This has the obvious benefit of creating local numerical superiorities while also getting a more willing runner on Saka’s side and a strong-footed passer on Martinelli’s side.

The downside is the macro perspective — it would just be easier to have those profiles in those positions from the outset.

It’s nothing new, but look at the club who actually bought him.

United/EtH didn’t work because they were shelling out €95m for a player that he couldn’t platform effectively just because he wanted that player.

Casemiro, Ugarte, Antony, de Ligt, all costly misses, explained by the reasons above.

That 1% is also overvalued by most, and still needs visual contextualization.

In other words, anything “data”-related in football that isn’t using some sort of computer vision has negligible importance.

It’s nearly 2025, develop either your eye or models to view the whole picture.

No I understood that.

Can you explain to me what you believe falls under that general match preparation umbrella and then what you like about what Pep does in that regard?

I think I’d be able to get myself across better if I can use that as a springboard.

I wouldn’t say it’s perfectly correlated relationship, but some approaches are never going to yield some solutions, and others will lend themselves naturally to certain conclusions.

There’s always outliers, but generally I see approach as being predictive of solution.

Tactical ideas are an extension of that approach/attitude in my opinion, so I’d argue there’s not much of a meaningful distinction between them from an appreciation standpoint.

However, tactics are far more discernible/observable, so people likely just assume that’s what you’re looking at as well.