Tactics Bored - Where does Brendan Rodgers go from here?

With few shocks at the weekend - nobody could have been surprised that Manchester United struggled to score again - it’s time to turn the analytics focus to the transfer window. Tactics Bored has developed some detailed comparison software, to see how potential replacements compare to those at another club. We’ll take a look at the particular qualities of each player, and if they have the right skills to be an effective purchase.

Elsewhere, we have a look at the spaces that Brendan Rodgers is starting to dominate in football, and recognise his contribution to philosophy, not just in sport but in the wider world. We attempted to speak to Jacques Derrida for that section, but he unfortunately died more than a decade ago, and a researcher has been sacked for wasting time and resources.

Is Marouane Fellaini a more effective striker than Wayne Rooney?

It is rumoured that Wayne Rooney will be rested for the match against Club Brugge tonight, but more likely than him not featuring is that Marouane Fellaini will be playing up top for Manchester United. Fellaini featured in a similar position for United last week, and he was the player to score the third goal in the last few seconds, giving his side a more comfortable advantage to take to the second leg in Belgium.

In the pre-match press conference, United manager Louis van Gaal said that this season, because of squad resources, Fellaini should feature more as a striker than a midfielder, and also that his team are struggling to create chances with the ball - they are better on the counterattack. That means that Fellaini is another option to break down sides. All this is necessary because, in part, Wayne Rooney has failed to perform for three years, and another option in attack is necessary.

Using Tactics Bored’s comparison software, we’ve analysed what Fellaini can offer in comparison with Rooney, and the difference has been graphically illustrated below. The difference is startling:

How does John Stones compare with John Terry?

We’ve also carried out a slightly different analysis of what John Stones offers in comparison with John Terry. Stones has endured a relatively difficult start to the season; perhaps the additional focus on him as a potential Chelsea player, coupled with the constant rumours of a transfer, have taken their toll on him, and he has suffered a little as a result. Nevertheless, he has shown more than just flashes of the promise that have interested Chelsea so much in his signature. He is expected to move for a fee in the region of £40 million before the end of the season.

Terry, meanwhile, has had a miserable time. After an embarrassing substitution against Manchester City in the preceding week, he fared worse at the weekend when he barged over Salomon Rondon as the two chased a ball over the top towards goal. It wasn’t entirely his fault - the side were caught in possession and Thibaut Courtois was not as alert to the danger as he might usually have been, but it once against highlighted Terry’s lack of pace, and the chance his career is drawing to a close.

As a result, we analysed what key qualities, positive and negative, the two players would bring to Chelsea. Not just on the pitch, but to the dressing room too.

Rogers’ plans to give more to the world

Brendan Rodgers was mocked on Monday Night Football for his plans for dominating space against Arsenal. As ever, criticising Rodgers’ thought process is misguided and insulting. This man is one of the greatest thinkers of our time, demonstrating an understanding of tactics that is only matched by Pep Guardiola and Karel Krejčí, the two other genius managers of the era.

We had an exclusive chat with Rodgers after his successful 0-0 draw with Arsenal, where Liverpool successfully dominated space, and in truth, our hearts and minds too. Rodgers kindly agreed to supply us with his projection of which other spaces he would come to dominate intellectually. He realises that his gifts should not be limited just to the sport arena, and that the altruistic thing to do is take his revolutionary approach to other areas of life. What comes next may astonish you.