James Flack Football Analysis

Women's Super League: Season Preview The Women's Super League (WSL) starts again on Saturday (05/09/20) with Aston Villa hosting Manchester City.  The match up sees last seasons WSL runners up, Manchester City, facing the reigning WSL2 Champions. City will be strong favourites for the title this season and will be expected to breeze past Villa on the opening day. The rest of the teams play on Sunday, with the standout game being Manchester United vs Chelsea, last seasons Champions vs 4th placed United. Last Season The 2019-20 season ended in controversial circumstances, with Chelsea being granted the title on a Points Per Game basis. Manchester City were on 40 points when the season was halted, with Chelsea 1 point behind them with a game in hand. This game in hand proved crucial as it allowed Chelsea to move ahead of City when using a Points Per Game measure. Chelsea were unbeaten on 39 points from 15 matches, scoring an impressive 47 goals and conceding only 11. Chelsea are t...

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United Preview Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United Friday 19th June Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 8pm One of the biggest matches of the Premier League's return is Tottenham vs Manchester United.  Jose Mourinho takes on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Last time the 2 sides met, Solskjaer's reds came out on top at Old Trafford, winning 2-1 thanks to 2 Marcus Rashford goals. This time is going to be very different. Spurs' new stadium will be almost empty and players are unlikely to be fully match sharp, 5 substitutions will also be allowed which could prove to be the difference late in the game. United currently sit 5th in the league on 45 points, with Spurs in 8th on 41. This game could prove crucial in the hunt for top 4, as both sides will be aiming for that 4th Champions League spot where Chelsea are currently sitting on 48 points. It is still unknown as to whether 5th place will be granted a Champ...

How Brentford's data driven approach has led them to the cusp of the Premier League Brentford's business model Brentford have long been fans of a data driven approach to recruitment and style of play. They seem to be achieving their targets as they find themselves in the play-offs with a squad full of talented players. Brentford's model focusses on being able to 'identify undervalued talent in the market, develop them, and then sell them on for profit, gradually building more value into the squad and gradually increasing the level of the squad.' (Rasmus Ankersen, Brentford co-director; Speaking to TalkSport, 2020). Brentford's owner, Matthew Benham, has been a fan of the club since he was 11. He is an Oxford University graduate who made his money in sports betting with his company SmartOdds, in 2011 he also became the owner of betting exchange website Matchbook. His history in betting has supported his approach with Brentford which focusses on using data ...

Player Review: Jack Grealish Profile: Name: Jack Grealish Club: Aston Villa (Captain) Nationality: English (0 Caps) Date of Birth: 10/09/1995 (24) Height: 5ft 8in Position: Attacking Midfielder/Left Winger Grealish made his Aston Villa debut at the age of 18 after a succesful loan spell with League 1 Notts County. He has always looked like a talented footballer, but the early stages of his career were marred with controversy surrounding his personal life. Since then, he has matured and improved as a player, becoming one of the Premier League's top creative midfielders. Grealish began his senior career in League 1 for Notts County, registering 5 goals and 7 assists as an 18 year old. He then played 2 seasons in the Premier League, playing around 800 minutes in each, however they were wholly unsuccessful. Villa were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2015/16 season, with Grealish making 16 appearances, all of them losses. This, paired with his off ...

Who Should Replace Jamie Vardy at Leicester City? Jamie Vardy is still proving to be a prolific Premier League striker, with 19 goals to his name this season. However, at the age of 33, he will not be able to sustain these elite numbers for much longer. Waiting in the wings Leicester currently have Kelechi Iheanacho and Ayoze Perez as their only back up strikers. As a result they could be in the market for a prolific, pacey striker during the next transfer window. I have identified 5 possible targets who might be able to fill Vardy's boots. This of course comes at a time full of uncertainty in football and society in general. It is still unknown when football is going to return and in what format. The transfer window is something that is sure to be affected, as are most clubs financial situations, so this comes under the assumption that Premier League football and transfers are relatively unaffected once it is safe to return. Leicester's current tactics Leicester t...