Hello & Welcome to the Touchline Theory Soccer Podcast!
Back in July of 2020, Touchline Theory–the blog–was born. Created as a place for exploring what others don’t, this online medium has and will continue to serve as a sandbox for football ideas that challenge conventional wisdom. It’s a spot where disagreement is encouraged, where alternate viewpoints are always regarded fondly, and where, hopefully, we can provide insightful value to anyone that stumbles upon our page.
After months of writing long-form pieces for the Touchline Theory Museum, it became evident that a more consistent, shorter and more easily consumed medium was necessary to continue growing. The blog itself is enjoyed by a collection of curious and undoubtedly patient football thinkers who can afford to devote the necessary time to dive into 10K-word posts. Yet, there are many more people who’d be better accessed via an audio production that can be more passively consumed.
And just like that, the podcast was born.
Since a show of this nature surely can’t be a monologue, and our cohort of readers / listeners certainly get enough of my words on here, I’m glad to announce a new signing to the Touchline Theory Team! A shrewd, attentive young coach, and a contrarian by nature, WA has penned a brand spanking new contract with TT as our second contributor. And it’s about time!
WA and I go way back, having briefly played together as kids, but primarily having coached the same team at different time periods. We’ve spent years discussing football together and hope that by recording those chats for an anonymous, online audience (something we’re still getting used to!), we can continue to push the dialogue on the soccer questions that keep us up at night. Our hope is that, one day, we can build a community of people who share that vision and join us in the conversation; a group that dives deep into unusual corners of the sport, uses interdisciplinary lenses and perspectives to deconstruct complex problems, and that challenges our thinking as much as we hope to challenge theirs.
So welcome aboard our journey, and thanks for punching your ticket. We hope you enjoy the ride.
–MG
4/20/21
18. What makes De Zerbi Ball So Unique? Featuring Jack McCormack – Touchline Theory
- 18. What makes De Zerbi Ball So Unique? Featuring Jack McCormack
- 17. What is Tempo and How Can We Quantify It?
- 16. Are We Doing Subs Completely Wrong? Featuring Austin Reynolds
- 15. How Can We Escape a Cycle of Crippling Mediocrity? PART TWO: The Koeman Konundrum
- 14. How Can We Escape a Cycle of Crippling Mediocrity? PART ONE: The Solskjær Stumper
Episode 15: 11/4/21
Episode 15! Ronald Koeman Edition. The boys take the second leg of this podcast double header and discuss how the Barca managerial situation bears resemblance to United’s recent perils. These challenges have been painfully ongoing–is there any way out?
The show starts with some discussion regarding the Riqui Puig saga–and whether picking fights with anyone in the dressing room is an advisable thing to do. It goes without saying that Koeman’s prickly feud with the wide-eyed, handsome, young Ricard hasn’t improved his approval ratings. We ask: once you’ve singled a player out like that, is there ever really a way back?
That being said, Koeman also did some fantastic things. He was the atomic bomb, the necessary punching bag when Barca needed a more villainous character to distract from the real evil elsewhere. He shook up the lockerroom. He spoke his mind. And most importantly–he fielded a ton of teenage talents.
The convo continues to chat about modern fanbases’ inability to accept short term pain, under any circumstances. Why might the manager job description be the most nebulous the world has to offer? What is the role of the coach anymore? To win? To play “well”? To promote youth? To promote nostalgia? To beat rivals? To appease the board? To operate sustainably? What’s *actually* the requirement for staying in charge?
Furthermore: Will Klopp’s legacy be tainted if he wins more trophies? Did people unfairly condemn Lampard? Is Graham Potter the next big thing? There’s plenty of konundra to discuss.
This discourse leads to a few additional questions. Are top managers at a shortage right now? Are worse clubs feeling more emboldened than ever? Can mentality coaches survive anymore? IS the tactical baseline steadily rising? Is there any incentive to a coach who paves the way for their successor?
The knot is eventually tied with some optimism regarding Xavi’s impending appointment. Will & Martin cover their respective ideas as to how a club can actually escape this vicious spin cycle of being “good enough”, but not “good enough”. It’s nice to finally have an ounce of closure on the issue.
Join us to hear our thoughts on all these items, and more–including a phantom thumb injury, some meaningless tale about changing oil and the New England Revs, a dose of Sakho-Klopp YouTube friction, the debut of the “Ole Say” Gameshow, the tall poppy syndrome, some high-level Conte-nt, Will’s well-illuminated bone structure, and another word from our newest sponsors: Hooligang.
Episode 14: 10/28/21
Episode 14! Ole in! The world is on fire, but never fear–the sirens are ringing and we’re riding in, in our special suits. Today, on a spicy edition of The TTSP, Will drives a discussion on a Manchester United team that is hopelessly trying to break free of an eternity of water treading. Or are they? It’s jam packed with surprises and our most moronic, albeit still somewhat substantive show yet. Woo!
We start with a new segment, whose name we’ll leave as a present for those who tune in, where we discuss all sorts of ranging topics. From Koeman’s dismissal and Gladbach’s 5-0 victory over Bayern, to David Alaba and Manuel Locatelli, it’s a news reporting bonanza up in here.
Following the bit, the fellas reveal their second momentous occasion of the evening–and boy is it momentous.
As Will proceeds to take the reigns, he begins the chat by commending Liverpool. It’s short and sweet, and without much need for elaboration, as he soon sidesteps quickly to the elephant in the room. We must analyze United’s baffling performances, on the field.
There’s a reminder of the match’s main events, including Ronaldo’s awesome gut-punt (very nice Cris!), and some general commentary regarding the symbolism of each key event. This segues into some details revolving United’s structural problems, an ineptitude when it comes to the fundamentals, an utterly illogical recruitment strategy, and more. Martin hammers home the notion that United are amidst an identity crisis, full of tactical and directional uncertainty. They rip blankets, don’t curve their pressing runs, and leave only 2 miserable soldiers in their largest, most vulnerable spaces.
In the second half (or third third, I suppose), Will leads as the lads take on the bigger questions. Why is Ole still here? What do the Glazers want? Is there anything shared between the desires of the fans and the owners? What are Ole’s tactics? Why did he get here in the first place? Is he an impostor or actually completely ideal?
There’s some talk on his good qualities, though it only lasts momentarily, before Martin exposes a curated list of total incongruencies within the United squad. Sancho works when he has overlapping wingbacks. Wan Bissaka works when you don’t want them. Time and time again, this team reminds us of what it means to be a walking contradiction. Do they want to possess? Do they want to counter? Do they want to press? Do they want to hunker down? Do they want a team for the future? Do they want a team for now?
As the soul searching comes to a temporary pause, Will closes with the argument that perhaps this is exactly what United wants. And while it sounds like almost an insult .. here us out, because maybe it is.
PART TWO coming soon.
Join us to hear our thoughts on all these items, and more–including a suspiciously robbed PSG player, Burtis Clones getting his ass kicked for no reason, a Liverpool fan that just can’t stop watching United, a Pogbaian tragedy, some expected van Gaal and Mourinho juxtapositions, a montage of Touchline Theory best obscure references, Martin’s abysmal Fabian Delph impression, Will’s formidable Dust-Up prospects, and (speaking of) our brand new, esteemed sponsor: Hooligang!
Episode 13: 9/30/21
Episode (lucky number) 13! Welcome to TT’s first ever interview episode, with Aidan Reagh. Today, rather than spouting the usual nonsense, Martin & Will sit back, relax, and enjoy a true expert soccer talker’s insights. Thank God for that!
As two blokes somewhat unfamiliar with the often-separated world of goalkeeping, our co-hosts have long pondered how to genuinely understand what differentiates the good from the bad players in net. Height, vocal projection, confidence, and other intuitive psuedo-metrics like perceived diving technique have given them clues in the past, but left them with more questions than answers. Today, Aidan–a member of the Soccer Detail blogging group and former FC Gronigen, Bristol Rovers, and Ohio University analyst–joins the show to teach the lads a thing or two about the art of understanding this niche position.
To start, the conversation delves into how we can first separate these players into buckets–3 or 4 that can refine our high-level understanding of any given GK candidate. We can pretty easily categorize wingers, lets say, into inverted or traditional ones, or centerbacks into the newly-popular cats and dogs, but how does this work for the gloved fellas in goal? With that in mind, Aidan digs deeper and touches upon the cognitive side of protecting the goal, in conjunction with the technical requirements needed for success. It’s hard to do nothing the whole game and come up big when it counts–yet that’s exactly what these players are tasked with. The trio then discuss a few common misconceptions about height thresholds and the ostensible craziness requirement to face a firing squad, before jumping into the nitty gritty.
Here, Aidan leads the way as he explains a variety of sources from which we can find data on the world’s elite goalkeepers. Within these hubs, he elaborates on what various metrics mean, like PSxG, save %, launching, exits, and more. He makes sure to tie these back into the buckets from earlier, enhancing our comprehension of which stats matter most to each type of player. With these quantifiable tools in hand, we can then embark on a journey to understand exactly what each GK brings to the table, rather than solely relying on our amateur eye tests. Some are better off their line, others more involved in buildup, and others still are keeping more goals out than they probably should. This is much more sophisticated than a superficial tag, and lets us appreciate many of the finer details imbedded in the GK role.
As we march into the second half, Martin & Will put Aidan to the test, by challenging him to use Wyscout to find viable replacements for several squad-building challenges. These fabricated problems start with a potential Spanish-speaking, under €1M, shot-stopper for an expansion MLS team looking to avoid the bottom spot in their first year. Taking the “GM’s desires” and converting them into actionable criteria, M & W follow Mr. Reagh as he whittles down a list of hundreds of goalies to a select handful, eventually proposing 2 that just might fit the listed requirements. These scenarios continue, as a search is outlined and executed for new Roma, Ajax, and Hertha Berlin GKs, too.
The episode finishes off with a rapid-fire round of “prospect brass tacks”, in which our co-hosts shoot a few popular, young keeper names at Aidan, as he responds with the angles of their game he finds most or least impressive–from just a quick look at their numbers. Guys like Unai Simon, Illan Meslier, and Alban Lafont are placed under the microscope to see if they’re really worth the hype, and what we might expect from them, moving forward.
Join us to hear our thoughts on all these items, and more–including a traumatizing groin shot, Will’s infatuation with a certain cross-pond T-Rex, Martin’s water-soaked-keyboard-he-caused-right-before-recording-but-never-actually-speaks-about, Keylor Navas’ tragically average optics, Martin’s dishwasher also making noise in the background, PSG’s newest giant Ferrari, Cillessen’s iconic ode to Johan, some UCL chit chat with the usual LdJ-inspired dejection, Will’s Merseyside greediness, and the lanky Mr. Stekelenburg’s first pod cameo.
Find our brilliant guest Aidan Reagh on Twitter @ARDataAnalysis.
Episode 12: 9/9/21
Episode 12! Off the back of a hectic transfer deadline finale, the USMNT’s wobbly start to the qualifying campaign, Tammy Abraham’s explosive start for Roma, and more–our duo sat down to produce our longest intro yet. It’s a hodgepodge, but when there’s much to say, we say it!
In half #1, the fellas dive into the recent Weston McKinnie drama, discussing whether or not the nightlife in Nashville really compares to that in Ibiza. They conclude .. nothing, really, and simply express disappointment with the fact that it happened. We shouldn’t rip the kid apart, but he probably shouldn’t wear the captain’s armband either. Maybe we should just quit talking about it! Next up, Jose Mourinho’s Italian, attacking vengeance. Pellegrini and Mkhitaryan behind a striker with a chip on his shoulder? Yes please. Speaking of strikers–we couldn’t go another second without discussing Luuk de Jong’s entrance to the Camp Nou. Will checks Martin’s footballing privilege, but the sentiment remains that he’s tired of looking for silver linings with recent business. Our Liverpool supporter then goes on to lament a situation of his own, in which he feels Liverpool are still riding on the coattails of their 2018 successes. Harvey Elliot, as much as we love him, can’t play 3 positions. White whale, where are you, now? To wrap up, Martin shares the release of his summer dissertation on scanning behavior, and the pair share a lovely bite of New Jerseyan pasta before the whistle. There are no Leftovers.
Le second half commences with an actual interest in getting this damn episode on the road! Martin introduces the topic of the day–a twist on incentivization. The carrot and the stick is an artform, he argues, not an empirical truth like many believe. When we look to teach new things, we can place cookies in places only those who are successful can reach, so depending on where we put them–and whether the treat is a warm White Chocolate Macadamia or stale Oatmeal Raisin–we can cleverly draw out strong habits, and be more effective coaches. Will interjects that the direction in which this idea is going is total malarky, and that he doesn’t think it has legs. Tough crowd! But Martin insists. He’ll thank his co-host later.
They dive headfirst into a role-play exercise (oooooh!) in which Martin walks Will through the assignment of point values to various objectives in Reroute–a game he just published within the context of the recent Soccer Detail blog post. They carefully work through it, until Will effectively exposes a critical improvement that could’ve been made. They dial it in, and Martin eventually settles on the fact that he should never publish again without showing Will first! Regardless of the details, their chat exposes just how subjective the operation of these levers can be, and allows the duo to steamroll right ahead.
Now, for the actual meat and potatoes! Recently, Martin had wondered whether or not loss aversion, a cognitive bias well-ingrained in behavioral economics and decision theory, could be implemented as a more effective learning tool than mere positive rewards. Earn $50, or have it taken? Yikes. I’ll clutch my purse. Maybe I’ll start observing the field more if the keys to my new Lambo are in jeopardy.
And so M & W proceed to outline how this seemingly problematic psychological fallacy could be flipped as a productive method. The discussion is deep and full of disagreement–precisely the debate needed for a new idea like this.
Join us to hear our thoughts on all these items, and more–including Schrödinger’s PoisonBerry, Liverpool’s newest 5’3″ white-toothed signing, Martin’s longing for Aritz Aduritz, a training game in which Henderson can finally be publicly applauded, a cute concert-esque light display down in Samtown, negative blue points, a cascade of 45’+45′ obscenities, Will’s impressive conceptual-skeet shot, an allusion to some upcoming shenanigans, and a weird coughing fit to finish it all off.
Episode 11: 8/27/21
Welcome back folks. It’s episode 11. Amidst the rosy return of fans to stadiums, worldwide, Will leads a discussion as to whether this is truly a delightful thing to witness–or if there are in fact mischievous downsides, lurking in the shadows, to playing in front of an audience. As a critical reminder, the dynamic duo are coming at this from the angle of being self-proclaimed “soulless American soccer fans”, fellas that rarely get to grace the beauty of Europe’s finest grounds in person, but this is the archetype of many football “hinchas” around the world; their voices ought not be forgotten!
A winding chat begins with discussing states of flow that can be brought on by the ultras’ drumming, the impact of whistling and jeering on player psyche, and the seemingly counterintuitive stats that show how the home field advantage has lost its luster–and has even become a home field disadvantage–during the covid lockdown. The two go back and forth piecing together rationales for why this might be the case, why it disproportionately affects some leagues, and why top clubs with new stadiums experience different things than those treading water towards the bottom. Martin invokes the commonly discussed TT Pod notion that some teams play in fear of their own fans, making a living by trying to live up to someone else’s expectations and a legacy that was established long before they arrived, plus, how that can hurt clubs that refuse to let go of their more successful past. Our hosts ponder whether football loses all significance if there’s no one to partake in the make-believe with the players, no one to give importance to kicking a ball into a net, or finishing somewhere in a table–with comparisons drawn between sport and modern currency–leaving W & M in an existential crisis before the half.
The second half features a total hodge-podge of high level topics, including the idea that pressure from spectators is perhaps what makes the highest level of sport so compelling; these aren’t just the best physical specimens, they’re the ones that can do it with the world watching. Discussion takes a dive into the idea of emotional contagion as it somewhat relates to the dynamics between players and the crowd, followed by a brief mention of the recent Nice vs. Marseille field invasion fiasco, and ultimately arriving at the question as to whether home field advantage truly comes from the audience, or peripheral factors like sleeping in your own bed the previous evening. The conversation detours for a while to talk cats and broken parking garages, as you’ll surely soon learn, until returning to chat referees. Questions are brought up surrounding the simulation of fans via cardboard cutout or broadcast audio overlays, and Will enters an eloquent monologue as to whether or not the silence actually made the game far more peaceful (and arguably, easier to connect to) than ever before. Things tie off with a foray into the away goals ruling from UEFA and its fan underpinnings.
Join us to hear our thoughts on all these items, and more–including a delirious dialogue on heatstroke, Will’s adoration for his fellow Liverpool fans, throat-punching for beginners, Martin’s disdain for certain feline social gestures, an analysis of how to be bald and break concrete to stop fights (incurring insomnia in those who watch), a fantastic multiple-octave rendition of The Leftovers’ heart-wrenching soundtrack, another Harvey Elliot cameo, the return of the Elland Road mafia, leeching parasites, and why holographic spectators is one host’s worst nightmare.
Episode 10: 8/14/21
Episode 10! Martin & Will return from a lengthy mic-hiatus and catch up on all recent happenings. Argentina’s Copa America, Will’s new club team job, a quick Euros recap, and Leo’s sudden departure. Inspired by a recent conversation with a friend of the pod, today’s chit chat surrounded the way in which some fanbases clamor for signings that are reminiscent of the golden days. Chelsea are hopeful that they’ve found their “next Drogba” in Lukaku, while Barca fans can’t help but compare Yusuf Demir’s gait to the ghost of Messi, and Liverpool assesses whether their next striker replacement ought to fit the Firmino role, or not. There’s an incessant need to compare and draw parallels, so we ask, is this helpful, or actually detrimental?
Join us to hear our thoughts on all these items, and more–including the crappy way in which Martin missed Di Maria’s game winning chip, Will’s Raheem Sterling ballon d’or backing, Harvey Elliot as the next cube, the actually positive similarities between Koeman and Lampard, and this year’s lucky recipient of TT’s world’s hottest teen award!
Episode 9: 6/30/2021
Episode 9! The boys are back with an ironic, somber vengeance. In the aftermath of Spain, Croatia, France, and Switzerland’s immensely entertaining Euro 2020 fixtures, Martin leads a discussion on a much less dazzling note–regarding Thiago Alcantara’s recent interview with The Guardian in which he proclaimed that the magic has actually slowly left football. It’s quite the claim, especially coming from a player at the pinnacle of the sport, so we had to dive into it.
The first half includes remarks on the individual vs. the collective–and how perceptions of appreciation and alienation have transitioned throughout generations. The purpose of sport has gotten muddied over the years, and for some, that’s only given more oxygen to this trend in the ostensibly wrong direction. Players don’t take long shots, they don’t take defenders on 1v1, and the focus on systems over single-unit brilliance, that’s been driven by the incessant need for optimization, has harmed the glittering angles of the sport anyone (even those not-ordinarily enamored with football) can enjoy. It’s less accessible, in a way, and muted. People respond to unpredictability, but we’ve transitioned to favor predeterminism.
The duo also chat about media and money, performance and stat-based contract bonuses, The Reel Problem and selective memory, online ruthlessness, and the disappearance of the sensitive number 10. They carry the convo towards a few notes on VAR, UEFA’s own goal rules, and cap off a more pensive episode with some hopes for the future. Perhaps our evolution is cyclical–perhaps it isn’t.
Join us (especially you, Gareth) to hear our thoughts on all these items, and more–including Will’s absolute favorite moment from the Germany England match, (speaking of which) another reality-jinxing loose-goose fiasco, some comments on the sexual counterattacking crescendo that VAR simply ruins, an pertinent own-goal insight, Pedri’s long-distance banger, The Gold Power Ranger, and the burial of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s 4th of July celebration.
Episode 8: 6/24/2021
The goose is loose! Episode 8! We’ve spent another week away from the mic with Will’s scenic albeit wifi-free Colorado vacation and Martin’s focus being channeled towards his JdP piece, but we’re back feeling restored and ready to rumble. This week, Will spearheads a discussion on Robin Gosens, a player he’s had his eye on for a while, but who finally drew international attention after his spectacular showing against Portugal. Our questions are simple: just how did he do it, and now that the cat’s out of the bag, is there any way to stop him?
The conversation starts with a foray into the game itself, some remarks about various passages of play, and Will’s summary of the main components Gosens delivered to his side. We ponder how it’s possible that he was practically always unmarked, how he always only used one touch, and why Portugal never seemed to have an answer. There’s a quick dive into his individual stats, some context from Atalanta, and we duck under the door frame for the halftime break.
Upon return to the field, the second half commences with Martin’s mention of territorial uncertainty, followed by a conversation on magnetism, gravity, and the mechanics of pinning. Gnabry, Muller, and Havertz central? Yeah. Let’s do that. The two remark that Germany’s approach in this game was quite countercultural, in the sense that they never sought to spread Portugal’s defense–but instead, allowed them to compact themselves, locally. They took their top players, made them sacrificial lambs, and converted the most anonymous player into the most critical one. There are some comments on why Germany, specifically, was able to pull this off, too, especially given the skillset Kimmich added further wide–contrary to common opinion that he was wasted in the channels. The lads shift to how a German central density required Portuguese defensive back-up, the marking necessities Portugal was forced into with their oft-compromised double pivot, and why Semedo was obviously scapegoated–but arguably, not culpable. The duo chat about alternatives to quell Germany’s approach to tie off the episode.
Join us to hear our thoughts on all these items, and more–including our most efficient recording to date, the hitchhiker’s guide to playing in the European Championships, an argument on why fewer players might actually better in attack, Will’s upcoming debut, and another disappearing Bernardo trick (more forgivable this time, but poor Bernardo).
Episode 7: 6/8/2021
The boys are back from the dead! Episode 7 baby! Yeehaw! Martin & Will get the show back on track after a week of Twitter bans, tiresome coaching schedules, and a healthy heaping of TT jinxing to go along with it. Today, they dive into the Champions League Final, as Martin seeks to convince Will that this was, in fact, one of the historic defensive performances of all time. Will isn’t so sure, just yet.
The first half starts with a high level overview, in which Martin lays much of the groundwork for Chelsea’s system. He performs a somewhat disorganized foray into Juego de Posicion, something that’ll be much less scatterbrained on the blog itself (coming soon), and delves into why Pep’s infatuation with the halfspaces gave Tuchel everything he needed to stop him. Chelsea’s resolute back 5 served as an immovable object, plugging cagefighters into cages to tangle with City’s finest creators, and emerged victorious. No low-hanging fruit discussed in this first section–none of that “overthinking” nonsense!
Yet, as the lads marched on into the second half, a wider discourse opened up. First, some chat on the hyper-effective midfield presence of Jorginho and Kante, the Blues’ remarkably precise communication and coordination methods, Mount/Havertz/Pulisic’s impressive defensive contribution, and a few of City’s feeble attempts to unzip their stalwart opponents. The duo culminates with a broader commentary on Tuchel and the rise of successful reaction-based tactics–as opposed to initiative-taking ones–the impeccable mistake-catching skills Chelsea displayed, the physical intensity they imposed, and where a few missing pieces could’ve slotted in for City.
Join us to hear our thoughts on all these items, and more–including a real shaky rust-ridden intro, Will’s waning chances of winning the England U23 Young Player of the Year, a tree that fell in the forest, pendulum seesaw piston defenses, and a disappearing Bernardo trick.
Episode 6: 5/25/2021
Episode 6! Let’s dive right into it! On the eve of Gareth Southgate’s lose-lose decision, tasked with selecting a small cohort of English players from a vast pool of talented options, Will leads a discussion on the challenges of being in his boots. Our hosts start by laying out the candidates for the coveted and controversial right back role, introducing somewhat speculative “feelings” that accompany each one, with a few stats to more firmly back them up. They’ve prepared a bit of a label for each player for those that are unfamiliar with them.
The conversation steers into the impact that the media and fans can have on selection. The challenge here, is not only that we must pick a starter, but that we must select a strategic trio with logical grounds. Yet, much of the Twitter and journalistic space will be ravenously waiting for “their player” to be called up! In the English Premier League, the entertainment comes, in large part, due to the widespread quality of so many sides–but this can prove compromising when we’ve got 10 teams all expecting their talismen to earn a seat on the plane (instead of the tighter handful of 2-4 teams in other leagues across the continent that share those kinds of expectations; think the far more centralized Spain, Germany, etc.). Making matters worse, the melting pot of Premier League tactics is, once again, a huge driver for viewership, but proceeds to painfully hamper the continuity of style and methodology in England. To add more fuel to the fire, there’s the odd dynamic of continuous squad churn that derives itself from the selection process itself. Many fans will write and use the narrative that suits them at any given time, demanding that their over-performing player from this season get the call-up, but that their creaky, experienced veteran not be left behind either. A concoction of high expectations, far too many options, and a modern fullback role that’s hardly well-defined means that Southgate’s got quite the choice to make.
The second half commences with Martin’s introduction of the more fundamental options here: picking duplicates of varying degrees of quality vs. bringing different roles to fit the mold. As a case study, he remarks upon Barcelona’s potentially better usage of Dembele and Trincao as an example of the latter, juxtaposed with Argentina’s futile #10 overloading to illustrate the former. This idea then segues into the notion of identity for national teams, as the lads discuss how the idea changes and intensifies as we introduce the pride that comes with geographic borders. The two agree that this is something utterly critical to develop and often fall back on.
The chat now dives into the contrasting benefits and drawbacks of both youth and experience. They touch upon the value of locker room figures like Adil Rami, but concede that prodigies certainly bring a vitality and eagerness to the forefront. The public always loves a good Theo Walcott.
Finally, the verdicts. Martin proposes an elaborate plan to avoid injuries in the tournament itself and pin specific players against specific teams as a result of their specific likely matchups. Will counters that this is a terrible idea, and that the group ought to stick to one game model, instead. They fire back and forth for a while until ultimately agreeing on the only objective truth there is in this debate: it’s hard to envy Southgate as he makes this lose-lose decision!
Join us to hear Will’s atrocious intro, a car-scam update, a Tariq Lamptey cameo, a Liverpool fan trying to keep his fanbase grounded, a compelling Swedish anecdote, and two vastly distinct approaches to solving this problem.
Episode 5: 5/18/2021
Episode 5! Let’s talk about branding, baby! This week, Martin leads an exceedingly open-ended discussion on the recent wave of clubs making aesthetic tweaks to storied badges. Ep. 5’s catalyst was the newly dubbed “Columbus Soccer Club”, an MLS team that recently cemented its grassroots foundations through a community based movement, but suddenly pulled the carpet out from under themselves when they announced a bland, minimalist, new crest. C stands for which city again? The questions of the day start with why these moves have stirred such immense upheaval, why logos carry significance in the first place, and a foray into “identity” as one of the core elements that brings value to sport.
The two also discuss a wide variety of rebranding successes and mishaps–most notably the recent Juve and Inter changes, but also including Sky Sports, Fox Sports, The Europa League, The Premier League, Cardiff City, and Leeds United. Surely enough, Will has plenty to add about the parallels to the NBA, invoking the similitude of badges in American basketball as a signal of unity, the role mascots play as tangible figures for what is otherwise intangible, and why some teams still haven’t filed in line.
The second half includes more soul searching, commencing with a revisitation of the identity question, the serendipity of allegiance selection, a dive into the virtue of uniqueness, a subsequent comparison to the homogeneity that the MLS appears to be pushing, a few comments on American Europeanization & Latinization, questions as to who these rebrands are actually for, and a final wrap up–following an entire episode of disapproval–trying to find genuine benefits that a rebrand can bring.
Join us for the usual, irrelevant personal details regarding Martin’s life, an erroneous historical comment about Gunnersaurus, Will’s nostalgic back-of-the-bus talk, and Albuquerque’s new MLS team.
Episode 4: 5/11/2021
Episode 4! Crime and punishment edition. Today, Will poses the question of whether yellow cards in football actually do what they’re intended to do. The recent catalyst for discussion being PSG’s (otherwise known as Petulant Soccer Guys) temper tantrum finish against Man City, alongside some recent Casemiro bookings and Fernandinho not-bookings.
The duo proceed to conjure up this idea of a number line with nodes as a representation of the infraction thresholds referees define for themselves. These various points determine what constitutes a common foul or card in their book, and largely vary from ref to ref. They also take another angle with the number line idea, remarking that “resolution” for fouls in football is quite poor, especially when compared to sports like basketball, hockey, or American football.
This, then, leads to a foray into the various flaws of cards themselves. These are inconsistencies, infrequencies, and illegitimacies. The hodgepodge includes the biases that arise as a result of suspension implications, Napoleonic Complexes, dissent cards, goal celebrations, verbal scuffles with the referee, overcompensated retroactive bans, cards to coaches, power dynamics between football actors, the “walk off” method, and tactical fouling. Whew!
The second half then opens with a desire to destroy less and create more! Our hosts chat about ideas that might actually be constructive, diving into ways in which this issue can be improved. Amongst these, the notion of increased resolution, call challenges, and foul “paths”.
They then dive into the question of whether there should actually be worse punishments for some offenses–a la a “black card” that comes after red. In order to better understand the idea of cumulative punishment, Martin relays a recent, somber anecdote from Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath, about Kimber Reynolds. The girl, then 18 and living in California, was murdered in an act of senseless violence, prompting the state of California to enact the “3 strikes law”–a system that harshly ramped up punishments for repeat offenders. It’s a difficult story, but has some highly revealing tidbits that apply, with a grain of salt, of course, to the soccer conversation, too. Does too much punishment make crime worse? What’s the best way to prevent rule-breaking? What’s the purpose of brandishing yellows and reds?
Now Will takes the mantle and drives straight into the heart of what he’s dubbed the “Mathzone”–a section of the outline barred off from Martin’s view so as to preserve authentic astonishment. And it worked. Bring your TI-84 Silver Edition, because you won’t want to miss the cracking finale.
Drawing things to a close, making one final big circle after so many small ones, Will makes his “hot-take” conclusion about the efficacy of our current disciplinary system. They mention the demarcation between punishing the perpetrator of a harsh tackle and rewarding the victim–perhaps suggesting that we ought to investigate better rewards too. But all in all, it’s bedtime, and the pair are clearly getting tired on air, so we’ll see them next time!
Episode 3: 5/4/2021
Episode 3! We’re back at it again. This week, Martin leads a discussion inspired by a previous piece hung in the Touchline Theory Museum: “Why the Hail Mary Fails in our Football”. The duo dive into why some dominant, albeit losing, teams tend to ring the alarm towards the ends of matches and descend into disorder, rather than staying true to their practiced blueprint. After watching numerous cases in which a side throws away their final 20 minutes pumping the rock long, subbing on 3 strikers for 3 defenders, and more, our hosts felt obliged to get to the bottom of things. Needless to say, Barcelona’s midweek loss to Granada served as the catalyst for today’s pod.
Amongst the discussion points, Martin & Will chat about the Hail Mary equivalents in various sports, how it manifests itself in football, and fan responses to the optics of desperation. They look into why fatigue may serve as a motive to change things up, why the availability heuristic, reel problem, and hot hand fallacy might entice teams to jump overboard, and why switching lanes in traffic is never a good idea.
The second half commences with a debate on predeterminism as the ideal state for top clubs, the notions of hopeless relinquishment vs. unpredictability, contingency plans, scouting heartbeat metronomes, desensitization applied to football, and a lovely trio of analogies to finish things off.
Join us to hear our thoughts on all these topics, and more–including some low hanging fruit, an elementary-school rated show, and more talk about pirates.
Episode 2: 4/27/2021
We’re back! In this second (and shorter) edition of The Touchline Theory Soccer Podcast, Will spearheads a discussion with Martin on a dying breed of player: the one-trick pony.
The duo start by remarking upon the seemingly incredulous rise of two once-overlooked, former reserve team defenders–who’ve now both proven to be invaluable to their respective team’s successes this season. Our hosts outline the nature of this sudden rise to prominence and find a particular handful of skills in which each player shockingly excels. The chat then delves into the psychological edge that players free of mentally-shackling transfer fees may have over their expensive, hyped counterparts. They explain how the “stage” may impact performance.
In the second half, they then ponder the modern world’s obsession over well-rounded footballers and debate whether that fixation may be leaving diamonds behind in the rough. Do teams need everyone to meet a baseline proficiency for certain skills? How much is enough? Should we applaud Firmino for his defensive output? Is the true 10 done and dusted? Should our keepers be good at providing assists? Have our scouting desires become too greedy?
Join us to hear our answers to all these questions, and more–including the newly codified Rory Delap Test, a double-censor special, and Will getting sidetracked with the Chelsea lineup.
.. but mostly just a lot of talk about Nat Phillips.
Episode 1: 4/20/2021
We’re starting off with a bang! After weeks and months of gearing up to host our first edition of the Touchline Theory Soccer Podcast, with due time and preparation, the soccer storks dropped the ugliest of babies on our doorstep–so we had to get the show on the road.
Welcome to Episode 1: Super League.
Martin and Will tackle the most convoluted of evolving situations, in which a subset of “super” clubs have broken away from the pack to firmly establish themselves as Europe’s elite. Amidst an outpour of concern, disgust, and scorn from the fans and governing bodies, we sort through the wreckage and ask ourselves: is this the end of football?
Join us as we discuss the purported trickle-down economics, future player transfers, fixture fatigue, virtue signaling, the “rising clubs” dilemma, regression to negativity, new refereeing, in-crowds vs. out-crowds, international implications, relegation or lack thereof, the women’s game, youth development, and more.