Vernon Boothe

A few Premier League teams have solid squads, but are just one piece away from reaching their full potential. Arsenal’s missing link is thought to be a defensive midfielder. Liverpool have not been the same without Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. Keep in mind that soccer teams are like puzzles and have to be arranged […]

For about 55 minutes of Liverpool’s contest with Leicester City on New Years Day, everything was going pretty well for Brendan Rodgers’ team, and then Adam Lallana picked up a knock and everything went wrong. Since a defeat to Manchester United and victory over Bournemouth in the League Cup quarterfinal, Dejan Lovren’s place in the […]

It’s about 90 degrees in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Raheem Sterling is drenched in sweat. He’s exhausted from the second of two training sessions, and at the age of 17, he is on the verge of breaking through to Liverpool’s first team on a regular basis. Supporters are excited about what the pacey winger can offer […]

Manchester United fans have hope. After a very rough start to the season, the Red Devils have picked up the pieces despite drawing with West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea, before losing to Manchester City. It’s was a rough start for Louis van Gaal, but there have been some encouraging signs. Daley Blind You get the […]

Sergio Aguero is fast off the ball and perhaps even quicker with it at his feet. He skips by defenders in and around the 18-yard box weekly and evades them to find the two inches of space he needs to punish the opponent with a sublime finish. If he doesn’t get off a shot, he’ll […]

Through wide areas, Hull City has found a lot of its success, and Steven Naismith has become the centerpiece of Everton’s alternative system of play. Hull Raids The Flanks When Ahmed Elmohamady went on trial with Steve Bruce’s Sunderland in 2009, the Egyptian flank-raider changed his career. The Wearside club tried to sign the converted […]

Heading into today's game at Stamford Bridge, neither team had dropped points thus far in Premier League play. Following the international break and transfer window both teams were looking to stretch their "legs" and earn their place at top of the League table. Despite an early start from Swansea, Chelsea emerged with the coveted 3 […]

In this week’s edition of Premier League Tactics Corner, we dive into Newcastle’s use of Emmanuel Riviere and Queens Park Rangers’ three-back system. Holding It Up Aston Villa did not put a shot on target in Saturday’s early game against Newcastle United, and the Magpies should have walked away victorious had their finishing been clinical. […]

Mario Balotelli possesses so much talent, but the detriments he can bring on and off the pitch bring about an aura of fear. So how does Brendan Rodgers fit the bad boy who says he wants to become even badder, into a club that was supposedly worried about image problems just a few months ago? […]

Liverpool and Manchester City go again in Premier League play on Monday when the Reds travel to the Etihad to battle the Sky Blues. The two outfits played to a 2-2 draw at Yankee Stadium over the summer with the Reds winning on penalty kicks, but now spectators will see the two sides take each […]

Let’s talk about tactics. Each week, clubs vary their approaches and over the season we’ll be analyzing how teams leverage an advantage by best using the resources within their squad. Louis van Gaal’s Halftime Switch Twitter’s trolls were quick to throw Louis van Gaal under the bus after his side’s 2-1 defeat at the hands […]

Overachieving was a theme for both Liverpool and Southampton in their last campaigns, but each side has been active in this summer’s transfer market. While Southampton has off-loaded several players from last year’s extremely talented squad, Liverpool has sold Luis Suarez, but made an extensive amount of purchases to increase depth ahead of its first […]

In the age of tactical writing and analysis, soccer geeks fight over which formation is best, the use of the False 9, if there is a False 10, and whether or not to label a defensive midfielder as the next Claude Makelele. What can be lost in the analysis though, is the positioning of players […]

During the frenzy of the World Cup, it was difficult to stay on top of all of the headlines, so one of the reports that you and I may have missed was in The Wall Street Journal newspaper where research shows that most soccer fans are liberal. The poll showed that amongst those who consider themselves ‘liberal,’ […]

In March, paired with Oguchi Onyewu, John Brooks suffered through one of the worst performances put on by an American representing the Stars and Stripes. In the friendly against Ukraine, Brooks’ hands flailed in the air like an inflatable tube man each time the Ukrainian forwards had him beat. He was disgraceful, but his actions […]