The Double Pivot: Soccer Analysis, Analytics, And Commentary

When PSG triggered Neymar's enormous release clause, the transfer market exploded and prices shot through the roof. The two Mikes try to make sense of what's happened, what might still happen, and explore the market's effect on the teams trying to make moves in the final hours of the transfer window. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a Spurs fan, Caley can't stand idly by while his team considers bringing in a player with a questionable past. He and Goodman talk through the issue before turning their attention to Manchester City vs. Everton and Chelsea vs. Spurs, two matches that contained far less sense than they should have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The two clubs from Manchester are clearly going to battle it out for the Premier League's greatest prize, while every other team is a roaring trash fire. We might as well end the season now. The two Mikes discuss whether last week's results fell in line with their expectations for the clubs involved before turning their attention to the rest of Europe, and specifically whether anyone will challenge Real Madrid, PSG, Juventus or Bayern Munich for domestic titles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wonder which players the analytics guys will ride or die for? You're about to find out. The two Mikes pick their own side of analytics wizards to keep an eye on this season, including players like Kelechi Iheanacho, Ryan Sessegnon and...Dwight Gayle???? Yeah, it's quite a mix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Based on last year's order of finish, the two Mikes speculate whether each club in this year's Barclay's Premier League will finish higher or lower than they did last May. While they don't agree on every pick, they do agree that it will be very surprising if one specific team doesn't win the title. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's some stupid money being thrown around, and the two Mikes can't even get a cut. PSG is prepared to pay a massive amount of money for Neymar, which certainly presents the question of whether he's worth it. Furthermore, would anything short of a Champions League title constitute a failure if the French giants get their man? As a chaser, the guys take a quick look at what's left for England's best teams to accomplish in the final month of the transfer window.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The summer doldrums get a shot of excitement with yet another mailbag. The two Mikes answer your many questions, including: The USMNT is much more tolerable to watch under Arena than Klinsmann...true?Thoughts on Coutinho as a midfielder vs. left forward? How do you feel about Firmino as a striker vs. top rated strikers?Why is Olivier Giroud so underrated?Is Eric Dier going or staying, and should Spurs really hold on to him if United is offering this much? Who are y’all cheering for at the women’s Euros?How much depth do the top teams need to have to compete on all fronts?Will teams eventually sell streams of their games directly to consumers as a subscription, bypassing TV to get more direct revenue?Have you revised your take on Arsenal’s switch to the 3-4-2-1?There will also be Game of Thrones talk.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Double Pivot, your excellent questions are answered yet again, including:What does Ross Barkley do, and how would he look in a Pochettino side?Sell Alexis now, or let him leave for free next year?Is Romelu Lukaku a good fit for “slow-playing” Manchester United?How seriously should we take AC Milan? Would rather your club signed Defoe or Rooney to a four-year contract?Is it better to have loved and lost (Liverpool) or to never have loved at all (Spurs)? Subtitle: Why are Liverpool fans so prone to absurd transfer meltdowns that make zero sense when observed by anyone else?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How good are all of the xG models out there? One year after his initial evaluation of various submitted models, Nils Mackay (mackayanalytics.nl) released the results of a second round of models, including one built by a host of this here podcast. The two Mikes explore Mackay's findings, tackling topics like big chances, scorer bias in Opta data (or any data for that matter), and much more.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The two Mikes are joined by Shireen Ahmed of the Burn It All Down podcast to discuss the early success of the podcast, which examines the intersection of feminism and sports, plus a few interesting social topics floating in and around and through the beautiful game. To set the table, the guys do a quick review of the 1-1 draw that's left the U.S. in a solid World Cup qualifying position. Editor's note: The amount of Ronaldo's reported settlement is incorrectly noted in this discussion. It was actually reported as being $375,000. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to the U.S. Men's National Team, everything should probably now be built around Christian Pulisic, but that creates a few hurdles. The two Mikes talk about those hurdles, the current SPI probabilities, and then turn their attention to the mailbag. In it, they find questions about Liverpool's apparent failure to land Virgil van Dijk from Southampton and the meltdown it caused amongst the LFC faithful, whether statistical insights at one level of soccer (Premier League) apply to other levels (women's or college soccer), and whether Chelsea and/or City are addressing their needs thus far in the transfer market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that we've got your attention, let's talk about every magic moment from Saturday night in Cardiff. From diabolical deflections, to the mystical Manzukic, to that roustabout Ramos — and we haven't even gotten to Ronaldo's frosted tips! — the match had a little bit of something for everyone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Priya Ramesh writes about Dutch football for Benefoot, StatsBomb, FourFourTwo, The Guardian, Bleacher Report, and more. So who better to interview on the eve of the Europa League final? The conversation leaves no stone unturned, from Ajax's young stars to Jose Mourinho's use of the dark side of the force (it'll make sense when you hear it). You can find Priya on Twitter: @Priya8Ramesh.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The two Mikes review some of their worst assessments over the course of the 2016-17 season. Topics include: David Moyes, Claudio Bravo, Chelsea, Barcelona, Spurs, Daniel Sturridge, Manchester United, Kelechi Iheanacho and Marcus Rashford. The surprise twist: Sometimes when they're wrong, they're not wrong at all (or something like that). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buckle up, because we're covering a lot of ground in this week's episode. In chronological order, here are all the questions the gents were able to get to: – What is Everton's best case scenario if they sell Lukaku and Barkley this summer?– What stops first, and when: Spurs 'competing with the top 4', or Spurs spending around half as much on wages as them?– Does Klopp's style of play have the capacity, with an improved squad, to consistently defeat low block counter-attack Premier League teams?– Back at the start of the PL season, you were high on Liverpool and Arsenal, low on Spurs. What do you think changed?– Should Stoke sack Mark Hughes?– Deviation from expectation(xG) is often been attributed to variation. How much of this is random & how much are factors we can't factor yet?– In your opinion, who is the worst player that consistently gets minutes for a Top 6 side? – What has made 3 at the back so successful this season in the premier league? What has changed from earlier years if anything?

The two Mikes discuss Higuain shaking off the "choker" label, Juventus holding off another great attacking side, and Atletico coming up empty at the hands of their rivals. Then, it's time for a long talk about what went wrong with Arsenal this year, what changes could mean (and whether they seem likely), and what the future holds for the club if it finishes sixth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it more of a Mourinho match if his team sets out to get a 0-0 result, or if it shouldn't set out to get a 0-0 result and still gets a 0-0 result? The two Mikes ponder this important question, then attempt to figure out what Real Madrid was doing in the waning moments of the most pivotal match of the season. Then, it's on to your questions, like... Do midfielders need to play with more grit or is it a trait from a bygone era that's no longer relevant? Coutinho or Eriksen? Who's your favorite fun player on a lower half PL side? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Champions League is down to four teams, and the two Mikes posit whether Monaco's dream run can end with them lifting the cup. The F.A. Cup is also down to four clubs, and despite a bevy of jokes throughout the current season, the guys are actually going to talk about these two matches, and the implications surrounding the teams playing in them. Mostly Arsenal, but a little bit about everyone else, too. Due to a technical malfunction, Caley's audio is off a bit this week, so apologies in advance.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're down to the finest of margins in the Champions League, and it shows. The two Mikes talk about whether one goal will be enough to see Atletico through or if Leicester can get lucky, whether Barcelona can mount another comeback or if it's time to talk about Juve as a favorite, and whether a Javi Martinez red card will define a season for one or two of the world's biggest super clubs. Plus, reaction to Dortmund having to play after the attack on their team bus, a potential shift in the CL power structure, and the relegation battle in the Premier League. Oh, and bible history corner. It's a 50th episode extravaganza, and it’s got everything!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chelsea's 2-1 defeat of City shouldn't worry City fans because they're locks for the top 4, right? The two Mikes explain that while Chelsea and Spurs are all but locks to finish first and second, what happens to the four teams fighting for two spots behind them is anyone's guess. The numbers say Manchester United are much better than their position, Arsenal is much worse defensively this year, Liverpool is on the brink of a worrying trend, and if City were as good as everyone assumes, they wouldn't be in this race to begin with.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices