Zonal defending breaks where two zones meet
The overlap survives because it is easy to teach, not because it works
The best defensive act by a forward is the pass that never gets played
Home advantage is built by architects, not by supporters
A teenager's first senior season should be capped by rule, not by feel
Most teams inverting their full backs are copying a solution to someone else's problem
The worst man to win the ball back is the one who just gave it away
Compactness is measured the wrong way round
Everybody moved into the half-space and left the touchline empty
The pressing number everyone quotes is half written by the other team
A good low block is harder to coach than a high press
Sometimes the right thing is to stop running
The tracker sits between your shoulder blades and the injury happens in your leg
Three days between matches is not a rest, it is an accounting fiction
The press does not die at the first man, it dies at the second
If you push the line up, your goalkeeper is a defender now
Counterattacking is a weaker team's plan and everyone should stop pretending otherwise
