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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

This week's episode is about AC Milan. We discussed in detail why Fonseca was fired & what was good & bad about his stint, but also zoomed out to figure out where Milan are headed in terms of 2 managerial hires in quick succession & Conceicao's tactics. podfollow.com/get-football... ttx

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Get Football: The Tactics Podcast | Pioli to Fonseca to Conceicao: Are Milan on the Right Track?

In this episode of the Get Football Tactics Podcast, Neel, Varun and Alex discuss Milan's recent coaching changes. After analysing the circumstances around Paulo Fonseca's arrival at the start of t...

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Hojlund's next steps to evolve - THREAD Great piece below on Hojlund. Nuanced & insightful. Matches my thoughts from the article I did on him + threads on him since move to Man Utd. Have comments on issues raised & solutions to help him evolve & reach his potential. Short 🧵

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

[Impact of winger at wingback, Amorim's first 7 Manchester United games, EPL 24/25] When a winger plays WB, team has ~2x carries & 30% more progressive carries & carries into final 3rd. This leads to better shots within box, resulting in 9 goals compared to 0 when FBs play WBs.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

Was looking at Man Utd data of when a winger plays WB vs when both fullbacks play at wingback. The headline stat is - all 9 goals in PL under Amorim have come when a winger played WB. We are yet to score with FBs at WB. More insight into why that happens in a viz later today.

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Al Raven @alraven.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

Varun's work is outstanding if you're interested in a) Manchester Utd, and/or b) tactical and data analysis (football/soccer) in general. Highly recommend following him and his work^^

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

[Manchester United Progression Patterns under Amorim - Data Viz Thread] Where do Amorim's United progress from? Which players are contributing most/least? I divide each player's playing time by position in the 3-4-3, plot their prog passes & carries & derive insights. Lets go!🧵

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

Will reveal the data and insights tonight in a detailed thread but want to see your answers before that: Which positions in the 3-4-3 do you think have seen most progressive actions under Amorim so far? Basically, where do we actually progress from?

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

A major caveat for single game xG is gamestate. A team trailing for majority of the game will accrue xG simply because they are the ones attacking & taking lots of shots vs an opponent that is sitting back. We had 22 shots vs BOU with none being a big chance (>0.38 xG).

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

If you're looking for a pre-game understanding of Iraola's Bournemouth's tactics, we did an episode a few weeks ago with the wonderful @jonmackenzie.bsky.social. Give it a listen to understand why they are overperforming, threats to be aware of & possible gaps that can be exploited today.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

2 reasons for Man Utd's box attacking issues Below are typical Sporting box moments in final ball situations (usually from WB/AM). They were good at loading box in a timely & positional way (who attacks which part of box & when). It's not a formation/tactic issue IMO. Short🧵

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

I often see online transfer targets discourse like Khvicha vs Leao vs Musiala vs Wirtz for Man Utd. We are not getting established UCL team starters when we won't even make UCL ourselves. Even if they come, they'll cost the entire budget or require massive wages to get convinced.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

I feel good about my takes in the Yoro article from last summer. Many were skeptical of his progression from fbref bars but having seen a lot of him, I knew there was a very progressive (and secure) ball-playing CB in Yoro who also had high defending potential. Monster talent.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

This week we discussed how Real Madrid's season is going. Majority of the discussion was on Mbappe's struggles to fit seamlessly, his ideal conditions to thrive & some solutions to get the best out of him. Plus we discuss Real's attacking & defensive tactics. podfollow.com/get-football...

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Get Football: The Tactics Podcast | Can Mbappe Still Click at Real Madrid?

In this episode of the Get Football Tactics Podcast, Neel, Varun and Alex discuss Real Madrid's season so far. They go through a myriad of issues, mostly focusing on Real Madrid's tactics in posses...

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

Maguire appreciation tweet. At NFO, he came on & completely nullified their attack. Today, he had the same effect on Man City from start to end. Locked up Haaland (5 interceptions, 3 clearances, 4/4 ground duels. 0 shots by Haaland) & built up well from the back. Unbreakable.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

Best part about today - it was completely deserved. We were very strong defensively & didn't give anything away bar the set piece goal. We had moments in transition consistently, a penalty not given, a penalty given & attacked them for the winner to get a brilliant goal. Proud.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

HT: MCI 1-0 MUN Not too unhappy with that half. Pros: - Good OOP structure. Proactive pressing on each man thanks to formation match (5-2-3 on 3-2-5) & also good block organization - Maguire has been good marking Haaland and being good in build esp to find WBs

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

Between the team leaks, Garnacho stories, Rashford hit pieces & general negativity about our players & tactics within just a month of a new manager arriving & trying something very different - it's been tough reading about Man Utd on social media. Trying to ignore most of it.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

[Europe's attacking threats, 23/24 to 24/25 till Dec 13, 2024] 🔵Haaland, Kane, Boniface, Guirassy high goal threats 🟣Son, Stoger, Saka, Dimarco, Yamal best creators 🟢Raphinha, Salah, Palmer, Leao, Musiala, Vinicius elite at both Who is the best attacker in the world today?

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

The CCB bounce pass move🧵 Just a short thread on yesterday's build up mistake between Onana & De Ligt. Who's mistake was it? What is the intention & regular pattern of that move? Why does the CCB step up to recieve back-to-goal in Amorim's system? I'll explain in brief.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

This week's ep is on high-flying Chelsea. Which was basically a chance for Alex to dunk heavily on mine & Neel's pessimistic pre-season Chelsea predictions. But between all the naming & shaming, we discussed Maresca's tactics, why they're doing well & season outlook. podfollow.com/get-football...

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Get Football: The Tactics Podcast | Can Chelsea Challenge the Title Contenders?

In this episode of the Get Football Tactics Podcast, Neel, Alex and Varun analyse Chelsea's strong start to the season after a summer shake-up. They discuss what the Blues have done well to prove m...

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Pratyush Anand (He/him/his) @pratyushanand.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Because I am a shameless mf so I'll dig this again. #MUFC @thedevilsdna.bsky.social

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Really nice back 3 & pivot. Profile-wise that's ideal which makes today's core solid. Amad & Bruno are in good form. Chance for other 3 to make a mark. Think Rashford-Zirkzee drop after having great game vs Everton could be something tactical. Maybe he sees them as a F9+IF pair?

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙖𝙧: 𝘼𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙢'𝙨 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙭 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙'𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚𝙨🧵 A consistent issue for Manchester United has been the squad's fitness levels, which haven’t matched the demands of competing at the highest level. From Amorim’s recent comments, we have hints to how he’s addressing this.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

[Shot-stopping of Europe’s Goalkeepers, 24/25 till Dec 6th 2024] 🔵Clutch savers: Vicario, Onana (Highest GSAA% in Europe), Rønnow, Vasilj 🟣Safe not spectacular: Oblak, Bulka, Nicolas, Köhn 🟢Best of both: De Gea, Diouf, Trapp, Soriano, Perri, Samba (Stat definitions below)

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Neel Shelat @shelatneel.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

The new UEFA Champions League format has thrown up a fair few surprises as we approach the end of the league phase. We analysed a few such teams in this week's episode of the Get Football Tactics Podcast (with @alexanderbarker.bsky.social and @thedevilsdna.bsky.social): podfollow.com/get-football...

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Get Football: The Tactics Podcast | Champions League Check-In: Overperformances, Shocks & More

In this episode of the Get Football Tactics Podcast, Neel, Alex and Varun pick out nine interesting teams in the UEFA Champions League so far. They quickly analyse the campaigns of Borussia Dortmun...

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Decoding Amad Diallo's wingback role - THREAD Under Amorim, Amad’s RWB role is far more attacking & tailor-made for his skill set than many expected. But how is this unique role unlocking his potential (3 assists in 3 games)? A detailed breakdown using Everton game examples🧵

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Watched back Everton game. Some thoughts: — Amad was the star—not just goal involvements. His pressing & off-ball movement were excellent throughout. Thread on him tonight. — Rashford had a strong game. Beyond goals, his channel running was outstanding— what an Amorim system spearhead is known for

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Seeing negativity around Dalot lately. I’m still confident he has a long-term future here. He was clear POTY winner last year & started this one well (his first 4-5 games were solid). Yes, last 7-8 games haven’t been his best—fatigue & adapting to a v different role under Amorim have played a part.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Pattern-driven>Player-driven🧵 We are now seeing the opposite philosophy with Amorim. Coz identity & structure comes 1st, there is less reliance on starters to define gameplay. Squad-wide & role-based principles can be worked on & rotation can be done to maintain fitness levels.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

We are slowly going to the point where even with an above avg performance, we can dispatch weaker teams. Improved structure + existing squad quality = good level guarantee Execution/personnel gaps remain, but floor of the team is clearly up. Next, we have to raise the ceiling.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

HT: Man Utd 2-0 Everton Decent half. Deserve the lead but think we can still do a lot better to control the game & avoid tense moments. In possession: It's clear that the team is getting used to the structure. Think positioning is improving but decisions on the ball are now next issue to fix.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

We've got insights into how Amorim views squad in terms of fit to his 3-4-3. Seems like he has min 2 positions for everyone & among them 1 is a clearer 1st choice. So far he's strongly hinted at: Rashford: 1. AM 2. CF Mount: 1. AM 2. CM Bruno: 1. AM 2. CM (could switch) Dalot: 1. RWB 2. LWB 1/4

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

This is a classic Hojlund movement & goal. Again, this was how he scored many goals at Atalanta, but we simply never created such situations in the last 1.5 years. Requires creating space, working ball to the crosser who can whip it in the path of RH run. We'll see more soon IMO

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

For those worried about Bruno in the pivot - don't be. I expected this to be tried in easy games. The role itself is very aggressive & often ends up behind the front 3 in AM areas anyway. Expect us to advance into the 3-1-6 faster than usual if Bodo don't press or allow us ball.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Nice team. Good rotation. My Bruno pivot prediction has come good. Think this qualifies as an "easy" game to try that out. Excited to see Licha and Mount in their roles. Amorim's first win at OT will be nice.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

𝘼 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙛𝙩: 𝘼𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙢’𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡-𝙁𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 The biggest takeaway from our game vs Ipswich was the clear intent to build short, retain possession, and control the tempo. 🎯 Onana’s Progress: Amorim praised Onana’s short passing & link with teammates — stark shift from past long-ball setup.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

[Amad Diallo vs Ipswich, EPL GW12, Nov 24th 2024] A standout performance in a new RWB role: 🔑 1 assist, 2 key passes & 4 progressive passes— creative engine on the right 🚀 3 progressive carries 🔒 Crucial defensive actions: 6 clearances, 2 ball recoveries, 1 aerial duel won

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Love this. Rather struggle now & build something long term that will compete at the top later than think short term for wins & land up at square 1 coz of diminishing returns of a low ceiling approach. Requires patience & suffering. In for the long haul. Let's enjoy the journey.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

FT thoughts: Ipswich 1-1 Man Utd🧵 Not much to add. Think we became a little more aggressive in & out of possession but not necessarily more effective. The 55' subs indicate hesitant/forced starts. Won't be surprised if Ugarte & Shaw/Licha start next game.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

HT thoughts: Ipswich 1-1 Man Utd🧵 Been a tough half. Just goes to show that change takes time. In possession: Some bright sparks in possession esp right side build up. Mazra, Amad, Bruno triangle working. Eriksen showing well. General intent to build up with numbers is positive.

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The Devil's DNA @thedevilsdna.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Website data from the past 10 days. The Amorim article has the highest reads I've ever gotten. I was really skeptical about a 7000 word deep-dive & thought this would bomb, but it seems like that very depth & detail is what has been appreciated. Big THANK YOU to all for reading!

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