Ball possession

[SoccerHQ]

I really enjoyed winning at Anfield, it was as comfortable an away win as Stoke. I didn't enjoy Newcastle, as I was nervous in our need to avoid defeat. Fortunately the game was something of a non-entity.

Neither of those games were comfortable. Great results but to say they were comfortable is stretching it a bit. We barely touched the ball second half at Anfield.

Stoke were complete rubbish opening day, they never looked like scoring.

It was only nervous because 1 nil leads are always dodgy no matter how both teams are playing, look at Man. United comfortably being the better team for 75 minutes today and then going into panic stations when Everton started to throw more men forward.

[villan from luton]

Good shout tbh

[Ads]

Eh? Tying myself in knots? You're back peddling. Masterplan/strategy it means the same thing and anybody who watched the game would have recognised a deliberate ploy after half an hour to retreat back, at a point when we should have been two up. This wasn't a result of Liverpool pressure.

You mentioned myths and you brought up the fiction of luck. You mention one shot in 90 minutes that didn't hit the target and use it as if it proves your point! We controlled it and were never in any damager, especially when Rodgers brought on Lambert and took off his wingers.

[SoccerHQ]

The Hull example I must it I'm finding a bit puzzling.

We completely battered them in the first half, no complaints if we were 4 up at half time and Bruce admitted that was the worst they've played for ages.

Yes we sat back in the second half to see what they had but you often see prem teams relax when they go 2 up as a sort of earnt the right sort of thing. West Ham did it with QPR today, just let them have the ball for the last 20 minutes and QPR did nothing with it.

QPR had 52% of the ball today btw.

[Lastfootstamper]

Some stats today highlight the way in which the possession percentage on its own has little indication as to how a game went; according to the beeb, Everton, Arsenal, Southampton and QPR each enjoyed over 50% possession this afternoon, yet, from what I can gather, all deservedly lost.

[Ads]

Chelsea were one up and allowed Arsenal to play in front of them second half, but they lacked any penetration and Chelsea did them on the break.

[bill]

Our possession stats are pretty awful. Over a prolonged season they will impact on our results. Against the top teams we are hitting the low 30%. We really shouldn't be playing on the break against every team we play at VP.

[Ads]

We didn't against Hull, we bossed them for forty five minutes then called it a day job done. Maybe we are just not used to routine home wins anymore.

[Risso]

We didn't against Hull, we bossed them for forty five minutes then called it a day job done. Maybe we are just not used to routine home wins anymore.

I'd say it was the perpetual inability to string two good halves of football together.

[PaulWinch again]

We might occasionally do ok, but it's fairly clear that we struggle with keeping possession of the ball and if we are going to have any long term success at home we're going to need to address that.

[villan from luton]

Whats our best team for the coming games then?

[tomd2103]

Our possession stats are pretty awful. Over a prolonged season they will impact on our results. Against the top teams we are hitting the low 30%. We really shouldn't be playing on the break against every team we play at VP.

Part of that might be to do with the fact that our back five (including Guzan) are not overly comfortable in possession.  For teams that do tend to have a lot of possesion in games, quite a bit of it tends to be in their own defensive third.  I wouldn't feel too comfortable seeing our current back four and Guzan knocking the ball around between each other and I'm sure that has been something that has been discussed.

[tomd2103]

Whats our best team for the coming games then?

For Everton away (assuming Vlaar and Benteke will be fit), I'd be tempted to go back to:

                        Guzan

Hutton    Senderos  Vlaar   Cissokho

                   Westwood

          Cleverley        Delph

Weimann       Benteke         Gabby 


I would like to see us try a different formation at home, with either Cole, N'Zogbia or Grealish coming in as a "number 10" behind Gabby and Benteke. 

[Sexual Ealing]

Posession matters, but posession stats are a red herring. Whether a team hoofs from the goalie and loses posession or knocks it among the back four for a minute and then hoofs and then loses posession the outcome is the same.

[tomd2103]

Posession matters, but posession stats are a red herring. Whether a team hoofs from the goalie and loses posession or knocks it among the back four for a minute and then hoofs and then loses posession the outcome is the same.

Exactly.  60% possession my look on paper like a team were dominant, but if a lot of that possession consisted of them playing it around the back while the opposition sat off then it can be a bit misleading.