From the Touchline: Augsburg, Baum Beat Leipzig Before the Match Begins
One of the things I love most about the Bundesliga – and this may be falling into a stereotype but it’s true – is how…
From the Touchline
From the Touchline: Milan Drenched by Torrent of Lazio Goals
The match was billed as a true test for both sides. Lazio of course already had a big victory over Juve but in the league…
US National Team Shows Consistency is Key for World Cup Qualifying Success
How do you solve the enigma wrapped in a puzzle that is the U.S. Men’s National Team? With two opposite coaches in pedigree, style, and…
Liverpool Use Two Goal Advantage to Beat Hoffenheim’s Gamble
Much ink has been spilled about the away goal advantage in a knockout competition, and we will not relitigate it here. What we will say…
From the Touchline: Know When to Hold ‘Em at the Transfer Deadline
The end of the summer transfer window is an insane time for a manager. January is a short burst of insanity in player acquisitions but…
From the Touchline: Benfica Begin Title Defence with 3-1 Win over Braga
The Liga Nos season started with an intriguing matchup, as the defending title holders Benfica hosted Braga, who finished fifth in the league last season….
From the Touchline: For High Scoring Miami FC, Tactics Fail Against FC Cincinnati
The U.S. Open Cup is not held in the same esteem as other league cups around the world. However, there are times when the matches…
From the Touchline: Shouldn’t a Manager Only Manage?
The modern manager is part showman, part lawyer, part negotiator, and part masochist. At any level, from the Premier League to the semi-professional leagues, the…
From the Touchline: How a Manager Can Save His Job By Befriending the Media
As we have mentioned repeatedly in this column, managers have an incredible survival instinct. They seek whatever advantage they can on the pitch and in…
From the Touchline: How to Increase Diversity on the Touchline
Two weeks ago, I wrote about two interesting statistics about football managers. First was the large number of unemployed one-time managers and how hard it…
From the Touchline: Why Clubs Hire the Same Men and Will Always Do So
This week two news articles from different sides of the Atlantic caught my eye. They were about different subjects in football but they play into…
In Memoriam: Tony DiCicco
On Tuesday, a legend of the game of football passed away rather suddenly at the young age of 68. This man was a manager extraordinaire,…
Why Bruce Arena Succeeds with the U.S. National Team Where Klinsmann Failed
The U.S. got a much-needed result in World Cup qualifying this weekend with a 1-1 draw with Mexico. The Azteca has long been a house…
From the Touchline: Sometimes the Manager and Tactics Don’t Matter
Like many of you, I watched the Champions League final with intense interest to see what promised to be a fascinating tactical battle. Like most…
From the Touchline – David Wagner Shows Results Outweigh Ideals
Huddersfield Town were having a fairy tale season before defeating Reading on penalties to win promotion to the Premier League. They had finished near the…
From the Touchline: How to Pick the Right Assistant
Quick, name the top assistant manager of your favourite manager for a club you don’t support. You may be able to do this, but I’d…
Do Managers Need to Speak English?
We still have another two matchdays to go but for Walter Mazzarri, the final day has come and gone. Watford fired the Italian manager and…
In Defence of Squad Rotation
This week in From the Touchline, we will not be focusing on a specific match and how a manger’s choices influenced the outcome. Instead we…
From The Touchline: A Belgian Special
It’s not every day that From the Touchline flips on the Jupiler Pro League, but with the Championship playoffs on, now is a good time…
Assessing Arsenal’s 3-4-3
In unveiling Arsenal’s new 3-4-3 formation on Monday, Arsene Wenger accomplished two things. The first was most importantly that Arsenal earned three points and kept…