Podcasts by The Athletic Football Tactics Podcast
Hosted by Ali Maxwell, revered football tactics writer Michael Cox is joined by more of The Athletic's brightest tactics and data analytics writers to break down the tactical and technical details behind the biggest footballing stories each week - assessing the latest trends, systems, players, managers and all manner of statistics in order to give you a deeper understanding of the game.
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The art of taking a penalty from 2023-12-07T17:40
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme join host Ali Maxwell to discuss penalties in football... Are there too many, are they too big a reward in the VAR era, or, is it in fact beco...
ListenIs Bernardo Silva the best player in the Premier League? from 2023-11-29T16:35:43
In this episode, we discuss Michael Cox’s argument that Bernardo Silva is the best player in the Premier League. The Athletic’s Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme join Ali Maxwell to explore…...
ListenLeverkusen, Girona and surprise league leaders from 2023-11-16T19:58
A collection of Europe’s major leagues have had surprise league leaders topping the tables this season. The Athletic’s Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Thom Harris join Ali Maxwell to explore…Xabi Alons...
ListenHow to play with 10 (or 9) men from 2023-11-09T17:00
After Spurs and Man United suffered defeats in big games this week, where a red card (or two) was a big factor - The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme join host Ali Maxwell to deba...
ListenWhere have all the dribblers gone? from 2023-11-02T17:35
As Michael informs us - in the beginning - the beautiful game almost completely revolved around the art of 'dribbling'. So, as football continues to evolve tactically, how and why did we reach a po...
ListenRonaldo, Diego Costa, Benzema: When does a striker peak? from 2023-10-26T14:34:34
Ali Maxwell is alongside The Athletic’s Liam Thame, Mark Carey and Michael Cox to explore the varying ‘peak’ performance of strikers, and whether it’s changing over time. From Robbie Fowler who ‘p...
ListenHow to build the perfect footballer from 2023-10-19T20:35
Jude Bellingham's been described as a player 'who can do everything', so Ali Maxwell, challenged The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme to build the 'perfect' player... A left foot ...
ListenDavid Beckham's Data from 2023-10-12T17:30
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....
ListenArsenal v Man City: Do head-to-head matches between the top two really matter? from 2023-10-05T17:35
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...
ListenEwing Theory: Life after losing a star player from 2023-09-28T15:40
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...
ListenThe Champions League is back! from 2023-09-21T18:15
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...
ListenBellingham’s ceiling, Brazil’s new era, and where have the Spanish playmakers gone? from 2023-09-14T14:30:23
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, a...
ListenBukayo Saka: Goalscorer, Creator, Swiss Army Knife from 2023-09-07T15:30
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... ...
ListenDo Central Midfielders make the best modern managers? from 2023-08-31T15:04:34
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Mark Carey and Liam Tharme to dig into why so many modern-day head coaches were once central midfielders? As Guardiola, Arteta, Xavi, Pirlo, Motta, Alon...
ListenBig Ange's Big Spurs Overhaul from 2023-08-24T16:55
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 t...
ListenTonali 'box-crashing', Caicedo's talents&Saka vs Salah: New Season Notebook 23/24 from 2023-08-17T16:20
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 ma...
ListenThe Big Tactical Premier League Season Preview - Part Two from 2023-08-08T04:00
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 hav...
ListenThe Big Tactical Premier League Season Preview - Part One from 2023-08-04T04:00
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Mark Carey, Liam Tharme, Ahmed Walid and Thom Harris, to preview the new Premier League season - and the big tactical dilemmas facing each team... In pa...
ListenUCL Final Reaction: How Manchester City beat Inter Milan from 2023-06-11T02:00
Host Ali Maxwell is joined - straight after the full-time whistle - by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Liam Tharme and Ahmed Walid, to dissect Manchester City's 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champion...
ListenCup vs League&Champions League Final Preview from 2023-06-08T14:54
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic’s Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme to discuss whether tournament and league football needs to be treated differently, perhaps even viewed as entire...
ListenPremier League Season Review... in just 10 games from 2023-06-01T16:25
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme to review a record-breaking and unforgettable Premier League season... in just 10 matches. From early warning si...
ListenAlternative Team of the Season from 2023-05-25T15:35
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme to pick their alternative Premier League Team of the Season - The catch? They can only select one player from each team in the ...
ListenHow Xavi's Barcelona won La Liga from 2023-05-15T04:00
Pragmatic Xavi, Busquets' successor and is it actually a good idea to bring Messi back in the summer? Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Liam Tharme and John Muller to explai...
ListenAlexander-Arnold's new role: Explained from 2023-05-11T15:40
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Duncan Alexander to explain Trent Alexander-Arnold's new role for Liverpool and assess to what extent it's responsible for t...
ListenHave Premier League teams forgotten how to defend? from 2023-05-04T15:45
Duncan Alexander makes his tactics pod debut, joining The Athletic's Michael Cox, Liam Tharme and host Ali Maxwell, to discuss a potentially record-breaking number of goals being scored in the Prem...
ListenHow Pep's Manchester City took advantage in the title race from 2023-04-27T15:10
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's tactics writers Michael Cox and Ahmed Walid, to reflect on a chastening defeat for Arsenal as Manchester City wrestled back control in the Premier Leagu...
ListenWomen's Champions League Semi-Final Preview from 2023-04-22T04:00
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Charlotte Harpur to assess the final four teams in the Women's Champions League, as Chelsea face Barcelona and Arsenal meet Wolfsburg, w...
ListenPep Guardiola’s never-ending tactical evolution from 2023-04-14T04:00
From Philipp Lahm at the base of a midfield, to Eto'o the winger, Zinchenko the inverted full-back, Kevin de Bruyne the crossing no.8 and Gundogan the goalscorer; Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The ...
ListenThe Art of winning 'without playing well' from 2023-04-06T16:35
Is mastering the art of winning 'without playing well' something that all great sides need to learn? Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey&Liam Tharme to investigate....
ListenWhy football left Mesut Ozil&'the specialists' behind from 2023-03-31T04:00
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme to reflect on Mesut Ozil's retirement and the 'death of the luxury no.10'... Was Ozil a specific case or has doe...
ListenWas Southgate right about the supply line of English talent? from 2023-03-30T14:05
Ali, Mark and Liam reconvene for another bonus tactics podcast to examine Southgate's use of 'data' in his alarming recent comments about decreasing Premier League minutes for English youngsters......
ListenBrighton's Super-strengths: De Zerbi v Potter, Scouting Mitoma&The race for Europe from 2023-03-23T15:45
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Mark Carey and Liam Tharme to explore Liam's favourite subject, Brighton... Has Roberto de Zerbi actually improved them since Graham Potter was poached ...
ListenOsimhen, Kvara&Why Spalletti's Napoli CAN win the Champions League from 2023-03-16T16:10
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Liam Tharme and Ahmed Walid to explore Napoli's marvellous season and discuss whether or not they can go onto to win this year's Champions ...
ListenPART TWO: Potter, Conte&A New Manager Bounce - How important is the manager? from 2023-03-10T05:00
In part two of our investigation into the state of PL management, Ali, Michael, Mark and Liam ask how important is a manager and if we can ever prove definitively whether a manager is good or bad? ...
ListenRashford x Mbappe: Goals, super-strengths&how to stop them from 2023-03-09T15:05
Despite huge disappointment for both Kylian Mbappe and Marcus Rashford this week, host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Mark Carey&Liam Tharme for a bonus episode to dissect the frighteningl...
ListenPART ONE: What constitutes success for a Premier League manager? from 2023-03-02T16:55
In part one of a two-part investigation into the state of Premier League management, host Ali Maxwell&The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme, explore the many reasons why it is beco...
ListenRed Bull Football: What makes an 'RB player'&Does it work in the Premier League? from 2023-02-23T16:25
After praise for Marco Rose's RB Leipzig in their Champions League draw with Man City on Wednesday night, host Ali Maxwell and The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey&Liam Tharme explore the many vi...
ListenHow Man City beat Arsenal, Mbappe's 30-minute masterclass&Goal-shy Chelsea from 2023-02-16T15:55
How badly are Arsenal missing Gabriel Jesus, why Pep courted disaster with Bernardo Silva at left-back again, why Chelsea are not missing Aubameyang despite their problems infront of goal and why K...
ListenWhat does the data say about your favourite PL team? from 2023-02-10T11:00
How is Ten Hag getting the best out of Marcus Rashford? Which London-based club are the worst at shooting in the division and who is the most left-footed? Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic...
ListenHarry Kane - The evolution of Spurs all-time record goalscorer from 2023-02-09T15:05
Harry Kane's 267th goal for Spurs in their 1-0 win over Man City last week, put him clear of the great Jimmy Greaves as Tottenham's all-time leading goalscorer. In this week's bonus offering, host ...
ListenSean Dyche's Everton rescue mission from 2023-02-03T05:00
No signings in January and Anthony Gordon off to Newcastle - so what chance does Sean Dyche have of avoiding Premier League relegation with his new Everton side? Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The A...
ListenEnzo 'The Metronome' Fernandez&What Chelsea can expect from 2023-02-02T15:15
A 'tempo dictator', 'metronome' with a 'youthful exuberance', The Athletic's Mark Carey and Liam Tharme join host Ali Maxwell, to put Chelsea's British transfer record-breaking signing - Enzo Ferna...
ListenHas Erling Haaland made Man City better? from 2023-01-26T15:45
Erling Haaland has scored 25 Premier League goals already. Enough to win the Golden Boot in 12 of the last 30 seasons (16 if you he'd be willing to share the award) - but has he made Manchester Cit...
ListenTrossard, Mudryk&How many players do Arsenal need to win the Premier league? from 2023-01-19T16:07
Having narrowly missed out on Mykhailo Mudryk and with reports suggesting Leandro Trossard could be on his way to the Emirates, host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey ...
ListenScouting for Liverpool's 'next Wijnaldum' from 2023-01-16T16:05
Once described by Jurgen Klopp as 'the architect of their success', why have Liverpool failed to replace Georginio Wijnaldum? Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Mark Carey and Liam Tharme...
ListenWhy Chelsea gambled on Joao Felix&What Weghorst will bring to Man Utd from 2023-01-12T17:10
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Liam Tharme and Mark Carey, to assess what January loanees Joao Felix and Wout Weghorst will bring to Chelsea and Manchester United respectively... Are ...
ListenConte's Spurs: Kane's goals, January transfers&'Second-Half FC' from 2023-01-05T16:00
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme for a closer look at Antonio Conte's Tottenham Hotspur... As second-half comebacks have become almost routine at...
ListenShackling Griezmann, 'Big-Game' Di Maria - Argentina v France: World Cup Final Preview from 2022-12-15T15:20
Host Ali Maxwell and The Athletic's tactics writers, Michael Cox and Liam Tharme, dissect the World Cup semi-finals and ponder the big tactical questions facing Didier Deschamps and Lionel Scaloni ...
ListenMorocco's 'England' Blueprint&The Perfect Penalty Shoot-Out: World Cup Semi-Final Preview from 2022-12-12T14:47
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey to assess the World Cup final 4... What tactical lessons might Morocco learn from England's plan for Kylian Mbappe?Could Arge...
ListenThe tactics behind Tite's 'Joga Bonito' Brazil from 2022-12-07T17:00
Host Ali Maxwell returns and joins The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey to explore the tactical system behind Brazil's beautiful football... The similarities with both Manchester City and Arse...
ListenAussie xG, Ziyech's Quality&Blame it on Lukaku: World Cup Notebook - Round 3 from 2022-12-02T13:40
The Athletic's Mark Carey, Michael Cox and Ahmed Walid pause to reflect on the conclusion of the World Cup group stages... The panel discuss the strength of England's last-16 opponents Senegal, as...
ListenReplacing Neymar, Onana's Goal-kicks&Asymmetric Full-Backs: World Cup Notebook - Round Two from 2022-11-29T12:48
Mark Carey is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Liam Tharme to reflect on the most interesting tactical trends and data insights from the second round of World Cup matches... A distinct lack...
ListenHow Japan Beat Germany, 100+ Mins Injury Time&Spanish Attacking Rotations: World Cup Notebook - Round One from 2022-11-25T13:30
Mark Carey hosts in Ali's absence as The Athletic's tactics writers, Michael Cox and Ahmed Walid, reflect on the key takeaways and trends from the opening round of World Cup group games... How did ...
ListenEngland's Control, Beating Messi’s Argentina&The Real ‘Dark Horses’: The Big World Cup Preview Pt. 2 from 2022-11-18T05:00
In part two of The Athletic Football Tactics Podcast’s World Cup preview, host Ali Maxwell is once again joined by Michael Cox, Liam Tharme and Mark Carey to run through the rest of teams competing...
ListenUruguay's Last Dance, Neymar's 'Favourites'&The Group of Wonder-kids: The Big World Cup Preview Pt. 1 from 2022-11-17T05:00
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox, Liam Tharme and Mark Carey to breakdown the data and the tactical trends behind every World Cup nation set to compete in Qatar next week......
ListenKvaradona, Conte's Late Show&Barca's Limit: The Champions League Last 16 from 2022-11-03T16:12
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey to review the bonkers and the brilliance from the Champions League group stages as 16 teams made it through to the knockout r...
ListenThe Stats Behind The Set-Piece Revolution from 2022-10-26T16:50
Host Ali Maxwell is joined, as usual, by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey to investigate the stats behind set-pieces and how they have evolved as the influence of data and analytics has gr...
ListenKarim Benzema's Ballon d'Or from 2022-10-19T15:15
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey to discuss Karim Benzema's Ballon d'Or win... The numbers behind an incredible year for the Real Madrid striker, comparisons ...
ListenLiverpool vs Man City tactical preview from 2022-10-13T13:05:56
Ali Maxwell is joined by the Athletic's tactical maestros Michael Cox and Mark Carey for an in-depth preview of Sunday's game at Anfield - Liverpool against Manchester City. Should Klopp start Nune...
ListenNeves @ CB, Eriksen the 6&Ben White Right-Back: PL Shape-Shifters and Measuring Football IQ from 2022-10-06T04:00
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey to explore how and why certain Premier League stars are being deployed in some unusual roles and positions recently... Has Be...
ListenArsenal v Tottenham: NLD Tactical Preview from 2022-09-28T14:25
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's tactics writers Michael Cox and Ahmed Walid, to preview an intriguing clash of tactical styles as Arsenal and Spurs face off in the first North London D...
ListenWhat will Roberto De Zerbi bring to Brighton? from 2022-09-21T15:56
Ali Maxwell is joined by the Athletic's Italian football correspondent James Horncastle and our tactics writer (and Brighton fan) Liam Tharme for a deep dive into the Premier League's newest head c...
ListenxG: How Data Conquered Football with Rory Smith from 2022-09-15T04:00
New York Times' Chief Soccer Correspondent Rory Smith joins host Ali Maxwell, The Athletic's Michael Cox&Mark Carey to reflect on football's data revolution... While its effect on recruitment has ...
ListenTuchel's Sacking + Messi x Nkunku, Zidane x Thiago - The modern stars who play like legends from 2022-09-07T16:28
Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey to delve into the data and attempt to uncover the modern European stars who most closely resemble some of the biggest footballing ...
ListenChelsea&Man United 'Out-Run' - Smarter Running Stats For TV Pundits from 2022-08-30T14:45
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Brentford correspondent Jay Harris, as well as, Liam Tharme and Mark Carey to explore the relationship between 'distance covered' and winning football m...
ListenLiverpool's Injuries, Re-training Iwobi&New Wolves in the Pack: The Anatomy of a Poor Start from 2022-08-24T13:15
After 3 Premier League games, just 5 sides currently have 2 points or less... Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's tactics and analytics writers - Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme - ...
ListenMount's IQ, 'Hack-a-Shaq' Tactical Fouls&Haaland v Nunez: New Season Notebook from 2022-08-18T04:00
Host Ali Maxwell is joined by The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey to explore some of the interesting quirks they've noticed so far in this new Premier League season... The pros/cons of being ...
ListenKane 'The Roamer', Foden 'The Box Crasher'&R.I.P The Long Ball from 2022-08-11T04:00
The Athletic's giant tactical minds, Michael Cox and John Muller, join host Ali Maxwell to carefully deconstruct their work on how we might redefine modern player roles and why Burnley's relegation...
ListenHow England Can Beat Germany: Euro 2022 Final Preview from 2022-07-29T15:30
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey, join host Ali Maxwell, to dissect two captivating semi-finals and assess the German threat to England's chances of lifting the European Championship troph...
ListenThe Semi-Finals: How Wiegman's England Out-Thought Spain&Sweden Peaking from 2022-07-25T13:30
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell, to preview the semi-finals, with England facing their toughest opponents to date - Sweden and their set pieces. How exactly did Sari...
ListenEngland's QF Preview: Wiegman's Rhythm, Spain's Issues&A Winger's Tournament from 2022-07-18T15:15
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to preview England's Women's Euros Quarter-Final against Spain... How best to get the ball to Lauren Hemp, why Alessia Russo should s...
ListenEngland rampant but are France still the team to beat? | Euro 2022 tactical roundup from 2022-07-12T14:53:55
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell, to reflect on England's amazing 8-0 hammering of previously fancied Norway, looking at the stand-out performance of hat-trick hero B...
ListenEngland's Cutting Edge, Replacing Putellas&The Major Contenders @ Women's Euro 2022 from 2022-07-07T11:45
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell, to reflect on England's nervy win on opening night at Old Trafford... Millie Bright's passing range and a selection headache for hea...
ListenLiverpool v Real Madrid: Champions League Final Preview from 2022-05-24T04:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to preview an all-star Champions League final as Liverpool prepare to face Real Madrid on Saturday... What can Klopp learn from Real'...
ListenPremier League Manager Of The Year from 2022-05-18T14:30
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to explore the shortlist for this season's Premier League Manager of the Season... How the award should be judged, who else deserved ...
ListenChelsea v Liverpool: FA Cup Final Preview from 2022-05-11T15:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to preview the FA Cup final between Tuchel's Chelsea and Klopp's Liverpool. Our panel explore the key tactical battles, possible team...
ListenCan we measure the value of a goal? from 2022-04-27T14:41
All goals are worth the same, or are they? The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to try and work out whether it's possible to accurately measure the true value of a goal, ...
ListenLiverpool v Man City: Tactics&Rivalry from 2022-04-20T16:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to explore the recent tactical battles between Liverpool and Manchester City and the questions both Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp wi...
ListenErik ten Hag's Manchester United: Maguire, Ronaldo&What To Expect from 2022-04-13T14:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to explore what Manchester United fans can expect, should Erik ten Hag become their next permanent manager... The panel analyse the t...
ListenWard-Prowse, Beckham... Rick Holden? Is It Actually Worth Shooting From A Free-Kick? from 2022-04-06T16:30
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to explore the art of (and the data behind) Free-Kicks... The best and worst FK takers in Premier League history, the cult-heroes, th...
ListenXavi's Barcelona: Physicality, Width&Ajax from 2022-03-30T12:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and John Muller join host Ali Maxwell to assess Xavi's impact at Barcelona, since returning as Head Coach... But was the club's 'crisis' slightly overplayed and how do Xa...
ListenSaka, Sancho&Selection Headaches: Gareth Southgate's England Squad from 2022-03-23T13:30
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell, to run the numbers of Gareth Southgate's latest England squad... Will Southgate alter his formation to accommodate the wealth of att...
ListenBrighton, Man United... England. Is Graham Potter an Elite Manager? from 2022-03-17T05:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to explore the hype around Brighton boss Graham Potter, which has led to the widespread belief that a 'Big 6' Premier League team, a ...
ListenArteta's Arsenal: No Straight Lines To Success from 2022-03-09T16:30
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to assess Mikel Arteta's Arsenal - just over two years on from his arrival... Does the club now have an established tactical identity...
ListenThe Evolution of Premier League Shooting&Saints' Sly Stoppages from 2022-03-02T15:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to discuss how shooting has evolved in the Premier League thanks to the rise in analytics over the last decade... Have we properly ad...
ListenThe Business End Of The Season: Premier League Notebook from 2022-02-23T15:30
The Athletic's Michael Cox (tactics) and Mark Carey (data) join host Ali Maxwell to re-open their Premier League notebooks to discuss the sudden outbreak of a genuine title race after Conte's Spurs...
ListenHow Good Is Your Team In Transition? from 2022-02-17T05:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to explore 'transitions' in football... How are they distinct from counter-attacks, how 'brave' it is to press high, as well as wheth...
ListenMichael Cox on the WSL title race: Bonus episode from 2022-02-16T10:00
A bonus chance to hear what happened when The Athletic's Michael Cox, joined The Athletic Women's Football Podcast, to discuss a fascinating title race in the WSL this season, as well as, why he th...
ListenVan Dijk, Rudiger&Rating Premier League Centre-Back's Properly from 2022-02-09T16:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell, to talk Premier League centre-backs... How to properly 'rate' them, both in and out of possession, playing in different tactical sys...
ListenDeclining Three-Man Defences&Crediting The Pass Receivers from 2022-02-03T05:00
The Athletic's tactics and data analytics writers Michael Cox and Mark Carey, join host Ali Maxwell, to explore the rise and fall of three-man defences in the Premier League in recent years... Plus...
ListenAntonio Conte's Spurs from 2022-01-26T17:30
The Athletic's tactics writer Michael Cox and Spurs correspondent Charlie Eccleshare, join host Ali Maxwell to reflect on Antonio Conte's start to life as Tottenham head coach... The trio reflect o...
ListenCorrecting The Men's&Women's FIFPro World XI from 2022-01-20T05:00
The Athletic's Mark Carey and Michael Cox join host Ali Maxwell to debate the results of this week's FIFPro World Xi... Have Ronaldo and Messi outstayed their welcome or do the statistics support t...
ListenKane, Lacazette, Jota... Where Have All The Goalscorers Gone? from 2022-01-13T05:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to explore a recent trend, affecting goal-scorers in the Premier League... The trio reflect on how their role has changed over the la...
ListenPep's Innovation, Lukaku's System&Ralf's False Start: Premier League Notebook from 2022-01-05T16:00
Are Man City simply playing against themselves now, did Lukaku have a point about Tuchel's system and why are Arsenal better in Aubameyang's absence? The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey once ...
ListenJanuary Transfer Window Scouting from 2021-12-23T05:00
Ali Maxwell. Mark Carey and John Muller are on a mission. A mission to go through the Premier League and identify a position and transfer for each team. It's a data scouting special! Learn more abo...
ListenGerrard, Ancelotti, Venables&The 'Christmas Tree' Formation from 2021-12-15T17:00
The Athletic's tactics writer Michael Cox and data analytics writer Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell for a festive dissection of the 'Christmas Tree' Formation... They trace it's roots from Crystal...
Listen'The Rise Of The Underlap' from 2021-12-09T05:00
The Athletic's newest signing and data analytics writer, John Muller, makes his podcast debut alongside Michael Cox and host Ali Maxwell, to discuss the growing trend of UNDER-lapping full-backs......
ListenRalf Rangnick's Manchester United from 2021-12-01T18:30
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey, join host Ali Maxwell to discuss what incoming manager Ralf Rangnick's Manchester United may look like from a tactical perspective... The trio assess what...
ListenMusiala's Superpowers, Dysfunctional Dortmund&Wing-less Red Bull Leipzig: Bundesliga Revisited from 2021-11-25T05:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and host Ali Maxwell are joined by German football expert Raphael Honigstein as their European tour extends to Germany... Rafa guides the trio through Bayern'...
ListenSimeone's Achilles Heel, Ancelotti's Vibes&Xavi's Teaching Style: La Liga Revisited from 2021-11-17T19:30
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and host Ali Maxwell, continue their survey of Europe's major leagues - Next stop, Spain, as Dermot Corrigan guides them through an usually chaotic start to t...
ListenThe 'MK Messi', Matching PSG's Possession - An Interview with MK Dons Sporting Director Liam Sweeting from 2021-11-12T12:00
The now Germany-bound Tom Worville stopped off in Milton Keynes with host Ali Maxwell for one last interview with MK Dons Sporting Director Liam Sweeting... Liam reveals how data contributed to an ...
ListenMourinho's Roma, Cholo's Free-Scoring Son&Zlatan-less Milan: Serie A Revisited from 2021-11-10T21:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and host Ali Maxwell are joined by James Horncastle to discuss Jose Mourinho's latest vendetta with the Italian referees, what Juventus and Manchester United have in comm...
ListenThe Rise of Data Journalism&Farewell Tom Worville from 2021-11-03T18:30
For Tom Worville's last podcast (before leaving us to join RB Leipzig!) host Ali Maxwell and The Athletic's Michael Cox, join him to reflect on the continued rise of data and analytics in football ...
ListenNeymar, Robben, Lewandowski&Benzema: Out of Messi&Ronaldo's Shadow from 2021-10-27T17:30
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell to assess how the careers of Neymar, Arjen Robben, Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski might be viewed if they didn't simply exist...
ListenHow To Build A Premier League-Winning Team from 2021-10-20T17:10
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell, for a fascinating exercise in hypothetical Premier League squad-building... From unbalanced centre-back partnerships to midfield ...
ListenRebuilding Newcastle&Improving the laws of the game from 2021-10-13T13:01:56
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to assess the Newcastle United squad following their takeover last week. Which areas will they need to strengthen in January? And if and...
ListenWhy Chelsea, Liverpool&Man City Full-Backs May Decide Title Race + Euro Scouting from 2021-10-06T14:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell to reflect on the chaotic but tactically fascinating contest between Liverpool and Man City - and discuss how a common trend among ...
ListenMessi in Moments, Traore's Take-Ons, 'Direct' Brentford: Notebook Re-Opened from 2021-09-29T13:30
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell to reflect on Lionel Messi's role in PSG's victory over Manchester City. Plus, a closer look at how Adama Traore is performing unde...
ListenSalah, Mane&Sterling: The PL 100 Club Wide-Forwards from 2021-09-22T16:20
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to assess the respective journey's of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Raheem Sterling - on their way to scoring 100 Premier League goals... ...
ListenHow Creative Is Paul Pogba Really? from 2021-09-15T16:15
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell to assess whether or not 'assists' tell the whole story when it comes to measuring a players creativity... The trio investigate how...
ListenWho Won The European Transfer Window&Ultra-Consistent Mo Salah from 2021-09-08T17:45
The Athletic's Tom Worville and Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell to assess the big winners from the summer transfer window on the continent. How AC Milan got back into the Champions League after an...
ListenRonaldo's Return from 2021-08-31T15:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell to assess the many ramifications of one of the biggest Premier League transfer stories in history - as Cristiano Ronaldo returns to...
ListenAlexander-Arnold, Walker, James... Are Right-Backs Still Right-Backs? from 2021-08-25T17:45
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell to discuss an interesting trend in the number of Premier League right-backs, simply not playing at right back... Our tactical trio ...
ListenPremier League Opening Weekend Notebook from 2021-08-18T15:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville open their notebooks and join host Ali Maxwell for their reflections on the opening weekend of a new Premier League season... The differences between Eve...
ListenThe Premier League Season Preview from 2021-08-11T16:50
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join host Ali Maxwell to assess each Premier League club's chances for success this season. How might European football impact on West Ham's campaign, ar...
ListenTransfer market trends and the enduring greatness of Messi from 2021-08-04T13:39
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell are here to gently ease you back in to the new football season as they take a look at how the transfer market and player recruitment is chan...
ListenEuros Notebook - breaking down the final and where England went wrong from 2021-07-14T02:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell open the Euros notebook for the last time in order to reflect on the final between England and Italy and work out how the game was won and l...
ListenEngland v Italy tactical preview from 2021-07-08T12:39
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell open the Euros notebook for the penultimate time as they look back at two contrasting but equally thrilling semi-finals and then look ahead ...
ListenEuros Notebook - semi-final preview from 2021-07-05T12:46
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell open the Euros notebook once again for a look back at the key tactical moments from the quarter-finals and look ahead to the semi-finals Wil...
ListenEuros Notebook - How the round of 16 was won and lost + Quarter-Final preview from 2021-06-30T15:52
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell are here with the latest edition of our Euros Notebook, picking out the key tactical observations that tell us how the round of 16 games wer...
ListenEuros Notebook - Pogba impressing, Spain improving, England v Germany tactical preview from 2021-06-24T17:32:19
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville an Ali Maxwell open the Euros notebook once again to share their insights on the final round of group games and look ahead to the round of 16 There's a look...
ListenEuros Notebook - Cautious England, woeful Turkey and galloping Gosens from 2021-06-21T13:22
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell are back with another Euros tactical notebook, picking out a variety of interesting things from across the second batch of group stage games...
ListenThe Zonal Marking Euros Notebook - what we've noticed so far from 2021-06-16T05:00
The Athletic's Micheal Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell have been hard at work watching every second of Euro 2020 so far and have been noting down anything and everything they consider to be inter...
ListenEuro 2020 Preview - Groups D, E and F from 2021-06-09T05:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell are back with the second of our big Euro 2020 previews and this time we cover the second side of the draw with groups D, E and F Plenty to g...
ListenEuro 2020 Preview - Groups A, B and C from 2021-06-08T05:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell for the first of our big Euro 2020 preview pods and we kick things off with groups A, B and C. Michael has watched many hours of footage...
ListenBonus Pod - England at the 2018 World Cup from 2021-06-01T05:00
This episode originally went out in March but seeing as we're having a week off to prepare for our massive Euro 2020 preview episodes next week we thought we'd kick this back up the feed for any of...
ListenPep v Tuchel - Champions League final tactical preview from 2021-05-26T14:55
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Ali Maxwell look ahead to Saturday's Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea from a tactical and analytical perspective. Can we learn a...
ListenThe Alternative Team of the Season from 2021-05-19T05:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell gather to offer their distinctive take on football's traditional end of season awards Tasked by Ali with picking an alternative team of the ...
ListenHow Guardiola made Man City champions again from 2021-05-12T05:00
On October the 15th, four games into the Premier League season, we released a pod titled 'How does Guardiola get Man City back on top?' - they were struggling and looked miles off the pace. Eight m...
ListenWhat went wrong for Fulham, West Brom and Sheffield Utd? from 2021-05-05T05:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell have called time on Fulham and West Brom's stay in the Premier League and all but consigned them to the Championship for next season along w...
ListenThe defensive glossary - half-backs, sweeper keepers, the libero and beyond from 2021-04-28T05:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell complete their quest to classify every possible position and role on a football pitch with the third and final edition of the ZM pod footbal...
ListenWe need to talk about crossing... from 2021-04-21T05:00
This week's Zonal Marking pod is a European Super League Free Zone, come shelter from the storm with The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville as they take a deep dive into that most quintessenti...
ListenThe race for the Champions League - analysis&predictions from 2021-04-14T16:48
The race to qualify for the Champions League looks set to be the most exciting thing about the run-in as we approach the end of the Premier League season. Leicester, West Ham, Chelsea, Liverpool, T...
ListenWhat makes an entertaining football match? from 2021-04-07T05:00
What makes an entertaining football match? Loads of goals? Tactical battles? Tension? The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell pick five games from the Premier League this season wi...
ListenThe Championship Run-In Rundown - stats and players to watch for every club from 2021-03-31T05:00
When Michael Cox is away... The Athletic's Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell will delve into the Championship and pick out the most interesting stats and best players to watch from each of the 24 teams ...
ListenHow good were England at the 2018 World Cup? from 2021-03-24T06:00
With the international break upon us The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell thought it would be the ideal time to travel back to summer 2018, to the hazy days of waistcoats and wa...
ListenThe goalkeeping blind spot - why is it so hard to measure the performance of keepers? from 2021-03-17T06:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Ali Maxwell are joined by our new analytics writer Mark Carey to tackle the thorny issue of how we measure the performance of that most unique of positions - goalkeep...
ListenQuite Unique FC - finding Europe's unicorn players from 2021-03-10T06:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell set out to select an XI from across Europe's top five leagues consisting of players who are unique in their positions - whether it be a curi...
ListenThe Attacking Glossary - Striker, Centre-Forward, False-9, Second-Striker and beyond from 2021-03-02T19:04:33
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to bring you the definitive guide to the many, many roles and positions you may find among attackers. Learn more about your ad choices. ...
ListenWest Ham&Leicester - the top four gatecrashers from 2021-02-24T06:00
Are West Ham genuine top four contenders? Can Leicester do what they failed to last season and hang on to a Champions League spot? The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to ex...
ListenChampions League knockout phase - every team analysed from 2021-02-16T06:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to preview the Champions League knockout stages which get underway on Tuesday night. Coxy has studied the tactics, Worville has mined al...
ListenEurope's biggest outliers - from Leeds, to Montpellier, to Berlin and back again from 2021-02-10T06:00
What do Leeds, Nîmes, Montpellier, Union Berlin, Elche, Nice, Freiburg, Brighton, Burnley, and Benevento all have in common? They're all mixing it with the big boys of European football in areas yo...
ListenRunning stats explained: Pace, intensity and the Premier League 'plodders' from 2021-02-03T06:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to delve into the world of running stats and explain the many different ways in which they are used in the modern game. We'll look at wh...
ListenWhat Chelsea can expect from Thomas Tuchel from 2021-01-27T06:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to tell us what Chelsea can expect from Thomas Tuchel, the tactical chameleon. We'll study his career to date starting with his first jo...
ListenMesut Ozil's Arsenal legacy from 2021-01-19T19:20:40
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to assess the legacy that Mesut Ozil leaves behind at Arsenal as his seven and half year spell at the Emirates comes to an end. We remem...
ListenThe midfield glossary - 6s, 8s, 10s, Enganches and beyond... from 2021-01-13T06:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to bring you the definitive guide to the many, many roles and positions you may find in midfield. What's the difference between a 6 and ...
ListenWhat's going wrong at Chelsea? from 2021-01-06T06:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to explain what's going wrong with Frank Lampard's out-of-form Chelsea side from a tactical point of view. Why have they struggled to be...
ListenAn interesting stat from each of the 20 Premier League teams from 2020-12-30T06:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell round off 2020 by looking at all 20 Premier League teams and picking at least one interesting stat, observation or quirk for each of them. Y...
ListenIs Big Sam more than just a long ball merchant? from 2020-12-23T06:00
Is Big Sam really just a boring long ball merchant? The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell gather to look at the stats, the data and the evidence from Sam Allardyce's career in th...
ListenDo Arsenal have a problem with the 'big games' in the WSL? from 2020-12-16T06:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Ali Maxwell are joined by our women's football writer Katie Whyatt to look at why Arsenal are struggling in the big WSL games this season after they lost to Mancheste...
ListenWhy have Arsenal become obsessed with crossing the ball? from 2020-12-09T06:00
When Mikel Arteta recently referred to Arsenal putting in 33 crosses in one game as "pure maths" it piqued the interest of The Athletic's resident analytical gurus Michael Cox and Tom Worville - wh...
ListenWhat kind of player is 2020 Cristiano Ronaldo? from 2020-12-02T06:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell take an almighty leap into the stats to work out what sort of player Cristiano Ronaldo is right now in 2020 as a 35-year-old at Juventus. We...
ListenHalf-backs, inverted centre-backs and more unusual positions we're seeing this season from 2020-11-26T06:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Tom Worville and Ali Maxwell are back with another tactical masterclass, this week casting their eye on some of the more unconventional roles and positions we've seen a ...
ListenJavier Mascherano: the accidental centre-back from 2020-11-18T06:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Ali Maxwell are joined by Argentinean football expert Rupert Fryer to celebrate the career of Javier Mascherano as he announced his retirement this week after an outs...
ListenThe top five overachievers across Europe this season from 2020-11-12T06:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell for a whistle-stop tour across Europe to look at five unheralded teams who have found themselves in unexpectedly lofty positions in the ...
ListenSurviving the difficult second season in the Premier League from 2020-11-04T12:18
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell for the second part of our series looking at the challenges of staying up after being promoted to the Premier League. This week we look ...
ListenHow to survive your first season in the Premier League from 2020-10-29T05:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to debate the various 'do's and dont's' for a maiden season in the top flight of English football... Is it better to sack or stick with...
ListenBad Stats - where we are all getting it wrong when talking about football from 2020-10-22T05:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to get a few things off their chests about the use of statistics in the general conversation around football. Do assists really tell us ...
ListenHow does Guardiola get Man City back on top? from 2020-10-15T05:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Sam Lee join Ali Maxwell to look at Manchester City's start to the season and assess the ways Pep Guardiola's side have changed their tactical approach since they las...
ListenWhy have there been so many goals in the Premier League this season? from 2020-10-08T13:42
The Athletic's Michael Cox joins Ali Maxwell to assess what has been a goal-tastic start to the season in the Premier League as we head into the international break. They look at the numbers and t...
ListenAC Milan: the history and reawakening of a sleeping giant from 2020-09-30T05:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and James Horncastle join Ali Maxwell for an in-depth look at one of the most iconic clubs in world football: AC Milan. Taking the lead from James recent behind-the-scene...
ListenEvery Premier League squad profiled from 2020-09-23T05:00
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to profile every Premier League squad by average age, depth of quality and numerous other quirks along the way. Who is well-stocked acro...
ListenExplained: Why left-footed centre-backs are so in demand from 2020-09-16T14:45
Right now we're offering listeners of this show the opportunity to try out The Athletic for just £1 a month You can enjoy all of Michael's great tactical analysis, including a recent article on how...
ListenBreaking down the Champions League final - PSG's pressing&Bayern's switching of possession from 2020-08-27T05:00:09
Right now we're offering listeners of this show the opportunity to try out The Athletic for FREE. You can enjoy all of Michael's great tactical analysis, including a recent article on how Pep's de...
ListenChampions League Special from 2020-08-20T13:00:08
Right now we're offering listeners of this show the opportunity to try out The Athletic for FREE. You can enjoy all of Michael's great tactical analysis, including a recent article on how Pep's de...
ListenLionel Messi - how many things is he the best in the world at? from 2020-08-12T05:00:07
Sign up to The Athletic now for access to Michael Cox's tactical musings and Tom Worville's statistical masterpieces - including recent pieces breaking down the tactics that lead Arteta's Arsenal t...
ListenThe Big Champions League&Europa League Preview from 2020-08-04T16:57:39
The Athletic's Raphael Honigstein, James Horncastle and Dermot Corrigan join Ali Maxwell for a comprehensive look ahead to the return of the Champions League - looking at every single game on the s...
ListenEvaluating the managerial changes in the Premier League last season from 2020-07-30T05:00:20
There were seven managerial changes in the Premier League last season, three of them at Watford, but did Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham, Everton and the Hornets make the right calls in sacking their ...
ListenThe resurgence of the three-man defence from 2020-07-23T05:00:14
The Athletic's Michael Cox joins Ali Maxwell for a look at the tactical increasingly fashionable trend of playing a back three this season after Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea all used the system las...
ListenJudging Sarri's impact on Juventus and Ronaldo from 2020-07-15T13:47:55
The Athletic's Michael Cox and James Horncastle join Ali Maxwell to assess Maurizio Sarri's first season at Juventus. On the verge of leading Juve to their ninth straight Serie A title, we look at ...
ListenThe tactics behind Manchester United's resurgence from 2020-07-08T14:53:36
The Athletic's Michael Cox&Laurie Whitwell join Ali Maxwell to look at Manchester United's recent transformation from a struggling mid-table outfit into the Premier League's form side with attackin...
ListenLiverpool's underappreciated passing game from 2020-07-01T05:00:02
The Athletic's Michael Cox&Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to look at a perhaps underappreciated aspect of this all conquering Liverpool side - their possession game. We dive into the data to analy...
ListenAssessing the best performers since the Premier League returned from 2020-06-24T05:00:09
The Athletic's Michael Cox joins Ali Maxwell to look at the first batch of Premier League games under Project Restart and pick out the teams&players who have best adapted to the unfamiliar conditio...
ListenItalian football's search for the next Pirlo from 2020-06-17T08:34:30
The Athletic's Michael Cox and James Horncastle join Ali Maxwell ahead of Serie A returning this week for a look at the next generation of Italian midfielders, starting with a man some have compare...
ListenIs this Setién's Barca or Messi's Barca? from 2020-06-10T17:09:29
Ahead of La Liga returning this weekend The Athletic's Michael Cox&Dermot Corrigan join Ali Maxwell to look at current state of Barcelona. They discuss how recently installed manager Quique Setien ...
ListenEddie Howe's Bournemouth - not as open&attacking as you think from 2020-06-03T15:16:12
Michael Cox&Ali Maxwell are joined by The Athletic's Bournemouth writer Peter Rutzler to look at what has been a disappointing season for Eddie Howe's side. We pick apart the tactics - which may no...
ListenHow Mourinho won the treble with Inter Milan in 2010 from 2020-05-27T06:00:05
Jose Mourinho spoke to The Athletic's James Horncastle last week for an exclusive interview looking back at his treble-winning Inter Milan side ten years on, so for this week's pod we got James tog...
ListenWhat's gone wrong with Man City's tactics this season? from 2020-05-20T14:51:18
The Athletic's Michael Cox&Ali Maxwell are joined by our resident Manchester City writer Sam Lee for a look at the tactical reasons behind City's failed title defence this season.Aiming to evaluate...
ListenBundesliga Special with Raphael Honigstein from 2020-05-13T14:04:34
The Athletic's German football writer Raphael Honigstein joins Michael Cox&Ali Maxwell to look at the teams, coaches, and players to look out for when the Bundesliga returns this weekend.Rafa expla...
ListenUnique Athletic Bilbao from 2020-05-07T06:00:33
The Athletic's Michael Cox&Ali Maxwell are once again joined by our resident Spanish Football Writer, Dermot Corrigan, this time to give Athletic Bilbao the Zonal Marking treatment... A whole hos...
ListenWhy Norwich could be the best team to ever finish bottom of the Premier League from 2020-04-29T06:00:04
Subscribe to The Athletic here for plenty more from Michael Cox, Michael Bailey and the rest of our unrivalled team of football writers and get a 90 day free trialLearn more about your ad choices. ...
ListenHow has Zidane coached Real Madrid to three European Cups? from 2020-04-22T12:46:53
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ListenThere's more to Wilder's Sheffield United than overlapping centre-backs from 2020-04-15T12:00:13
The Athletic's Michael Cox&Ali Maxwell are joined by football data analyst Jay Socik - aka Blades Analytic - for an in-depth look at the tactics that Chris Wilder has deployed in getting Sheffield ...
Listen1998/99 Rebooted: Alberto Zaccheroni's AC Milan from 2020-04-08T12:00:46
The Athletic's Michael Cox&James Horncastle join Ali Maxwell for a look back at Alberto Zaccheroni's Milan side of the 1998/99 season, featuring players such as George Weah, Zvonimir Boban, Leonard...
ListenWhat new tactics might we see from Pep Guardiola when football returns? from 2020-04-03T04:00:02
Earlier this week Michael Cox joined The Athletic's Manchester City podcast 'Why Always Us?' for a chat about his recent written piece where he proposed some potential tactical tweaks Pep Guardiola...
ListenWhy Atalanta are the most exciting team in Europe - with James Horncastle from 2020-04-01T04:00:26
The Athletic's Michael Cox&James Horncastle join Ali Maxwell to examine how and why Atalanta have become one of the most exciting teams in Europe over the last year or so, culminating with their re...
ListenWhy Liverpool's success is built on their defence from 2020-03-26T05:00:25
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Tom Worville join Ali Maxwell to examine why Liverpool's imperious defence has been the driving force behind their outstanding season and not necessarily their glitte...
ListenHow Ajax have adjusted to life after De Ligt&De Jong from 2020-03-18T05:00:06
The Athletic's Michael Cox&Ali Maxwell are joined by Dutch football expert Priya Ramesh to look at how Ajax have adjusted to life after losing two of their star players last summer in Frenkie de Jo...
ListenSean Dyche's Burnley - It's a long 'PASS' not a long 'BALL' from 2020-03-11T05:00:08
Sign up to The Athletic today for all of Michael's tactical insights... Get a 40% discount by visiting the athletic.com/zonalmarkingLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
ListenHow Ancelotti has transformed Everton from 2020-03-04T05:00:05
The Athletic's Michael Cox&Ali Maxwell are joined by our resident Everton expert Patrick Boyland to look at the tactical changes Carlo Ancelotti has made during his reign at Everton so far, how he ...
ListenAway Goals DON'T Count Double! from 2020-02-26T05:00:02
Was Gary Lineker right when he famously announced that NO goal should be of greater value than another? It's the debate you never knew you felt so strongly about... Should 'Away Goals' be scrapped?...
ListenHow has the new goal kick rule changed the game? from 2020-02-19T05:00:08
Does it really make sense to play out from the back or are you better off hoofing it down the field? The Athletic's new Football Analytics writer, Tom Worville, joins Michael Cox&Ali Maxwell to exp...
ListenCan PSG&THE FANTASTIC 4 win the Champions League? from 2020-02-12T05:00:06
1. Why do they keep coming up short? - 3:30 2. Tuchel vs Emery - 11:303. Neymar and Les 4 Fantastiques! - 15:30 4. Cavani the outcast - 16:305. The importance of Idrissa Gueye - 23:40 6. The Dort...
ListenHow Arteta has changed Arsenal from 2020-02-05T05:00:19
The Athletic's Michael Cox&Ali Maxwell analyse the key tactical features of Mikel Arteta's Arsenal so far during his first 10 games in charge - looking at the way he's used the players at his dispo...
ListenThe Makelele Role from 2020-01-29T08:41:10
The Athletic's Michael Cox&Liam Twomey join Ali Maxwell to reflect upon the career of a player so good they named a position after him - Claude Makelele. Why was he so good at playing defensive mid...
ListenGoalscoring goalkeepers from 2020-01-22T05:00:06
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Ali Maxwell and Jack Lang take a closer look at the goalkeepers who made a career out of doing the business at the other end of the pitch. Not just popping up for the o...
ListenAssessing Frank Lampard's tactical nous from 2020-01-15T05:00:15
The Athletic's Michael Cox&Ali Maxwell are joined by our Chelsea writer Liam Twomey to analyse the tactical approach Frank Lampard has taken so far in his inaugural season as a Premier League manag...
ListenHarry Kane’s evolution and how Spurs cope without him from 2020-01-08T05:00:06
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Ali Maxwell are joined by our Spurs writer Charlie Eccleshare for an in-depth look at Harry Kane and how his game has changed in the years since his breakthrough in 2...
ListenRafa Benitez on why Colombia's Francisco Maturana is his hero from 2019-12-24T06:30:02
Rafa Benitez once cited the relatively little-known Colombian coach Francisco Maturana as one of his biggest influences, but who is he and what's his story? The Athletic's Michael Cox is joined by ...
ListenHow did the 7-1 affect Brazilian football? from 2019-12-18T06:30:05
The Athletic's Michael Cox&Ali Maxwell are joined by The Athletic's Brazilian football writer Jack Lang to examine how the 7-1 humiliation at the hands of Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi-final a...
ListenThe tactical evolution of Jurgen Klopp from 2019-12-11T06:30:10
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Ali Maxwell are joined by The Athletic's resident German football writer Raphael Honigstein for a look at the managerial career of Jurgen Klopp and how his tactics&ph...
ListenIs Ljungberg the answer for Arsenal? from 2019-12-04T07:27:50
The Athletic's Michael Cox and Ali Maxwell are joined by Swedish football journalist Frida Fagerlund for an in-depth look at both the playing and coaching career of interim Arsenal head coach Fredd...
ListenIs Jose Mourinho actually a defensive manager? from 2019-11-26T05:55:01
The Athletic's Michael Cox, Ali Maxwell and Liam Twomey examine Jose Mourinho's career from Porto, through Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid, right up to Man Utd, with a particular emphasis on how his st...
ListenZonal Marking - Trailer from 2019-11-19T19:10
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