Each week we’ll put together a curated list of the best of what we’re reading from around the web. This list won’t feature much on Brentford, directly, and sometimes it won’t even feature football.
With the news of positive covid tests forcing the postponement of Brentford's next two fixtures we're left with an empty calendar and a football shaped hole in our lives.
To try and fill the void, this weeks newsletter is full of football, football, and more FOOTBALL.
So, we begin, and without too much to cheer we continue on in 2021 with an outlook for...2021.
Predictions from the intelligence team at 21st club are naturally born of much intelligence including a probabilistic view on football coming home at the next Euros. Link below.
Next, Lion City Sailors Football Club isa new iteration of a team previously called Home United playing in the Singapore Premier League. Below is a real feel-good story focussing on the Sailors new analyst and fan Daniel Lau.
Player Analysis - Michael Olise - 19yrs old
Brentford recently beat a Reading team featuring Olise 3-1. If he does not depart in the current January transfer window or before the re-arranged fixture the Bees are probably going to face him again. He drifts inside from the left wing or can feature behind a striker or central attacking midfield. He likes to get on the ball in all situations and is dangerous around the box. Olise is standing out in the league because he's doing grown up things at a young age and having only recently turned 19 he's one of the most exciting prospects at Championship level.
Although kept largely quiet in the defeat to Brentford Olise has many qualities as described here by the guys at Between The Lines.
https://breakingthelines.com/player-analysis/player-analysis-michael-olise/
Why does the Spanish system produce many more highly qualified coaches than the English version? Possible Answer = Money.
Sport is expensive in England. Qualifications are expensive, pitches are expensive to hire, our National Tennis Centre spends most of it's time embarrassingly unused and the last time we checked participation prices at all levels of sport are some of the highest in Europe.
Where does all this sport money go?
In the latest own goal exposing an overpriced leverage your contacts and brand system Robbie Savage savages few of the moral credentials football in England has left.
Macclesfield Town FC, where Savage has popped up as part owner part saviour of the game and is self titled "Head of Football", has helped develop their latest brainchild which truly is a coming together of great minds.
Shamelessly siphoning colossal amounts of money from desperate parents and into his club (£8,000 a pop in this instance), they're offering children a chance to play in front of a few scouts. It stinks of the systemic and deep rooted problems of sport in this country. A very rich man is looking for another payday on his investment and he's willing to bank on parents wanting to associate themselves with his fortunate success at being opinionated and antagonistic in the media.
That's a long winded rant directing you to this fascinating piece by Alex Clapham who tired of the English system and its many barriers of entry decided to try his chances in Spain to qualify as a coach. Keep an eye out for the frightening disparity in numbers of Spanish coaches when compared to England.
https://www.canofootball.com/articles/academy-corner/a-look-inside-the-spanish-coaching-school/
In the previous newsletter we touched upon Red Bull and their efforts to build a network of football clubs all falling under their RB group umbrella. The market leader in this group building field is City Football Group, famous for owning a controlling interest in Manchester City. CFG also has clubs in Australia, Japan, India, USA, France, Uruguay and others and The Athletic goes on a deep dive into their strategy below.
https://theathletic.co.uk/2244423/2020/12/09/city-football-group-manchester/
With the impact and effects of brexit yet to fully emerge, we're likely to see many more of these networks pop up as the big football players strategise themselves around the globe. The befits of this are endless. Pool off field skills and resources, conduct widespread research, share costs, offer larger benefits to commercial partners, move players around the group depending on regional legislation and ultimately reduce the risk of missing out on top talent.
In terms of pooling resources, Brentford and Midtjylland recently amalgamated their scouting operations and many of the senior management already work and split their time across the two clubs. We have no idea how likely it is but we wouldn't be too surprised to see something like the MB Football Group with its own network of clubs pop up in the future.
On that promising thought that's it for this week.
Happy Reading! And don't forget to share this newsletter and Bees Tactical with anyone you think may be interested.
https://www.patreon.com/BeesTactical
https://beestactical.substack.com/people/5760479-bees-tactical
https://twitter.com/beestactical
Thanks,
Bees Tactical