Heading into the summer transfer window, tabloids and papers will often link nondescript players senselessly to random clubs.

Here, we offer you a rough guide on what sort of players will be market hits over the coming months, using tactical trends from the 2012-13 season to help.

Positions change, duties change. Here's what your manager is looking for.

The Midfield Game-breaker

Read More »3

It sounds like a hypothetical question, but thanks to stats, we now know the answer.

What if all the shots that hit the woodwork in the 2012-13 English Premier League season had counted as goals? It turns out Opta ran the numbers (h/t 101 Great Goals), and the EPL table would look quite a bit different this morning after the final matches of the season.

Most noticeably, Tottenham Hotspur would have finished third with 76 points, 83 goals scored and a goal differential of plus-31. Compare that to Spurs' fifth-place finish in the real table, with 66 goals scored and a goal differential of plus-20. That's a difference of 17 goals scored and two very valuable places.

With a third-place finish, Spurs would have qualified directly for next season's Champions League group stage. Instead of a summer full of Gareth Bale exit rumors, Tottenham fans would probably read about several high-priced stars being linked with their club.

Read More »10

On Sunday, B/R picked an English Premier League Team of the Season following the culmination of the 2012-13 campaign.

In the same 4-2-3-1 formation, we've picked out a "rising stars XI"—a set of 11 players who've improved drastically over the course of the season and look primed to hit 2013-14 in great form.

The label "rising star" is difficult to quantify, so we've laid on a few restrictions: Every player is 23 or under, and each of them have seen their reputations explode over the course of one single year in the game.

See if you agree with our selections, and comment below if you've any to add!

Read More »9

It's the first day after campaign's end, so prepare for "silly season" to commence.

Transfers will be suggested left, right and centre; no club in England, with the possible exception of Chelsea, are looking at the prospect of fending off as many rumours as Manchester United.

David Moyes officially joins the Red Devils on July 1, but planning for the 2013-14 season will begin with immediate effect. First on the agenda, Sky Sports (h/t The Mirror) hint, is the transfer of Marouane Fellaini:

Here marks the difference between two great English clubs: One counting transfer targets and cutting loose the players they don't want or need, the other facing a fight to hold onto their best players after a promising season to build on.

Read More »5

At one stage this season, Arsenal looked dead and buried.

Tottenham were comfortably ahead in the race for UEFA Champions League football, the Gunners had dipped as low as eighth in the English Premier League table and many had already concluded that the race for the top four was done.

But one man formed the basis of Arsenal's resurgence, and that man was Laurent Koscielny.

The Frenchman finished the 2011-12 season very strongly and looked a certainty to man the centre of Arsene Wenger's defence come the start of 2012-13.

Read More »21

The 2012-13 English Premier League season is over following a frantic final day. Manchester United are champions, while Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal round out the top four.

Tottenham Hotspur narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification, and that could cast doubt on Gareth Bale's future with the club.

But that's just one of the intriguing storylines to follow. What will happen between now and next May? Keep reading for our bold predictions.

Read More »61

The English Premier League season has come to a close, and fans all over the world are constructing their teams of the season.

We've made ours in a 4-2-3-1 formation and based it solely on performances this season in the 38 league games—the only ones that count.

Take a browse and see how we'd line up. Does yours differ? Detail yours in the comments below!

Read More »45

The English Premier League season is over, and after 38 games, we've deduced who the tactical geniuses of 2012-13 are.

There are those who do things by the book of basics—Sam Allardyce, for example—and as effective as they are, the five managers we've selected have really stood out.

Who joins Sir Alex Ferguson in the list of tactical geniuses?

Read More »18