Have we got the laziest players in the division.

https://www.theguardian.com/football...mes-statistics

This really surprised me and thought our players would be running far more than the average. The conclusion is that the higher up the club the more their players run.

This was just one bit from the report:

Effort
There is a fairly clear statistical link between effort expended and results achieved. The 10 teams that have collectively run the furthest contain seven of the top 10 and all of the top six; of the seven teams that have run the least six are in the bottom half and three in the bottom four. The key exceptions are Crystal Palace and Huddersfield, eighth and ninth on the list but stuck in the bottom five, while Manchester United have outrun only four teams, yet retain European ambitions. While most of the 20 teams are fairly tightly clustered Cardiff have run more than 40km less than any other side, and more than 130km less than Arsenal, who top the effort table.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HaveringBluebird

https://www.theguardian.com/football...mes-statistics

This really surprised me and thought our players would be running far more than the average. The conclusion is that the higher up the club the more their players run.

This was just one bit from the report:

Effort
There is a fairly clear statistical link between effort expended and results achieved. The 10 teams that have collectively run the furthest contain seven of the top 10 and all of the top six; of the seven teams that have run the least six are in the bottom half and three in the bottom four. The key exceptions are Crystal Palace and Huddersfield, eighth and ninth on the list but stuck in the bottom five, while Manchester United have outrun only four teams, yet retain European ambitions. While most of the 20 teams are fairly tightly clustered Cardiff have run more than 40km less than any other side, and more than 130km less than Arsenal, who top the effort table.

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Clearly that has a lot to do with tactics rather than effort

Our full backs don't get forward. That's going to affect us in terms of distance, most sides fullbacks would run the furthest in a game, ours hardly cross half way.

you don't need to run so far when you are only playing in one half of the field!!!!! :hide:

That doesn't apply to all players. Take Aguero for example. He hardly moved against us but when the opportunity arose he scored. The statistics prove nothing.

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Originally Posted by Vindec

That doesn't apply to all players. Take Aguero for example. He hardly moved against us but when the opportunity arose he scored. The statistics prove nothing.

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And too much running may indicate that a player gets caught out of position easily.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vindec

That doesn't apply to all players. Take Aguero for example. He hardly moved against us but when the opportunity arose he scored. The statistics prove nothing.

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Running stats are worthless, nobody uses them. All about high intensity sprints, apparently.

We keep our shape and tend not to press too much when we lose the ball.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xsnaggle

you don't need to run so far when you are only playing in one half of the field!!!!! :hide:

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Exactly my first thought

NW plays a relatively static style. We move the ball quickly, we play with wingers that move from the halfway line to the byline, the players don't move that much off the ball. While I think it would be unfair to call us a long ball team, we're not a short passing team either.

Whilst I wouldn't say that you don't need to be fit (basically because you have to be!) the thing that sticks with me from my playing is "let the ball do the work".
Man City seem to who incidentally are the exemplar for how football should be played these days and are bang in the middle.

You need a mixture of talent, fitness and most importantly, tactical nous of your own abilities and your opposition's for success.

Stats, schmatz!
Lazy journalism derived from a spreadsheet and I see this piece as just another stick for the pundits and "experts" to hit us with.

Maybe more possession = more movement, compared to staying put and rigid when defending?