Michael Cox
Michael Cox is editor of Zonal Marking
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Champions League last 16: where the ties will be won and lostThis year’s draw for the knockout stage has thrown up some tantalising match ups, but who will progress and why?
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Manchester City almost undone by Jesús Navas’s defensive indisciplineThe winger’s attacking instincts exposed Pablo Zabaleta early on but he ultimately proved to be the visitors’ chief threat at Roma
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West Ham’s aerial bombardment shows Sam Allardyce’s tactical savvyMichael Cox: West Ham’s Sam Allardcye happily admits he’s a reactive manager and, against Swansea, crosses to the head of Andy Carroll made perfect sense
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Liverpool’s selection fails to find the right place for Steven GerrardMichael Cox: Raheem Sterling’s pace meant he would have been better suited to Steven Gerrard’s position behind Rickie Lambert
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Tactical analysis: England strong in midfield but exposed on left flankMichael Cox: Mark Sampson’s midfield diamond showed promise against Germany and Jordan Nobbs was excellent, but England’s left side was often overworked
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Arsenal and Manchester United: who is more unstable at the back?Michael Cox: Both sides are suffering from key absences and a lack of defensive organisation that is undermining their prospects of challenging for the title, and maybe even the top four
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Jefferson Montero speed provides the key to unpick possession deadlockMichael Cox: Swansea and Arsenal were evenly matched but the pace of the Ecuador winger turned the game in favour of Garry Monk’s men
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City’s width should have stretched narrow margin of Manchester derbyMichael Cox: With a man advantage over United and natural wingers to exploit the space, Manuel Pellegrini will wonder why his side failed to kill off their opponents
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Does size really matter? Pochettino is not the first to suffer pitch problemsMichael Cox: Variations in pitch size should not really have an impact, yet attacking sides do thrive on large grounds and more defensive teams favour smaller surfaces
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How to stop Chelsea: Manchester United’s template to thwart MourinhoMichael Cox: Louis van Gaal won the tactical battle with his protege when Manchester United took a point from undefeated Chelsea on Sunday
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Louis van Gaal’s and José Mourinho’s caution comes at cost of creativityMichael Cox: Manchester United and Chelsea followed their managers’ instructions to a T and the match suffered for it
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Overworked Kieran Gibbs is Arsenal’s unlikely hero against AnderlechtMichael Cox: Arsenal were uncertain in possession and found themselves increasingly stretched, but mustered a remarkable turnaround
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Football Weekly: Sunderland humiliated by Southampton
Podcast: Saints put eight past hapless Sunderland. Plus, Liverpool prepare for Real Madrid's visit with another wobble – but a win – at QPR
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Harry Redknapp’s route one tactics were spot-on but QPR wasted chancesMichael Cox: Liverpool may have won but Harry Redknapp outwitted Brendan Rodgers, ensuring that QPR dominated for long periods at Loftus Road
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England fail to find killer instinct despite Wayne Rooney goalMichael Cox: Roy Hodgson’s men relied on a set-piece to get them the points, and they did not make the most of their posssession
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Arsenal undone by Chelsea’s use of wide men and Eden Hazard’s controlMichael Cox: José Mourinho won the battle over Arsène Wenger by exploiting crucial pockets of space on either side of the pitch
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Questions remain over Steven Gerrard’s suitability in defensive midfieldMichael Cox: Brendan Rodgers is still searching for the solution of how to fit the ageing Gerrard into his preferred midfield formation
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Leicester win duel of the diamonds against a stunned Manchester UnitedMichael Cox: Jamie Vardy was the ace in Leicester City’s diamond as they dealt Manchester United a stunning tactical defeat
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Falcao, Welbeck, Ben Arfa: how will new boys fit in this weekend?After the drama of transfer deadline day, how will the Premier League’s latest recruits fit into their new sides when the domestic action returns this weekend
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Wayne Rooney: thanks for the goals but not for the waning influenceMichael Cox: England looked more lively after the captain was substituted and when Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge played upfront with Raheem Sterling in the No10 role
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Liverpool’s ‘third man running’ tears Tottenham system to shredsMario Balotelli and Daniel Sturridge acted as facilitators rather than goalscorers and Spurs were hurt by Liverpool midfielders breaking past forwards
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Champions League: tactical analysis and predictions for group stagesManchester City face a ‘terrifyingly complete’ Bayern Munich but Liverpool should progress, despite the presence of defending champions Real Madrid in their section
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David Silva’s mastery crucial to Manchester City’s win over LiverpoolMichael Cox: David Silva’s masterclass gave Manchester City the edge over Liverpool in the 3-1 victory
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New system leaves Manchester United’s world-class attack looking limpMichael Cox: Manchester United’s system designed to get the best out of Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie backfired at Sunderland
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Football Weekly: Swansea poop on Louis Van Gaal's parade
Podcast: Manchester United lose at home to Swansea in the biggest shock of the opening weekend in the Premier League
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Evolution not revolution for canny Manuel Pellegrini’s Manchester CityMichael Cox: Manchester City’s tactics in their 2-0 win at Newcastle were highly familiar to anyone who watched the team which won the title last season
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Premier League tactical preview: how teams have changed since last season
Premier League 2014-15 previews Premier League tactical preview: how teams have changed since last season
Michael Cox: A team-by-team guide to the likely starting line-ups in the Premier League, and how they compare to each team’s best XIs last year -
Premier League 2014-15: Club-by-club tactical guide to the season aheadMichael Cox: As the Premier league’s big kick-off approaches, a quick look at what has changed at the 20 clubs and what to expect on the pitch
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Germany and Argentina lean to the right in search of magic momentMichael Cox: World Cup finalists did their best work on opposite flanks but had little to show for it until Mario Götze broke the deadlock
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Germany defence and Argentina midfield key to World Cup final chancesMichael Cox: Germany will need to deal with the threat of Lionel Messi, while Argentina need to overcome their passing weakness in midfield
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Javier Mascherano’s all-round display proves decisive for ArgentinaMichael Cox: Coaches’ fear of Lionel Messi and Holland’s Arjen Robben dictated cautious tactics for World Cup semi-final that lacked spark for 120 minutes
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Brazil have no answer to might of Toni Kroos’s control for GermanyMichael Cox: This World Cup semi-final was billed as a clash of Brazil’s physique and Germany’s technique but in the end the victors had far far too much of both
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Argentina build steadily around Lionel Messi but Belgium lack cohesionMichael Cox: Lionel Messi has become more important to Argentina as the tournament has progressed whereas Belgium were less than the sum of their talented parts
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World Cup 2014: How will Brazil cope tactically without injured Neymar?Michael Cox: Luiz Felipe Scolari must completely rethink his team’s approach after suffering the huge setback of losing their star forward Neymar
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Sportblog Raheem Sterling lacks finishing touch against Manchester United