The Mixer: The Story of Premier League Tactics

 

    

   Most of February was quite frigid, and as the IFC season was approaching, I was looking for a way to increase my game IQ when the weather wasn't suitable outside. That's how I found the Mixer, by Michael Cox. The Mixers breaks down and analyses premier league tacts, and aspects of soccer pre-2018, and I thought that this would be a good way for me to improve my game. 

       In The Mixer, each chapter is orientated around one aspect of soccer or style of play, and every chapter is almost narrated as a story. For example, there was a chapter talking about Antonio Conte and how he'd revolutionized an aging Chelsea team by introducing a defensive back three, which would be a part of a very fluid 3-4-3 formation. Conte signed many players with high versatility who could fill gaps in this formation that other teams struggled with, and this was a big reason why he was the only manager to thrive with a defensive back three. However, unlike the previous soccer book that I've reviewed which simply focused on the statistical aspect of everything, this book provides lots of background information through stories such as Chelsea's woes last year and Conte's successes in other leagues. In addition, each chapter is walked through chronologically, so you can see how each tactic developed as the season went on, and during all of this, the Author still fills you in by telling you key signings during this time, what the English press was saying, as well as giving you an understanding of club dynamics, and player-coach relationships when these tactics failed. Each chapter is its own story in a sort, and just by looking at the table of contents and picking out any random chapter, you can easily understand it without having to read the book in any sort of order. This made it a great pick-up-and-drop book as you could get through a chapter in around 20 minutes, and pickup whenever else you wanted in the book the next time you wanted to. 

    Overall, the actual analysis of tactics wasn't too helpful, but for me, the storytelling was what made this book such a good read. You don't need to know much about soccer or the premier league to enjoy this book as the author provides a good amount of background in each chapter, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to learn a bit more about soccer. Final rating, 8.8/10


-Muhammad

Comments

  1. Yuto InoueMarch 9, 2024 at 7:42 PM

    Hello, Muhammad. When I saw this post I was very surprised because this was the same book I had been reading for a few weeks now (now i'm not sure what to do for the next blog post). I agree with you that the storytelling part makes this book interesting but I still thought the analysis of tactics was also helpful. The chapter on the new rule for goalkeepers where you cannot grab a ball passed back from your teammate seemed very detrimental for many teams, and I enjoyed learning about players kicking the ball across the pitch back to their goalkeepers. This book seems helpful for people who want to learn more about the premier league (*cough cough* some Chelsea fans). Nice post!

    ReplyDelete
  2. KrishMarch 12, 2024 at 8:04 PM

    Hi Muhammad, I think this a good review, and the book sounds interesting. I personally watch soccer a lot, so I will make sure to check this out. Good Job!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shlok C.March 13, 2024 at 4:05 PM

    Hi Muhammad, this seems like a really interesting book. I would probably look at this to see what types of formations and tactics are useful in game. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alberto R.March 17, 2024 at 8:02 PM

    Hello Muhammad, this book sound really interesting and I like how you talk about the tactics that go into a soccer game. It really shows that soccer is a lot more than just kicking the ball around but a controlled chaos with many moving parts to it. I really enjoyed reading this blog and I think this might have been one of your best ones yet. Great blog!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Daniel LeeMarch 18, 2024 at 7:15 AM

    Hi Muhammad. I've always been a Tottenham fan, and I found it really interesting that you talked about Antonio Conte's tactics. Sounds like an interesting book! Great Blog!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Leo R.March 18, 2024 at 7:15 AM

    Hey Muhammad, good blog! It is good that you are reading books that talk about something you are interested in. While so far you have read more non fiction books that help with your soccer knowledge and training, what if you read some fiction books about soccer? Great blog!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lucas BraunMarch 25, 2024 at 11:07 AM

    Hi Muhammed, great blog! Did the book have anything about goalkeepers an their tactics or stories?

    ReplyDelete

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