AUDIO:
VIDEO:
On this episode of the Managing Madrid podcast, Siddharth Ramsundar is joined by Ali Fakharany of StatsBomb to take stock of Europe’s best teams. Attached are notes on some of the teams, and their tier ranking at the end.
Liverpool: Much Needed Evolution
The Reds find themselves in an intriguing position under Arne Slot’s guidance. While their reactive style has produced impressive second-half comebacks, questions remain about their true mettle given a favorable home schedule. The team has found success in deliberately slowing their tempo - a pragmatic adjustment that better suits their aging squad.
Key concerns hover over the horizon: Mohamed Salah’s contract situation looms large, with the Egyptian reportedly eyeing Saudi interest in the coming years. Robertson’s declining form has become a liability, though the team has managed to paper over these cracks for now. Trent Alexander Arnold may join Real Madrid next summer. This could be a last hurrah for Liverpool if key players decide to move on.
Arsenal: Structural Challenges
Arsenal’s situation presents a fascinating case study in squad building and tactical evolution. Odegaard since returning from an ankle injury has not missed a minute of action and is being overplayed. Letting both Fabio Vieira and Smith Rowe depart while placing faith in the raw talent of Ethan Nwaneri has left them thin in crucial areas behind him.
A few years ago, raising their floor rather than their ceiling with signings like Jesus, Zinchenko, Trossard, and Jorginho gave them a better team, but those same pieces aren’t taking them over the top. The squad’s workload distribution is also concerning, with eight of eleven starters logging over 32 league matches worth of minutes. Much like Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid, Bukayo Saka’s work rate and usage on and off the ball don’t seem conducive to a long career at the top. However, Arsenal will be in the mix among the Champions League contenders because of their incredible defense.
Manchester City: Signs of Wear
Even before Rodri’s absence, cracks were beginning to show in City’s armor. The squad is showing signs of fatigue, lacking the explosive goalscoring that characterized their Sterling-Sane era, and lacking the perfectionism of the treble winning season. Foden’s finishing woes aren’t timely, but all of City’s players for years have been operating in an increasingly low-margin environment where every mistake carries heightened consequences. They got better at cutting their mistakes out entirely, until recently when the dam broke.
The solution appears straightforward yet challenging to execute: rejuvenation. City’s roster needs an injection of youth, but like many dominant teams, they’ve fallen into the trap of strategic stagnation, where they tell themselves “Football is about the best players - if we don’t get our guy, we don’t get anyone” (cough cough Real Madrid have fallen into the same trap). City do have some upside going into the Spring, but we rank them in the bottom tier of contenders here.
Bayern: Rejuvenated With Olise?
Michael Olise on the wing brings much needed creativity to a Bayern team that was struggling to get output out of Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry. Combine that with Jamal Musiala and Mathys Tel making much needed leaps, and Pavlovic continuing to establish him in midfield, and you have a more formidable Bayern team than last season.
More teams were discussed on the show. Check it out!
Did you enjoy this podcast? Get a ton of bonus content exclusively on Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid.
Join our Real Madrid Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/rTD2PmE26f
Managing Madrid is a hub for all Madridistas with updated news, op-eds, tactical analyses, artwork, and of course, podcasts. It also serves as a means for Real Madrid fans to connect and discuss the team. We would like your support so that we can continue to produce podcasts for you.
The site is run by a small team that works tirelessly around the clock to make it into what it is today. Your contributions will allow us to continue to have a real and full-time presence in keeping this website, and it’s podcasts, going.
Hosts this week:
Siddharth Ramsundar (@tacticalfouling)
Ali Elfakharany (@alifakharany)