The Weekly Take, Issue 345: A Missed Opportunity - Perhaps a Definitive One

 AC Milan’s away match against Juventus represented an opportunity for the Rossoneri to claw back some of their deficit to fourth place in the race for the last Champions League spot from Serie A; it also gave Milan a chance to deal a blow to their opponents’ chance of making the top four and thus qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

Instead, Milan succumbed to a 2-0 loss against the Bianconeri. Both of Juve’s goals came within a five-minute span in the second half. In the 59th minute, Nico González set up Belgian winger Samuel Mbangula whose shot bounced off the foot of Milan full-back Emerson on its way into the back of the net. Not long after that, Milan midfielder Youssouf Fofana lost possession in midfield, granting Khéphren Thuram to put substitute Timothy Weah through on goal with just Fikayo Tomori to beat - and the American did just that before putting his shot into the bottom corner and clinch the win for Juve.

After having fired previous head coach Paulo Fonseca on December 29 and hiring Sérgio Conceição the next day, many might have expected the usual upturn in form that usually comes with a new coaching hire. This, however, has so far not even been close to what has happened. Despite winning the Supercoppa Italiana - which isn’t even a major title - Conceição’s coaching debut in Serie A after having been at the helm of Porto for seven seasons has been off to a slow start.

Though it’s still very early in his current stint at the San Siro, early signs seem to show that Conceição still doesn’t quite “get it”. The main issue so far has most likely been his squad rotation. While it might be true that Conceição might not have been aware of this quite yet, the fact remains that the recent form decline of players such as Emerson and Fofana can likely be tied to fatigue. Part of Fonseca’s downfall was how he burned out some of Milan’s players by not rotating the squad as regularly as he should have; while there’s still time for Conceição to figure this out, it’s needless to say that this isn’t how things ought to have started for him.

With the January transfer window ending soon, it’s imperative that Milan do something about their squad depth - especially in midfield and up front. As of right now, Milan quite simply don’t have the depth of personnel at the level needed to make a legitimate top-four push. The match against Juve made this fact obvious as all four of Milan’s substitutes were all but completely ineffective, contributing essentially nothing of note.

Beyond that, Milan have to seriously start considering the futures of players such as Fofana, Yunus Musah, Ismaël Bennacer, and Tammy Abraham who are unlikely to be worth keeping around for the long term. It’s become increasingly obvious that none of them are of the calibre needed of squad regulars if Milan are to seriously contend for a Champions League berth next season. Milan have been linked with players such as Saba Goglichidze, Stephen Eustaquio, Marcus Rashford, and Samuele Ricci - certainly not names which move the needle in any notable way. Unless Milan can somehow pull off a significant signing out of seemingly nowhere before the transfer window ends, climbing into the top four by season’s end seems unlikely.

Among the players mentioned, Abraham deserves particular scrutiny. Against Juve, Milan were largely devoid of any output up front, managing just three shots on target. As the starting centre-forward stepping in for the injured Álvaro Morata, Abraham did not even attempt a single shot and was nothing more than a bystander for almost the whole match. The Englishman has become a mere shell of the player who had a breakout season at Roma just three years ago and who appeared to be set for a solid run of at least five to six years as a high-level striker. At this point, Abraham has become a liability and might not even have what it takes to even be a regular substitute.

AC Milan’s window to salvage their season is starting to close - and if they do end up missing out on the Champions League for the first time since, one has to wonder if Conceição will still be in the dugout when next season starts.

The Weekly Take, Issue 344: The Rut Deepens

Any thoughts that Borussia Dortmund might return from the Bundesliga’s mid-season break a completely changed team from the one seen before it - a team which hadn’t shown even the slightest bit of consistency and stability and had thus fallen behind in the chase for a top-four spot and a berth in next season’s Champions League - were swiftly put to rest following their match against Bayer Leverkusen.

Reigning Bundesliga champions Leverkusen raced out to an early 2-0 lead with Nathan Tella and Patrik Schick getting their names on the scoresheet within the first eight minutes of the match. Shortly after, Dortmund would halve the deficit when Jamie Gittens took advantage of Robert Andrich’s misplayed clearance to put it in from close range. Seven minutes later, Schick would score his second, ensuring that Leverkusen’s two-goal lead would be restored heading into half-time.

Dortmund were handed a late lifeline when in the 79th minute, Edmond Tapsoba fouled Julien Duranville in the box. Serhou Guirassy stepped forward to convert the penalty; however, that would be as close as Dortmund would come. With this latest loss, Die Schwarzgelbe have now won just one of their last five league matches and including this one, none of their last three at home.

To be fair to Dortmund, this was always going to be a difficult encounter following the personnel issues they’d experienced. Six players missed the match for various reasons including three of Dortmund’s usual starting back four. That being said, even most of Dortmund’s regular starters certainly looked out of sorts throughout the first half and only began to come to life after the break with players such as Maximilian Beier, Felix Nmecha, and Gregor Kobel having underwhelming showings at Signal Iduna Park. Notably, backup right-back Yan Couto was arguably Dortmund’s best player against Leverkusen - a clear indictment on the rest of the squad’s level of play not just in this match, but in general over the course of the season.

Another point that has to be addressed concerns Gittens. The Englishman is one of world football’s rising stars and at just 20, appears to have sky-high potential. He was one of the relatively few Dortmund players to have a solid performance against Leverkusen and is very possibly already Dortmund’s best player. Gittens’ rise makes it even more crucial for Dortmund to qualify for next season’s Champions League - should they fail to do so, there’s a very real possibility that the Berkshire-born winger will leave the club in the coming off-season. Gittens has already been linked with a move to several major clubs including, much to the dismay of Dortmund’s fanbase, arch-rivals Bayern Munich. That would unquestionably be a nightmare scenario for Dortmund; however, it’s one which might actually be realistic at this point.

Once again, the elephant in the room has to be addressed as well: for how long will Dortmund persist with Nuri Şahin in the dugout? Ever since accepting the position as Dortmund’s head coach this past off-season, the Turk has shown almost nothing but sheer incompetence. Once again, he fumbled the tactical setup and substitutions; with just about anyone else coaching, this could easily have been a winnable game.

At this point, it’s obvious that Dortmund’s ownership and front office are only keeping Şahin around for sentimental reasons - as a player, he was a club icon who spent ten and a half seasons at Dortmund, making 223 league appearances for the club. However, the fans in general ran out of patience months ago - it’s obvious by now that the longer Şahin stays in the position, the worse things will get for Dortmund. It’s long past time for the club to rip off the bandage, fire Şahin, and reset.

This isn’t yet an unsalvageable season for Borussia Dortmund, though. They still do have a realistic chance of making the top four in the league; they could also finish in the top eight of the league phase of the Champions League, allowing them to go straight into the round of 16. However, the way this season has gone so far, it isn’t particularly likely that either - let alone both - will end up happening. There can be no question that right now, Dortmund are headed in the wrong direction.

The Weekly Take, Issue 343: Alexander-Arnold the Not-so-great

Entering their match against arch-rivals Manchester United, Premier League leaders Liverpool were primed to take all three points and further extend their massive lead. The Reds had seen all their closest challengers drop cheap points in recent matchday while Liverpool themselves had been picking up win after win, taking steps towards reclaiming the league title they last won in the 2019-20 season. Additionally, United arrived at Anfield having lost their last three league matches and had slid all the way down to 14th place. This appeared to be a golden opportunity for Liverpool not only to tighten their stranglehold over what seemed to be a league title that was all but theirs, but also rub it in United’s faces while doing so.

This, however, turned out not to be so as Liverpool only managed a 2-2 draw against the Red Devils. Shortly after half-time, Lisandro Martínez broke forward and received a pass from Bruno Fernandes before firing it in off the underside of the crossbar to put United a goal ahead; however, Cody Gakpo scored Liverpool’s equalizer just seven minutes later. Liverpool would later take a 2-1 lead after Mohamed Salah scored a penalty after Matthijs de Ligt’s handball. Then, in the 80th minute, Amad Diallo - as he did against Manchester City - came up huge for United down the stretch, netting United’s second goal and ensuring that they’d leave Merseyside with a share of the points.

Almost immediately after the match, one Liverpool player was understandably singled out for criticism: Trent Alexander-Arnold. The English right-back had a dismal showing against United and was largely unable to deal with whatever United threw at him. Completely outplayed by his opposing counterparts Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, Alexander-Arnold lost all five of his one-on-one duels and thus handed United a huge amount of space from which viable goalscoring chances could’ve been created.

On top of that, Alexander-Arnold’s positional play was an absolute disaster. On multiple occasions throughout the match, Alexander-Arnold allowed United to attack the penalty area from out wide even if he wasn’t dribbled past by a United player. His below-par situational awareness and frequent misreads capped off a performance to forget.

There can be almost no question as to why Alexander-Arnold played so poorly against United: it almost certainly has to do with the recent speculation linking Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid. Real have made it clear that they’re highly interested in landing the Merseysider either in the ongoing January transfer window or in the off-season. As of right now, Alexander-Arnold commands an expected transfer value of around €75 million - a figure well within Real’s means.

This then begs the question: has Alexander-Arnold mentally checked out? Does he himself actually want to leave Liverpool for the Santiago Bernabéu? If such is the case, that would go a long way towards explaining his showing against United. If a recent report in Marca were to be believed, Alexander-Arnold might not only be actively seeking a move to the Spanish capital but might even have already informed Liverpool of such. The report went on to claim that the chances of Alexander-Arnold renewing his contract at his hometown club where he’s spent all of his nine-season career to date are slim to none.

A mid-season departure might just end up derailing Liverpool’s season and shrinking their lead on top of the Premier League - perhaps even causing them to fall from first place. In addition to the obvious personnel hole which the departure of a player on the level of Alexander-Arnold would leave behind, the nature of his potential departure and all the buzz around it can only be highly disruptive to Liverpool’s season.

Up until now, it’s been plain sailing all season long for Arne Slot’s team. This is the first major adversity they’ve faced - and how they deal with this will not only determine if they have what it takes to stay the course domestically and claim the league title, but also perhaps if they are to make a serious push for the Champions League title as well.

If this is the end for Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool, it’s been an absolutely tremendous nine years with the Reds; he will no doubt leave as a club icon. However, if his departure is indeed impending, the question has to be raised - has he already mailed it in, or will he actually take the rest of the season seriously?

The Weekly Take, Issue 342: Not Quite an Ideal Scenario for a Top-Four Push

As the halfway point of the 2024-25 season approaches, it's safe to say that Fiorentina have exceeded expectations so far. In fifth place in Serie A heading into their away match against Juventus, the Tuscan club were on pace for their best league finish since the 2015-16 season. This match also served as a major opportunity for Fiorentina to take a step closer to making the top four for the first time in a decade and clinch a Champions League qualification spot - something they haven't done since the 2008-09; while Fiorentina have finished fourth on three occasions since, in each of those years Serie A only sent three teams to the Champions League.

Fiorentina's match against the Bianconeri ended in a 2-2 draw - a result that does little to help either team as both are in pursuit of a top-four league finish. French midfielder Khéphren Thuram opened the scoring in the 20th minute; however, seven minutes before half-time Fiorentina got on the board via a goal scored by Moise Kean who got one over his former club by doing so.

Shortly after the interval, Thuram netted his own and his team's second goal. Throughout the second half, Juve were firmly in control of the match; as such, it came as a major surprise when with just three minutes remaining in regulation time, Kean initially mishandled a cross into the box but recovered quickly to set up Riccardo Sottil whose equalizing half-volley proved to be the last goal of the match.

Considering the fact that Juve had almost two-thirds of the possession and created a larger number of viable goalscoring chances throughout the match, Fiorentina were arguably let off the hook. They can't afford many more showings like this one during the second half of the season - that would be something which would likely derail their top-four push.

That being said, by far the biggest positive that Fiorentina would have taken from this match was another excellent performance by Kean who's been having a breakout season. After initially struggling to live up to the hype that surrounded him as a youngest at Juventus, Kean has been finally delivering on all the buzz from back then and turning the narrative of his career around.

With 11 league goals in 17 matches, Kean currently ranks third in the race for the Capocannoniere - Serie A's top scorer's award. This is a turn of events that no one could ever have envisaged even just half a year ago. At this point, Kean might even have a realistic chance of unseating Mateo Retegui from his spot as the starting centre-forward for the Italian national team within the next 12 months.

On the flipside, Fiorentina have to be concerned about the recent performances of the group playing just behind Kean. Fiorentina's trio in attacking midfield and out wide were clearly outplayed; they provided next to no resistance for Juve whatsoever. This has largely been the case throughout most of this season with players such as Andrea Colpani, Albert Guðmundsson, and Sottil (despite getting his name on the scoresheet against Juve) struggling to justify their selection in the starting 11. Could this latest match prove to be the impetus for Fiorentina to upgrade at one of those positions in the January transfer window? It remains to be seen.

With regard to the transfer window, Fiorentina have been linked with Lyon's veteran defensive midfielder Nemanja Matić. Though not necessarily a certainty to be in the starting 11, the Serbian would give Fiorentina an infusion of grit and guts which would certainly serve Fiorentina well during the final stretch of the season. Additionally, having taken part in more than just a few pressure-filled scenarios with everything on the line, the experience which Matić would add would be highly valuable.

As things stand right now, this is looking like Fiorentina's best season in quite some time - but having said that, there are some causes for concern especially if they're to put themselves in serious contention to make the top four. There's an opportunity for them to do so and cap off what's been in general a season beyond what anyone at the club would've imagined when it began - but for sure, there'll have to be adjustments made for that to happen.

The Weekly Take, Issue 341: The Whole Thing Is Coming Apart

It’s fair to say that RB Leipzig haven’t had the easiest of seasons thus far. To the astonishment of almost everyone, the Saxony-based club have lost all six of their Champions League matches so far and have already been eliminated from the tournament with two matchdays remaining. On the domestic front, meanwhile, Die Bullen continue to be locked in a battle for qualification for next season’s Champions League but have recently seen a sharp decline in form.

Leipzig’s quest to secure a Champions League berth for a sixth consecutive season faced its toughest test to date when they travelled to the Allianz Arena to face off against league leaders Bayern Munich. Leipzig’s slump ended up deepening as they were taken apart in a crushing 5-1 loss. Both teams scored within the first two minutes of the match - Jamal Musiala for Bayern, Benjamin Šeško for Leipzig - but after that, it was all one-way traffic.

Bayern would take a 3-1 lead into the half-time break following further goals scored by Konrad Laimer and Joshua Kimmich. Two more goals in a three-minute span after the break would follow - Alphonso Davies set up Leroy Sané who scored Bayern’s fourth before the Canadian full-back went from provider to finisher, adding the Bavarian club’s fifth goal to complete the dominant, one-sided victory.

After a strong start to their Bundesliga season, Leipzig have fallen off dramatically in recent weeks. This loss against Bayern was their second by a 5-1 scoreline in their last four league matches. In the 11 matches in all competitions that Leipzig have played since the beginning of November, they have won just three and drawn one; the rest were all losses. There can be little doubt that the mid-season break will be readily welcomed by everyone at Leipzig for the opportunity it gives them to reset heading into the second half of the season.

The main issue that’s been plaguing Leipzig over their protracted slump has to be their defense. Across the 11-match span mentioned earlier, Leipzig have conceded 24 goals. That’s a figure which when prorated across a 34-match Bundesliga season equates to 74 conceded - a figure which last season would have ranked joint third-last in the entire league. Thus far, the likes of Castello Lukeba, Lukas Klostermann, and new signing Lutsharel Geertruida have simply not been up to the mark this season. On too many occasions they have left opponents with too much of a window to create a viable goalscoring opportunity, struggled to defend set pieces, and been outplayed in many one-on-one situations - often, even those in which they had the positional upper hand at first. Without any question, this cannot continue if Leipzig are to make a serious push for a spot in next season’s Champions League.

As of right now, Leipzig’s away form has to be particularly concerning. This most recent loss to Bayern means that Leipzig have now lost five of their last six away matches - a recent victory over Holstein Kiel which snapped a road losing streak of four being the sole exception. It’s a complete reversal of what they looked like in away matches earlier in the season; the struggles of Marco Rose’s team on the road could very well end up derailing their season.

In the upcoming January transfer window, it’s imperative that Leipzig bring in the necessary reinforcements. Not one of their off-season acquisitions has moved the needle in any appreciable manner; Xavi Simons doesn’t really count as he was already at Red Bull Arena on loan from Paris Saint-Germain last season and has returned under the same terms. As has been mentioned, shoring up the defense needs to be a priority. It might also be worthwhile for Leipzig to pursue signing a central midfielder - another position where they currently lack a player who’s been performing at the level needed for them to give them that push which will help them take a step closer to ending their slump.

By no means is RB Leipzig’s season a done deal; there’s more than enough time for them to turn it around. However, they have to use the mid-season break as an opportunity to regroup and recalibrate while also getting the best out of the January transfer window. It’s a near certainty that the first month or so after the interval will make or break Leipzig’s season.

The Weekly Take, Issue 340: Seemingly Back on Track

Despite still being top of La Liga, Barcelona’s form over the past month heading into their Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund had been rather shaky. Of Barça’s six most recent matches in all competitions, the Blaugrana emerged victorious in just two of them. Barça also saw their lead atop La Liga slashed by a three-match winless streak which saw them lose to Real Sociedad and Las Palmas as well as draw against Celta Vigo.

Although the Catalan club might have again been nowhere near their peak level against Dortmund, they were nevertheless able to leave Signal Iduna Park with all three points following a 3-2 victory over Die Schwarzgelbe. After a goalless first half, Barça broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute after Dani Olmo put Raphinha through on goal; the Brazilian winger duly took full advantage of the opportunity to put Barça ahead. Soon after, Dortmund equalized from the penalty spot after having earned that same penalty.

Ferran Torres put Barça back ahead in the 75th minute, just four minutes after entering the match to replace Robert Lewandowski. However, this lead didn’t last long as just three minutes later, an error by Barça goalkeeper Iñaki Peña set up Guirassy to score his and his team’s second. With just five minutes of regulation time remaining, Torres finished off a counter-attack off a Dortmund corner to clinch the win and ensure that Barça would remain three points behind league phase leaders Liverpool, who are yet to drop a point after six of the eight league phase matchdays.

Among the talking points following the match, one of them has to be about the abundance of weapons up front that Barça have at their disposal. This is a front four that could contain any combination of Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski, Torres, Olmo, and Raphinha; there’s a case to be made that it’s the most stacked attacking line in world football right now. The stats seem to back up such a claim: with 50 goals scored in the league thus far, Barça rank second in average league goals per game among all clubs in Europe’s four major leagues only behind Bayern Munich - who have played four fewer matches.

The potency of Barça’s offense was clearly on display against Dortmund with the German club’s defense often having no answer for Barça, especially in the second half. Even prior to that, though they weren’t quite able to make it onto the scoresheet until after the break, Barça had been creating the majority of the goalscoring chances in the first half and applying much pressure - as such, it came as little surprise when they did score the opening goal early in the second half.

It’s also worth noting that Torres entered the match as part of a triple substitution alongside Fermín López and Frenkie de Jong; the trio replaced Raphinha who had suffered an injury, Lewandowski who’d had a dismal showing, and Olmo who was taken off to enable Barça head coach Hansi Flick to better adjust his tactical approach.

Having most recently been at the helm of a then-struggling German national team, Flick’s arrival at Camp Nou was initially questioned by some. However, so far he seems to have proven that his ill-fated stint at the helm of Die Mannschaft was an aberration; in this match as well as the vast majority of Barça’s this season so far, Flick’s tactics and setup have been on point.

However, one area which might very well be cause for concern is the defense. Barça’s back five played an error-strewn second half; both goals scored by Dortmund came from errors by Pau Cubarsí and Peña respectively. It’s also potentially worth questioning if, following Marc-André ter Stegen’s torn patellar tendon which will keep him out of action for the rest of the season, Peña really does have what it takes to be the starting goalkeeper of a La Liga-winning team.

While on the surface it does appear that Barcelona have managed to get things rolling again, there’s still more than half a season to be played. That being said, on the whole they’ve shown that they not only have more than a slight chance of reclaiming their La Liga title; they might even go all the way in the Champions League and claim the biggest prize in European club football for the first time in a decade.

The Weekly Take, Issue 339: The Man Behind a Stunning Turnaround

The recent London derby which saw Tottenham host Chelsea featured a pair of clubs entering the match in sharply contrasting situations. Tottenham had been struggling all season long and another loss would not only leave Spurs in the bottom half of the league; it would also push head coach Ange Postecoglou a step closer to his potential firing.

Chelsea, on the other hand, have overcome a slow start under Postecoglou’s opposite number Enzo Maresca and slowly but surely climbed up the league table into second place. A victory against their crosstown rivals would have seen the Blues cut the deficit to league leaders Liverpool to just four points and keep their admittedly slim league title hopes alive.

Chelsea emerged from the derby on top, squeaking out a 4-3 win after having come back from two goals behind. Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski scored Tottenham’s first two goals within a six-minute span, putting the North Londoners 2-0 ahead after just 11 minutes. However, shortly after that, Jadon Sancho pulled one back for Chelsea.

Just before half-time, Pape Matar Sarr’s header struck the crossbar; as such, Tottenham squandered an opportunity to restore their two-goal lead. Chelsea would soon make them rue that miss after the break when Cole Palmer scored a penalty after Yves Bissouma needlessly fouled Moisés Caicedo in the box. Enzo Fernández would later put Chelsea in front before Palmer sealed the win in spectacular style, scoring with a Panenka after having been brought down in the penalty area by Sarr. Son Heung-min did pull a goal back for Spurs in stoppage time, but it was too late by then.

Chelsea have seen quite the turnaround this season following the firing of Mauricio Pochettino and his subsequent replacement by Maresca during the off-season. At first, many did have their doubts because Maresca’s only notable achievement as a coach to that point had been taking Leicester City to promotion from the Championship—something which most had expected the Foxes to have achieved with or without Maresca. Additionally, Chelsea had seen a clear improvement in the second half of last season, making Pochettino’s firing a confusing one to many Chelsea fans and outside observers alike.

However, after a shaky start, Maresca has clearly proven that he has what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the best that the Premier League has to offer. Perhaps his most notable accomplishment thus far has been reviving the career of Jadon Sancho. Once touted as England’s next phenom as a youngster at Borussia Dortmund, Sancho’s career went on to stall upon his move to Manchester United. Now, though, Sancho looks like a player reborn under Maresca. He’s finally showing signs of living up to the potential he showed way back then; a full-time signing is likely while a return to England’s national team - maybe even as a regular - isn’t even out of the question anymore.

Ever since Maresca has taken over, Palmer has ascended to a new level. There’s a strong case to be made that the Manchester-born midfielder is now among the top 10 players on the planet. As great a player Palmer already was, Maresca has improved upon the setup that Pochettino had in place to better maximize Palmer’s strengths, giving him all the freedom he needs to almost single-handedly run the show if need be - such as against Spurs when Palmer turned in yet another dominant performance; he’s likely the favorite to win the Premier League Player of the Season award as of right now.

Finally, Maresca’s tactical setups have been on point throughout the season. Against Spurs, this was clearly shown via substitutions such as midfielder Romeo Lavia for full-back Malo Gusto as well as adjustments like moving Fernández to defensive midfielder as well as a “pocket strat” that countered Spurs perfectly - shifting Marc Cucurella to central midfield. These tweaks were the foundation of Chelsea’s second-half comeback and their like have been the hallmarks of Maresca’s success this season.

Though the season isn’t even half over yet, the difference between the Chelsea of this season and the Chelsea of the past two has been like night and day. The West Londoners are no longer the laughing stock of the capital - thanks to Maresca, they’ve re-established themselves as a true force and maybe, just maybe, the only club that could unseat Liverpool from the top of the Premier League.