Perhaps because of my upbringing in American sports coverage, I'm surprised by the general lack of reporters' questions about tactics. Formations and "principles" (pressing, playing from the back, short corners, etc.) come up often, but I don't often hear questions about particular situations, particularly on set pieces.

In the Fulham match, for example, I would love to hear a question about how Mitrovic was so wide open for his set-piece header. As I watch the replay, it seems that Andersen may have been held or blocked, but I seldom hear reporters ask a manager "What happened?" or "How were you trying to mark Mitrovic today?"

Am I missing something? Do such questions arise routinely in press conferences a day or two after the match? In baseball, basketball, and American football, managers and players are grilled about their choices almost immediately afterwards. It's striking because in politics and general news, U.K. journalists are far more pointed and direct in their interviews than their U.S. counterparts.

Not specifically journos, but football media/coverage generally is full of cliches and nothingness.

They have guests on that have won everything in the game, and the most insightful they get is telling you exactly what you are seeing.

They make everything seam like its great individual ability, or a mistake, whereas a lot of the overloads etc are all the product of a tactical plan.

I used to watch a lot of NFL (and granted there is a lot of downtime) but they really help break down tactics and why certain things have happened that you would never know as a layman. I’d love that in football. Might not be right for the broadcast audience, but maybe a more niche analytical programme.

On a side note, when I was still playing Sat football the coaches used to send around tactical videos of pressing and pressing traps. Which is so useful, when you understand to see why some players are chasing men down whilst others are blocking off passing corridors etc.

Absolutely.

The answers have become as banal, predictable and irritating as the questions these days too.

There’s a refusal to ask referees any questions we would all like answered and it seems a similar motivation is behind asking players the same old loose and uninspired things. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is an authoritarian-esque draft of ‘acceptable questions’ which journalists have to choose from, or do we assume they themselves are far more versed in this parrot like practice than they are football?

How are you feeling after x today?
What’s the mood in the dressing room after todays match?
Did you expect that from x today?
Sum that up for us?
Big 3 points for you today.
So and so got a goal today, are you pleased for him?
What colour underwear do you have on?

The last one there a joke of course however could go on for a lot longer but we all know the script!

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!