A few observations from the stats (Foxes):

[Coolblade]

A few observations from the stats:

• We lost the xG battle (0.97 v 1.35): Leicester created more overall, but we punished them early.

- First half, ruthless efficiency: We scored three times from 3 shots and 0.80 xG. Leicester had 9 shots but only 0.11 xG, meaning they were restricted to low-quality efforts. Our midfield screen and quick transitions were decisive.

- Second half, under siege: Leicester threw everything at us: 12 shots, 1.24 xG, and two goals. We managed only 4 shots and 0.17 xG, but our defensive shape and aerial control saw us over the line. Tanganga and Mee were immense clearing danger.

• Possession didn’t matter but penetration did: They had 69.4% of the ball but lost it 54 times in their defensive half. We forced errors and transitions, showing that territory and aggression trump sterile control.

• Duels and aerial dominance: We won 52.1% of all duels and 59.4% of aerials (19 out of 32). That superiority underpinned our defensive resilience and gave us a platform to break. Peck (3 aerial wins) and Tanganga (2) were key, while Mee added 1.

• Defensive shape and discipline: Leicester’s midfield trio couldn’t break us down (in first half especially). Tanganga (3 clearances, 3 blocks) and Mee (4 clearances, 1 block) were key. Brooks pressed well (5 dispossessions), and Seriki chipped in with 3 tackles. Leicester managed only 3 shots on target despite their dominance, testament to our compactness.

• Transition efficiency: With just 30.6% possession, we attacked directly. Cannon and Campbell stretched their back line, supported by O’Hare’s 4 key passes. Seriki added width with 3 crosses and 3 dribbles, forcing their left side to defend deep.

• Set-piece and crossing threat: We delivered 9 corners to their 4, showing how our pressure translated into dead-ball opportunities. Burrows delivery was sharp, and Peck’s positioning punished them twice.

Individual standouts:

• Peck (8.12): Man of the match. Two goals, 2 shots on target, 6 clearances (most in team), 1 block. A complete midfield performance.
• Riedewald (7.66): Calm authority, 1 goal, 3 clearances, 1 interception. Screened well and broke lines when needed.
• O’Hare (7.31): Creative hub, 4 key passes, 3 shots. Dictated transitions.
• Burrows (7.07); Most successful tackles (4) more than twice as many crosses (7) and most accurate crosses (3)

Tactical snapshot: First half: aggressive press, overloads in transition, targeted their left side. Second half: deep block, compact lines, aerial dominance with defensive substitutes. Wilder at his pragmatic best, or at his worst, depending on your view!

Crack open the beers, a triple Sheffield double in a week!

UTB!

 

[LBA_Blade]

A few observations from the stats:

• We lost the xG battle (0.97 v 1.35): Leicester created more overall, but we punished them early.

- First half, ruthless efficiency: We scored three times from 3 shots and 0.80 xG. Leicester had 9 shots but only 0.11 xG, meaning they were restricted to low-quality efforts. Our midfield screen and quick transitions were decisive.

- Second half, under siege: Leicester threw everything at us: 12 shots, 1.24 xG, and two goals. We managed only 4 shots and 0.17 xG, but our defensive shape and aerial control saw us over the line. Tanganga and Mee were immense clearing danger.

• Possession didn’t matter but penetration did: They had 69.4% of the ball but lost it 54 times in their defensive half. We forced errors and transitions, showing that territory and aggression trump sterile control.

• Duels and aerial dominance: We won 52.1% of all duels and 59.4% of aerials (19 out of 32). That superiority underpinned our defensive resilience and gave us a platform to break. Peck (3 aerial wins) and Tanganga (2) were key, while Mee added 1.

• Defensive shape and discipline: Leicester’s midfield trio couldn’t break us down (in first half especially). Tanganga (3 clearances, 3 blocks) and Mee (4 clearances, 1 block) were key. Brooks pressed well (5 dispossessions), and Seriki chipped in with 3 tackles. Leicester managed only 3 shots on target despite their dominance, testament to our compactness.

• Transition efficiency: With just 30.6% possession, we attacked directly. Cannon and Campbell stretched their back line, supported by O’Hare’s 4 key passes. Seriki added width with 3 crosses and 3 dribbles, forcing their left side to defend deep.

• Set-piece and crossing threat: We delivered 9 corners to their 4, showing how our pressure translated into dead-ball opportunities. Burrows delivery was sharp, and Peck’s positioning punished them twice.

Individual standouts:

• Peck (8.12): Man of the match. Two goals, 2 shots on target, 6 clearances (most in team), 1 block. A complete midfield performance.
• Riedewald (7.66): Calm authority, 1 goal, 3 clearances, 1 interception. Screened well and broke lines when needed.
• O’Hare (7.31): Creative hub, 4 key passes, 3 shots. Dictated transitions.
• Burrows (7.07); Most successful tackles (4) more than twice as many crosses (7) and most accurate crosses (3)

Tactical snapshot: First half: aggressive press, overloads in transition, targeted their left side. Second half: deep block, compact lines, aerial dominance with defensive substitutes. Wilder at his pragmatic best, or at his worst, depending on your view!

Crack open the beers, a triple Sheffield double in a week!

UTB!

The wife says that….

 

[bakeblade]

A few observations from the stats:

• We lost the xG battle (0.97 v 1.35): Leicester created more overall, but we punished them early.

- First half, ruthless efficiency: We scored three times from 3 shots and 0.80 xG. Leicester had 9 shots but only 0.11 xG, meaning they were restricted to low-quality efforts. Our midfield screen and quick transitions were decisive.

- Second half, under siege: Leicester threw everything at us: 12 shots, 1.24 xG, and two goals. We managed only 4 shots and 0.17 xG, but our defensive shape and aerial control saw us over the line. Tanganga and Mee were immense clearing danger.

• Possession didn’t matter but penetration did: They had 69.4% of the ball but lost it 54 times in their defensive half. We forced errors and transitions, showing that territory and aggression trump sterile control.

• Duels and aerial dominance: We won 52.1% of all duels and 59.4% of aerials (19 out of 32). That superiority underpinned our defensive resilience and gave us a platform to break. Peck (3 aerial wins) and Tanganga (2) were key, while Mee added 1.

• Defensive shape and discipline: Leicester’s midfield trio couldn’t break us down (in first half especially). Tanganga (3 clearances, 3 blocks) and Mee (4 clearances, 1 block) were key. Brooks pressed well (5 dispossessions), and Seriki chipped in with 3 tackles. Leicester managed only 3 shots on target despite their dominance, testament to our compactness.

• Transition efficiency: With just 30.6% possession, we attacked directly. Cannon and Campbell stretched their back line, supported by O’Hare’s 4 key passes. Seriki added width with 3 crosses and 3 dribbles, forcing their left side to defend deep.

• Set-piece and crossing threat: We delivered 9 corners to their 4, showing how our pressure translated into dead-ball opportunities. Burrows delivery was sharp, and Peck’s positioning punished them twice.

Individual standouts:

• Peck (8.12): Man of the match. Two goals, 2 shots on target, 6 clearances (most in team), 1 block. A complete midfield performance.
• Riedewald (7.66): Calm authority, 1 goal, 3 clearances, 1 interception. Screened well and broke lines when needed.
• O’Hare (7.31): Creative hub, 4 key passes, 3 shots. Dictated transitions.
• Burrows (7.07); Most successful tackles (4) more than twice as many crosses (7) and most accurate crosses (3)

Tactical snapshot: First half: aggressive press, overloads in transition, targeted their left side. Second half: deep block, compact lines, aerial dominance with defensive substitutes. Wilder at his pragmatic best, or at his worst, depending on your view!

Crack open the beers, a triple Sheffield double in a week!

UTB!

Great stuff, many thanks fellow blade.

 

[Menage a petit pois]

We were crap 2nd half mainly because we gifted them goals. Fact. That said , I am so happy we came away with 3 points. I love the Blades but feck me..why do we make things so hard??? Anyway im plastered so forgive me...

 

[Geordie Blade]

We were crap 2nd half mainly because we gifted them goals. Fact. That said , I am so happy we came away with 3 points. I love the Blades but feck me..why do we make things so hard??? Anyway im plastered so forgive me...

I thought we dropped our intensity by about 5% in the second half and it really showed. Whereas in the first half we were taking the ball off their toes and forcing errors, in the second half we were narrowly missing tackles and letting them through with space.

 

[Bladesman]

We were crap 2nd half mainly because we gifted them goals. Fact. That said , I am so happy we came away with 3 points. I love the Blades but feck me..why do we make things so hard??? Anyway im plastered so forgive me...

I think the week caught up with us we look tired second half and they had quality off the bench to bring on to have a go at us.

Wilder admitted as much in the presser and its why we just went more defensive in the second half. Wilder was also a bit irked by the schedule of this week.

 

[SwitchBLADE Smiles]

A few observations from the observations from the stats:

xG - I don’t recall Leicester creating a thing all game? Their 2 goals really shouldn’t have been goals had Cooper not completely shit the bed. They would have barely been chances. Outside that… what else did they have? Emphasises just how useless xG is without any context.

Peck only scored 1 goal
Riedewald didn’t score any goals
O’Hare scored one

 

[Kenilworth]

A few observations from the observations from the stats:

xG - I don’t recall Leicester creating a thing all game? Their 2 goals really shouldn’t have been goals had Cooper not completely shit the bed. They would have barely been chances. Outside that… what else did they have? Emphasises just how useless xG is without any context.

Peck only scored 1 goal
Riedewald didn’t score any goals
O’Hare scored one

Couldn’t tell at the game but I think they’ve given the O’Hare goal was given to Riedewald as it might have taken a slight deflection. Harsh on O’Hare, though.

 

[Coolblade]

I felt giving the goal to Riedewald was harsh on O’Hare - and to be fair he didn’t claim it - but by the rules, it’s his goal. As for Peck, obviously I had 2 goals in 2 games in mind, after 60+ games without one. Long may it continue. He’s the sort of stroppy git that we traditionally like!

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

Winning the ball 54 times in their defensive sounds a lot, is that more than average?

 

[Ned the Donkey]

xG - I don’t recall Leicester creating a thing all game? Their 2 goals really shouldn’t have been goals had Cooper not completely shit the bed. They would have barely been chances. Outside that… what else did they have?

I think xG can be useful with context but after the game I was wondering what it would be for this 3-2 win.

I thought we'd probably edged a low scoring xG game 1.1 - 0.7 for instance.

For us Cannon's goal was very high xG, O'Hare, and Peck very low, Campbell's run towards the end of the second half added something, but beyond that not much more direct threat.

[Edit - Gus's "open goal" from a long way out should have been pretty high xG, especially if he takes a touch.]

For them, like you said, they didn't really create very much - despite a terrifying winger - although didn't Seriki(?) head an attempt off the line when it was 3-1.

Beyond that I'd've thought their first goal goes from 0 xG if Cooper takes the cross to, say, 0.3 or 0.4 when he leaves it.

One chance. One gift. 5 goals.

 

[Rufus Smalls]

We were crap 2nd half mainly because we gifted them goals. Fact. That said , I am so happy we came away with 3 points. I love the Blades but feck me..why do we make things so hard??? Anyway im plastered so forgive me...

Agreed, the first goal was a massive gift (caused by terrible goalkeeping) it gave them so much momentum and deflated us so we go back into defensive mode.

 

[Old Programme seller]

When you’re 3 goals to the good the second half is always going to be different their manager would have given them hell at the team talk which should have a positive effect and we should be looking at defending and hitting them on the break so the statistics albeit correct can be skewed because it’s a game of chess but that said we did make a bit of a mess of it in the second half.

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

I think the week caught up with us we look tired second half and they had quality off the bench to bring on to have a go at us.

Wilder admitted as much in the presser and its why we just went more defensive in the second half. Wilder was also a bit irked by the schedule of this week.

No matter what the schedule or the game is Wilder will go defensive and invite pressure on us. We did it all of last season and at the start we got away with it but it cost us at the end

 

[Koh Samui Blade]

No matter what the schedule or the game is Wilder will go defensive and invite pressure on us. We did it all of last season and at the start we got away with it but it cost us at the end

Why does Wilder get the blame for this?
On numerous occasions previously and was evident yesterday he is yelling at them to push up the field,what else can he do.

 

[ben1987]

A few observations from the observations from the stats:

xG - I don’t recall Leicester creating a thing all game? Their 2 goals really shouldn’t have been goals had Cooper not completely shit the bed. They would have barely been chances. Outside that… what else did they have? Emphasises just how useless xG is without any context.

Peck only scored 1 goal
Riedewald didn’t score any goals
O’Hare scored one

The official goalscorers were

Cannon
Reiderwald
Peck

O’Hares shot took the tiniest nick off Reiderwald on its way in so he’s been credited with the goal. Personally I think it’s Ohares as he directed the ball goalwards but officially it’s not.