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Questions about Thomas Frank’s setup and the personnel he selects are now being asked.

There are currently predictable progression routes and an overreliance on wide patterns that do not translate into high-quality final third actions.

The central thread is the double pivot.

When the team’s engine room lacks complementary profiles, the knock-on effects are visible in open play chance creation and territorial control.

These issues tie back to Thomas Frank’s tactical choices.

He wants solidity and vertical compactness as a baseline, but must avoid neglecting the need to attack with authority and impose the game.

The realities of his step up into this role mean expectations are higher than they were at Brentford.

UEFA Champions League football and a big stadium with loftier ambitions prioritise both progression and protection.

But Frank’s desire to be pragmatic has backfired on occasions.

Most recently, Tottenham conceded 41% of the expected goals conceded by the six English teams in UEFA Champions League Matchday three, a sign that the current balance is not working.

Our Tottenham Hotspur tactical analysis goes into detail on the leading causes of Spurs’ bump in the road under Thomas Frank, and suggests how the Danish coach can fix them.

Nordi Mukiele (187cm/6’2”, 84kg/185lbs) has become an integral part of Régis Le Bris’ Sunderland tactics in the Wearside club’s mission for Premier League survival.

The 27-year-old former France international arrived at the Stadium of Light from European champions Paris Saint-Germain last summer for a €12m transfer fee, having spent last season out on loan at Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso tactics.

Mukiele failed to nail down a starting spot in two seasons at PSG (2022/2023 and 2023/2024), and he was also largely reduced to a squad player role in the Bundesliga last term.

At the time of writing this piece, however, Mukiele has played the entirety of Sunderland’s last seven Premier League games, a period during which the Black Cats have earned four wins and lost just once (2-0 versus Manchester United at Old Trafford).

This Nordi Mukiele scout report and player analysis outline the crucial defensive role Mukiele has played under Régis Le Bris so far this term.

Our football analysis explains how the Nordi Mukiele style of play has kept some of the English top-flight’s best forwards quiet and, though it’s early days, put Sunderland in a strong position to avoid relegation, with Le Bris’ side now boasting 17 points from their first nine games.

Atalanta recently hosted AC Milan in Serie A gameweek nine, resulting in a draw that suits neither team on paper.

In fact, a draw places La Dea ninth in the standings at the end of this gameweek, with 13 points, and the gap between them and the top five positions is starting to get wider.

As for I Rossoneri, the draw left them in fourth place, with Napoli, AS Roma, and Inter Milan all gaining ground.

In this tactical analysis of the match between Atalanta and AC Milan, we will examine Samuele Ricci’s contribution and its impact on AC Milan, while exploring their recurrent striker issue and final-passing dilemma.

Olympique Lyon have started talks to sign Endrick on loan in January!

Talks are underway with an official approach to sign the Brazilian striker on loan from Real Madrid.

Take a look back to his 2022/2023 scout report.

Luciano Spalletti signs as a Juventus manager until June 2026, to be extended if they qualify to UCL 2026/27.

Take a look at his 2022 Napoli tactics.

Can he bring Scudetto back to Juventus?

Paris Saint-Germain expect William Pacho’s new deal to be valid for the next five years.

Take a look back at his Royal Antwerp 2022/2023 scout report and how important he is to this PSG side.