Skoorb
Alert Team
After another chastening weekend City fans find their team sat in 4th place in the league and facing the prospect of a promising season crumbling to dust unless the players (those that are fit) can pull their fingers out collectively and in some cases individually.
The Blues were well and truly undone by a Leicester side that have been well coached, are disciplined in their approach, work hard, who play to their strengths and have self belief and confidence coursing through their veins. From the get go Leicester’s players were on the front foot and having secured an early lead they never looked like surrendering it. Slicing through City early in the second half like a hot knife through butter they doubled their advantage and looked very good value for their six point lead at the top of the table by the time the final whistle brought an end to the torture for City fans.
Not having the distractions and additional games and travelling that come with multiple competitions and without the significant handicap of persistent and long term injuries to key players haven’t hindered Leicester’s situation either but enough of that bitter pill……
But beyond these reasons I have been wondering for while if there was more to their success. Is this remarkable story just a flash in the pan to be undone once video analysis delivers options for tackling their attacking success? Or is there a possibility that Ranieri has identified an credible alternative to the possession game that has been so prevalent among the Premier League’s top teams of recent years?
There is more to Leicester’s success this season than can ever be quantified by numbers alone. It is impossible to put a figure or value on the team spirit that exists at the club, on the self-confidence that fuels their desire to play with more freedom than most teams. Absent from the weight of expectation that often burdens teams challenging for the league, the Leicester players possess the rare currency of a sense of self-belief which is underpinned by an individual and collective work ethic which is enviable. If only it could be bottled…….
But beyond these unquantifiable factors are there any clues to be found in how they play which might suggest that the age where teams have coveted possession of the ball might be starting to end? Given that City are to welcome a coach whose philosophy at Barcelona seemed to be to starve his opposing team of the ball is it worth considering whether the football landscape is changing?
Possession has been regarded as a key to success by most top sides. Apart from the obvious “if we have the ball, then they can’t score” the tactic of possession seemed to revolve around the movement of the ball to enable the manoeuvring of opponents out of position and create scoring opportunities. Chances to cross the ball are shunned in favour of recycling the ball until the pieces on the board were in just the right position before the killer pass was available.
Now at times under Roberto Mancini’s tenure at City I used to think that the players were so concerned that they would get a roasting from their manager should they lose possession with a risky pass, that they would rather drop into an endless recycling of the ball back and forth across the massed ranks of defending opponents. Better to let someone else take a chance on getting an earful than risk a pass with less than 85% chance of success…..
Now we have scored some sublime goals having had possession of the ball for quite some time and creating movement that has been a joy to behold…..but conversely I often found myself almost chewing my arm off in frustration at a seemingly unending tendency to faff about with the ball in the centre of the pitch, never actually going anywhere and allowing the opposition plenty of time to regain their defensive shape thank you very much. This tendency has been less prevalent under Manuel Pellegrini but has surfaced at times even under his approach. It has served us well there is no doubt but at times, when unable to faced with determined & well disciplined opposition we seem to have had very little in the way of a Plan B. Are the two approaches - possession and let’s call it ‘direct play with a purpose’ - mutually exclusive or can they be fused together? Are players capable of switching ‘systems’ within a game or are the methods of coaching such that other than a natural counter attack, players cannot suddenly look for the ball in behind opponents because they are coached to receive the ball in tight spaces or with their backs to the opponents goal? The closet I can recall to City scoring a goal like this is the winner by Nasri in the League Cup Final in 2014. A long pass by Pantilimon up to Aguero in the Sunderland, the ball passed to Kolarov on the overlap whose cross was deflected into the path of the on rushing Nasri. Played with lightening fast pace and purpose - the pass to pick out Aguero was quite deliberate.
The stats used are courtesy www.whoscored.com and will focus on the current top four in the Premier League.
<!DOCTYPE html><html><table style="width:100%"><tr><td></td><td>LCFC</td><td>MCFC</td><td>AFC</td><td>THFC</td></tr><tr><td>Possession</td><td>43.7%</td><td>55.4%</td><td>55.5%</td><td>55.1%</td> </tr><tr><td>Pass success</td><td>69.3%</td><td>83.6%</td><td>84%</td><td>80.2%</td> </tr><td>Short passes per game</td><td>267</td><td>485</td><td>489</td><td>420</td> </tr>
<tr><td>% short passes per game</td><td>21.8%</td><td>12.6%</td><td>12.5%</td><td>14.3%</td> </tr><td>Long Balls per game</td><td>71</td><td>55</td><td>50</td><td>70</td> </tr><tr><td>% long balls inaccurate</td><td>63.48%</td><td>48.9%</td><td>49%</td><td>51.3%</td></tr></table></ am well aware that the stats highlighted above are both selective and limited. As the old saying goes - “Lies, damn lies and statistics”. I am not a statistician and am certainly aware that there are many, many other angles and details that could be explored and expanded upon. Examples include the number of tackles and interceptions, numbers of blocked crosses, shots and passes and aerials won per game to name but a few. The fact that Leicester City come top in each of those categories may well be attributable to their higher work rate, it might also highlight the fact that they spend more time defending because ether don’t have the ball…… I do not claim that this piece is exhaustive by any means but put these forward as the basis for discussion.
The team which is currently top of the league and which shows no sign of crumbling under the pressure enjoys far less possession than the other rivals in the top four, are less accurate in their passing and play more long balls (only just in Tottenham’s case) and fewer short passes that City, Arsenal or Spurs. Does this tell us anything or is it an anomaly?
Certainly it can be seen that Leicester know how to make best use of the pace of the Jamie Vardy. His team mates know that he has the pace to chase anything down and they have made good use of this option, often playing the ball in behind defenders forcing them to turn and engage in a foot race. As we witnessed at the weekend he is adept at latching onto these passes and although they seem to have a higher rate of inaccurate long balls I do not believe this is because the passes are all ‘hit and hope’ - it is not just ‘long ball football’ that teams under Pulis (Stoke) and Allardyce (Bolton) would often employ. They are more often than not played with a deliberate purpose and into areas they know Vardy is looking to exploit especially in channels outside the centre halves. It is tactical.
Take the ball played forward by Mahrez which led to Vardy’s first goal in Leicester’s 2-0 home defeat of Liverpool. This was launched ahead of Vardy but into space and not just central where he might normally be expected to occupy as a centre forward. Bouncing just outside the corner of the 18 yard box Vardy ran onto the ball and exploited with some aplomb the space afforded to him by the Liverpool defender. Anxious not to get too close to his opponent and risk him pushing the ball beyond him, the defender stood off and Vardy volleyed the ball superbly to score a goal of the season contender.
Leicester do not rely on this tactic alone as we witnessed to our cost at the weekend. Several times when, having regained possession, they broke with pace and purpose sending runners beyond our defenders and creating a number of goal scoring chances. They cannot be accused of being one dimensional in their approach. They may enjoy less possession than other teams and they may play more inaccurate passes……..but perhaps it is more to do with what they do with the accurate ones that counts?
So the question I guess is……..is this just a way of playing which other teams will adapt to and deal with next season - a one season wonder in which Ranieri is riding his luck with injuries and the talents at his club and using his considerable experience to harness the team spirit he has engendered? Or is there something other sides could look to emulate?
City have played some sublime football under Mancini and Pellegrini and have done so whilst enjoying the sort of possession stats illustrated above. But there have been times when they have allowed themselves to get bogged down in the middle of the pitch frustratingly probing and unable to penetrate the opposition defensive ranks.
Could City adapt to play with a bit more pace? Would you like to see them do so under Guardiola next season?
Are we perhaps seeing the end of the age where possession is regarded as a priority and which has been seen as the foundation for success by so many clubs?
The Blues were well and truly undone by a Leicester side that have been well coached, are disciplined in their approach, work hard, who play to their strengths and have self belief and confidence coursing through their veins. From the get go Leicester’s players were on the front foot and having secured an early lead they never looked like surrendering it. Slicing through City early in the second half like a hot knife through butter they doubled their advantage and looked very good value for their six point lead at the top of the table by the time the final whistle brought an end to the torture for City fans.
Not having the distractions and additional games and travelling that come with multiple competitions and without the significant handicap of persistent and long term injuries to key players haven’t hindered Leicester’s situation either but enough of that bitter pill……
But beyond these reasons I have been wondering for while if there was more to their success. Is this remarkable story just a flash in the pan to be undone once video analysis delivers options for tackling their attacking success? Or is there a possibility that Ranieri has identified an credible alternative to the possession game that has been so prevalent among the Premier League’s top teams of recent years?
There is more to Leicester’s success this season than can ever be quantified by numbers alone. It is impossible to put a figure or value on the team spirit that exists at the club, on the self-confidence that fuels their desire to play with more freedom than most teams. Absent from the weight of expectation that often burdens teams challenging for the league, the Leicester players possess the rare currency of a sense of self-belief which is underpinned by an individual and collective work ethic which is enviable. If only it could be bottled…….
But beyond these unquantifiable factors are there any clues to be found in how they play which might suggest that the age where teams have coveted possession of the ball might be starting to end? Given that City are to welcome a coach whose philosophy at Barcelona seemed to be to starve his opposing team of the ball is it worth considering whether the football landscape is changing?
Possession has been regarded as a key to success by most top sides. Apart from the obvious “if we have the ball, then they can’t score” the tactic of possession seemed to revolve around the movement of the ball to enable the manoeuvring of opponents out of position and create scoring opportunities. Chances to cross the ball are shunned in favour of recycling the ball until the pieces on the board were in just the right position before the killer pass was available.
Now at times under Roberto Mancini’s tenure at City I used to think that the players were so concerned that they would get a roasting from their manager should they lose possession with a risky pass, that they would rather drop into an endless recycling of the ball back and forth across the massed ranks of defending opponents. Better to let someone else take a chance on getting an earful than risk a pass with less than 85% chance of success…..
Now we have scored some sublime goals having had possession of the ball for quite some time and creating movement that has been a joy to behold…..but conversely I often found myself almost chewing my arm off in frustration at a seemingly unending tendency to faff about with the ball in the centre of the pitch, never actually going anywhere and allowing the opposition plenty of time to regain their defensive shape thank you very much. This tendency has been less prevalent under Manuel Pellegrini but has surfaced at times even under his approach. It has served us well there is no doubt but at times, when unable to faced with determined & well disciplined opposition we seem to have had very little in the way of a Plan B. Are the two approaches - possession and let’s call it ‘direct play with a purpose’ - mutually exclusive or can they be fused together? Are players capable of switching ‘systems’ within a game or are the methods of coaching such that other than a natural counter attack, players cannot suddenly look for the ball in behind opponents because they are coached to receive the ball in tight spaces or with their backs to the opponents goal? The closet I can recall to City scoring a goal like this is the winner by Nasri in the League Cup Final in 2014. A long pass by Pantilimon up to Aguero in the Sunderland, the ball passed to Kolarov on the overlap whose cross was deflected into the path of the on rushing Nasri. Played with lightening fast pace and purpose - the pass to pick out Aguero was quite deliberate.
The stats used are courtesy www.whoscored.com and will focus on the current top four in the Premier League.
<!DOCTYPE html><html><table style="width:100%"><tr><td></td><td>LCFC</td><td>MCFC</td><td>AFC</td><td>THFC</td></tr><tr><td>Possession</td><td>43.7%</td><td>55.4%</td><td>55.5%</td><td>55.1%</td> </tr><tr><td>Pass success</td><td>69.3%</td><td>83.6%</td><td>84%</td><td>80.2%</td> </tr><td>Short passes per game</td><td>267</td><td>485</td><td>489</td><td>420</td> </tr>
<tr><td>% short passes per game</td><td>21.8%</td><td>12.6%</td><td>12.5%</td><td>14.3%</td> </tr><td>Long Balls per game</td><td>71</td><td>55</td><td>50</td><td>70</td> </tr><tr><td>% long balls inaccurate</td><td>63.48%</td><td>48.9%</td><td>49%</td><td>51.3%</td></tr></table></ am well aware that the stats highlighted above are both selective and limited. As the old saying goes - “Lies, damn lies and statistics”. I am not a statistician and am certainly aware that there are many, many other angles and details that could be explored and expanded upon. Examples include the number of tackles and interceptions, numbers of blocked crosses, shots and passes and aerials won per game to name but a few. The fact that Leicester City come top in each of those categories may well be attributable to their higher work rate, it might also highlight the fact that they spend more time defending because ether don’t have the ball…… I do not claim that this piece is exhaustive by any means but put these forward as the basis for discussion.
The team which is currently top of the league and which shows no sign of crumbling under the pressure enjoys far less possession than the other rivals in the top four, are less accurate in their passing and play more long balls (only just in Tottenham’s case) and fewer short passes that City, Arsenal or Spurs. Does this tell us anything or is it an anomaly?
Certainly it can be seen that Leicester know how to make best use of the pace of the Jamie Vardy. His team mates know that he has the pace to chase anything down and they have made good use of this option, often playing the ball in behind defenders forcing them to turn and engage in a foot race. As we witnessed at the weekend he is adept at latching onto these passes and although they seem to have a higher rate of inaccurate long balls I do not believe this is because the passes are all ‘hit and hope’ - it is not just ‘long ball football’ that teams under Pulis (Stoke) and Allardyce (Bolton) would often employ. They are more often than not played with a deliberate purpose and into areas they know Vardy is looking to exploit especially in channels outside the centre halves. It is tactical.
Take the ball played forward by Mahrez which led to Vardy’s first goal in Leicester’s 2-0 home defeat of Liverpool. This was launched ahead of Vardy but into space and not just central where he might normally be expected to occupy as a centre forward. Bouncing just outside the corner of the 18 yard box Vardy ran onto the ball and exploited with some aplomb the space afforded to him by the Liverpool defender. Anxious not to get too close to his opponent and risk him pushing the ball beyond him, the defender stood off and Vardy volleyed the ball superbly to score a goal of the season contender.
Leicester do not rely on this tactic alone as we witnessed to our cost at the weekend. Several times when, having regained possession, they broke with pace and purpose sending runners beyond our defenders and creating a number of goal scoring chances. They cannot be accused of being one dimensional in their approach. They may enjoy less possession than other teams and they may play more inaccurate passes……..but perhaps it is more to do with what they do with the accurate ones that counts?
So the question I guess is……..is this just a way of playing which other teams will adapt to and deal with next season - a one season wonder in which Ranieri is riding his luck with injuries and the talents at his club and using his considerable experience to harness the team spirit he has engendered? Or is there something other sides could look to emulate?
City have played some sublime football under Mancini and Pellegrini and have done so whilst enjoying the sort of possession stats illustrated above. But there have been times when they have allowed themselves to get bogged down in the middle of the pitch frustratingly probing and unable to penetrate the opposition defensive ranks.
Could City adapt to play with a bit more pace? Would you like to see them do so under Guardiola next season?
Are we perhaps seeing the end of the age where possession is regarded as a priority and which has been seen as the foundation for success by so many clubs?
