Michael Duff or Michael Bluff?

[CroJack]

When he was appointed as Swans head coach Michael Duff promised a more progressive style of play to be backed up by plenty of wins.

"You don't need to be a rocket scientist to know the strengths and weaknesses within the team. There are loads and loads of good footballers (at Swansea). I will try to evolve it a bit in terms of adding some physicality and I think some pace needs to be added into it. Russ did a good job, played a really attractive brand of football. I just see the game slightly different. I see it a little bit more on the front foot and a little bit more progressive at times. That's not a slight on Russell, it's just the way I see the game being played. I still want to play good football, still want to entertain the fans, I just want to be a bit more high octane."

This is not "high octane"
​

This is a little bit better but still not "high octane"
​

​

This is better but has nothing to do with "high octane"​

This is pretty good​

 

[CroJack]

Positive BDP values indicate aggressive and effective pressing,
while negative values indicate a lack of pressure or ineffective pressing.



Put simply, Field Tilt metrics measures the share of possession a team has in a game,
considering only touches or passes in the attacking third.



Gegenpressing Intensity (GPI) metric represents the fraction of times a team
immediately attempts to regain the ball after losing possession in attacking areas, rather than falling back.





​

 

[CroJack]

Pass & move





PPDA = Number of Passes made by Attacking Team / Number of Defensive Actions

A smaller PPDA value signifies a greater level of defensive intensity, as in essence,
the defence has allowed a smaller ratio of uncontested passes to be made.

Defensive actions = Tackles, Interceptions, Challenges (failed tackles), Fouls

Simplified: smaller numbers mean that you don't allow opposition to pass the ball around.





​

 

[CroJack]

These stats are about our players quality










​

 

[Yankee_Jack]

I would say Duffer hasn't really studied the last 10 matches and the previous 10 matches under Madness. Those 20 games would have painted two entirely different pictures of how the same players conducted themselves based on the quality and styles of the opposition.

Duffer adopted the losing shape and style of Madness and the same degree of crap resulted. Just goes to show that square pegs and round holes also applies to shape and style as well as players and positions. And clearly all of the blarney before the season started has not transferred into how we go about business on the field. If we were losing but executing the game plan then that's one thing, but we're losing and the game plan is virtually non-existent.

We are lame in terms of the number of shots, but when we shoot we are hitting the target at the same rate.

Shots On-Target / Shots: Ipswich = 33%, Swans = 34%
Goals / Shorts On-Target: Ipswich = 45%, Swans = 33%

We're not shooting enough, nowhere near enough, and it's no secret why. In our 3-5-2 shape, we spend a colossal amount of possession out wide and passing backwards and across the back only to repeat on the other side. I'd like to see the numbers for crossing and dribbles in the attacking third. Ipswich one way or another are spending more time or time more efficiently in the attacking third than we are.

 

[CroJack]

As you can see, when it comes to number of shots, buld-up disruption, gegenpressing, PPDA numbers, and one-twos (all metrics that describe high-intensity football), we are a mediocre team.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

What is PPDA

 

[CroJack]

What is PPDA

Passes per defensive actions. How much passes you, as a defending team, allow opposition to complete. It shows how aggressive you are. The lower number of passes you allow the better.

A smaller PPDA value signifies a greater level of defensive intensity, as in essence,
the defence has allowed a smaller ratio of uncontested passes to be made.

Defensive actions = Tackles, Interceptions, Challenges (failed tackles), Fouls

Simplified: smaller numbers mean that you don't allow opposition to pass the ball around.

 

[CroJack]

Look at the Soton's stats.

-------------------------------------------------

Shots - joint-first
Shots on target - first
Goals scored - fourth
Build-up disruption - fourth
Field tilt - first
Gegenpressing - second
Pass & move - fourth
Pass accuracy - first
PPDA - first
Possession - first
Shot accuracy - fifth
Successful crosses - third
Successful dribbles - first

--------------------------------------------------

They concede relatively many shots, many on target shots, and they have conceded most goals (12 in 5 games). I watched the highlights from all of their games, and must say that these stats are inflated. Soton have conceded 4 goals against Norwich, one of the best teams this season, and 5 against Sunderland away, where Sunderland scored a couple of 30-yards stunners. I think they'll be ok because they, together with Stoke and Norwich, have the best stats so far.