The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast - Podcast Rankings and reviews

I’ve followed Michael’s writing from the old zonal marking blog days, and my opinion of him has not changed one bit: simply the best pundit out there when it comes to talking tactics and breaking down team shapes and manager ideas. Whether it’s on this podcast, in print, or on twitter, it simply doesn’t matter; Michael is the tactics Don and a weekly podcast to boot is heavenly for every follower of the beautiful game. Whether you are a casual fan, someone newly introduced to the game, or a battle hardened supporter, this podcast is top tier. Can not recommend enough..

Great pod. 5/5. I throughly enjoy the tactical analysis every week. I thought this week’s episode of how one would go on about building a title contending team vs a relegation battling team was especially interesting and would love to see more episodes like this. Maybe a future episode could discuss how certain team formations size up against each other. For example, if a side with a 4-2-3-1 formation went up against a team with a 5-3-2 formation, who has the tactical edge / what are their strengths and weaknesses going up against each other.

My favorite football podcast, and it’s not even close. I have to say, it’s so refreshing to hear a “smart” football show whose host/analysts AREN’T sneering in condescension at the audience. Instead, everyone is eminently reasonable, and dare I say likeable. And as a longtime Michael Cox fan, I’m so glad there’s somewhere I can listen to him strut his stuff away from the Totally Football dorks. 5/5, great stuff!

Excellent! Look forward to this every week. I’ve been watching the Premier League, other European leagues and national teams for over a decade and consistently listening to this podcast for about 6 months has enhanced how I view tactics, formations, different players, etc. Keep up the great work!