zey’ve got Jamie Redknapp, he is a brilliant football brain, zey can explain you everyssing (oh do I miss José)
Speaking of brilliant football brains and Chelsea lore : Kianology
it would be a doomed endeavour to try to explain what Kiano Dyer does on a pitch
Finds space to receive, does, teases then glides away.
What powers him though, is an inner flame to get on the ball which sets him apart from academy industry plants who can and do get subdued for a variety of factors
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime
You can hammer a NFL playbook of separation movements in your own half to your midfielder - he will get found out, not just when opponents wait around the corner and mark the next pass, but also when momentum turns and players have to organically find solutions from what they see on the pitch.
Football is an invasion game that recreates a situation of survival.
Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.
Sun Tzu - The Art of War
Range of things overheard or that comes to mind is : is he a U15, all he does is probably give the ball back to whoever gave it to him (under applause of his jumped up former U13 coach), kick him and keep him quiet for the rest of the game, probably easy to brush off the ball. Instances of this are galore wherever you look.
Football has trends, influencers and ceiling breakers but most importantly ; mavericks and people who platform them.
Keeping their legacy alive is a way to not lose your compass.
There’s something great about the return in fashion of technical players in influential central positions, as opposed to shoehoned wide or restricted to off the bench cameos to run the clock down with 19/20 completed passes.
41 years on, people still talk about the “Carré Magique” (magic square).
Next month, they’ll forget you inverted your fullbacks in build-up.
Innovation doesn’t always suggest progress ; and it generally favours protagonists that are either wise, or humble enough to fail and discover by accident.
Not stubborn slaves of a dogma they created themselves to stand out.
There’s the triple Ballon d’Or 1983-1984-1985 ; how can I platform him?
Simple, add two more quality midfielders on the side of a diamond + one player to get the ball back.
Football is a simple game, made complicated by people who should know better.
I did a few TV shows with 1984 Euro winner Max Bossis (#4) (not pictured below).
My former club' chairman (long time in charge of the youth National teams at the FFF) is pictured on the black/white photo with Euro 1984 winner Michel Hidalgo (centre), and World Cup 1998 winner Aimé Jacquet (top centre)
Players like Warren Zaïre-Emery, Kiano Dyer, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly or late career Antoine Griezmann are a reminder that the most effective brain to process information is the one of the best players, trusted in deep central midfield position.
Not the mastermind tactician’ brain trying to catch smoke with bare hands (hence the windmills).
Jean Tigana and Alain Giresse had telepathic understanding for Bordeaux and France to do the junction between Luis Fernandez (one of Arteta and Pochettino’s coaches at PSG), and triple Ballon d’Or 1983-84-85 Michel Platini.
The player Kiano Dyer reminds me of, is a young Luka Modrić when he joined Tottenham - from further watching, some of Giresse’s stop-start shifts and chops.
Nimble but brave in possession, and moreover organically finding space everywhere on the pitch to see and be seen.
And who developped an unconventional yet increasingly effective way to muscle people off the ball. For the ecological movement (find the space where is it), Dyer is up there.
Modrić was thrown in the PL lion’s den under Harry Redknapp, initially off the left of a 442 and ended up finishing top 4 in a double pivot with Scott Parker.
The defensive activity came nicely as Modrić grew into the first non Cristiano / Messi recipient of Ballon d’Or since 2007 - Kaka.
Trust
I came to terms with Kiano Dyer last season with Mark Robinson’s Development Squad. I though the balance between organisation, pressing traps off the ball but generally trust to keep a dynamic midfield three fluid enough to interchange was interesting to follow
This did set a good benchmark of what to expect with Michael Golding and Ram Rak-Sakyi, sometimes paired with Kiano Dyer with Reiss Russell-Denny (or Jimi Tauriainen) doing the junction with Léo Castledine
Golding and Rak-Sakyi were exploring the transition from U18 football - especially Golding - when it comes to getting into final third, with some really well timed goals at U18 that would logically gradually scale up into : get into final third, get end product then get goals.
Golding seen wearing 17 below, in the build up to JJ Morgan’s goal.
Quick, organic, forward thinking football with deliveries across the box.
From what I rememer seeing of both at the same age, I think I was more impressed with Golding than I was of Conor Gallagher.
I didn’t like everything, in the midst of the team shapes and selections that increasingly stemmed more towards a book-keeper’s perspective of how a lineup should look like by the end of the season. Teams were platforming 3 out and out forwards in some kind of 3 ATB set up ; three of JJ Morgan, Dujuan Richards, Deivid Washington. A nice combined 30 million worth of lottery tickets plus Donnell McNeilly, Stutter, Tyrique George and occasionally Mheuka ; supported by Léo Castledine.
Looks like the first photo has Hudson Odoi with the U21s - good process that
Nevertheless, look who popped up in first team training with Pochetino
And on the bench vs Spurs for a 2-0 win where Chalobah scored, probably the most complete performance of Pochelsea.
Lampard and Pochettino’s tenures ; in charge of lineups, by merit.
What now one year on? The player regressed? Despite hiring two tactical coaches?
Or set up to fail because he’s not under consideration for selection to clear the room for more “market opportunities” -
16 June - 22 June :
That won’t ever be ready to start despite being named Player of the Season in Ligue 1, and the ferris wheel goes on until the money runs out.
What about Mathis Amougou ; neither at the Toulon Tournament (France won) nor the U21 Euros (France are in the semi-final) after a 15 million move to Chelsea in January after losing 11 / 15 Ligue 1 games.
Ball doesn’t lie.
Lack of Trust
Organisational change at BlueCo, with Felipe Coelho tasked we imagine, to implement and deliver the same BlueCo Game Model each business unit has to.
Multi Club Model, MCM or Man Crush Manager.
The schedule has been as follows, when it comes to actually scrapping that fantasy (and unproven) idea of subbuteo football on a paëlla sized plate of English jelly.
About October for the DS, January for RCS and intermittently here and there but generally 2025 for CFCLDN.
If Rosenior (probably the best football coach of the three) turned the steering wheel to play good old fashioned Uber Eats Ligue 1-ball (sit deep, 541 and pump the ball early for the fast guy - with 15 million a piece lottery tickets).
Both Maresca’s CFCLDN and Coehlo’s Developnent Squad reverted (or did they) to a semblance of generic mashed potato football ; with some virtue signalling feature of “inverting one fullback”.
So that the stupid mind is told to look at the obvious feature (the notorious inverted fullback - Pep just signed Aït Nouri, a winger up to U15) and is told to not try to decipher what the rest of the team is doing which is out of range for their limited understanding of football.
Lightly edited notes on the majority of the Chelsea U21 Home Games :
Otherwise, bland 442/4231. An experiment with Genesis Antwi in the Gareth Bale role “please make something happen” in the last 5 or 6 games.
A season culminating in losing 6-0 in the PL2 playoffs, with a team featuring none of Tyrique George, Josh Acheampong, Reiss Russell-Denny, Ryan McAidoo, Rio Ngumoha, Michael Golding - crashing in spectacular fashion one round before last season’s PL2 semi final at Tottenham Hotspur.
This is a short summary, probably lacunar in many regards, but also, knowing a thing or two about player development ; it’s been a frustrating experience to attend and expect to learn something about how players improve ; to actually see one calendar year flying by with not a single player either improving or platformed / empowered to do so.
How long until the U21s become a train station where agents would discard their cast-offs with good CVs.
The De Zerbi parody football of pre-season was found out in twelve minutes by National League Boreham Wood.
Chelsea reverted to a brand of generic 442 with Shim Mheuka shoehorned as a touchline winger.
Dyer, trusted to collect the ball deep in build up in 2023/24 ; has now spent the 2024-25 season shoehorned in front of two midfieders that are Harrison McMahon and Sam Rak-Sakyi (or Ollie Harrison)
McMahon is a coach’s dream to balance out a lineup, as he understands where to be and more importantly his own strengths / limitations. Final third wouldn’t be where his presence maximises the chance to get goals and assists.
McMahon travelled with the first team the day Serviette wiped the floor with Chelsea featuring players I was familiar with… from French third tier opposition scouting.
The U21s have been left on their own devices to organise their own loans (overheard).
However, it’s pleasing to notice that Alex Matos got a good loan at Oxford United and McMahon was here and there on extended first team benches this season.
Rak-Sakyi’s improvement curve seemed stalling with a reduction of his carries for more passes.
A few goals at the end of the season didn’t change the underwhelming impression left by his season as a whole, nor did his token (perfect) start at Astana.
Both very fine Category 1 players who will do a job when asked to ; however with a glass ceiling they’ll have to work hard to push
When it comes to Dyer, maverick players see the game differently, feel it, even.
Therefore, Dyer picking up the ball deep organically creates a rotation that naturally pushes Rak-Sakyi (2 goals, 2 assists) and McMahon (none) into final third where they failed to make too much of an impression.
Given that his two team mates combined for an aggregate of 2G 2A, it can’t be per design. His starting position as 10 suggests more a lack of trust (or care) for him to build the attacks.
And if we’re talking good process ; why would Michael Golding (more like Michael Goalding amarite) be used as a sweetener in the Dewsbury transfer (35 million, same agent as Maresca, Rosenior and Graham Potter).
And why sign Amougou with a jack off all trades off the mill skillset forcing goalscoring set piece taker Reiss Russell-Denny to move to Spurs on deadline day
All of this has to do with the football?
You’ve come all the way to put centre half Harrison Murray-Campbell as an emergency striker?
I’m generally all for midfielders to do something purposeful : stop goals, create goals.
Exception to be made for exceptionally brainy footballers like Modrić who move the ball between both boxes with a purpose.
Dyer has a knack for understanding the rythm of the game, and aligning the relevant decison making with a change of pace, a back-and-forth pass to bait the press, or a diagonal.
When we’re talking about process, trust the process and lack of trust to alien components :
Dyer is at Chelsea
Chelsea produced 30% of every England age group squad for almost two decades
Therefore Dyer has a reason to be at the club
Finishing and shooting aren’t Dyer’s strongest traits, he’s actually below Cat.1 standard at it
Which means accounting for 1. and 3. that there’s something he does much better than the others to be trusted in midfield, by people, up to a point, with a track record of knowing what they’re doing. The point ; is until they’re forced out to bring in more cronies from a club who won 0 FAYC, 0 Youth League with similar investment for about a decade.
Trust the process has a stronger chance to succeed when it’s a continuation of an existing one, not an ego trip based on destroying whatever was working already.
Thrust
1. Finding space
One of my favourite things about Kiano Dyer is how he keeps cutting the pear in half
He’ll find space between two players, if the space doesn’t exist he’ll receive with pressure from side/ behind, layoff and cut the pear in half again by rolling out wherever he can.
Back me to receive the ball, this is the part you can’t manufacture with players.
You can develop ball mastery, but you can only platform fearlessness to receive.
These receptions are very Luka Modrić-esque
Each separation movement is half of the previous movement.
Pearless movement to get on the ball.
in a way of saying : trust me, I’ll take charge of the next pass
There’s also the skill to delay the pass to split opponents.
A slow, boring back foot - pass (ba-boom ba-boom ba-boom) gets intercepted
All the cues the opponent is lazily looking at such as : direction of support foot, angle of hips, angle of shoulder, general head direction. Not as in “specifically computing all this”
But just like you’re doomscrolling twitter when walking, you can see with your peripheral vision someone will bump into you or run across, or will stay in their lane.
The slight delay teases defenders to make at least one more step, and end up flat / split
Or to receive as a third man
There’s always space or room to cut the pear in two again and find another angle round the corner to receive possession
Lots of these situations in football are follow up to the main ones, they’re like the time to commute between two places : up to you to fill it with something useful.
Follow up on a second ball from a corner, can clip the ball at the far post to catch an offside flag, muck about and get mugged with the backline in the box.
Or find an outlet wide outside of pressure to retain
When it comes to getting on the ball, the thing that will strike anyone who watches Chelsea’s DS is how Kiano Dyer demands the ball, not just shows for it but will actively seek for it to get it moving forward. That shows character more than compliance to a galaxy brain tactical set up.
There’s an authentic change of pace whilst checking the shoulder
to receive in a prime location.
Ball watching would mean receiveing on the edge of the centre circle (off-centre).
Delaying + change of pace creates the space to receive in between
The way KD always uses diagonal moves is the benchmark of what you’d ask a top quality CM. This is triggering the CM to react and move to his left shoulder
On the next shift to go back centrally, Dyer is inside the interval between the two WBA midfielders having teased the CM to move an inch
With that being created, the winow to open isn’t even the diagonal pass to McNeilly at the edge of the D
Support foot with a slight distance from the ball ; still pointing forward with shoulders facing forward
So he can whip the ball to his left in a reverse way
Brushed / with the opposite of a stiff ankle
To find Russell Denny with three players to cross for
Best way to look at it is to watch first, comment after. And realise there’s a thought process in every move.
2. Opening up the space
Complementing the way Kiano Dyer explores space, his first touch is one of the best seen at this level.
All the body cues hint at a first touch in his stride, he’s kind of back to goal, will be swarmed (or bump into a team mate)
That sharp outside of the boot sends the opponent for a hot dog
So that he can turn around
A never ending story
of suggesting he’d go one way, only to end up going the other way and use the space.
3. Gliding into the gap
Dyer’s trademark move(s) which makes him unique, more by his efficiency and relentlessness at it, is how he can glide away from pressure.
There’s midfielders who can dribble out of pressure, Pedri apparently.
But when looking at PL2, thinking of Riley Owen or Paris Maghoma who are trying to find the balance between end product to connect despite a similar drive (for the former) and just statpadding touches on the ball and stay on it.
What happens when you’re marked out? Before or when receiving
Well, glide away which is something Dyer does a lot
Always hiding the ball from the opponent, with the opposite leg.
Trying to dispossess will result in a foul because he’ll get one of his legs clipped
The way Dyer teases to get away is electric, it’s all about that small delay making the opponent think there’s an opportunity
to then knock past
And glide away
Something he does a dozen times per game, agile enough to draw fouls and start / stop always keeping his balance : shoulder (and centre of balance) projecting between his feet (unless he’d fall over)
That’s football specific athleticism : core strength, agility and balance
The way Dyer gets a flock of seagulls (mind you, if he was at Brighton they’d be all over him) in his trail, because zey sink sardines will be srown into the seeee ; he finds some impressive angles.
Baiting the press that never comes, senior teams will stand halfway through the pitch and let you muck about with the ball
How to turn that reception and carry backwards, usually dropped slowly to the CB who has to clear it
into this for a masked reverse pas forward to “break the press”
This isn’t tactical or systemic, that’s individual ability making things happen.
Which most of these whiteboard fantasy footbal setups are actually about.
Speaking of ; look at the way to cut across the defender’s running line, dodge challenges and time the movement to knock past players.
Kiano Dyer’s reality coexist in Maurits Cornelis Escher’s world
Every downward slope is actually a ramp, you’ll figure it out when he’s long gone
Sorry Madam.
A slight delay to see what’s around
Getting the left leg over to shield the ball already
Arm for protection
With some fine Cucurella defending from Riley Owen.
Decelerating too late, feet apart, what can possibly happen?
Well, this : slipping because Riley Owen is leaning bacwards (centre of balance doesn’t project on the line between his feet)
Kiano Dyer : centre of gravity still projecting between his feet
Maurits Cornelis Escher would love Kiano Dyer. One glaze, body angle and he pulls the 3 Brentford players away from the direct line to goal.
Will pass on the right?
That masked pass is diabolical.
There’s thought process with the deception of looking right, but also the way his support leg lands in a position that guarantees balance, but also hip rotation to pass to his left.
To pass right, the left foot would point right. Passing left then would shank the pass hitting both feet
To pass left, there’s got to be one mechanical function to allow the hip rotation to complete a reverse pass, chopped as it should be.
Kiano Dyer’s inclusion (or lack of) in the first team picture is eminently political.
He would also make a great politician.
Another great example of the GK in midfield gimmick that cost more goals (with the GK mugged in the centre circle than it created - no I’m not interested they played 53 passes after that fluked into a goal)
The kind of bullshit that skews “area maps” and make nerds suggest this goalkeeper is a “sweeper CB”.
I bought this, whilst thirsty. Decent marketing, blend of flavours, basically fresh water with a few things brewing in it, basically water with taste. Still less diluted than the idea of the goalie’s first pass being fundamental to the goal fluked top bins at the other end.
The small hop with the left to make sure he can get a touch with the right
Going backwards, supposedly for Reiss Russell-Denny to recognize it and make the run
Pass is called offside. But succesfully hit in the intended direction because
of the small hop to remove the right leg to avoid hitting it with the ball
That’s football specific agility. That a player played Basketball can help, but doesn’t make you “football agile”
4. Changing the picture
Underlying question that will be raised after an onlooker gets a general idea :
Is Kiano Dyer dossing about, or bossing about ; and more specifically does he change the picture?
One thing seen with KD is how he likes to clip a switch of play with a purpose (I was never fond of Charlie Webster’s)
Twists and turns first :
Good balance kept between his feet
The spin is clean thanks to the conjoint positioning of the support leg
Lands the left leg at the same time he gets a touch with the outside of the boot
Then moving clear, preparing a long ball
Use of arms for balance, left foot points toward the destination, lands next to the ball
Leaning a bit backwards to guarantee the ball gets up
with the important follow through for power and direction.
As the play progresses : see the exact moment where Dyer triggers his separation movement
Right when #10 can’t technically see him
As covered here.
Don’t be already whithin the yellow area before the pass can be hit.
So that the opponent can be… caught by surprise.
How was I to believe my emotion would leave your cover shadow?
Ok, there’s Donnell (9) : checking the shoulder is a tool for decision making; not the end game
Otherwise well.
If you’re terminally online, you have the reference.
The situation here is interesting.
Ball comes from Samuels-Smith already - only repeat passes if the ultimate receiver can change the picture. ISS passed back for a reason.
McNeilly (9) is marked between 4
WBA’s 9’s positioning mean a clip to the far side is difficult
so Kiano decides to “change the picture”
To create another platform from where he can connect
And play a give-go with Ishe Samuels-Smith, function over aesthetics, first time outside of the boot layoff
5. Connecting with the front
Moving the ball, for a purpose. Kiano finds connection with the front line, from deeper positions.
Reminiscent of the Cesc Fàbregas - Diego Costa connection.
Sometimes more than twelve times per game.
If you start Kiano deep, he’ll connect with forwards and change the picture
If you start Kiano 10 to try to maxmise it, he’ll have to rotate to escape the marking - PL2 is a weekly circus in many regards but with a semblance of standard meaning the 10 isn’t completely unmarked for 90’
Dyer’s strength is to play in front of him and change the picture with start-stop carries.
A front foot pass, in his stride which is a real throwback to what you’d see in the 1970s or 1980s (with the Alan Hansen compilation) even 1990s - Kiano Dyer’s dad played for Leicester
Example of a front foot touch :
You carry the ball, and the normal “backswing” (plus a little more) is the one used to kick the ball. Shorter backswing, less time to execute it, so pass is unleashed faster
Football is eminenty a game of perception / action and affordances.
Players perceive ; their experience, know how turns it into an “affordance”
Not every player sees (using their gaze 👀) immediately what matters.
Not every players perceives the posibility of action
First check as the ball is moving : screenshot
Second check
Third check : Mheuka is committed on the CB
This one is impressive. Kiaknows there’s McNeilly somewhere, possibly on the 2nd check
That’s good use of his peripheral vision to flag McNeilly
and ping a reverse pass.
This is his thought process, based on what he sees the environment affords him.
We can merely describe or second guess (zey’ve got your pundits to explain you everissing etc)
On a general note, there’s an urgency to Kiano Dyer’s role - who’s an electric player who will execute very fast (at all angles) once he decides the next pass
That’s a ridiculous first touch
One of my favourite snippets from Academy football captured live :
Kiano Dyer is celebrating before Reiss Russell-Denny shoots, because players know players.
Players perceive and act
Players know players
Staying on the ball
A short comic strip.
Have you got a spare 80 million mate, please
Everyone’s the strongest player until sonmone times their nudge to put your centre of gravity off balance (outside of the line between your two feet).
Bait the press gimmick at Boreham Wood. Yes that’s Trevoh Chalobah, better than Tosin, and sent signing autographs in that Tory stronghold whilst the first team was on tour. That is until the PFA reminded BlueCo of where he should be training/playing
Alfred Gilchrist 1 goal in two seasons, Me Gusto Malo Gusto 0 goals in two seasons.
Look at the respective centre of gravity
Left arm
Ref do something
Football strength is about the timing of movement and nudges to keep opponents at bay.
Kiano Dyer reminds of a young Nkunku, who was impossible to catch let alone tag.
Another instance here :
You can nudge, he’ll resist with his arm and staying uptight
You can shove, he’ll also stand his ground
Defensive wokrate
The difference between a “luxury player” and a player you can trust in playing midfield two is helping the team directly recovering the ball. Or helping the second phase.
I disliked Jorginho’s attacking game which was overrated, predictable with the smelly undertone that he could dictate less intelligent players where to move.
Which is just like Sarriball - nothing new. Just a rebrand of old outdated stuff.
Rating Jorginho don’t make you a bigot, but there’s not a football bigot that doesn’t think he was the extension of the coach’s brain on the pitch.
Side point to it : Kiano isn’t “epileptic and ill-disciplined tactically” whilst Jorginho “controls the tempo”
It’s 2025 ; do better
Defensively, Jorginho was/is positionally sound, had an eye for an interception ahead of him and picked up a number of second balls - probably a legacy of the time journeying the divisions in Italy.
Yes Jorginho was slow af, weak under pressure and all that.
Kiano Dyer also racks up second balls.
There’s the skill
Get running whilst the ball is in the air, stay dynamic
And the ability, which stems more from the general idea to not be an useless passenger off the ball before the remaining team mates do the donkey work. Do you stay connected in all moments of the game.
From the RRAD newsletter
Same applies to Kiano Dyer : ideally, he does what “Player 2” does
Jumping from midfield / 10 into closing down with a slightly curved run towards his left shoulder then righjt so taht the pass to 8 is screened and the ball goes square
Situational intelligence : Kiano does the green pressing run having checked his shoulder three times to screen 8, that means “I can intercept your pass”
If he did the pink pressing run, easy for the CB to play 7 who flicks it to 8 open in the space.
Floating half and half to screen opponents
442 ; Mheuka McNeilly upfront.
Russell-Denny left, McMahon and Dyer CMs, Vale RW
Pass back, immediate trigger for Kiano who squeezes in
Change of direction : land the left foot, open the gate and cut to the right shoulder to dissuade the pass to the midfielder :
Job done : now cutting towards the left (right foot land, open the left gate and cut)
Another change of direction to keep screening the potential receiver.
Cobham (I know it first hand) are the pinnacle of S&C and Player Development at academy level, to create footballers who can change direction like there’s no gravity
Right leg land, open the gate, left foot points in intended direction
Actually knocking people off the ball, in a way that is reminiscent of the way Modrić increasingly got to terms with the “physicality” of the Premier League
One sequence from January 2024 made me think “yeah, he can play” vs Leeds; early 2024
A second ball from a corner ; Kaiden Wilson kinda sells himself up the river.
One obstacle remains : Kiano already side on, on toes
When scouting midfielders, *this* is the most important cue out of possession ; how do you handle crisis situations, can you delay and, better, intervene
Covered in depth in the Lucas Gourna-Douath newsletter
Kiano is able to nick the ball before that becomes a problematic counter.
Two more instances of a clean tackle
My take
Kiano is the kind of player that can or has to be trusted to build attacks, he’s not an office desk worker : he wants to get on the ball.
He shows 60% of his skillset - keeping a good 40% of things you don’t expect to win challenges, carry the ball at pace or find passes you didn’t foresee he had in his locker.
He’s got character and an edge that will make senior coaches and scouts actually look up.
He’s not just a problem solver, he’s creative in a way you can’t second guess what his perception / action will come up with.
In a sense he’s similar to Roméo Lavia, who’s probably stronger and faster but also good at manipulating the ball, find angles and dribble out of pressure.
But who evidence shows, can’t string a run of games together (and not just beause lineups were meddled with and he was forced onto the pitch vs Crystal Palace way short of fitness - probably a pathetic attempt at racking up a 150’ sample size to justufy forcing out Gallagher in January 2024).
2020 lockdown disrupted Chelsea’s contingency planning. Exit the expensive stopgap Jorginho, enter Billy Gilmour, after J5’s disasterclass at Bramall Lane
Covid football wasn’t real, just like Tuchel loaning Gilmour to his mate Daniel Farke at Leeds to get relegated without trying (again).
It took a few years, but the ball doesn’t lie.
Billy Gilmour (and Scott McTominay) lifting the Serie A title that the chainsmoker Sarri and Jorginho failed to win.
Chelsea downgraded Conte (93 and 30 wins, then 70pts) with Sarri at the turn of 2018 to rack up a meagre +2 pts in the league and quit with a transfer ban on sight.
In 2025 ; Conte, Gilmour and Lukaku won the 4th Serie A title
The current pandemic isn’t so much about social distancing, PPE equipment ; but an urge to replace existing players whithin the talent pathway by ever more ill-advised (obviously) “assets” whose pathway will reflect Kendry Paez’s : signed, loaned, and sent in the bomb squad the following summer.
If you’re not at the Club World Cup but are professional, you’re in the Bomb Squad.
Some people can indulge in Schrödinger storytelling, we’ll call a spade a spade.
We can imagine a few +593 phonecalls at silly o’clock made them change their mind to bring Kendry on tour like a raffle winner.
It’ll take time for Dyer and maybe another environment to thrive.
Just like Pochettino could platform Palmer, Chukwuemeka (pictured above) ; the current regime has time for neither (1 goal in 25 games for Palmer and counting).
Disappointingly, England crashed out from the UEFA U19 College Program Euros in the group stage after shipping 11 goals in 3 games.
Would be easy to pinpoint the midfield as an area that was easy to carve through, as the backline featuring two fullbacks in a back 3 was routinely exposed.
Even if I like Mfuni
Harrisson Murray-Campbell (on the bench for two of the three games) and Ishe Samuels-Smith not called up seemed like two players England could have done with ; just like Josh Acheampong, currently taking the heat - not due to his performances with Chelsea at the World Cup, but because he’s sitting on the bench.
Until Chelsea sign Wallace, Wesley or Gromit to play as fullback - market opportunity
Just like they paid 35 million for 0 England Cap Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Some of Dyer’s passes are worth the look :
Sneaking through a few numbers in there, for what it’s worth.
Looking at Dyer from the statistical perspective is a methodological error, but on the other hand ; used for what it is, it’s also a form of appraisal that is grounded in reality.
Then, can’t have it both ways. Glazing a PL2 title won during a pandemic on a one-off game on penalty, behind closed doors with 7 digit a piece footballers - to justify the relevance of having spent 1.5 Billion, but still lacking half the spine of the best XI after two years.
Incidentally found in 2018-2020 Manchester City Development Squad Academy recruitment, specifically players sold already for 8 digit fees with a 20% re-sale clause.
From and to the same people tasked to find the missing pieces of the puzzle in 2025.
Posted without comment
“Is it relevant to use the PL2 as a benchmark”
Dunno, you tell me.
Harry Winks for the Harry Winks role : starting a CL final vs almost bottling the Championship with the 8th wagebill in Premier League.
What’s the most impressive feat.
Not as if Pochettino’s team vs Maresca’s team (4th PL wagebill vs 8th PL wagebill) resulted in a shooting range with 25 attempts and 4.8 xG conceded by the visiting team. Job interview.
Inspiration for the subtle (not so much) subtitle :