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Monday Night SCOUTED Declan Rice v Moisés Caicedo Monday Night SCOUTED presents: a crab and a horse fight to the death https://scoutedftbl.com/declan-rice-v-moises-caicedo/ Mohamed Salah versus Eden Hazard. Virgil van Dijk versus Nemanja Vidić. Moisés Caicedo versus Declan Rice. Not a single international break passes by without at least one of these debates flooding social media timelines. This time, I have successfully resisted the urge to engage...on the timeline. Instead I've written 2000 words on the issue. I hope, through this newsletter, to highlight the foolishness of this debate by viewing it through the lens of totally non-foolish and sensible animal-inspired metrics. Forgive me, for I am about to engage in discourse: not to provide a definitive answer, but to demonstrate how dumb the debate is in the first place. Maybe everyone will read this and log off for a bit? Of course not. But it won’t stop me from trying. Would you compare a crab and a horse? No. Crabs inhabit marine environments. Horses live on land. Crabs are decapods with pincers - I learned the scientific word for these organs is chelae. Cool. Horses are mammals with hooves - I knew that one. Crabs shuttle horizontally and are aggressive when provoked. Horses run in straight lines and bolt when scared. It would be ridiculous to compare them. So why do we compare Caicedo (the crab) and Rice (the horse)? [At this early point you may be wondering if Jake is okay, or if Twitter has totally fried his brain. Please stay with us. This is good, I promise - ed]. At the risk of sucking all fun out of a trivial issue, asking which player you would rather have in your team is a better question - but still requires a lot of nuance. Even posing which you'd rather build a team around is redundant, because you would pick different players to complement either. Football is a team sport and individual debate is irrelevant - but I know that's not fun. Here’s my idea of fun. As a continuation of the zoomorphism, I’m going to translate the crab-like qualities of Caicedo and the horse-like qualities of Rice into a few different metrics and, eventually, Archetypes. First up, habitat. For now, we'll assume that to mean the areas of the pitch a player habituates, instead of their team environment or tactics. That’s because I wanted to introduce another term I’ve borrowed from gaming to help distinguish player profiles: Area of Effect (AOE). Looking at the volume of touches in each third alongside the proportion of touches taken in each should reveal a player's Area of Effect. The value of defining a player's AOE is that it helps understand which skills to compare between two players: in the modern game, a full-back and a centre-midfielder can share the same AOE, for example. You would not compare a player that spends the most of their time in their own box with another that lives in the opposition's penalty area. You know they do different things. Admittedly, it becomes more difficult as players begin to converge into the centre of the pitch. In other words, midfielders are the most difficult to separate through this process. But it’s worth a try. This graph plots Touches per 90 in all thirds of the pitch and inside each box. It also includes the percentage of total touches in each zone which I’ll refer to as Proximity. Rice and Caicedo have a similar number of Touches per 90 but the distribution of them across the pitch is different. Caicedo is a relative outlier for the Defensive Third, but it’s not as extreme when looking at the Proximity to this area. However, in the Middle Third, he is notably above average for both substance and style. This part of the pitch is clearly Caicedo’s AOE. Rice, however, is almost bang-on average for Proximity to each third. In fact, only five players in the dataset sit between -0.2 and 0.2 for Defensive, Middle and Attacking Third: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Frank Onyeka, Mateus Fernandes and James Garner. Of those five, only Rice and Anderson rank above average for Touches per 90. This combination of substance and style paints the picture of a dynamic, do-it-all box-to-box midfielder. In SCOUTED parlance, it illustrates the Ground Eater Archetype. This name encapsulates a player’s ability to literally cover ground or metaphorically gobble up grass. Just like a horse. Everything pertains to long distances: lung-busting runs both with the ball, driving towards the opposition goal, and without it when recovering towards their own. Rice is constantly moving through the thirds. A Ground Eater’s AOE is the entire pitch. Caicedo, in contrast - which does not mean better or worse - is a crabby, small-space menace. While Rice covers multiple thirds due to the verticality of his running, Caicedo shuttles across horizontally, making jabby challenges and punchy passes. This lends itself to a concentration of touches in a specific third. By scuttling side-to-side, Caicedo ensures he doesn’t have to gallop up-and-down like a horse. Like Rice. That’s not a criticism, it’s smart. He knows his limits. Just as Rice can struggle against the most agile players. In fact, Caicedo is such a rampant ball-winner that he does rank above average for Tackles in the Attacking Third. But his principal AOE remains the Middle Third. He also nips away the ball more often than Rice in most other defensive actions, including the composite metric of Tackles, Interceptions, Blocks, Ball Recoveries and Clearances. Formations are becoming less instructive of how a team will set up due to the awareness, importance and diversity of in-possession and out-of-possession systems. If anything, the teamsheet is a better representation of what we’re likely to see OOP than IP. So, when analysing, scouting or comparing players, selecting players based purely on their position is becoming more problematic. At least by looking at something like AOE, players that operate in similar areas of the pitch will likely have to solve similar problems, making a comparison fairer. But even these problems can be solved in different ways. Take passing, for example. The Ground Eater characteristics of Rice’s general coverage also apply to his passing to some extent. His ball-striking ability has transformed him into a set-piece demon, but it also augments his passing over larger distances, again touching on this emerging long-versus-short dynamic. True Progressive Passes are all Progressive Passes excluding Passes into the Penalty Area, counting all “completed passes that move the ball towards the opponent's goal line at least 10 yards from its furthest point in the last six passes”. Both Rice and Caicedo rank above average for output, but Rice is moving towards the significant end of the spectrum; his 1.44 Score is the highest for either player across all metrics on this graph. However, the real separation is based on the percentage of completed passes logged as True Progressive Passes. Caicedo dips slightly below average (-0.33), as expected from a more metronomic passer, while Rice ranks slightly above average (0.82). This difference is also apparent when looking at the percentage of Caicedo’s passes as Short Passes and the percentage of Rice’s passes as Long Passes. Neither player represents a massive jump away from the average, but the difference between the two provides more clarity for our comparison. It’s also worth highlighting that both players have similar Scores for Passes into the Final Third, Progressive Passing Distance and Progressive Distance per Pass. Both players are similarly effective at achieving progression via passing, yet both do so through different means. After all, a long pass at an angle out wide could cover the same distance towards goal as a stabbed line-breaker straight through the middle. You can see this stylistic difference illustrated by the Distance per Pass metric. So, it is fair to compare Rice and Caicedo’s ability to progress the ball with their passing as an isolated skill. But even that discussion pits two contrasting styles against each other. You must also consider the context in which that effective ball progression is being achieved. For Caicedo, we already have knowledge that he is active in securing the ball before he plays it forward. Now let’s apply the same framework we did for passing, this time to each player’s carrying. This separates the crabs from the horses. Despite Rice and Caicedo having a near-identical score for Carries - which correlates extremely closely to Touches - Rice distances himself from Caicedo in most other metrics. Rice is notably above average for Distance and Progressive Carrying Distance, which speaks to the verticality of the Ground Eater style. The fact he is also above average for both Distance per Carry and Progressive Distance per Carry further illustrates that horse-like, galloping quality. Here we see the clearest difference between our crab and our horse. It makes sense that Caicedo’s concentrated AOE in the middle of the pitch does not translate to significant Carrying output. Meanwhile, this is the metric by which players like Rice should be measured. Saying Rice is a more effective ball-carrier than Caicedo is like saying a horse is faster than a crab. It’s redundant. Even if you argue that Rice and Caicedo share the primary responsibility of progressing the ball through the thirds, there are notable differences between the two when combing passing and carrying metrics into Progressive Actions. Caicedo’s primary means of Progression is passing and he is effective at getting the ball into the final third. In some cases, his jabs will be the most efficient way to do so. But Rice has the option of booming switches or thundering gallops, combining to make him more effective and efficient at progressing the ball on the whole, just as Caicedo is more effective at winning it back. Look at Rice’s score for Progressive Actions per Touch. Rice and Caicedo are different animals. This is not a guide for how to be fun at parties or a hack for generating views and impressions on social media, but the question I ask myself before I start to compare two players is: could these two play together? You can answer that by thinking about whether their skillsets would be complementary to one another and whether they share an AOE or on-pitch responsibilities. But if you really want to compare two players, specifically Rice and Caicedo, there is only legitimate way to frame it. This is the only question I’ll allow. Which team would win in a football match: 11 crabs or 11 horses? Take that one to the pub this week.

Chelsea make Kenan Yildiz and Morgan Rogers priority targets for 2026 https://football-talk.co.uk/223114/Chelsea-make-kenan-yildiz-and-morgan-rogers-priority-targets-for-2026/ Chelsea spent a significant amount of money in the recently concluded summer transfer window in rebuilding their offence, and with enough quality and depth across positions in the final third, they are expected to strengthen their midfield soon too. Mark Brus has reported that the Blues have already identified their priority targets for 2026 in Juventus star Kenan Yildiz and Aston Villa mainstay Morgan Rogers, while Olympique Lyon’s Malick Fofana does not sit high on their wish-list for now. Neither Rogers, nor Yildiz will come for cheap and Chelsea will need to spend significant sums on landing both players, given that the Englishman is valued at £80 million by Villa, whereas Juve value their number 10 at £87 million. Chelsea unlikely to sign both players Kenan Yildiz and Morgan Rogers play largely similar roles on the pitch, and it is arguable that the latter offers more versatility due to his ability to play on both flanks in offence, as well as in a slightly deeper lying roles. Owing to fairly identical profiles, it would come as a surprise if Chelsea end up signing both their targets for next summer, more so considering that a significant portion of their transfer budget would be channeled towards landing the attacking midfielders. Rogers would arguably be the better signing due to his experience in the Premier League, but Yildiz, who is three years younger, and has a better potential than the Aston Villa star arguably aligns better with the Londoners’ sporting project. In addition to acquiring a new number 10, Enzo Maresca is likely to push for defensive additions as well next year after he was forced to start this season with several absentees, whereas a number of defenders have also not lived up to expectations of late.

smdh Not good enough for Peterborough United or Peterborough Sports, but now good enough for Chelsea! https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/sport/football/peterborough-united/not-good-enough-for-peterborough-united-or-peterborough-sports-but-now-good-enough-for-Chelsea-5358070 A central defender who flopped at Peterborough United and Peterborough Sports has signed for Chelsea. Justin Osagie signed a one-year contract at Posh in October 2024 after a successful trial at London Road. The 19 year-old had been released by Celtic after moving to Scotland from the West Ham United Academy. But Osagie didn’t feature in a single first team squad at Posh. He was sent on loan to National League North side Sports last season where he also didn’t impress before picking up an injury. Posh released Osagie in May, 2025 and he started a trial at Chelsea that summer. The Londoners have now given the player an Under 21 contract. The now 20 year-old was on the bench for the Blues in a Vertu Trophy tie at Northampton Town earlier this season.

another CB is now permanently off my board He will turn 31yo in 2027/28, which is the first possible season to buy him AFTER my demanded (with damn good reason) full season with no injuries, which would be 2026/27 (IF that even happens): Juventus defender Bremer to undergo knee surgery https://www.beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/serie-a/articles/juventus-defender-bremer-to-undergo-knee-surgery-2025-10-13 Juventus have announced that Bremer has decided to undergo selective arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The centre-back missed their last two games against Villarreal and AC Milan and has now opted to have the procedure after medical consultation. Bremer also played just six Serie A games last season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury early on in the campaign. https://www.juventus.com/en/news/articles/medical-update-gleison-bremer

Remember this ? Hazard with the icing on the cake v Citeh at their gaff

If it goes through they will be up there again. Those arabs wont just use it to syphon money out

Manchester United takeover BOMBSHELL: UAE Consortium to meet Glazer officials today Could this be the turning point Manchester United fans have waited over a decade for? https://thedailybriefing.io/p/manchester-united-takeover-bombshell Something big could be brewing behind the scenes at Manchester United. Sources say senior Manchester United figures are preparing for a decisive meeting today with a UAE-based consortium, a development that could finally bring the takeover saga to a head. UAE-based consortium to meet Manchester United officials (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) According to transfer insider Indy Kaila’s sources, a high-stakes meeting between a United Arab Emirates-based consortium and senior Man United officials is scheduled for 1pm today in London. The news signals an acceleration in the pursuit of the Premier League giants. As per the insider, who has built a strong reputation for reliable information over the summer transfer window, claims that the UAE delegation is ‘very serious about purchasing the club’, suggesting a full Manchester United sale is firmly on the table. Crucially, the report claims the current owners, the Glazer family, are now open to all possibilities. Taking to X, he reported: “Our sources at Manchester United are reporting that United Arab Emirates-based consortium are meeting #mufc officials in London at 1pm. The UAE officials are very serious about purchasing the club. The Glazers are open to all possibilities.” This marks a major shift from previous stances which often favoured minority investment. This flexibility from the Glazers, coupled with a highly motivated and deep-pocketed UAE consortium, opens the door to a full buyout that could satisfy the owners’ hefty valuation, previously rumoured to be in excess of £5 billion. Manchester United’s revival? How a Middle East takeover could mirror Man City and Newcastle’s rise The prospect of a Middle East-backed takeover at Manchester United could mark the beginning of a new era, one that mirrors the transformations seen at Manchester City and Newcastle United in recent years. Since Abu Dhabi’s City Football Group’s takeover of Manchester City in 2008, the landscape of English football changed. Significant investment in world-class players, top-notch facilities and backroom expertise turned City into a dominant force, a side that has since won six Premier League titles in the last eight seasons. Similarly, Saudi PIF backed consortium’s takeover of Newcastle in 2021 has seen the Magpies grown strength to strength each season, driven by calculated spending, modernised operations, and a clear footballing project built around Eddie Howe. For Manchester United, a UAE consortium takeover could finally bring the financial muscle and strategic direction needed to restore the club to its former glory.

🚨 EXCL: Liverpool's top seven centre-back transfer target list LEAKED to me just moments ago These are the names to watch... https://thedailybriefing.io/p/liverpool-cb-transfer-targets I’ve just received information which I trust to be rock solid on Liverpool’s seven main centre-back targets. As previously reported here, my understanding is that Liverpool remain confident of signing Marc Guehi, but are casting the net wide in case genuine interest in the Crystal Palace man from other top clubs like Real Madrid becomes an issue. Readers will recall I’ve already reported on Liverpool’s interest in… Castello Lukeba - the RB Leipzig central defender who is likely to cost around €60m (lower than his official release clause, which is €90m), and who is also wanted by Chelsea, Real Madrid and other big clubs. Ronald Araujo - Barcelona’s Uruguayan CB whose future is increasingly in doubt as he’s had a slightly reduced role under current Barca boss Hansi Flick. Jarrad Branthwaite - An unlikely one due to the rivalry with Everton, but the admiration from Liverpool is genuine and strong. I can now add another three names to that list, with my sources with ties to the agents industry messaging me to clarify some recent speculation. You might remember that I recently said I’d look into the links with Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano as I was not yet convinced there was much going on there. Turns out it’s legit. “Upamecano is on Liverpool’s list. As a free agent next summer, he’d definitely appeal to them, their recruitment team have looked at him before,” my source said. The other is Nottingham Forest’s Murillo. According to my source: “Murillo is also well liked at Liverpool. He’s someone Forest are probably going to have to sell soon, and we know there’s been interest from Chelsea, but Liverpool will be there too.” Finally, there was a recent report about Sven Botman being someone Liverpool looked at (but didn’t move for) in the summer, and my understanding is that he’s still on their list. “Doing business with Newcastle again won’t be straightforward though,” my source clarified. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Liverpool need a top centre-back, or perhaps even two… We know that LFC have a major concern at the moment with Ibrahima Konate coming towards the end of his contract, and Real Madrid hovering for his signature. I have not heard anything recently that suggests Konate is closer to agreeing a new deal with Liverpool. It’s very quiet, so you perhaps can’t rule out that something is going on behind the scenes to break the deadlock, or if it just means nothing is happening at all and there’s an acceptance that he’s going to move on. As soon as I can confirm that either way, I’ll post it here. On top of the Konate saga, Liverpool need a long-term successor to the ageing Virgil van Dijk, while the injury to Giovanni Leoni is a huge blow, keeping the talented young Italian out for around a year. If I were to guess, I’d say there’s a decent chance Liverpool’s list of CB targets is growing because they might try making more than one signing in that position, though of course that’s unconfirmed for the moment, and would likely change if Konate ended up staying. Guehi and Upamecano are two free agents, so could significantly strengthen Arne Slot’s defence without costing a fortune, while signing one of those and then spending a decent sum on a Lukeba or Murillo could also be feasible for the club.

That is true and I feel the same. Trump just push this so he can look good. And the fact is that the world don't care if he looks good. But that being said the most important thing for the people of Israel was to get the hostage back. Something that I asked in the past how in the world they and Hamas alive if Gaza was starving? Could it be that Hamas always took the food from its people?

Chelsea head into the October international break sitting in a respectable position in a number of different competitions.…View the full article

The international break is bland as hell but it can often throw up some moments like this one…View the full article

The fact he wrote 'Fervently believe' smells like BS

we last won it in 2017 Leicester won it in 2016

Chelsea Legends vs Liverpool Legends | FULL MATCH | Legends Charity Match 2025/26 Chelsea Football Club

Taking care of his son, Diarra... ... iykyk 👀

Where is our legend Geremi?

Not good enough. Di Matteo out!

He looked pretty much how he used to when played here! Not so slow how did at Real. Atmosphere was pretty decent as well! More lively then some games ive been to. Maybe less tourists and £££££ tickets

We came so close Hazard could have had a hatrick !

The last minute goal..booo haha. Oh well we did it last week when it mattered. They really put in the effort though!! Fun little game! And Costa 🤣 shame he didnt get his goal

Could still do a job for us.

Skrtel still a little rat 😄

For anyone who missed it