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Where people go after a bad take or a loss. "He's in the mud" means someone's having a terrible time, either a player struggling or a fan whose predictions went wrong. "Clear of the mud" means things have improved. Football Twitter uses it constantly to celebrate rivals' misfortune or mock people who were confidently wrong.

Running the channels means running into the space between a centre-back and full-back. That gap is the "channel." Attackers who time runs into the channel are hard to track because neither defender wants to leave their position. A good channel run, combined with a good through ball, is one of football's most effective attacking combinations. Strikers who make these runs constantly stretch defences.

Defending a specific area rather than a specific player. Each defender covers their zone, and whoever enters that zone becomes their responsibility. It keeps the defensive shape intact but can leave attackers free between zones or let clever movement exploit the gaps. Most modern teams use zonal marking as a base, especially from set pieces.

The players who stay back while the team attacks, ready to deal with a counter if possession is lost. Usually includes a centre-back or two and the holding midfielder. Guardiola teams obsess over rest defense positioning - they want numerical superiority or at least equality behind the ball even during attacking phases. Getting it wrong means getting hit on the break.

All the cynical stuff that wins games without playing well - diving, time-wasting, tactical fouls, faking injuries, crowding the ref, winding up opponents. Purists hate it, but it's everywhere and it works. Some players and managers treat it as a legitimate tool. Atlético Madrid under Simeone are experts at it.