Last summer, I played around with data, aiming to compile a list of players who can fill the defensive midfielder role at Manchester United. Here is my "nonsense" ranking of the top 30 in the top five leagues. Youri Tielemans & Andrey Santos appeared in my top 30 list.

Jude Bellingham is one of the best to snatch on and gobble up the rebounds. It's not a coincidence that Bellingham often finds himself in such situations. You have to be good at anticipation, being at the right time, in the right place, blindside movements.

Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, & Dani Olmo partnership in midfield strikes a balance for Spain. There were lot of moments when Rodri provided pausa & invited pressure & immediately fired a forward pass that accelerated the play. Olmo BTLs offered that quick half turn receiving & quick releases as well.

Mikel Merino is one of the elite players who sniffs out rebounds.

Spain is a really good example to the balance of push & pull dynamics. The goal against Belgium highlighted that as Lamine Yamal with his retreat in the RHS space pulls out De Cuyper for Poro to attack the space beyond.

It's really hard to generate threat if there is no balance between push & pull dynamics, which is one of the areas Morocco struggled with against France. Graph: @markstats.club

Morocco created nothing in settled possession and was overloaded in transitions, which made France comfortable. Throughout the WC, Morocco seemed to have a single idea in settled possession, which is to circulate the ball until a runner spots a gap to exploit the space in behind.

Morocco's buildup is very safe, slow, players held onto the ball longer. France as a result seems to be comfortable OOP as Morocco wants to progress via short, safe passes and gets into a settled possession shape.

My only memory of Andrey Santos is he was so good defensively neutralising Nico O'Reilly in the LHS making 5 at the back to encounter his late arrivals toward the far post. This move from Liam Rosenior kept Man City at bay in the first half.

Tagliafico's runs beyond Egypt right winger or right-back are Argentina most effective tool to arrive at the box & create chances. They have done it working the ball through the center & slide a through ball to him or with a clip over the top.

The USMNT team lacked many aspects against Belgium that made them special throughout the road in the WC. Diagonal combinations were not present, even when they tried to find those diagonal entries, players weren't on the same wavelength...

Portugal's friendlies against Mexico, USMNT, Chile, and Nigeria were proof that Roberto Martinez's formula is flawed and already lost before stepping foot into the WC.

There are many advantages of Nuno Mendes carrying the ball for Portugal, progressing and running down the channels for an inswinging clip into the space behind Spain backline...

Quick restarts from dead-ball situations proved effective at exploiting opponents' gaps before they could reorganise their defensive shape. Morocco scored from an indirect free kick against Canada. That free kick resulted from a quick restart during what looked like a counterattack.

Wrote an article about how Bellingham late arrivals into the box and runs in behind are England most dangerous offensive weapon. He just scored two goals arriving late. www.managingmadrid.com/formations-a...

Crosses might be a detrimental tool vs low-blocks, but the question imo is: does France have a heading outlet up front? Probably, France might find Rabiot with a late arrival into the box, something similar to Bellingham with England. Also, Koundé can arrive late for headers.

The Amrabat substitution highlighted what Morocco was lacking: a player behind Canada block to find those central pockets and free options BTLs. Amrabat can offer progression via his passing if he's not pressured and facing the play.

Against Scotland, Brahim Diaz operated slightly deeper near the flanks feeding runners in Hakimi & Saibari with clipped balls over the top. That might be a good solution against Canada medium block.

May I dare to say Canada Out-Moroccan Morocco. A really good 4-4-2 with a high quality of passing lane coverage, pouncing on loose balls, missed passes from Morocco players behind the ball and then turn over.

Lisandro Martinez diagonal, weighted pass to Messi, landed in a perfect area between Vozinha and the backline. It's so important to have players like Licha who enables the option to go over the blocks when the center is clocked.

Argentina might have a genuine chance to snatch onto some misspasses from Cape Verde in the middle third, exploit that big distances between the Cape Verdean players in possession to navigate transitions/turnovers.

Roberto Martinez is so fixated toward big distances between the players & wide play for cutbacks or crosses. That's apparently not going to change. Portugal been playing like this since he was hired with or without Cristiano Ronaldo.

Nearing the end, Rodri & Pedri offered Spain pausa, a rare ability to stop, hold onto the ball, invite pressure & then increase the tempo surging forward.

Spain created tensions out wide with the double width used on the flanks. Lamine Yamal got many 1v1s against Laimer, creating threat down the right side.

Really interested in where USMNT ranks in terms of runs behind defensive lines & runs ahead of the ball in the WC & the threat of such movements. They must be at least top 3, with McKennie & Balogun among the top of the list.

Leandro Trossard is one of the few promising pieces that keeps Belgium alive with his all-round contributions. That inswinging cross toward Tielemans prove again these kind of deliveries are effective. Trossard created 13 Chances before the Sénégal game for Belgium.

Really think taking Jeremy Doku off wasn't a good call from Rudi Garcia. The cut-insides Lukebakio pulls off on the right side are what Doku is capable of to execute at lightning speed and curl the ball toward the far angle of the net on the left side.

England looked dangerous only when the wingers, Rashford and Madueke found a late runner into the box by whipping inswinging crosses. That late runner is Jude Bellingham. 3 times he arrived late was close to score twice. I think the formula is clear for Thomas Tuchel.

I like some of 4v4 situations of DR Congo near the flanks as Wissa join the CM, FB, & Winger to work the ball out via wide combinations & switch it to the underloaded side. I like how DR Congo quickly switch & then instantly go against England momentum with a pass in behind toward the opposite side.

Netherlands - Morocco analysis is up (Free): —Morocco looks for a runner beyond; —Toothless possession from the Dutch; —Morocco's wide play; —Substitutions impact in extending the game to ET; —Crazy penalty shootout. betweentheposts.net/netherlands-...

Good movement from Mbappé to attack the left half space making it 3v2 situation against Elanga & Svensson in the short corner kicks routine. Isak didn't follow, which paved the road for Mbappé, got isolated against Gyokeres, cut in, and power the ball toward the far angle.

In the WC, many national teams are able to stretch the opponents backline having using width to generate gaps across the defensive line for a late runner from midfield.

Until 100' vs Netherlands, Morocco created 15 big chances in the WC, joint second with Germany & Canada with Brazil at the top with 17. However, Morocco missed 9 big chanes. That's the story of Ouahbi's team in this WC.

Inswinging Crosses continue to lead the trend in chance creation effectiveness. Chemsdine Talbi 🤝 Issa Diop.

Inswinging crosses are one of my favourite tools to create chances. Need just a soft touch to direct the ball toward the far angle of the net, the attacker can fake his shot and let the ball go in, and a bounce makes it hard for the goalkeeper to save it. Florian Wirtz 🤝 Kai Havertz.

That's a good idea from Brazil committing numbers across the frontline, push Japan deeper toward their goal, work the ball wide and then play back inside to the LHS where Gabriel is free to whip an outswinging cross toward the far post where Brazil has numerical parity or overload.

Brazil weakness is the vulnerability in the center once they lose the ball. Too much spacing between the backline & midfield which allows opponents (Japan) to transition. Plus, opponents tend to push on Brazil backline deeper & with the players in behind having space to shoot.

IP, Austria are so direct relying on central line-breaks to the ST to lay the ball off to one of the central players around him or they try to snatch the ball and transition.

The moment Panama pressed high up the pitch, England easily found out a way directly from Pickford. Also, they could've scored from that second ball regain to release Saka down the channel. Direct England from the back is so dangerous.

England relies on: —Overload to isolate the far-side winger in 1v1 situations or early diagonal passes from the CB to the Winger; —Late arrivals from Bellingham down LHS & Rogers run behind Panama backline; —Counterpress is a real playmaker for England.

Spain won the Euro 24 because of how direct they were, relying more on Lamine Yamal & Nico Williams 1v1 abilities and a core of midfielders who are capable of controlling everything.

France has half of PSG front-attacking core, Doué & Dembélé who are xGcheaters due to the quality of shots they take. Add to that Mbappé & Olise world-class ability in finishing, creating, or pulling off something out-of-the-box. Plus, a close quality on the bench.

An elite playmaker.

Bilal El Khannouss is a fantastic player. A good playmaker from anywhere on the pitch. A versatile passing bag, can dribble and provide progressive solutions via carrying as well. Comes up with solutions in tight spaces.

Haiti scored another one from a cross toward the near post. National teams become more drilled into getting to a good crossing situations.

Embolo chance is a good example of what backward passing and in-depth runs can unlock. Midfielders close to the backline & forwards pinning the backline->space BTLs.

Pep Guardiola is one of the very few coaches who was willing (& liked) to face low blocks. Even when his teams broke down different high-presses, the goal was to get into a settled in-possession shape in the majority of the time.

Ghana 4-5-1 low block was compact against England. And It was hard to dismantle it, as Tuchel players worked the ball on a slower tempo. Ghana structure was as follows: Ayew follows Anderson. The Ws with England FBs, CMs covered the half-spaces, Partey covered the center & Kane.