Unicorn is thrown around far too often these days. It’s become proxy for ‘big guy that can dribble’ and we all know there are loads of them now. But Álvaro Rodríguez is a different mythical horse all together. I have proof he’s Pegasus. 🌃 Latest for @scoutedftbl.com:

I tried to translate @tomoc.bsky.social's storytelling and @moesquare.bsky.social's analysis into a single stat: Riccardo Calafiori is the only player across Europe’s Big Five Leagues this season that averages 10+ touches in each third, 2.5+ touches in each box, 2+ shots and 2+ clearances per 90.

Heading to my first Hudl Performance Insights Conference for @scoutedftbl.com today. Exciting stuff. Looking forward to learning a lot. But I am also going to be late. Thanks, weather.

My latest blog post "From Data to Wisdom: Playing Football’s Information Game at the Right Level" explores how football clubs can move from simply collecting data to making better, evidence-based decisions. janvanhaaren.be/posts/from-d...

Kees Smit, quickly becoming one of the most talked about prospects, was on the @llewdavies.bsky.social radar well before the U-19 EURO this summer - the tournament that introduced me to the Dutchman. Whether you're yet to come across him or not, this is a must-read. Excellent, as ever.

Finally, I’ve put everything together to provide a primer on the @scoutedftbl.com Archetypes project so far. It’s not finished, it’s constantly evolving. But now there is a reference point for the Archetypes themselves and the methodology. Here you go:

If a player gets the @llewdavies.bsky.social ‘Introducing’ treatment, take note. Llew flagged Said El Mala during the U-19 EURO and I’ve piggy-backed off that ever since. This is one of the most destructive dribblers in Europe. It’s his first-ever top-flight season.

After noticing something different about Mike Penders' heat map against Lyon, @jakeentwistle.bsky.social investigated the reasons why it seemed odd. It turns out the Belgian was doing a Manuel Neuer impression and he's the youngest goalkeeper on record to do it in a Big Five League.

So, @jakeentwistle.bsky.social wanted to revamp the stats section of the Monday Night SCOUTED newsletter and turn it into one in its own right. The Rabbit Hole is our new research-driven newsletter that will arrive in your inbox every Tuesday (if you like it, that is).

On the same day I sit down to write my main piece of writing for the week, @tomoc.bsky.social is doing the same and producing this. This is writing. These are the foggin estandards. I’m extremely grateful he takes the time to use this mind to improve my work. open.substack.com/pub/redstory...

Does modern football seem monotonous? Well, Morocco's U20 World Cup winners will make you fall back in love with the sport. If you're not up for rewatching that tournament, @jakeentwistle.bsky.social has tried to find the most direct young players in Europe as an alternative cure.

I think staying up to watch the final fogged my brain. I had some really clear intentions for this newsletter, especially the second section, but I don’t think I’ve quite delivered on that. But I’m absolutely all in on Morocco. You should be too.

The response to @tomoc.bsky.social’s RB Leipzig story on SCOUTED and his own Substack post about Eze’s move to Arsenal tells you everything about him. Two incredible pieces of writing created by an incredible person with absolute dedication and unwavering love for a craft.

Is Hugo Ekitiké an Alexander Isak regen? I profiled three iterations of both players alongside a set of elite centre-forwards to find out how similar they are, for @scoutedftbl.com. Dive in.

The best decision of my adult life has been to commit full time. Not just on a work level, but it has transformed my personal life. Thank you so much to everyone that has made this past year possible. But to keep it going, we need even more support.

Three weeks of curating this newsletter now :-) hope people find it fun and useful. Would love more feedback!

Explosive strikers scoring goals across Europe, a Scottish starlet that you need to know about, even more changes of international allegiance, and the delightful talents of Désiré Doué. All that (and more) in The Shortlist, our bitzesize youth football review that drops every Friday.

I try v hard to shout out independent publications where possible, because they need all the help they can get. @backheeled.com, @scoutedftbl.com, Not The Top 20, Ranks FC & Gegenpressing Newsletter all bring life to my inbox and pod feeds. Thanks guys.

Just another weekly dose of brilliance from @jakeentwistle.bsky.social.

Mika Biereth has more Ligue 1 hat-tricks (3 in 7 games) than Rasmus Højlund has Premier League goals (2 in 22 appearances) this season. Plenty more where that came from in Monday Night SCOUTED.

Picked him out in the Durán article as a potential homegrown record sale in the future. Good to see he’s kicking on again.

I put Mika through the Osimhen Test, explored a new way to evaluate strikers inspired by the duality of Denmark’s February 2003ers and found a mountain of stats to show just how mad his start at Monaco has been. Really enjoyed this one.

I tried to create way too many ‘custom’ metrics and apply them to way too many players before taking way too long to make decisions. Technically, this was still published on a Monday... so I made it, just. I hope it’s ✨ fascinating ✨

This includes a link to an interactive Scatter Plot and a searchable table for all of the key poacher metrics from 2020/21 to 2023/24. Have fun.

MNS tonight includes the Osimhen Test and a closer look at some titanic teenage performances since the last post. It will arrive in your inbox after the Chelsea game. Subscribe via @scoutedftbl.bsky.social to get it first.

Using @fbref.com, I make that the second time two teenagers have scored a goal in the same league game against a team managed by Pep Guardiola. The other match? Tom Davies and Ademola Lookman in that 4-0 Everton win.

MLS is the big-game left-back. Calafiori is the game-breaking left-back. I love that balance and variety.

Narrator: the Egyptian did not continue on the left and we did not have to wait until Rodri is back.

Two goals for Orri Steinn Óskarsson in Real Sociedad's 2-0 win against PAOK in the UEFA Europa League last night. Both were headers, peeling and hanging off the back to disengage from his marker – and he should've scored a third. It could be the little jolt his first season in Donostia needs.

I was inspired by something @jakeentwistle.bsky.social wrote about for @scoutedftbl.bsky.social (yes, again) and took it in a slightly different direction www.linkedin.com/pulse/findin...

Ban late kick-offs on a Sunday? This is so flat and uninteresting.

Rasmus Højlund demonstrating he cannot quite get the hang of this system. Not the formation, he’s done well in that before. But this iteration. His back-to-goal play has looked weak again and he can’t earn those situations where he gets to show his strengths.

So AWB stands for Aaron Wing-Back now? He looks very lively.

As per @fbref.com, Bournemouth are the only Premier League team to give 900+ minutes to three defenders that started the season aged 21-or-under. ✪ Illia Zabarnyi ✪ Dean Huijsen ✪ Milos Kerkez

I’m interested to hear how people would describe Justin Kluivert’s role at Bournemouth. I can’t quite put my finger on it. He’s working in tandem vertically with a striker. I feel like that particular relationship is going to become really popular and it requires certain traits. Help.

No skin in the game but that has to be it for him.

I miscast Pep Guardiola’s role in the emergence of the new modern football but I have been thinking about it all season. I wrote this in September when City were linked heavily to Jamal Musiala. If anything, signing Marmoush is an even clearer signal they want/need to adapt.

If Newcastle are forced to sell Alexander Isak, they need to sign Hugo Ekitiké. I have decided. They tried to previously and now it seems so painfully obvious. You could argue they should sign him anyway because they will need depth for Europe. It’s an absolute no-brainer.

The single biggest investment opportunity in football is one I've written about for years. PUT MONEY INTO SCOUTING/TRIALING/SIGNING YOUNG AFRICAN PLAYERS. Nothing else comes close in ROI terms but, with few exceptions, most clubs "don't have the budget for it"

There was no Declan Rice analysis, but I used him to introduce the idea of trying to find a player that can do it all. Last night, he was a do it all Dinamo. 🥁

There is an extremely tenuous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles metaphor and a potential Semenyo-Mbeumo hybrid regen (based on data only) in Monday Night SCOUTED this week. Subscribe via @scoutedftbl.bsky.social to get it in your inbox right after Chelsea vs. Wolves.

Can anyone tell me about Nick Woltemade? This guy is reportedly 198 cm and 90 kg and is winning 2+ aerial duels and completing 2+ take-ons per 90 across the last 365 days. Plays in a front two or left of a front three.

I have not kicked a ball in a month or so. My body was screaming to stop and rest up. Back to it tonight, a mix of dread and excitement.

▫️ Experience of home-schooling ▫️ Taking a break from pro football ▫️ Mental health and injury impact ▫️ Frustrations of time at Arsenal ▫️ Choosing Luton as his next step Dig into our exclusive interview with Reuell Walters before it goes behind the paywall in a couple of hours. It's a doozy.

The last two defeats I’ve been at the Emirates have both been 0-2 defeats in the Carabao Cup semi-final. From Jan 2022 to Jan 2025, I went to at least half of our home games (share a season ticket) and did not witness a defeat. That’s also perspective for how *good* we are as well Carabao curse.

Angelo Stiller, Stuttgart 24-25 on the Midfielder 2.0 template. SOMEONE is moving for this guy either now or in the summer. The only real question is who.

Taking a break from professional football; moving from Spurs to Arsenal; leaving the Gunners as the first team loomed; Reuell Walters has always done things his own way. Phil Costa sat down with the defender to hear his story, in his words.

🚨 EXCL: Last month, I drove up to Luton Town's training ground to meet Reuell Walters for @scoutedftbl.bsky.social. We discussed: 📚 His unusual journey into football 💭 Reasons behind Arsenal departure 🍊 What persuaded him to join Luton Free for 24 hours! www.scoutednotebook.com/p/the-reuell...

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It’s no coincidence that Dan Burn and Deep Block have the same initials. He’s the final boss for that. Clears every cross. Blocks every shot. Absolute colossus in that situation. We are playing every game on the most difficult setting possible. Still should have scored enough. This chance was HUGE.