Anyone familiar with the fitness industry at the current moment would understand its hyper-fixation on the word ‘optimal’ and a search for ‘optimizing’ workouts to get the best results. In one camp, science-based lifters meticulously plan workouts to ensure ‘maximum muscular growth’ while across the pond is another group who…

Borussia Dortmund has (allegedly) signed a 16 year old from Anderlecht, which probably means we should pay attention. They’ve got a pretty good track record with these things after all. Julien Duranville is an ’06 winger who plays both sides of the pitch, dominating opponents with devastating pace and dribbling. …

Recently I became self aware of how much I had developed a ‘mental game model’ and it’s subsequent impact on the way that I perceive players, and to an extent, teams. While I’d argue that I am able to still identify where/when a player is good, there’s an entirely different…

It’s been a long time since player was so heavily under a microscope in the manner which Darwin Núñez is at the moment. Some people claim he’s simply not a good player, some people claim he’s good but limited, others think he’s just an incredible player overall. The main factor…

A little while ago I published a frustration tweet that somewhat discussed the gap between the denotation and the connotation of the word ‘pragmatic’ in football. I think for a lot of people, this seems quite meaningless. Why bother using the correct denotation of the word if everyone comprehends the…

“In training sessions we emphasized technical abilities above all. Passing the ball is communicating with another person it’s being in the service of another person. It’s crucial. For the pass to be a good one, the player has to put himself in the position of the person who’s going to…

For the next few decades, we will probably continue to hear the same quip over and over. “___ is the next Mbappe!” has become the new “___ is the next Messi/Ronaldo!” especially in France. …

I decided to (attempt) massively limit my social media during the summer, ideally only checking it before I eat breakfast and then spending the rest of the day away from it. Focus on things that are more life-giving. Yesterday though, some news threw that goal out the window. …

What kind of impact does opposition analysis make on our game model? While watching Sassuolo vs. Inter for HGAS, I recognized a fascinating pattern within their pressing. It’s been long documented that the sideline is the best place to usher an opposition given the fact that the sideline acts as…