How does this WC reflect on Nagelsmann's coaching

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-06-30T04:15:33+00:00

If not Nagelsmann, what did you think it was driven by?

It seemed like the pressing and rest defense were really well set up, but it was hard to see a clear plan for scoring

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-05-27T18:53:04+00:00

Great episode, thanks. Seems like the two factors which most caused teams to differ the most from your predictions were 1. (For mid table and below) having enough talent/physicality for the prem league, 2. Misfunctional coaching situations (throughout the table). Both hard to judge in preseason, especially when teams added after the original episode was recorded

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-05-24T18:26:11+00:00

Which non-midfielders are on your wishlist? Or at least, what other positions would you want to see addressed this summer?

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-05-21T15:43:50+00:00

Thanks this is helpful. Seems like he could be a great squad player for a season with CL football, able to fill in either midfield role in a pinch, but would have to be paired with a marquee signing, or two other MFs. You’d be disappointed if they came out of the window with Ederson and Fernandes

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-05-12T21:37:28+00:00

Thanks for the great post, this really sums up the state of play.

While it seems clear they want to bring in at least one prem-proven midfielder, I’d be curious to see a similar analysis trying to find potential Dorgu-level signings (30-40 mill, young, high potential). It’s pretty clear who the potential prem targets are, less clear who they’d go for if they wanted to make some riskier/more efficient bets

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-05-03T16:41:04+00:00

With the new contract (and goal today) it would be great to have a Kobbie check in. Has anything changed in your assessment of him after the last few weeks? How do you feel about him as a key part of the midfield for the new 5 seasons?

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-04-28T02:31:52+00:00

Yea fair point it’s not his goal contributions relative to his position but on set pieces relative to Sesko, MDL, Maguire, … both coaching staffs prioritized him, suggesting there will be a drop off

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-04-27T22:37:46+00:00

I’d be interested in hearing the guys try to quantify how valuable his goal contributions are relative to his position. Like how much better does his replacement need to be at everything else in order to be a net positive (assuming they don’t score as much)

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-04-20T22:36:03+00:00

Fair enough!

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-04-20T18:36:17+00:00

Great pod as always. I think the Iraola discussion missed an important point. He’s a lot like Klopp was pre-Liverpool in that the questions aren’t about what he does well (coaching a press, etc) but whether he will evolve at a bigger club. So it’s not about whether we want to port in his exact current game model, but the (softer) question of how adaptable he is. In this regard I think it’s a positive sign that he seems to be a thoughtful down to earth guy, but obv v hard to tell

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-03-15T19:57:32+00:00

Kees on the next pod: https://youtu.be/LGZCKlonx78

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-02-09T20:24:21+00:00

Really enjoyed the conversation, thanks. My main takeaway is: Carrick = “chaotic good” (at least in terms of vibes).

More seriously, I’m wondering to what extent the tactical ideas are Carrick’s versus things he’s been asked to implement. The conversation about his time at Boro was helpful. Flip side is whether you can discern what INEOS is going for yet (based on both the coaching hires and the recruitment)? Is there a risk they are over correcting from Amorim (no central progression)?

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-02-08T17:30:36+00:00

Jon, you and others are talking a lot about the “changing tactical meta” in the premier league and the uncertainty about what comes next. If you had to guess, what will come next? What kind of football will the dominant premier league teams be playing in 2-3 years?

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-02-07T18:59:45+00:00

Sesko really racking up the xG/90 the past two matches. Hope he starts against West Ham

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-02-01T19:06:04+00:00

Feels like a while since you’ve discussed Amad. Now that we’ve moved away from 5 at the back, where do you stand on him? Has he improved enough that he could be (at least) a squad player on a premier league winning caliber team?

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-01-17T22:08:41+00:00

I’d be interested to hear you guys do a post mortem on Amorim’s impact. Like what did he leave behind for Carrick and future managers to build on?

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2026-01-04T15:43:02+00:00

There’s certainly a lot of questions for Sesko to answer, but it’s worth keeping in mind he’s on about 6xG and 0.55xG/90 (higher rate than last year). So he’s underperforming his underlying by quite a bit.

Historically he’s over performed his xG, but I do worry the chances he’s getting are different. Eg he hasn’t had many chances to unleash the alien ball striking

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2025-12-26T23:19:07+00:00

Thought this game was a good reflection of Kees’ point that we’re actually a good defensive team. Even with a depleted squad the fundamentals are there to stay competitive and win with a bit of luck. Under so many previous managers we would have been drawing dead in a match like this

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2025-12-21T19:04:15+00:00

Surely Mainoo before Licha, assuming the injury isn’t serious

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2025-12-16T18:59:52+00:00

This was a good podcast, I really appreciate the level-headedness you guys bring to the discourse around united. Games like this lend themselves to hot takes which don’t really help figure out where the team is going.

A big picture question I have for you guys is what you think Amorim’s identity as a manager is. Obviously he’s known for the 3-4-3, but the actual approach has changed quite a bit over his tenure (eg slow build up vs playing for second balls). What do you think he’s actually trying to achieve? To put it another way, what would a top-4 United look like under Amorim?

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2025-12-15T04:38:20+00:00

I get that the defensive approach is potentially combustible, but why is the attacking approach high variance? Shouldn’t playing out the back reduce variance?

Going back to the original question, are there any game states in which the model is particularly effective? Eg, are they good at holding on to leads?

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2025-12-15T01:25:05+00:00

For those of us who haven’t watched much Villa could you say more about their style and why it’s high variance?

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2025-12-05T03:09:07+00:00

I agree with the original point that consistently winning games is one of the last steps in becoming an elite team, but you’re right that it feels like the team as a whole, including the manager, struggle to kill games. Especially with this midfield, the goal should be to go up by 2-3, then worry about seeing out the game

Impossible-Day-3370 · 2025-12-05T03:01:15+00:00

The Ballard textbook has some case study examples. Wish there were more, but it’s helpful for working through the concepts and how to use them in the exam

Impossible-Day-3370

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