What Those Stats Tell Us - Millers v Coventry | Vital Football

What Those Stats Tell Us - Millers v Coventry

We've had quite a few "a game of two halves" this season and this was another example. Our first half performance was exceptional and I was feeling quite confident of victory at half time. The second half was a mirror image of the first, with the sky blues having more of the play just as we'd had in the first. The commentators on the midlands radio who were talking over the live streaming described us as being a "big, strong, bullying side". It's not the first time that we've been described as "bullying" either because it's been a description used in most games we've had this season. It got me to thinking, "are we big bullies?". Well I can certainly understand why we would be seen in that way because we ARE a big side, but bullies? I don't think so. Anyway, we've now completed what most would expect to be our toughest opponents and we've got four points out of the two games, and in the process we've seen that we don't have to fear anyone in this league. We're still top, but this time the title is out of our hands for the first time in a long while. We've still got some tough games to come, but looking through all the remaining fixtures I think that other teams have got even tougher games left, including last night's opponents Coventry. Promotion is still in our own hands. We can do this, come on you Millers, keep on doing what you've been doing, bullying your opponents and winning games ha-ha.
 
And going back to the "stats", once again we've had more fouls against us. This happens every game we play in. Perhaps it's because we ARE a big side and that most referees see us as bullies, especially with the aerial battles, because I've noticed that more often than not, whenever we challenge for a ball after a corner kick etc, the referee blows for a foul against us. Is this why we always get more "fouls" going against us? I reckon it is. Mystery solved, ha-ha.
 
I've said it before Nez, if falling down rolling around every time a player goes near you is thought of as a foul we are going to get a lot against us! Coventry did it on Tuesday night a lot.

I always say to my footballing family around me that if we have a not-so-good first half we will be better in the second half and, more often than not, we are. Mark changed things on Tuesday for Coventry and I don't think we knew what to do for the first twenty minutes or so - it's very rare we have a plan B.

As for the bullying. Don't see it myself. I look at some of our lads and think a puff of wind would blow them over yet they do stay on their feet. From corners if the 'keeper goes down he's going to get the decision, don't you think?

I do wonder if this 'bullying' tag that teams managers seem to have given us has found the ears of the referees and they give fouls against us because of that?
 
What I have noticed Caz is that players from our opponents get in the referees face much more than we do. Coventry had one such player (the one wearing the headband), O'Hare, and he was involved in all three bookings of our players i.e. Wood, Olosunde and Crooks. He was later booked himself and I thought at the time that it was probably down to the fact that the referee had seen enough of his moaning as it was about the actual foul. I hate to see all this feigning injury that's crept into the game recently too, and you see time after time when the "injured" player sees that he's conned the referee he will spring to his feet with a contented grin on his face. It's purely cheating and it needs stamping out, but we need referees with a backbone before that will happen.
I have also noticed re bullying that on quite a few occasions when one of our players jumps to win a header, the opposing player will "arch" his back making it look like he's been fouled, and more often than not the referee will award the free kick to the other side. This has been going on for years now and it really irritates me when the referee gets tricked into giving the foul. I wish we could play sides every week like Accrington who get on with the game without thinking they've got to cheat their way through it.
 
We DO need referees with backbone I agree Nez. But if we can see the player getting up and grinning when the one supposed to be fouling him has been booked then why can't the officials? Because, to me, that's surely a booking.

Time and time again we see Michael Smith - and formerly Kieffer Moore - getting pulled about, shirts pulled, arms pulled yet it is often Smith who gets penalised. Saying that I do think sometimes that Smith does make a back but probably because he's fed up with having his shirt pulled.
 
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