The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast

Gerrard, Ancelotti, Venables & The 'Christmas Tree' Formation

The Athletic's tactics writer Michael Cox and data analytics writer Mark Carey join host Ali Maxwell for a festive dissection of the 'Christmas Tree' Formation... They trace it's roots from Crystal Palace in the 1970's, Ancelotti's fabled 80's Milan teams, through to Terry Venables 90's England and all the way to modern day Aston Villa and new manager Steven Gerrard. The trio debate its strengths and weakness, and even pick their own 'Xmas Tree PL XI' - one player per club rule!
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Hosted by Michael Bailey, revered football tactics writer Michael Cox is joined by more of The Athletic's brightest tactics and data analytics writers to break down the tactical and technical details behind the biggest footballing stories each week - assessing the latest trends, systems, players, managers and all manner of statistics in order to give you a deeper understanding of the game.