a knock-out match, anything can happen.

  Match: England vs. Spain pre-match, 14 July 2024

• Rodri talks, we must listen

  13 July 2024

  Rodri is the current gold standard among defensive midfielders. He does not promote himself or have any presence on social media, and he does not partake in many substantive interviews, so when he spoke in more detail with the Guardian we have to listen.

  Rodri on his position as the ‘architect’:

  It’s an important position, especially the way [City and Spain] play. I try to give movement to the play, a dynamism, a rhythm. To connect to the players in front of you as soon as you can, to help the game mature, to interpret it, take it where you want it to be. That’s what most defines the role of the pivot: when to accelerate, when to brake, when to press higher, when to move deeper. Those thoughts are always going through your mind. When the ball comes to me and we need to apply a pause, I’m not going to accelerate the play.

  ‘To connect to the players up front’ is the key part for me. I don’t care if you are the ball winner or a pure passer; a basic requirement for a holding midfielder should be that they will always look to connect play to the players up front.

  If, like in most top teams, they play with two or more attacking midfielders in the half-spaces, or especially if they float around, not playing forward to feet would make possession suffocating. And not suffocating for the opponent, suffocating for your team.

  Rodri, on watching games back after the match:

  I always watch games back, whole. Especially if I think there are things that can be done better. I watch them alone. You see lots of things you didn’t see on the pitch. The feeling you have watching it is different to how it felt at the time. I often find there are things I don’t even remember having happened. I like to analyse the game, not just mine, but the rest of the team.

  I could not imagine why a professional player would not watch the match back, especially with how accessible match footage is.

  From July 11, 2023, until today, Rodri has played 5,181 minutes for club and country. That is 57.56 full matches in total. He said, “I reached a point where I can’t [do it] any more,” and then went on to say that the players need to take a stand:

  Yes, yes. It is going to have to be like that. In fact, over this past year, there have been situations in which we have spoken, that we have to do things, although it is complicated because we’re dispersed. We’re at different clubs, it is not easy to generate that [collective voice]. But someone has to put their hand up. And the people who have power, the big organisations, have to say: “Look, this is all well and good but we have to take care, especially of this generation of players, boys like Lamine [Yamal] who is 16 …” No one can play 60, 70 games a season. Over a couple of seasons, maybe, but not 10.

  The Premier League season starts on August 17th, thirty-four days after the EURO Final against England on Sunday. Manchester City’s first preseason match is on July 23rd.

  Something has to give. He does seem to be hinting at a player strike for the upcoming season. The players can’t keep going like this all year: 365 days, two to three days of rest between games, no rest.

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