Through the 20th century, Birkenhead Park enjoyed a lot of success both on and off the field.
The club was well recognised in Rugby Union, and was a relatively large club in the North of England.
However, in the 21st century, the story hasn’t been the same, as the club has struggled with relegation, and haven’t had any luck getting back to where the once were.
In the 2023/24 season, the club got promoted to the Regional 1 North West division, but this season it looks like they will be heading straight back down.
The team have had little success on the field on the pitch this year, and things will have to change quickly to avoid an early relegation from the league.
Flint Town General Manager Makhan Rai believes the new changes to the league provide his team with new opportunities.
The FAW have announced changes coming to the JD Cymru Premier Division ahead of the 2026/27 season.
This is part of the vision set out in April, which plans to take Welsh football to a higher level.
Mr Rai says that this change creates a new feeling for the club.
Mr Rai said: ‘’For myself, the competitive edge was the biggest point, with bigger teams dominating the league. The expansion will create that competitive edge.
The new changes make sure the possibility is always on the line in these games.’’
£6 million has been invested in this project, which is taking place until 2029. This is the largest investment in Welsh football since the formation of the Cymru leagues in 1992.
The league looks to create more competition, develop commercial portfolios, strengthen on-pitch performances and provide strength which will encourage new investors.
The biggest change sees the league go from 12 teams to 16.
Flint were promoted last summer and currently sit above the relegation zone. Since the plans have been announced, Rai wants Flint to be in the league when they take place due to the benefits they offer.
’’Trying to get to that next level is very difficult. These new opportunities through the expansion can be very beneficial, so hopefully, we are a part of it.
‘’We can use this to help grow the club and Welsh football in general.’’
Jack Sharp, Head of Domestic Leagues, has been a driving force behind the new changes as he looks to strengthen it.
Dan Davies, creator of Welsh football magazine ‘Top Bins’ believes that this will not only open up new opportunities, but will make the competition better in Wales.
He said: “ The league needs more competition and opportunities for clubs. There are loads of good teams that can play.”
However, one of the biggest issues recently have been the applications for Tier 1 licenses.
This allows teams in the second division to play in the top tier, however, several have been rejected due to poor infrastructure with the stadiums.
Mr Davies believes more must be done to help these teams get their licenses but he thinks some clubs might run the risk.
He said: “ We need teams to go into the league to begin with. We’ve seen loads of Tier 1 applications be rejected so I think we have to work with the teams.
“I think Tier 2 teams will overspend to reach Tier 1. I think the world will hopefully be watching by the time the new league comes around, and this will open doors for Tier 2 teams to take risks financially.”
The Welsh FA have worked close with Tier 2 teams to see what solutions can be made before the changes come into play.
The structure of the league was taken into evaluation with Twenty First Group Global, who are leaders in sports intelligence and previously worked with the Premier League.
The new system put in place is like the Czech Republic League. They switched format in 2018-19.
These changes have been introduced following discussion with the clubs and fans.
Ethan McMullin, coach for Greenfield FC hopes these changes will help generate higher attendance figures for the Welsh Premier League.
He said: “ I think it will mainly benefit Welsh Premier League teams and mainly the spectators across the leagues. In doing so it should make it more interesting.
“Hopefully this will encourage more people to do to the games with the product on the pitch being promised.”
This was the first stage of the plan that was set out, and now the league is looking for clubs to present their plans for the future.
An eleven-goal thriller sees Airbus move four points clear at the top as they beat Holywell Town 8-3.
Airbus made a statement against rivals Holywell as they struck eight past them as they look for league glory.
The Wingmakers were delighted with their start as they found themselves three goals up inside the opening 15 minutes as Nathan Williams, George Peers and Danny Warren found the back of the net.
Holywell made a change on the 24th-minute mark as Mark Winslade replaced Thomas Bibby, and fifteen minutes later, the substitute pulled one back and headed home from close range.
One minute from halftime, Airbus got their three-goal lead back as Peers found the bottom corner from outside the box, and in the 51st minute, he secured his hat trick.
In the 63rd minute, Holywell scored twice in three minutes as Winslade and Jamie Breese got in on the action before they were reduced to 10 men when Michael Pearson gave away a penalty.
Peers blazed the penalty over the bar, and three minutes later, Holywell were awarded a penalty, which Breese also missed, as his effort was saved.
With 15 minutes left, Breese scored his fourth, and the last kick of the game saw James Davies convert from close range, as Airbus got the three points against a tough opponent.
Airbus manager Mark Allen was very impressed with the first half as he said:‘’ We knew our jobs and wanted to win the game, and being 4-1 up at halftime against a tough side showed how good we are tonight.
‘’ We know what qualities they had, but I did think we beat them by a great score and something to kick on with.’’
Antonio Nusa has been one the of most prolific prospects outside of Europe’s Top 5 leagues over the past few years, standing out as a shining light at Club Brugge.
The Norwegian has been linked with several big clubs since his breakthrough in Belgium. He has come close to joining Bournemouth and Spurs, but possible deals have collapsed at the last minute. Now, the winger has joined RB Leipzig, in a move which looks to not only continue his development but also offer him football at the top level, as Leipzig looks to take the Bundesliga crown off Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen.
The 19-year-old has some of the best attributes to take him to the top and help Leipzig in their pursuit of Silverware, and with Nusa, they have a serious talent.
Deadly Dribbling
Arguably his best attribute currently is how effective his dribbling is, and how he can simply create something out of nothing.
Last season he was in the 99th percentile for progressive carries and successful take-ons, while also being in the 94th percentile for touches in the opposition’s penalty area compared to other wingers.
This highlights that his playing style isn’t so much as a winger, but rather an inside forward similar to how Mohamed Salah plays, in the sense they make direct runs towards the penalty area, and use their ability on the ball to make dangerous and effective situations.
One thing Nusa does really well is being able to combine his speed with his dribbling, making him almost unpredictable when coming up against him, as he has shown this over a couple of seasons now.
Shooting Ability and Fitting into Leipzig’s System
Last season, Nusa was able to show his true ability as an inside forward with a high volume of shots. He was only able to find the net three times in the Pro League in the 2023/24 campaign, but registered 38.2% of his shots on target, while also averaging 3.03 shots per 90.
Combining this with his speed and dribbling, Nusa is a serious threat for a team that plays fast-paced, counter-attacking football, and at Leipzig, that’s the type of football he will be a part of.
Last season, Marco Rose switched between two different formations, using a 4-2-2-2 and a 3-4-3 depending on the opponent and who was available for squad selection.
Nusa might be of better use in the 3-4-3 as he has prominently played as a winger during his time at Club Brugge, therefore it will be easier for him to transition into the Leipzig team.
However, in the 4-2-2-2, Nusa might be allowed to have more attacking freedom in the side. It’s unlikely he will be part of the two up top, with Openda and Sesko looking to lock their positions down, so slightly behind either of them would be the best for him, if he is allowed to roam across the line, into the space.
There might be questions over whether Nusa will feature a lot this season for Die Roten Bullen, with him still developing, but he has been a key part of the Club Brugge team for two years, winning two league titles and one cup, as well as collecting 7 international caps. So I see Nusa being a key part of Rose’s side this season.
5 – Antonio Nusa (18 years and 178 days against Cyprus last night) was directly involved in five goals in his three appearances for Norway (1 goal, 4 assists), in two more than all other teenagers for the Norwegian national team over the last ten years combined (3). Diamond. pic.twitter.com/kUvhcUR7sL
At 19, there are still parts of his game which aren’t at the correct level yet, but they are expected to be increased over the next few years, with more experience and working with a great coaching team, which Leipzig can offer.
His creative numbers aren’t great and are largely made up by his dribbling rather than his passing ability. Last season, he had an extremely low number of progressive passes per 90, and his pass completion rate was low. This is something that will have to be worked on to fit in this Leipzig team, as he is expected to be just as much as a creator as an out-an-out attacking outlet.
His defensive numbers were also low last season, as he failed to track and cover the runs of the opposition fullbacks. This also included a very low number of interceptions and aerials won.
Finally, the main issue he has faced has been an increase in small injuries he accumulated throughout last season, which meant he missed 16 games for club and country in the 2023/24 season.
Despite this, Nusa has shown so much quality over just a handful of seasons, and RB Leipzig is a near-perfect club to help continue his development to become a top player.
He’s yet another exciting talent coming from Norway. Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard have already made a name for themselves. Nusa is in a similar situation with the likes of Oscar Bobb and Andreas Schjelderup, who have proved their worth but will be looking to take it a step further this season.
Overall, Nusa is another great signing for Leipzig, as they continue to buy extremely talented youngsters from around the World who have the potential to aid their quest to win the Bundesliga, and Nusa looks like one of those players who will be a definite benefit to the team.
Last summer, Birmingham had a new group take ownership of the club. In that year, there was a mixture of thoughts and feelings, which ultimately saw The Blues suffer relegation to the third tier, for the first time in 29 years.
There were some questionable decisions made by the board, especially when John Eustace was relieved of his duties in favour of Wayne Rooney who was sacked 15 games in.
Heading into the new season, Tom Wagner and his team knew they needed a plan in action to take the club back to the championship, while also building for a bright future beyond next season. That’s what they have tried to achieve by appointing Chris Davis as manager, after moving from Spurs as their assistant boss.
Davis has had backing from the board, as the club has gone on to spend over £12 million, 12 times more than Charlton Athletic who have spent the second most amount on transfers in League One this summer. Here’s a dive into who they have splashed their money on, and how they can push Birmingham back into the Championship.
The Gaffer on how the squad is shaping up, ahead of our season opener. 💬
"We’re in good shape, we’ve brought in some good players. We’ve still got some work to do and there will still be some movement. I’m really pleased with where we’re at." pic.twitter.com/pWRtvzXxGj
Davis has been able to add two players over £3 million to his team. Christoph Klarer joined the club from Darmstadt 98, after the club was relegated to the 2. Bundesliga.
The centre-back has featured for the Austria national team at all youth levels while also bagging over 5000 minutes in the 2. Bundesliga and just over 2000 minuets in the Bundesliga. It’s clear the defender has experience at high levels at just 24 years old, and adding that to this team is a massive benefit if they are fighting at the top of the table.
Looking at his style of play, he’s someone who regularly has the ball at his feet, but he doesn’t try anything over the top with it. He’s a player who sets the tempo with short, simple passes, maintaining possession. He is constantly engaging in duels and being part of defensive actions. Last season he had a 78.9% success rate in his duels in a poor Darmstadt team, in comparison to Birmingham, who are heading into the season as the favourite for the title. There’s a lot to like about the defender, and he will certainly tighten things up at the back.
The other multi-million-pound transfer was Icelandic midfielder, Willum Thor Willumson. The 25-year-old played around 3000 minutes last season in the Eredivisie at Go Ahead Eagles where he predominantly played as an attacking midfielder, or slightly deeper as a central midfielder.
A noticeable thing about Willumson is that he didn’t really have a high number of progressive passes last season, but was high with key passes when compared to the rest of Europe’s top-league midfielders, showing the quality of passes into the final third and supplying passes into wide areas for the attacking width that Go Ahead Eagles had on offer.
Willumson is also a player who picks the ball up and drives into dangerous areas of the pitch where he can make the key difference, he has shown this by being in the 60th percentile of progressive carries. Overall when looking at both these players, they add high quality to the team to push them high up the table.
Lively Left Wing
Birmingham City have also introduced two new players to add more attacking variety to the left side of the pitch.
The Blues were able to sign 26-year-old, Swedish winger, Emil Hansson. Hansson has been playing in The Netherlands for several years now and has even gone on to win four trophies. Looking at his style, the winger isn’t someone who has scored a lot of goals but is rather a creative figure, as shown in the Heracles Almelo team.
In the 2023/24 season, he averaged 0.2xg per 90, whilst averaging around five progressive passes per 90. Ultimately, he’s a direct winger and someone who like Willumson, carries the ball forward. Birmingham already had Siriki Dembele on the left wing, but adding more quality to this area of the pitch is a positive depending on the opposition.
Just behind in the left-back position, Alex Cochrane has been added to the team. The fullback has spent three seasons at Hearts which have been a success for him, having featured 126 times for the Scottish club.
He is someone who offers a high attacking threat with threatening overlaps. He also offers a range of passing and isn’t afraid to pick someone out no matter where they are on the field or simply supplying his teammates with crosses into the area, as he came 6th with the most crosses in the Scottish League last season.
Adding two athletic, fast creators into the team shows Davis’ desire to attack his opponent. Dominating possession and chances is something that Birmingham are desperate to do, but after Scott Hogan was released from the club earlier this summer, the club needed a reliable forward who would finish the chances from these creative outlets.
Magneficent May
Replacing Hogan with Alfie May has arguably been just as important as all the other signings the club have made, despite being less expensive than the four previous names mentioned.
The forward has scored over 20 league goals in his last three seasons, including last season when he made a switch to Charlton Athletic from Cheltenham Town. It didn’t stop his appetite for finding the back of the net, as he went on to score 27 times in 50 outings in all competitions, plus one assist to go along with it.
Over time you can see a massive increase in his conversation rate due to how many more shots he’s hitting on target. The 31-year-old is improving his game with more experience in front of goal, and it doesn’t look like it will slow down in the West Midlands.
With his experience in the league and his personal success in it, as he featured in the shortlist for the 2023/24 League One player of the year, he can certainly help Birmingham climb back up the pyramid, and with the addition of creative talent, he might be looking to score more than he did last season.
Alfie May 🤝 Jay Stansfield
What a striker partnership this would be for Birmingham City 🔵🔥
It looks like Birmingham will be losing one of their star players in Jordan James after the club agreed terms with Ligue 1 side, Rennes. The midfielder has played over 100 times for the club and even featured 11 times for Wales at just 20.
Aside from James though, The Blues have kept hold of many of their key personnel such as Dembele, Krystain Bielik, George Hall and a list of many other players, whilst also adding Marc Leonard, Luke Harris, Ryan Allsop and Bailey Peacock-Farrell along the names previously mentioned, as well as possibly more during the rest of the window.
I think it’s a fair judgement that Birmingham fans wouldn’t be pleased if they don’t lift the title in May after the money that’s been spent, never mind promotion itself, despite a ball not even being kicked yet. The money put in is expected to bring success to St Andrew’s, and on paper, the quality of the new faces introduced at the club should be leaving Blues fans eager before Saturday’s kickoff and for the rest of the season.
Back in 2015, Jurgen Klopp was announced as Liverpool’s new manager. Many sensed a new era was on the horizon at Liverpool, and many believed that Klopp would be the man to lead Liverpool into whatever lay ahead.
Two weeks later, I would be at my first game in the ‘Klopp era’ as Liverpool faced Rubin Kazan in the Europa League. There were signs of what Klopp could bring to Anfield with fast-attacking football, but it was clear there were plenty of things that needed changing on and off the pitch to bring Liverpool back to the top of the football mountain.
Klopp summed up the game in his own words as he said in his post match press conference ” It was not a masterclass but it was not the worst day in my life”. Klopp knew the challenge was in front of him, but it wasn’t impossible to complete it.
Fast forward 9 years, I would attend my last game of the Klopp Era against Crystal Palace at Anfield. Sadly, the game ended in defeat, but it didn’t overshadow the emotion I felt being in Anfield for the last time under Jurgen Klopp. From the highest of highs to the soul-crushing lows, nothing could take the feeling of fulfilment Klopp had brought to Liverpool fans all around the world. Therefore, I wouldn’t miss anything to give Jurgen the send of he deserved on the final day of the season.
Even though the game kicked off at 4pm, the streets and roads surrounding the ground were busy from Midday. There was a real buzz ahead of the match, despite it having no real outcome on our season, so many people were excited to give Klopp the send-off he truly deserved after what he has gave us over the years.
As I made my way onto Anfield Road, it felt like we were at Wembley before a cup final. The streets were crowded with fans, head-to-toe in Liverpool clothes, with flags and scarves stretched out all over the street. Many people tried to get the best view, from the nearby buildings. As the team coaches made their way up the street, flares went up all over the street, which made my eyes sting and my nostrils flare, but at the moment it didn’t matter, as all I was concerned about was being there with Liverpool fans, celebrating what Klopp’s success.
After the coach had made its way inside the stadium, it was clear that I wouldn’t be on my own outside the ground to celebrate Klopp’s reign. At the Anfield Road Hotel, it almost seemed like a party with all the people who made their way inside. There were stores selling merchandise, street vendors and at the front of the building, a Bavarian Oompah band was playing Liverpool chants from Klopp’s tenure.
After finding a seat and settling down with a cold pint in the hot spring heat, it was time to watch Klopp’s last game as the Liverpool manager. There wasn’t too much I remember from the game, as I was still in awe at how many people had also turned up outside the ground to watch The Reds play under Klopp for one final time. With twenty minutes to go, the pub began singing the songs we have all been singing for the best part of nine years and as we were coming to the conclusion of Klopp’s time, 100’s of Liverpool fans began singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.
That moment summarised Klopp’s legacy at Liverpool. He arrived at a club that was in turmoil, but he allowed us to enjoy football once more. He allowed us to believe in things that we previously thought were impossible. He brought a fresh life to Liverpool, full of joy and happiness and that’s exactly what I saw, sitting there in the Spring Heat on that Sunday evening. As Liverpool supporters weren’t sad to see Klopp leaving, but happy they were able to share the good times with him.
So Jurgen, thank you for the ride you have delievered me and every other Liverpool fan, and thank you for changing me from a doubter to a believer.
Liverpool struggled a lot in the 2022/23 season, which meant a big summer transfer window was ahead of them.
The Reds made four signings in the window, and all four of them where midfielders. A number of the ones at the club would either leave permanently or look for temporary football to increase their chances of playing at Anfield the following season.
Tyler Morton is among the latter, after making a loan move to Hull City in the transfer window, and it’s fair to say the young midfielder has shone in those organe colours.
Tiger’s boss, Liam Rosenior has got the best out of Morton so far in his career, and the boss has spoke proudly of the Englishman multiple times.
Many wouldn’t have expected a future for the midfielder on Merseyside before this season, but Morton has proved he can do it at a good level, as his team look to claim a place in the Championship playoffs, but what is it he offers his team?
Defensive Standout
Hull have appearanced two different types of formations this season. The 4231 has been featured sometime, but the most frequent formation has been a 442, with Morton sitting in the middle of the park.
Recently he’s shared the midfield position with Jean Michael Seri who sits on his left. When looking at the heat maps of the two, Seri has the creative freedom of the two. Although Morton does find himself high up the field from time to time, ultimately his job is to defend.
[🟢] NEW: Tyler Morton and Fabio Carvalho will likely be given the chance to impress the new manager in pre season.
The 21-year-old has taken up space normally on the right side of the pitch, stopping dangerous attacks from the opposition’s left winger and left back. Then when he gets the ball, he looks to find his attacking team mates to start quick counters.
This season, Morton is in the 85th percentile of blocks per 90 against midfielders, averaging 1.64. Therefore, not only is he intercepting play and starting this attacks, but also reinforcing his back four, making a number of blocks, whether that’s out wide on the right or in the middle, protecting his goal.
Eye For Attack
One of the huge benefits of having Morton in your team is when he’s on the ball he’s always got his eye out for a pass, and normally into attacking phases.
In Hull’s last game, where they beat QPR 3-0, Morton attempted the most passes for the Tigers, with a 93% pass completion rate. It’s not just the case of one game though, as he’s in the 87th percentile for most attempted passes per 90, averaging 62.3.
However, this normally aren’t passes to just continue to recycle the ball, but rather start something fresh for his team in an attacking sense.
Morton operates in defensive phases, but is always on the look to attack, very similar to someone like Rodri who also covers those defensive actions while continuing to look further up the field when they pick up the ball.
Although Hull City currently sit in 7th in the Championship table, it looks unlikely they will make the playoffs come the end of the season, as they sit 6 points off Norwich, with a game in hand over the Canaries.
However, Morton has been a great player for Hull this season, and the loan move has very much benefitted him and his development in his career.
With Liverpool’s current depth in midfield, it would have been hard to argue Morton’s space in the squad for next season, but with his great spell in the Championship, and with a new manager arriving at Anfield, the youngster has a possibility of featuring for the Reds next season.
Kick Off: 8pm GMT, Thursday 11th April, Anfield, Europa League Quarter Final First Leg
Last 5 Games
LiverpoolDWWLW
Atalanta LLWWD
Liverpool and Atalanta will look to take strides towards a place in the Europa League Semi Finals, when the two teams clash on Thursday.
The hosts currently sit 2nd in the Premier League, level on points with top of the league Arsenal, and one point ahead of third place, Manchester City.
Liverpool have come off the back of a poor performance away at Old Trafford, where their Premier League momentum was halted as they drew 2-2 with bitter rivals, Manchester United. Liverpool found themselves 1-0 up in the match, but fell behind. A penalty from Mohamed Salah was enough for Liverpool to share the points.
Liverpool will be happy to hear positive news when it comes to their squad selection, as Diogo Jota, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson have all returned to training. Stefan Bajcetic also made a return, but Jurgen Klopp confirmed he’s likely to feature for the U21’s before being reinstalling in the first team squad.
Atalanta are currently in 6th position, sitting 5 points behind 5th place Roma, but La Dea have a game in hand.
Ahead of their Europa League tie, the Italian club faced mid table Cagliari away from home. Gianluca Scammaca gave Atalanta the lead, but Gian Piero Gasperini’s men couldn’t hold onto the lead, with goals coming from Tommaso Augello and Nicolas Viola, sending Atalanta home with a defeat.
The Italians travel to Liverpool with a huge gap in their squad, as Giorgio Scalvini is out for both legs suffering a hamstring injury. The 20-year-old has been impressive this season, normally taking place on the left or right of the back three. In their last match, Atalanta set up with a back three of Rafael Toloi, Berat Djimsiti and former Arsenal player, Sead Kolasinac.
These two haven’t met each other much, but they faced one another a couple of seasons ago in the Champions League group stages. Atalanta came away from Anfield with the win last time out, beating Klopp’s team 2-0. Both goals came in the second half from Josip Ilicic and Robin Gosens.
At the Gewiss Stadium, Liverpool ran away with the game, beating Atalanta 5-0, with Salah, Sadio Mane and a hat trick from Jota being the difference.
The two teams will met a week later in the return leg in Italy.
Key Players:
Mohamed Salah: It’s hard to argue anyone over Salah. As he’s been Liverpool’s main man on a European night since his arrival in 2017.
In the current Europa League campaign, the Egyptian has 4 goals and 3 assists, while only starting 3 matches in the competition.
Teun Koopmeiners: The Dutch midfield has become a figurehead in the Atalanta team, and has made a case for being one of the best midfielders in the Serie A
Koopmeiners has been a real danger from the middle of the park, with 14 goal contributions in the league this season, but is yet to score a goal in the Europa League this season. Could Thursday be his night?
Prediction:
I think it’s going to be a close match, with neither team coming into the game with the best of results. That said, Liverpool’s quality in the final third has normally be great in Europe this season, and I don’t think that will end on Thursday.
In 2017, Monaco went on an incredible run in the Champions League, reaching the Semi Finals where they would suffer defeat at the hands of Juventus.
Two years later, almost all their star players had left the South of France, as they pursued careers elsewhere. Monaco had to build their squad with exciting talents once again.
At the same time, a young midfielder, Enzo Millot was breaking through the ranks and was quickly promoted to Monaco’s B team. A year later, he would make his debut, in a 1-0 league defeat against Brest.
German side, VfB Stuttgart quickly became aware of the midfielder. Stuttgart have become a team interested in buying young players to help them push high up the league, and Millot was seen as a talent to help them reach that goal.
In the summer transfer window of 2021, Millot signed a four-year-contract with Die Roten, in a deal worth €2 million. Since signing, he has worked hard to become a regular starter, and this season become a vital part to Stuttgart’s team, being rewarded with a new 4-year-deal back in January.
He’s been linked with moves away this summer to Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, but if Stuttgart are able to qualify for the Champions League, the Frenchmen could well be interested in remaining at the club.
Whether he’s playing as a 6,8 or 10, Millot is constantly standing out on the pitch, and he has the qualities to be great in each one of those positions. So what is so special about Enzo Millot?
Passing Ability
Millot’s best ability is comfortably his passing. Whether he’s playing quick one-twos in the middle of the pitch to find space between opposition lines, slowing the play down to settle Stuttgart in the middle of the pitch, or playing the killer pass to unlock a defence, Millot has it all.
He is constantly looking for the pass, and more than often, finds the feet of his teammate. He’s in the 92nd percentile for completed passes, and he’s plays an extremely high number of them.
When he gets the ball and looks for the pass, his main objective to to pick apart the opponent. A lot of times he switches the play to the other side of the pitch, to start fresh attacking plays, or simply across the pitch into the other midfielders feet like Atakan Karazor.
Stuttgart Manager, Sebastian Hoeneß’s system dictates how effective Millot is with his passing. The 3-4-3 doesn’t allow Millot too much attacking freedom, as that comes down more to the attacking fullbacks. Therefore, the 21-year-old is focusing his play down the flanks to build these fast attacks.
Dribbling In Attacking Phases
The Frenchmen doesn’t just play in the midfield pivot, but sometimes plays in the attacking three, normally off the right hand side.
When he takes up this position, not only is passing a really quality of his, but his dribbling in the wide positions is truly a quality to possess. When he’s in these positions, he’s always looking to be on the front foot. Taking the ball forward into dangerous terrority with direct dribbling.
Enzo Millot – Bundesliga 23/24:
☑️24 games ☑️5 goals ☑️2 assists ☑️5.01 xG ☑️3.86 xA ☑️52 passes per 90 ☑️85% pass accuracy ☑️1.4 key passes per 90 ☑️5 big chances created ☑️1.8 successful dribbles per 90 ☑️1.8 tackles per 90
— Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) March 20, 2024
He looks for the 1v1 oppurtunties in the areas outside the box, and if he can free himself, looks to supply the clubs top scorer, Serhou Guirassy into goal scoring spaces.
However, when his fancy footwork doesn’t cut it, he continues to push himself to win fouls and set pieces in tricky positions.
Defensive Actions
The final piece to the jigsaw with Millot is his off the ball support, and how he impacts Stuttgart when they are having to defend, with his ‘defend from the front’ mindset.
When he’s playing further up the pitch, he’s always trying to pick the ball off of the opponents feet to start quick counter attacks, which work really well when he links up with his team mates in the final third.
Ultimately, he’s the piece of the team that connects the midfield and the attack as he wins the ball back, connects the space and plays the passes to his team mates which normally lead to goals.
Millot has shown people that he has the quality to be a serious talent in the future, and is already shown how good he can be this season, being a big part of the reason Stuttgart are in the run-in for Champions League football next season.
The 2022/23 season will have been unforgettable for the faithful fans of Newcastle United, as they qualified for the Champions League for the first time in two decades.
However, this season hasn’t produced the same magic that Eddie Howe and his team were able to deliver the season before. They have faced a series of challenges, which currently has them down in 8th position. As they look unlikely to qualify for Europe’s biggest competition.
Things haven’t worked for Newcastle this season, but there is no reason why the team with the best defensive record last season can’t turn a corner and look to push even further next season.
Injuries and System Issues
The Newcastle fanbase has become torn on whether Howe should be leading the team next season, but there is no doubt that he has already accomplished great things with the club during his time in the North East.
Newcastle started the season strong and only suffered defeat in three league matches in the first three months of the season, while also running riot on some opponents. The most notable being PSG at St James Park.
Just before the winter period, things took a turn for the worse for The Magpies, with a wave of injuries ravaging the club, on top of a ban for summer signing, Sandro Tonali due to a series of betting breaches.
Any injury/ban was always going to effect Newcastle and their momentum early in the season, but a huge implication was down to the style and formation that Howe played.
Lewis Hall should be fit & available for #NUFC at #FFC tomorrow, but no other players are back available (except Anthony Gordon, who was suspended):https://t.co/TGWNgBZzz4
The signing of Tonali made Newcastle’s main midfield setup contain the Italian, Bruno Guimaraes and his Brazilian teammate, Joelinton. The objective for Howe was to completely dominate their opponent in the middle of the park, with the overwhelming physicality the three would form and their quality of the ball.
However, due to the problems, Newcastle lost that edge in midfield and had to pay the price. Players like Lewis Miley and Elliot Anderson had to come in, proving what they could offer and they undenably showed that, but it’s certainly not what Howe had planned.
The same can be said with the attacking output, as newly signed Harvey Barnes has missed several months through injury, while Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson had missed parts of the season through injury as well.
For me, the biggest problem for Newcastle has mainly been the issues they have had in defence, mainly at full back, and it’s where people have been critical about their manager.
When Dan Burn suffered his injury, Tino Livramento was the one choosen to replace the 31-year-old while he was on the sidelines. Livramento joined the club in the summer from Southampton for £37 million.
The big problem Newcastle faced is Livramento and Burn are nothing alike. Burn is a more robust, defensive fullback who supports the defenders, and allows the left midfielder, in most cases Joelinton, the opportunity to drift wide and occupy that space. Livramento needs that space, as he’s an explosive full back who wants to get forward and create chances.
The 21-year-old was played in the ‘Burn’ role, and this was a catalyst of their own downfall, particularly when Kieran Tripper was going through a rough patch. When their midfield and attack faced issues, they rarely created anything. For them to then not allow Livramento any attacking freedom showed that Howe couldn’t fit his tactic to his injury free squad, and was more suited to the individual. Therefore, with the season they have had, it was always going to be a failure.
Dreaded Transfer Window
The end of the season is only a month and a half away, and teams will already be planning their summer window, for both sales and incomings. For Newcastle, the size of this window can’t be understated.
"Players like Bruno are very, very rare…" ✨
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe admits he "can't make any guarantees" amid rumours linking Bruno Guimaraes to PSG 👀 pic.twitter.com/kQtKadFaqk
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 5, 2024
A big issue that Newcastle could face this summer is the rumblings of FFP potentially affecting their business in the window, with some large sales on the cards.
The Toon Army will be happy to hear that Isak is currently set on staying at the club, but there has been many rumours surronding Tripper, Wilson, Guimaraes and Joelinton over the past couple of months.
Newcastle are in a dark corner when it comes to this as it’s down to what other clubs are willing to offer for their players, as well as their scouts finding alternatives to these players who can have similar impacts on the pitch.
If Newcastle are able to get Europa League this season, that will have massive benefits to the caliabre of player Newcastle might be able to introduce in the summer, with that European pedigree.
However, a complete rebuild isn’t too far around the corner. If the two Brazilians midfielders decide to leave, a whole new midfield is likely required for next season. On top of defenders, with so many suffering long term injuries. Currently, they are keen on Bournemouth defender, Lloyd Kelly, who will be leaving The Cherries at the end of his contract.
It’s not like there aren’t some top talents on the market that can replace these players, but finding them for the right price, with a potential FFP sanction looming over them will be the toughest battle Newcastle will have to deal with this summer.
⚪️⚫️ Alexander Isak on his future: “Of course I want to be here at Newcastle in the future!”.
“I came here for the project, I absolutely love playing here, I really feel at home”.
Ultimately, Newcastle have faced bad fortune countless times this season, and it’s put them in a tricky place as the season comes to a close. The fans have stood by their players all season and showed why they are considered one of the best fanbases in the Premier League this season, despite the tough periods they have gone through.
Whether it’s Howe or someone else that will be leading the team next season, they have a monumential task at hand. Firstly making sure that the squad is in the best possible position, despite the indication of punishment. Building a squad that doesn’t become too reliant on individuals, more towards the tactic and style of play that Newcastle set up with. Finally, producing a team of players that are 100% committed to the club, a group of players that the fans can be proud of, like they have been the last two seasons.
Final Whistle 