Football - The beautiful game

United's Current Defence Manchester United's defensive woes this season are quite well established. United ended up conceding an xGA (Expected Goals Against) of ~42 goals (the fourth-best, behind Brighton!)  whilst conceding 44 goals in total  (the sixth-best)  in the Premier League. If United want to challenge Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea the next season, United need to sure up the defence. I have already highlighted the need for an elite defensive-midfielder earlier and how it would go a far way in solving this issue, but the red devils do need to add another top-level center-back sooner rather than later to be considered a consistent challenger for major honors in Europe.  If we try and profile a center-back partnership, it usually (and broadly) comprises of two different styles of players. One center-back is what we will call the "aggressor". The aggressor is the one who more often steps out of the backline to intercept passes, put pressure on forward...

Introduction Stories like that of this Brighton side don't come often.  Currently sitting 17th in the Premier League table, they might just be one of the most well-coached and entertaining sides in the league. Appointing Graham Potter from Swansea turned out to be a masterstroke for the Seagulls, as the English manager showed the league his credentials and coaching talent. Even the top managers are impressed by his work, with Pep Guardiola commenting “We were in front of the best English manager right now” after the Seagulls had given his much more expensive squad a run for their money at the Etihad Stadium.  “You have to be a top side to play that way. As a spectator, I like to watch these teams. I like watching Brighton play. I recognise it. When I was a football player, I would love to play in this team.”, he added. Brighton most commonly set up in a 3-4-3 / 3-4-1-2 formation, and have some exciting players throughout their team; most notably center-backs Ben White and Adam...