Michael Cox

Michael Cox

@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Football/soccer for The Athletic. Posting article links here, but only having arguments on twitter.

23.1K followers92 following1K posts

Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

new project: the Women's World Cup finals. Here's 1991, and technically the '1st FIFA World Championship for Women’s Football for the M&Ms Cup'. Both sides using a sweeper. 40mins each way. Mia Hamm in defence. Lots of backpasses. No visible M&Ms. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/771...

nytimes.comThe history of the Women’s World Cup final – 1991: America victorious but was it officially a World Cup?Part one of The Athletic's analysis of every women's World Cup final in the lead-up to next year's tournament in Brazil
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

A Premier League weekend of ferocious tackles and fairly lenient refereeing. We’re told that this is what fans want, which is possibly true. But the long-term effect of too much “letting the game flow” is actually that games don’t "flow" at all. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/770...

nytimes.comCelebrate strong tackles in the Premier League if you like, but it comes at the expense of qualityEnglish football has a tendency to favour physical power over technical quality, without considering how the former impacts the latter
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Fulham 1-0 Hull. An absurdly dominant 1-0 for Fulham, who completed the fourth-most passes in the PL this season (behind Man City x 3). Jakirovic made all five subs before Arbeloa made any. King & Affengruber very good. The same needed next weekend. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/769...

nytimes.comAlvaro Arbeloa kept his Fulham starting XI on the pitch – and himself in a jobThe Spanish manager was under significant pressure ahead of facing Hull City but sticking to Plan A paid off with aplomb
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Basically think that teams based primarily around pressing are (a) vulnerable to bookings and (b) largely incapable of “sitting in” with 10 men. Gravenberch red changed the game but should it mean three concessions in 15min? www.nytimes.com/athletic/768...

nytimes.comLiverpool’s collapse against Man City showed how pressing sides struggle when down to 10 men (Gift Article)Man-oriented pressing has its virtues, but also its limitations — as Jeremy Doku demonstrated in the second half at Anfield
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Xavi 1-1 Klopp at the Johan Cruyff Arena. A ferocious game, a fair result, the beginning of a new era for two sides recovering from an early World Cup exit on penalties and trying to rediscover their identity. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/762...

nytimes.comXavi versus Klopp was a landmark moment in international football’s new era of big-name managersAs the Netherlands and Germany look to bounce back from the 2026 World Cup, they have turned to heavyweight coaches with a clear vision
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Football clubs clearly aren't very good at appointing managers because they routinely sack them after a year. It is time to involve the players more in the process. They are likely to be better judges than clueless owners or faceless sporting directors. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/761...

nytimes.comFootball clubs keep getting managerial appointments wrong. Would the players do a better job of it?‘Player power’ is often bemoaned, but there are good reasons to believe the dressing room could make better choices for their next boss
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Man Utd are clearly rather immobile...but it's also refreshing to see a side not hooked on relentless man-marking in midfield. This is how football looked for a long time. It means you can play technical midfielders, not runners! I hope it's not proven outdated. www.nytimes.com/athletic/761...

nytimes.comIs Manchester United’s lack of running an issue?At a time when everyone else is playing ultra-energetic football, Carrick's approach can make his team look passive
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Happy new season! One very basic but crucial thing Premier League sides have realised over the last couple of years is that you need a goalkeeper who can...actually save shots. This is obviously very important for those at the bottom of the league. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/752...

nytimes.comPremier League sides have finally realised goalkeepers need to save shots (Gift Article)Shot-stoppers are back in fashion and it's particularly important for teams lower down the table, as Michael Cox explains
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

What am I on about? Well, back in 22-23 with so much focus on distribution, there were some laughably incompetent shot-stoppers in the PL. That just hasn't been the case in the last couple of seasons, and now the promoted sides have all invested in - seemingly - big, solid, proper goalkeepers.

Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

When does a “fast-growing” sport become an established mainstream sport? I went to the first London edition of the Premier Padel tour to see whether huge participation figures have translated into serious UK interest in the professional game. www.nytimes.com/athletic/749...

nytimes.comPadel is booming in the UK, but will its recreational players become professional fans?Over a million people played in the UK this past year. Getting them to pay to watch the pros is the next challenge
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Tuchel is right about England's DNA. If anything things are worse in that respect than five years ago, due to English football's huge shift towards intensity & set-pieces. Controlling a PL game has become impossible, so don't expect control from England. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/746...

nytimes.comThomas Tuchel was right – England’s DNA doesn’t allow them to control matchesHead coach's comments may have provoked a spiky reaction, but recent Premier League trends suggest he was correct
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

The best thing about the hosting of World Cup 2026 was the climate - too hot for the pressing-above-everything approach that is the scourge of club football. The beneficiaries were the star attackers, the ball-playing midfielders, and in turn the viewers. www.nytimes.com/athletic/746...

nytimes.comHigh temperatures at the 2026 World Cup meant less pressing – and better matchesIn an era when physical football is dominating the club game, a decent fix is playing matches where relentless sprinting isn’t possible
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

For all the moans that modern football has become homogenous, Spain v Argentina in the World Cup final represents two entirely contrasting approaches to building a team. One is very much system-first, the other is based entirely around Messi. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/745...

nytimes.comWhy the World Cup final is a battle between individualism (Lionel Messi) and teamwork (Spain)Teamwork often seems a more successful and sustainable approach in modern football. But when the individual is Messi, anything could happen
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Same old England. On first viewing I thought Tuchel’s subs were disastrous. On second viewing, the retreat happened beforehand, a consequence of Argentina pushing on & England being exhausted. The three defensive subs did make sense. Analysis here…⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/744...

nytimes.comEngland’s problem at major tournaments? They’re still just too EnglishThomas Tuchel ended up adjusting to the tendencies of his players rather than changing their playing identity
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Morocco didn't put up much of a fight but France played the game perfectly - maintained four attacking players, let Hakimi wander forward and then attacked into his space. Also some good counter-pressing which has been a feature of this World Cup. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/743...

nytimes.comHow France are playing four proper attackers and not conceding chances at this World CupFrance are playing an unusually attacking team with four proper attackers but still not conceding chances. This is how
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Another World Cup, another round of “the European dominance is collapsing!” after a couple of results...then another last eight dominated by Europe. The emergence of serious challengers from around the world, anticipated for decades, still hasn’t happened. www.nytimes.com/athletic/743...

nytimes.comEurope is dominating another World Cup. That does not look like changing anytime soonWith six of the eight quarter-finalists coming from Europe, the continent's grip on the world game has tightened
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

A fairly common theme of World Cup-winning sides over the past 40 years: they start the tournament with four attackers, but drop one to bring in an extra central midfielder early in the knockout stage. Will Didier Deschamps do the same? www.nytimes.com/athletic/740...

nytimes.comFrance have Mbappe, Dembele, Olise and Doue. Will Deschamps dare to keep playing them all?World Cup history, and the coach's recent past, suggest that one of their fabulous front four will be sacrificed for safety (and success)
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

An article on Japan, how they constantly find a wing-back free at the far post with a late diagonal ball, and how this is essentially the same strategy those three Japan players used in that game against 100 school kids. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/740...

nytimes.comHow Japan’s strategy for overcoming 100 schoolkids might help to eliminate BrazilHotaru Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Kiyotake and Yosuke Ideguchi taking on 100 schoolchildren on a full-sized football pitch may be in evidence today
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Austria's (often effective) counter-pressing broken by Argentina's ability to work the ball up to Messi and switch play to the opposite side. Oh, and he scored two goals too and became the outright top goalscorer in World Cup history. www.nytimes.com/athletic/738...

nytimes.comThis version of Argentina is built for Lionel Messi. But can that plan win this World Cup?The tournament's top scorer does almost no defending these days and his team rely on him for goals. For now, suits Argentina just fine
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Similar moves leading up to the award of the penalty and the opening goal - Messi between the lines and switching play out to Almada on the left, with Medina ready to overlap. They seemed to know there would be space when the Austria winger on the far side tucked in.

Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Two own goals in two games for the United States. A little lucky, sure, but the focus on attacking quickly down the flanks and hitting low crosses / cut-backs across the six-yard box means there are more own goals in football these days. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/737...

nytimes.comWhy World Cup own goals are on the riseIn the age of expected goals, perhaps the next step is calculating expected own goals — as cut-backs make them more increasingly likely
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Bellingham is a strange player. He’s a “No 10” who never really thrives between the lines and is more effective either higher or deeper. On the evidence of the Croatia game Tuchel might have worked out how to use him best. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/737...

nytimes.comJude Bellingham is everything Thomas Tuchel wants in his England No 10With Jude Bellingham, England play a certain way. He might have the number 10 on his back but he is rarely in classic No 10 positions
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Possibly no-one else apart from me cares about this but: these days, FIFA lists the USA as finishing 3rd at World Cup 1930. There was no third-place play-off. For years, they & Yugoslavia were listed as joint-third. So why the revisionism? And DID they finish third? ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/734...

nytimes.comFIFA says the USA finished third at World Cup 1930… but did they?Records often show the USA as having come third at the first ever World Cup, but clarifying this is more complex than you might expect...
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

There’s an unusual number of top managers at this World Cup, compared to previous editions when it felt like it was full of managers 15 years past their peak years. Amid the intensity of 2026 club football, is international management now more rewarding? www.nytimes.com/athletic/733...

nytimes.comThere are more elite managers than usual at this World Cup. Why?Managers such as Thomas Tuchel and Carlo Ancelotti could be coaching in the Champions League rather than the World Cup
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

32 teams to 48 teams fundamentally changes the World Cup. Here are the probable ramifications: more rotation, more defensive play in the first two games, Africa the major beneficiary. And other things. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/732...

nytimes.comThe World Cup has expanded from 32 to 48 teams. This is what that will meanThe number of matches at the summer's tournament will increase from 64 to 104 with a new round of 32, and will impact results and approaches
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Antoine Semenyo is a great FA Cup final winning goalscorer: someone who made his FA Cup debut as a sub away at (now) tenth-tier Met Police, who was part of a proper giantkilling when Newport beat Leicester, and is now the hero at Wembley. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/728...

nytimes.comAntoine Semenyo’s journey from Met Police FC to Wembley and a fitting FA Cup final winnerSemenyo's backheeled finish against Chelsea capped an unlikely rise from his FA Cup debut seven and a half years ago
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

An attempt to explain PSG 5-4 Bayern, probably the most entertaining game I’ve ever been at. “It is a moment to congratulate the players, the two sides, and all of those present here,” said Luis Enrique. I will take it. www.nytimes.com/athletic/723...

nytimes.comExtreme pressing, relentless dribbling and deep runs: PSG-Bayern was a higher form of footballThis Champions League semi-final's first leg was crazy but played just how both managers wanted: relentlessly end to end and high-tempo
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Nico O'Reilly was key to Man City's gameplan yesterday. His unpredictable positioning caused Arsenal's press problems, and his runs inside Doku into the channel led to good chances. The two factors came together for the winning goal. (free to read) ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/721...

nytimes.comHow Nico O’Reilly helped break Arsenal’s press – and their hearts (Gift Article)After scoring the goals that won City the Carabao Cup against Arsenal, this was an even more significant performance from O'Reilly
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

There might not be many shots to save at the Etihad tomorrow. But the key to the game might be testing the goalkeepers, Donnarumma and Raya, in terms of aerial ability and distribution respectively. ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/720...

nytimes.comPremier League title showdown will test Raya and Donnarumma’s ability – and bottleFor all the talk of 'bottle' around Sunday's Premier League showdown, it is the two goalkeepers who have faced the biggest mental challenges
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Everyone used to despair at short corners - but in the context of this Premier League season of they now feel quite refreshing. Here’s how Man City used them to cause Chelsea problems. www.nytimes.com/athletic/719...

nytimes.comHow Manchester City’s renewed love of short corners helped unlock Chelsea’s defenceTeams have become so accustomed to defending inswinging corners that they are possibly leaving themselves exposed when they are taken short
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

A mad way to qualify for a World Cup: 0 wins from 6 qualification group games…but a Nations League C victory in 2024 got them into the playoffs. Throw in an “away” semi at a neutral venue and a scrappy win tonight. But Sweden have done it, and maybe they’ll be good! www.nytimes.com/athletic/716...

nytimes.comSweden are among the least deserving World Cup qualifiers this century — but they could still be a forceThe most important goal of Sweden's bizarre World Cup qualifying campaign was arguably scored in UEFA's Nations League in November 2024
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Man City's two goals at Wembley stemmed from their plan to overload the right flank - Silva/Cherki theoretically playing centrally but often overlapping Semenyo. Quite funny to see them almost fighting each other to reach a Rodri crossfield ball. www.nytimes.com/athletic/714...

nytimes.comSurprise rotations and clever passes: How Pep Guardiola got the better of Mikel Arteta at WembleyAt times in recent seasons it feels like Guardiola has strayed from his principles but this match showed what his sides are all about
Michael Cox
@zonal-marking.bsky.social

Have found Guardiola/City a bit confused/underwhelming over the last couple of seasons but I really liked this performance. It was classic Guardiola. City controlled the ball, and controlled the space, and they had a clear plan for progressing the ball and creating chances.