Reply With QuoteBecause the midfield and tactics aren’t good enough?
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This is a great website which I pop in and out of every few weeks - after a few minutes looking at it this morning, I find myself wondering why we are where we are in the table?
https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/25...d-Championship
A look around the various team stats charts shows us usually in the top half of the rankings with a top six shots per game rate. Predictably, we're top of the aerial challenges chart, but we're bottom when it comes to defensive interceptions, low in dribbles per game, we have the most goal attempts within the six yard box, we're top six for goal attempts in the penalty area and top half for shots from outside the box.
When it comes to individual stats, the method of marking is open to debate, but it's the same for everyone and the stats say we have the best player in the league, with another one twelfth - it's telling though that when it comes to central midfielders, we only have one within the top 200.
The most amazing stat for the season though was something I've just come across on Twitter thanks to ex contributor on here Nigel Blues - have a look at these, they're incredible;-
https://www.soccerstats.com/halftime...eague=england2
What to make of that lot? Well, I'd say they ask serious questions as to our pre game preparation as opposed to motivation problems because we seem motivated enough when it comes to the second half. My feeling is that the stats confirm that we're suffering heavily for individual mistakes and the individual stats tend to confirm what many are saying about our midfield, but I still find myself asking why are we as low as we are?
Because the midfield and tactics aren’t good enough?
I'm not sure what tactics you think are responsible for where we are in the league. I've spent most of the season thinking that our midfield is a problem area, yet we are still top half in so many of those tables, so there must be a few things we're doing right.Originally Posted by Cleve van Leef
Because we concede too many goals and don't score enough
Well that’s flippant, but plainly crap because we’ve scored more than we’ve conceded.
Well to be quite honest I really can’t work out what tactics are actually being used. Maybe we’re still around the top half is because teams below are worse than us.
I think we're pretty good until we get about 30 yards from their goal. We've also scored a freakish amount of goals from set pieces. I think we lack intensity and they're really low on confidence and have been all season, bar that 4 game winning streak.
Yes, it’s hard to argue against much of that, but I just find it so hard to explain the difference between our first and second half figures.
While I’d always agree that the important table is the one that appears at the of each season, I think the stats are an accurate enough reflection to say that we should be higher than we are ordinarily and so I’d say it’s reasonable to argue we’re currently below a few sides that are really worse than us, but perhaps they’re less prone to individual errors that cost goals or points - I’m nit saying we should be top six, but we should be a few places higher.
I think teams will subconsciously sit back against us, especially if they're 2 up etc like QPR away and Norwich at home. I think that's where our style might help as we get a bit more of a foothold in the game, we move higher up the pitch and then Moore etc get more chances. Tiring defenders against our players mean we get more free kicks in the second half as well? We're also winning halves of football but still losing the game.
Why did Nigel Blues stop posting on here ? .
Don't they go hand in hand though TOBW?
I totally agree - Our midfield is weak, but our tactics don't help to alleviate those flaws?
For me the passing and pace of the central midfield is arguably one of the weakest in the division and no one has done anything to take pressure off it.
For me Moore is being wasted with no one to get behind him and that's poor tactics and puts pressure on the already weak midfield
Yes, I agree this is a fascinating stat which Nigel Harris posted on Twitter earlier.
I cant explain it, either, but there must be something in it of significance.
We are not always starting slowly, but we still manage to concede early. Like others have said, we are prone to make unforced errors early doors. I think opposing teams have cottoned on and forcing these errors by pressing high.
As someone else also said, teams tend to sit back when ahead, this allows us to put pressure on and we have players who we know will cause mischief in any opponents penalty area, through corner kicks, throw ins etc.
Okay - what happens in the second half to make that difference? A few things...
1. The coaching team has watched the opposition for 45 minutes, and spotted things that we could take advantage of.
2. The manager has had a chance to motivate/instruct the players at half time.
3. We tend to bring on subs in the second half.
4. The opposition starts to tire as the game goes on.
But....those things apply the same to every team.
Yes, I wouldn’t argue that they do and, thinking about it, my obsession with our weak midfield (the individual stats match my view that Ralls is our best and most consistent in that area, but he’s hardly highly rated himself) has me centring too much on that area of the pitch because I find myself thinking that, with our weak midfield, it doesn’t really matter what tactics we use - what I would say though is that way we play is greatly shaped by the midfielders we have and yet Warnock and Harris seemed perfectly happy with them.
It's flippant, but not crap, if we had scored more and conceded fewer we would have won more games. I know...that's flippant as well.
It's possible that we start out too conservatively, If nothing else those stat show that when we play with an attacking intent we generally come out on top.
Why not go for a 'you score 3 - we'll score 4' mentality - certainly can't fair much worse than we are.
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