Do long throw-ins change football?
Rory Delap was clearly ahead of his time. The spirit of a Stoke City legend lives on through long throw-ins enjoying the renaissance in the Premier League this season. Indeed, statistics show that the number of long throw-ins per match has more than doubled compared to last season, indicating a very real and significant trend.
Some have complained about this trend, including Jamie Carragher, who, in his pundit work, complained about how long throw-ins disrupt the game (game trendsetters I'm also thinking about taking action). Others argue differently, viewing long throw-ins as a primitive and primitive path to goal that violates the spirit of the sport. If scoring is now as simple as throwing the ball into the box at every opportunity, why would anyone need to train technical skills?
Brentford are investing more in the mixer than any other team in the Premier League this season. It's part of how the data-driven West Londoners continue to punch above their weight, but it's not just plucky underdogs doing Delap. Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur also use long throws.
This is part of a larger trend. For years, the best teams have focused on pressing high up the pitch. Now, to counter this, opponents go straight faster. The number of passes in the Premier League is at a 15-year low this season, with long-range shots continuing the quest to get the ball forward quickly, regardless of means.
So yes, long throws change the game. For better, for worse or neutral depends on your point of view.
Is Liverpool's title defense already over?
Liverpool knew what they were up against at Brentford Community Stadium on Sunday. Arne Slott has recently highlighted his team's problems in dealing with physical, direct opponents, complaining that the Reds “couldn't press because the ball was in the air rather than on the ground.” However, he seemed unable to stop Brentford from doing what Crystal Palace, Galatasaray, Chelsea and Manchester United had done.
after promoting the newsletter
The 3-2 defeat to Brentford followed a familiar pattern this season for Liverpool, who struggled to cope with the cannonballs being thrown into their box, lacked organization in defensive transitions and failed to find the right balance in the attacking area. Mohamed Salah scored but was once again a shadow of the player who set scoring records last season. Florian Wirtz also dropped out, and not for the first time.
Although Liverpool's problems are well documented, Slott has yet to develop an effective plan to address them. Last week's 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League came close to giving Liverpool a new foundation going forward, but it meant dropping Salah. Alexander Isak was also injured, meaning Slote was unable to re-use the front two system against Brentford.
In terms of talent, it is reasonable to assume that Liverpool will soon turn their form around. However, by then Arsenal could find themselves in an even stronger position at the top of the table. Such is the Gunners' consistency and momentum that Liverpool's Premier League title defense may already be over.
Is the Old Firm's grip on Scottish football waning?
Tony Bloom has only been involved in Scottish football for a few months, but the situation around him has already changed dramatically. The Brighton and Union Saint-Gilloise owner vowed that would happen when he became a minority owner of Hearts in June, aiming for a league title within a decade. But even Bloom's legendary data model couldn't predict the collapse of Celtic and Rangers this season.
It would be an exaggeration to claim that Hearts' fast start is the only explanation for the Old Firm's sudden decline. Celtic fans want big changes at senior level after… years of mismanagement culminating in a disastrous summer transfer window as Rangers reeled from Russell Martin's ill-fated 123 days in charge.
However, the sight of Hearts holding an eight-point lead at the top of the table symbolizes growing confidence that Scottish football has reached a turning point that is long overdue. It has been 40 years since a non-Old Firm team won the title. It was Sir Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen.
Hearts may not be able to maintain their current pace, but they have already shown how vulnerable Celtic and Rangers are. Scottish football is ripe for a revolutionary event. This is probably why Bloom invested in Hearts, having done something similar in the Premier League and Belgium. He saw an opportunity.
The high-profile resignation of Brendan Rodgers and the public evisceration of the Northern Irishman by Dermot Desmond showed just how threatened Celtic feel. Aberdeen were talked about as potential title contenders last season after winning 10 of their first 11 league games, but what Hearts do is even more important because of the way they do it. Forward-thinking, data-driven, and continuous development are everything that the Old Firm is not today.
