@CroJack … are you able to determine when during the game that Stoke’s X goals were distributed. Were they predominantly post subs or evenly distributed ?
Post-sub exactly 2.00 xGoals for Stoke, but these chances are NOT the fault of the subs.
Here is the post-sub action:
69:00 Paterson coming on for Fulton, and Ntcham for Cooper
70:50 - Sorinola first intercepts a Stoke pass just to get dispossessed immediately after, Stoke start a counter-attack, Allan clears the Stoke cross
71:32 Naughton loses the ball (gets dispossessed) on the right side in our own third, Stoke counter-attacks, Delap sends the ball to Campbell on the left flank who then sends a low cross to Delap. Delap shoots from 11 yards out, Grimes makes a block and the ball goes over the crossbar. 0.30 xG. The ball from the corner puts us under pressure but Allen makes a clearance.
73:26 Ntcham gets dispossessed in the middle of the pitch and Stoke counter-attack, but Naughton intercepts the ball
74:36 Ntcham makes a sloppy pass in the Stoke half and Stoke counter-attack, Manning intercepts their pass
75:14 Sorinola makes an unnecessary clearance and gives away a throw-in in our own third, Paterson blocks the cross
77:29 Sorinola gives a free-kick away half way inside right channel in our half. Stoke have a free-kick but the ball goes into the Fisher hands. Though, one of the Stoke players was free to get at the end of it.
78:32 Obafemi coming on for Sorinola, Ntcham moves into the right wing-back position, Paterson on the left and Piroe on the righ behind Obafemi.
79:36 Excellent long ball and switch of play by Piroe but Obafemi’s poor touch sends the ball out just inside our half. Stoke’s throw-in. A couple of Stoke crosses easily cleared by the Swansea defence
80:46 Unprovoked Grimes sends the ball out at the half-line and gives sway a throw-in.
81:10 Excellent attack by Swansea through the middle. Piroe finds Obafemi who is in the shooting position but marginally offside.
82:00 - 83:30 Really good play by Stoke ended by a blocked cross. A corner-kick to Stoke.
83:40 Corner-kick. The ball cleared to a Stoke player who takes a first touch shot from 13 yards out. He shoots over the cross-bar. 0.20 xG
85:06 Grimes poor first touch, gives away a throw-in in our half. Stoke attack and put in crosses.
86:36 Swansea in possession. Manning totally unprovoked sends the ball to the Stoke goalkeeper.
87:20 Swansea counter-attack. Excellent opportunity to create something but Obafemi gets dispossessed at the edge of the Stoke box. Now Stoke (counter-)attack down the right side. They put a cross in and a Stoke player, who is totally free, heads the ball wide from 8 yards out. 0.80 xGoals. Great chance. That was a chain of poor defending. First of all, Paterson should’ve fouled the ball carrier who started the attack. A yellow card in the dying minutes of the match means nothing but stops a dangerous attack. Second, Grimes and Manning should’ve blocked the cross but they were jogging. And third, Darling let his man totally alone in our box to have a free header.
88:50 The madness starts with Fisher giving the ball away in our half. Instead of hoofing it into the Stoke half he tries to find Naughton in our own half with a lobbed pass. Madness. The ball is intercepted by Stoke and they counter-attack. The referee gives a free-kick to Stoke for an alleged Naughton’s foul on a Stoke player at the edge of our box. I haven’t seen any foul. Fisher goes out to collect the cross but totally misses the ball. The ball is though cleared to the left side outside of our box where Piroe and Ntcham fail to block another cross (they are jogging). At the far post a Stoke player wins aerial duel against two Swansea players and lays the ball off for his team-mate (Allen’s man) to score from 6 yards out. Of course, Fisher stands there like a statue and doesn’t try to come out and narrow the angle. 0.70 xGoals. So, again a chain of poor defending led to a huge chance to Stoke and a goal.
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So, we can't blame the subs for the Stoke goal, but we could eventually blame Martin for the player-for-player subs and for not strengthening our defence when he knew that Stoke were going to put in many crosses. Why not move Fulton and Ntcham back to defend crosses?
