"Carrying the ball"

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Carlton Blade

Carlton Blade

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Lots of things about this season are making it clear just how difficult United have found the step up (for any number of reasons we've all covered). But this one really stands out for me.

Good teams have players who get on the ball and, first thought is, get it down and drive towards the opposition goal. There are 96 teams in the 5 top European leagues. United are 96th in

Number of carries attempted - 2,476. 63 behind 95th. 74 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance achieved - 5,338 yards. 1,482 yards behind 95th. 2,359 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance per carry - 2.16 YPC. 0.09 yards (5%) behind 95th. 0.12 yards (9.5%) behind 19th in the PL.

That's absolutely insane. I'd love to know if it's intentional or whether the coaching team are even aware of it?

 
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Carlton Blade said:
Lots of things about this season are making it clear just how difficult United have found the step up (for any number of reasons we've all covered). But this one really stands out for me.

Good teams have players who get on the ball and, first thought is, get it down and drive towards the opposition goal. There are 9d teams in the 5 top European leagues. United are 96th in

Number of carries attempted - 2,476. 63 behind 95th. 74 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance achieved - 5,338 yards. 1,482 yards behind 95th. 2,359 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance per carry - 2.16 YPC. 0.09 yards (5%) behind 95th. 0.12 yards (9.5%) behind 19th in the PL.

That's absolutely insane. I'd love to know if it's intentional or whether the coaching team are even aware of it?

Click to expand...

Probably the owners fault.
 
Carlton Blade said:
Lots of things about this season are making it clear just how difficult United have found the step up (for any number of reasons we've all covered). But this one really stands out for me.

Good teams have players who get on the ball and, first thought is, get it down and drive towards the opposition goal. There are 9d teams in the 5 top European leagues. United are 96th in

Number of carries attempted - 2,476. 63 behind 95th. 74 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance achieved - 5,338 yards. 1,482 yards behind 95th. 2,359 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance per carry - 2.16 YPC. 0.09 yards (5%) behind 95th. 0.12 yards (9.5%) behind 19th in the PL.

That's absolutely insane. I'd love to know if it's intentional or whether the coaching team are even aware of it?

Click to expand...
You’ll be called a pig for speaking sense!

I agree with you though. We all know we are set up to watch a horror show. But some people love Hecky so much he’s immune.

Good points. Well made.
 
Bladezz said:
You’ll be called a pig for speaking sense!

I agree with you though. We all know we are set up to watch a horror show. But some people love Hecky so much he’s immune.

Good points. Well made.
Click to expand...
I know numbers aren't for everyone but that sticks out like a sore thumb.
 
Carlton Blade said:
I know numbers aren't for everyone but that sticks out like a sore thumb.
Click to expand...
Stats show you the season at the end of the season. For now they show us a certain time period. We have been absolutly awful for many games. We’ve had 2 good halves and they were helped by 2 referee decisions.

We capitalised which is all we can do.

Our top goalscorer is “own goals” which says it all.
 
Bladezz said:
Stats show you the season at the end of the season. For now they show us a certain time period. We have been absolutly awful for many games. We’ve had 2 good halves and they were helped by 2 referee decisions.

We capitalised which is all we can do.

Our top goalscorer is “own goals” which says it all.
Click to expand...
Saying the same thing in every thread….. we’ve heard you. Thanks
 
Carlton Blade said:
Lots of things about this season are making it clear just how difficult United have found the step up (for any number of reasons we've all covered). But this one really stands out for me.

Good teams have players who get on the ball and, first thought is, get it down and drive towards the opposition goal. There are 96 teams in the 5 top European leagues. United are 96th in

Number of carries attempted - 2,476. 63 behind 95th. 74 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance achieved - 5,338 yards. 1,482 yards behind 95th. 2,359 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance per carry - 2.16 YPC. 0.09 yards (5%) behind 95th. 0.12 yards (9.5%) behind 19th in the PL.

That's absolutely insane. I'd love to know if it's intentional or whether the coaching team are even aware of it?

Click to expand...


Not surprised at all. We sold our two best ball carriers (yes I know they both wanted to leave).

Who's the best carrier we have now? Macca? Bogle?
 
Berge and Ndayie not replaced for that and Anel not having the time like he does in the championship either.
 
Carlton Blade said:
Lots of things about this season are making it clear just how difficult United have found the step up (for any number of reasons we've all covered). But this one really stands out for me.

Good teams have players who get on the ball and, first thought is, get it down and drive towards the opposition goal. There are 96 teams in the 5 top European leagues. United are 96th in

Number of carries attempted - 2,476. 63 behind 95th. 74 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance achieved - 5,338 yards. 1,482 yards behind 95th. 2,359 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance per carry - 2.16 YPC. 0.09 yards (5%) behind 95th. 0.12 yards (9.5%) behind 19th in the PL.

That's absolutely insane. I'd love to know if it's intentional or whether the coaching team are even aware of it?

Click to expand...
A lot of that is down to a lack of confidence ! But still we do lack nous on the ball ! Stands out a mile.
 

Carlton Blade said:
Lots of things about this season are making it clear just how difficult United have found the step up (for any number of reasons we've all covered). But this one really stands out for me.

Good teams have players who get on the ball and, first thought is, get it down and drive towards the opposition goal. There are 96 teams in the 5 top European leagues. United are 96th in

Number of carries attempted - 2,476. 63 behind 95th. 74 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance achieved - 5,338 yards. 1,482 yards behind 95th. 2,359 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance per carry - 2.16 YPC. 0.09 yards (5%) behind 95th. 0.12 yards (9.5%) behind 19th in the PL.

That's absolutely insane. I'd love to know if it's intentional or whether the coaching team are even aware of it?

Click to expand...
I did think Hamer was going to run with the ball, he certainly did for Coventry. Been disappointing in that regard.
 
Carlton Blade said:
Lots of things about this season are making it clear just how difficult United have found the step up (for any number of reasons we've all covered). But this one really stands out for me.

Good teams have players who get on the ball and, first thought is, get it down and drive towards the opposition goal. There are 9d teams in the 5 top European leagues. United are 96th in

Number of carries attempted - 2,476. 63 behind 95th. 74 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance achieved - 5,338 yards. 1,482 yards behind 95th. 2,359 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance per carry - 2.16 YPC. 0.09 yards (5%) behind 95th. 0.12 yards (9.5%) behind 19th in the PL.

That's absolutely insane. I'd love to know if it's intentional or whether the coaching team are even aware of it?

Click to expand...
We play a totally risk averse style of play, it seems our main priority is not to concede. This is probably an understandable tactic against the top six, but against the lower half sides, we’ve got to play more on the front foot, take responsibility, carry the ball, turn the opposition and create space for others to exploit. This includes the strikers, who for their part, have got to lose their markers and make themselves available to receive the ball.

The problem is, it seems that the negative, don’t concede, pass it square, pass it square, then back to Wes, game plan seems to be so engrained it’s become the blueprint for every match. When Brighton went down to ten men today, we felt confident to be more creative, played some good stuff and could have won. But the reality is, a team with only ten men, don’t leave themselves short defensively, so hopefully today will have given Hecky the confidence, to employ a more dynamic attacking style of play, from the off.
 
1889 said:
We play a totally risk averse style of play, it seems our main priority is not to concede. This is probably an understandable tactic against the top six, but against the lower half sides, we’ve got to play more on the front foot, take responsibility, carry the ball, turn the opposition and create space for others to exploit. This includes the strikers, who for their part, have got to lose their markers and make themselves available to receive the ball.

The problem is, it seems that the negative, don’t concede, pass it square, pass it square, then back to Wes, game plan seems to be so engrained it’s become the blueprint for every match. When Brighton went down to ten men today, we felt confident to be more creative, played some good stuff and could have won. But the reality is, a team with only ten men, don’t leave themselves short defensively, so hopefully today will have given Hecky the confidence, to employ a more dynamic attacking style of play, from the off.
Click to expand...
I see a lot of that but to be so far behind even the other bad teams in this statistic is odd. Over 210 yards per game behind Luton for example
 
Carlton Blade said:
I see a lot of that but to be so far behind even the other bad teams in this statistic is odd. Over 210 yards per game behind Luton for example
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Don’t compare us to Luton. I get criticised for this. But another good point well made.
 
Carlton Blade said:
I see a lot of that but to be so far behind even the other bad teams in this statistic is odd. Over 210 yards per game behind Luton for example
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I don’t expect it’ll change much but perhaps in fairness, the time to compare our stats to the other also rans, like Luton would be at the halfway stage of the season?

Mind you, they’ve got some running to do to make that up, I’ll grant you that 😬
 
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Carlton Blade said:
Lots of things about this season are making it clear just how difficult United have found the step up (for any number of reasons we've all covered). But this one really stands out for me.

Good teams have players who get on the ball and, first thought is, get it down and drive towards the opposition goal. There are 96 teams in the 5 top European leagues. United are 96th in

Number of carries attempted - 2,476. 63 behind 95th. 74 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance achieved - 5,338 yards. 1,482 yards behind 95th. 2,359 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance per carry - 2.16 YPC. 0.09 yards (5%) behind 95th. 0.12 yards (9.5%) behind 19th in the PL.

That's absolutely insane. I'd love to know if it's intentional or whether the coaching team are even aware of it?

Click to expand...

Totally agree with the observation.

The game at the moment in the top levels is about breaking lines when team press you.

That’s why City signed Kovacic and Nunes.

I think it’s a major part of why we look so inferior. We get pressed and we pass backwards and it encourages more pressing.

It’s also why I think Luton will do the double over us. They’ve got more athletic ball carriers in midfield to break beyond us.

Thinking very positively this evening 😀
 
Carlton Blade said:
Lots of things about this season are making it clear just how difficult United have found the step up (for any number of reasons we've all covered). But this one really stands out for me.

Good teams have players who get on the ball and, first thought is, get it down and drive towards the opposition goal. There are 96 teams in the 5 top European leagues. United are 96th in

Number of carries attempted - 2,476. 63 behind 95th. 74 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance achieved - 5,338 yards. 1,482 yards behind 95th. 2,359 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance per carry - 2.16 YPC. 0.09 yards (5%) behind 95th. 0.12 yards (9.5%) behind 19th in the PL.

That's absolutely insane. I'd love to know if it's intentional or whether the coaching team are even aware of it?

Click to expand...

My main issue is how we can't beat a high press.

It's always pass it back to Wes who then hoofs it upfield.
 
west_yorks_blade said:
I did think Hamer was going to run with the ball, he certainly did for Coventry. Been disappointing in that regard.
Click to expand...
We seem to coach it out of players, even the few ones who came to us as ball carriers. Bogle is another one who was great at it when he arrived but now largely lost the ability.

It’s a problem going back to the Wilder days, but he covered for it with ball carrying CBs, plus that’s what Mousse was so important for us at our peak
 
jono_t2000 said:
My main issue is how we can't beat a high press.

It's always pass it back to Wes who then hoofs it upfield.
Click to expand...
The lack of press resistant midfielders was an issue last time we were in the prem as well
 
There’s a lack of movement and explosiveness in the three together of Norwood, Souza and Hamer… this affects our ability to pass forwards and also to carry the ball into anything other than an opposition wall.

We need more legs in there.

This isn’t helped by not being able to push the wing backs or L or R CBs on.

If the striker/McAtee are isolated or unable to drop as deep and carry the ball then we’re always going to struggle to “carry”.

Ndiaye would have been dropping deep and having a go at it.
 
Hamer and McAtee can carry the ball but they don't have the strength of Ndiaye or Berge to hold off the challenges.
Bogle should start to carry it more as he builds his confidence, fuck all coming from the left though I'm afraid.
 
This is what changed when McAtee & Doyle started together instead of Norwood & Fleck, gave us legs and McAtee ran at people and committed them, whereas our current CM are slow/static in comparison .
 

Carlton Blade said:
Lots of things about this season are making it clear just how difficult United have found the step up (for any number of reasons we've all covered). But this one really stands out for me.

Good teams have players who get on the ball and, first thought is, get it down and drive towards the opposition goal. There are 96 teams in the 5 top European leagues. United are 96th in

Number of carries attempted - 2,476. 63 behind 95th. 74 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance achieved - 5,338 yards. 1,482 yards behind 95th. 2,359 behind 19th in the PL.
Distance per carry - 2.16 YPC. 0.09 yards (5%) behind 95th. 0.12 yards (9.5%) behind 19th in the PL.

That's absolutely insane. I'd love to know if it's intentional or whether the coaching team are even aware of it?

Click to expand...
The stats that stand out for me are not the carrying ones, it's the passing ones.

At some point in the first half a stat came up showing Brighton at ~250 passes versus Uniteds ~75

We need to hold onto it better and without having the players to carry the ball, the only option we have is successful passing.
 
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