Premier League Struggles: Goal Droughts, Managerial Pressure, and Succession Planning - Episode Hero Image

Premier League Struggles: Goal Droughts, Managerial Pressure, and Succession Planning

The Athletic FC Podcast · · Listen to Original Episode →
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TL;DR

  • Arsenal's decision to extend Bukayo Saka's contract until 2031 preemptively secures a key player, preventing future transfer speculation and reinforcing their long-term squad strength.
  • Manchester City's recent three consecutive draws highlight a critical issue with goal-scoring output, indicating that even with strong possession play, a lack of finishing threat can stall momentum.
  • Tottenham's current struggles, marked by fan discontent and player criticism of ownership, suggest a deep-seated performance and atmosphere problem that Thomas Frank may be unable to resolve.
  • Bournemouth's successful striker succession planning, exemplified by Igor Thiago's emergence after Semenyo's departure, demonstrates an effective recruitment model that allows for player sales without crippling team performance.
  • Manchester United's persistent reliance on former players and deference to Sir Alex Ferguson's influence indicates a lack of clear strategic direction, hindering their ability to establish a stable managerial approach.
  • Chelsea's high number of red cards points to a significant discipline issue that new manager Pochettino must address, potentially by leveraging the club's deep squad to enforce stricter playing standards.
  • Liverpool's defensive solidity and safety-first approach, while extending an unbeaten run, have resulted in a "boring" style of play that frustrates fans due to a lack of attacking creativity.

Deep Dive

Arsenal's recent 0-0 draw against Liverpool represents a missed opportunity to extend their lead in the Premier League title race, highlighting a broader trend of teams struggling to convert dominant possession into decisive goals. This outcome, coupled with Manchester City's three consecutive draws and Aston Villa's draw against Crystal Palace, underscores the increasing parity at the top of the league and introduces significant uncertainty into the title and top-four races.

The performance against Liverpool exposed Arsenal's struggles with execution, particularly from striker Gabriel Jesus, whose goal drought and perceived lack of impact despite a significant transfer fee raise questions about Arsenal's investment in the position. Liverpool, while defensively solid and showing renewed fight, also failed to register a shot on target, a concerning statistic that points to a lack of attacking threat, even with players like Mohamed Salah potentially returning. This suggests a tactical approach focused on containment rather than offensive prowess, a strategy that, while yielding a point at the Emirates, may not be sustainable for a team aiming for the title.

Manchester City's recent form, marked by a lack of goals, presents a challenge to their usual dominance. Despite strong possession, the team is overly reliant on Erling Haaland, and his recent dip in form has exposed a vulnerability in their attacking output. The signing of Enzo Fernandez offers a potential solution, but his adaptation to Pep Guardiola's system, which often favors tight-space operators, and the manager's tendency for rotation, mean his immediate impact is uncertain.

The league is also witnessing a shake-up in the managerial landscape, with Thomas Frank's position at Spurs looking increasingly precarious due to a lack of attacking ideas and fan discontent. Similarly, Nuno Espirito Santo faces immense pressure at West Ham, whose poor underlying numbers and toxic atmosphere suggest a difficult path ahead. The struggles of these clubs highlight the importance of succession planning and squad depth, areas where teams like Bournemouth and Brentford, with their astute recruitment and development of players, are excelling.

The race for top four remains intensely competitive, with Liverpool, Brentford, Aston Villa, and Newcastle all showing strong performances. However, the significant point gaps and the unpredictability of results mean that no team can afford to be complacent. The emergence of players like Igor Thiago at Brentford as a Golden Boot contender, despite being a long shot at the start of the season, exemplifies the potential for individual brilliance to alter team fortunes and league narratives. Chelsea's ongoing disciplinary issues, marked by a high number of red cards, present a significant challenge for new manager Liam Pochettino, who must instill a stronger sense of discipline to unlock the potential of the club's young talent. Manchester United's continued struggles against lower-ranked teams and their reliance on past glories and ambiguous "DNA" suggest deep-seated structural issues that will require more than a managerial change to resolve.

Action Items

  • Audit Arsenal's striker performance: Calculate goal contribution variance for Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz over the last 10 games.
  • Analyze Liverpool's attacking output: Measure shot conversion rates for key forwards (Salah, Núñez, Gakpo) across their last 5 matches.
  • Evaluate Chelsea's disciplinary record: Track red and yellow card incidents per 90 minutes for the last 15 games to identify patterns.
  • Track Manchester United's interim coach selection process: Document the criteria and decision-making timeline for the next managerial appointment.
  • Measure Bournemouth's striker succession plan: Quantify the goal contribution of replacement strikers against the departed player's output over 5 games.

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

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This quote highlights the benefit of a full-service tax solution by emphasizing the removal of stress and the freeing up of personal time. The speaker, through this advertisement, suggests that TurboTax Expert Full Service allows individuals to delegate tax responsibilities and focus on personal enjoyment.

"Royal Match is such a fun puzzle game. There are over 10,000 levels, also a bunch of mini-games which makes it super exciting. My favorite part? It doesn't need Wi-Fi. I play on my commute, on flights, even while waiting in line. And honestly, no ads, not a single one. That's why I'm so into it."

This quote from a user testimonial for Royal Match emphasizes the game's engaging features, such as a large number of levels and mini-games, and its accessibility. The user highlights the convenience of playing without Wi-Fi and the absence of advertisements as key reasons for their enjoyment.

"Studies show that 100% of everybody in the world wants to curl up indoors and do nothing because it's so darn cold out there. That's why many people are turning to Bombas, whose pillowy plush slippers and warm merino wool socks have been said to be the most comfortable in the history of feet."

This quote, used in a Bombas advertisement, humorously frames a common desire for comfort during cold weather as a universal truth. It then positions Bombas slippers and socks as the ideal solution, emphasizing their exceptional comfort and suitability for indoor relaxation.

"I think the frustration sometimes with Arsenal, such as in the loss to Liverpool earlier this season, they were criticized for not kind of going for it enough, not being brave enough. I don't think that was so much their issue in this game. I think the execution was just off. There were a few misplaced passes. Victor Okarez wasn't really firing at all. It wasn't so much the setup and the way that they tried to approach the game."

Caris Jones argues that Arsenal's performance against Liverpool was not due to a lack of bravery or a flawed strategy, but rather poor execution. Jones points to specific issues like misplaced passes and an underperforming player, Victor Okarez, as the primary reasons for the team's struggles in that match.

"Yeah, I mean, some of us had concerns before he started the season in terms of his stylistic fit and what made him so effective in Portugal might not apply in the Premier League, whether that's how much time he gets to get his shots away, because he does maybe take more touches than necessary when he gets them."

Ruben Fitness expresses pre-season concerns about the stylistic fit of a particular player, likely referring to a high-profile signing, for the Premier League. Fitness suggests that the player's effectiveness in Portugal might not translate due to differences in the speed of play and a tendency to take too many touches before shooting.

"The numbers speak to something being worse at Chelsea in terms of discipline than other Premier League clubs, and they can't ignore that. So it's, it's now on the manager to set a precedent, which is, you know, if I don't think I can trust you to stay on the pitch, you are not going to play."

Caris Jones asserts that Chelsea's disciplinary issues are statistically worse than other Premier League clubs and that the new manager must address this. Jones emphasizes that the manager needs to establish a clear precedent, implying that players who cannot be trusted to remain on the pitch will not be selected.

Resources

External Resources

Books

  • "The Athletic FC" by Matt Davies-Adams - Mentioned as the title of the podcast.

Articles & Papers

  • "Premier League Review: Arsenal miss chance to extend lead" (The Athletic) - Mentioned as the episode title.
  • "The Athletic FC" (The Athletic) - Mentioned as the podcast name.

People

  • Andy - Liverpool correspondent for The Athletic.
  • Caris Jones - Podcast host and writer for The Athletic.
  • Ruben - Podcast host and writer for The Athletic.
  • Matt Davies-Adams - Presenter of The Athletic FC podcast.
  • Jay Beall - Producer of The Athletic FC podcast.
  • Abby Pattison - Executive producer of The Athletic FC podcast.
  • Amy Morehead - Executive producer of The Athletic FC podcast.
  • Mikel Arteta - Manager of Arsenal.
  • Pep Guardiola - Manager of Manchester City.
  • Thomas Frank - Manager of Brentford.
  • Nuno Espirito Santo - Manager of Nottingham Forest.
  • Mickey van de Ven - Player for Tottenham Hotspur.
  • Christian Romero - Player for Tottenham Hotspur.
  • Mohamed Salah - Player for Liverpool.
  • Darwin Nunez - Player for Liverpool.
  • Bradley - Player for Liverpool.
  • Arnaut Danjuma - Player for Liverpool.
  • Gabriel Martinelli - Player for Arsenal.
  • Bukayo Saka - Player for Arsenal.
  • David Ornstein - Journalist for The Athletic.
  • Enzo Fernandez - Player for Chelsea.
  • Yaya Toure - Former player for Manchester City.
  • Erling Haaland - Player for Manchester City.
  • Kevin Cole - Guest, proprietor of Unexpected Points newsletter.
  • Victor Okarez - Player for Arsenal.
  • Gabriel - Player for Arsenal.
  • Declan Rice - Player for Arsenal.
  • Saka - Player for Arsenal.
  • Jesus - Player for Arsenal.
  • Havertz - Player for Arsenal.
  • Michael Mourinho - Mentioned in relation to Arsenal.
  • Jeremy Frimpong - Player for Liverpool.
  • Conor Bradley - Player for Liverpool.
  • Iago Aspas - Player for Celta Vigo.
  • Carlo Ancelotti - Manager of Real Madrid.
  • Kudus - Player for West Ham United.
  • Antoine Semenyo - Player for Bournemouth.
  • Creepy - Player for Bournemouth.
  • Evan Nilson - Player for Bournemouth.
  • Harvey Barnes - Player for Newcastle United.
  • Leeds - Mentioned in relation to a match result.
  • Sunderland - Mentioned in relation to a match result.
  • Keith Andrews - Manager of Sunderland.
  • Frank - Mentioned in relation to Sunderland.
  • Burmo - Player for Brentford.
  • Visser - Player for Brentford.
  • Algaard - Player for Brentford.
  • Watkins - Player for Aston Villa.
  • Tony - Player for Brentford.
  • Wissa - Player for Brentford.
  • Maupay - Player for Brentford.
  • Afcon - Mentioned in relation to Sunderland players.
  • James Macey - Guest.
  • Enzo Maresca - Manager.
  • Ruben Amorim - Manager.
  • Darren Fletcher - Interim manager for Manchester United.
  • Liam Pochettino - Manager of Chelsea.
  • Koukoure - Player for Chelsea.
  • Liam de la Paz - Player for Chelsea.
  • Andre Santos - Player for Chelsea.
  • Jamie Gittens - Player for Chelsea.
  • Marc Guehi - Player for Crystal Palace.
  • Robert Sanchez - Player for Chelsea.
  • Mike Penders - Goalkeeper for Strasbourg.
  • Shesko - Player for Manchester United.
  • Bruno Fernandes - Player for Manchester United.
  • Roy Keane - Former player for Manchester United.
  • Nani - Former player for Manchester United.
  • Fabio Silva - Player for Manchester United.
  • Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - Former manager for Manchester United.
  • Michael Carrick - Former player for Manchester United.
  • Oliver Glasner - Manager.
  • Rob Edwards - Manager of Luton Town.
  • Akadiri - Player for Wolves.
  • Jack Grealish - Player for Manchester City.
  • Steven Gerrard - Former player for Liverpool.
  • Cesc Fabregas - Former player for Arsenal.
  • Chris Brunt - Former player for West Bromwich Albion.

Organizations & Institutions

  • Turbotax - Tax filing solution.
  • Intuit Turbotax - Tax filing solution.
  • Royal Match - Puzzle game.
  • Bombas - Company selling slippers and socks.
  • The Athletic FC - Podcast.
  • Premier League - Professional football league.
  • Arsenal - Football club.
  • Liverpool - Football club.
  • Manchester City - Football club.
  • Aston Villa - Football club.
  • Brighton - Football club.
  • Palace - Football club.
  • Manchester United - Football club.
  • Chelsea - Football club.
  • Tottenham Hotspur - Football club.
  • Brentford - Football club.
  • Sunderland - Football club.
  • Bournemouth - Football club.
  • Nottingham Forest - Football club.
  • West Ham United - Football club.
  • Wolves - Football club.
  • Newcastle United - Football club.
  • Exeter - Football club.
  • Burnley - Football club.
  • Strasbourg - Football club.
  • Crystal Palace - Football club.
  • Derby - Football club.
  • BetterHelp - Online therapy provider.
  • Jerry - Proactive insurance assistant.
  • Betfair - Sponsor.
  • NFL (National Football League) - Professional American football league.
  • PFF (Pro Football Focus) - Data source for player grading.
  • New England Patriots - Professional football team.
  • The Athletic - Media company.
  • IOS Mobile App - Mobile application.
  • Conference League - Football competition.
  • WSL (Women's Super League) - Professional women's football league.
  • Euros - Football competition.

Websites & Online Resources

  • turbotax.com - Website for tax filing.
  • bombas.com/audio - Website for Bombas.
  • theathletic.com - Website for The Athletic.
  • betfair.com - Website for Betfair.
  • jerry.ai - Website for Jerry.
  • acast.com - Website for Acast.
  • experian.com - Website for Experian.
  • oneword.com/specialoffer - Website for OnePassword.

Other Resources

  • Expert Full Service - Turbotax service.
  • Taxes - Financial process.
  • NFL Off Season - Period of inactivity in the NFL.
  • Royal Match - Puzzle game.
  • Pillowy Plush Slippers - Product from Bombas.
  • Merino Wool Socks - Product from Bombas.
  • Premier League Action - Events in the Premier League.
  • Midweek Premier League Action - Events in the Premier League during the week.
  • Midweek Madness - Mentioned as a segment.
  • New Year - Calendar period.
  • Therapy - Mental health treatment.
  • Work Thing - Personal issue.
  • Family Thing - Personal issue.
  • Health Thing - Personal issue.
  • Midweek Action - Events during the week.
  • Title Race - Competition for the league championship.
  • League Winners Market - Betting market for league winners.
  • Top Four Qualification - Competition for Champions League spots.
  • Champions League Spots - Qualification for the Champions League.
  • Top Goal Scorer Market - Betting market for top goal scorers.
  • Golden Boot - Award for the top scorer.
  • Sacking Season - Period of managerial dismissals.
  • Red Card - Disciplinary action in football.
  • Discipline Problem - Issue with player conduct.
  • Winners and Losers - Analysis of player impact.
  • Tactical Change - Alteration in team strategy.
  • Young Players - Players in the early stages of their careers.
  • Clean Driving Record - History of safe driving.
  • Insurance Assistant - Service for managing insurance.
  • Market Rates - Current pricing for insurance.
  • Hidden Fees - Undisclosed charges.
  • Midweek Thriller - Exciting match during the week.
  • Stoppage Time - Additional time added to a match.
  • AFCON Participants - Players participating in the Africa Cup of Nations.
  • Relegation Conversation - Discussion about teams facing relegation.
  • Midweek Madness - Mentioned as a segment.
  • Title Race - Competition for the league championship.
  • League Winners Market - Betting market for league winners.
  • Top Four Qualification - Competition for Champions League spots.
  • Champions League Spots - Qualification for the Champions League.
  • Top Goal Scorer Market - Betting market for top goal scorers.
  • Golden Boot - Award for the top scorer.
  • Sacking Season - Period of managerial dismissals.
  • Red Card - Disciplinary action in football.
  • Discipline Problem - Issue with player conduct.
  • Winners and Losers - Analysis of player impact.
  • Tactical Change - Alteration in team strategy.
  • Young Players - Players in the early stages of their careers.
  • Clean Driving Record - History of safe driving.
  • Insurance Assistant - Service for managing insurance.
  • Market Rates - Current pricing for insurance.
  • Hidden Fees - Undisclosed charges.
  • Midweek Thriller - Exciting match during the week.
  • Stoppage Time - Additional time added to a match.
  • AFCON Participants - Players participating in the Africa Cup of Nations.
  • Relegation Conversation - Discussion about teams facing relegation.
  • Midweek Madness - Mentioned as a segment.
  • Title Race - Competition for the league championship.
  • League Winners Market - Betting market for league winners.
  • Top Four Qualification - Competition for Champions League spots.
  • Champions League Spots - Qualification for the Champions League.
  • Top Goal Scorer Market - Betting market for top goal scorers.
  • Golden Boot - Award for the top scorer.
  • **S

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