BladesPod - United v Birmingham City analysis

[Beans]

Hey all, just published the next podcast episode, taking a closer look at our draw with Birmingham.

Includes instant reaction from BDTBL (01:30), and how it feels to finally draw a match (04:22). Then looking at some advanced metrics including expected goals (09.23), why we keep conceding long range strikes (14:25), what we can learn from the average position data (17:28) including the performances of Lundstram and Wright (19:08) and the importance of getting Baldock back (21.03).

Download from iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/bladespod/id1309198119?mt=2

Play on SoundCloud:

I guess it's useful to share the "average position" data here - these were a few conclusions I drew from it, expanded on in the podcast itself Information comes from SofaScore.

​

• Lundstram was used as an "anchor", arguably moreso than Coutts' role, giving Fleck more licence to move forward. That said Lundstram still got forward plenty and had a couple of shots from long-range which is encouraging in terms of his situational awareness.
  
  
• Our attacking dominance in this game is reflected in the fact that only Wright and CCV averaged more time in our half than theirs - look at the position of O'Connell, for example.
  
  
• This backs up how much we really miss a proper right wingback: Basham is one of our more advanced players but unfortunately is just not as good in this role as Baldock or Freeman. I expect a significant improvement when Baldock gets back in the team. Both Birmingham and Fulham packed the centre (Fulham had their players slightly further up the pitch) which drove us out wide, where we saw moves break down.
  
  
• Really interesting (to me, at least) to see how deep Wright plays compared to the rest of our team. We've used his strengths really well and not asked him to fill a role that he is less comfortable with than Basham, CCV and O'Connell are. This also partly explains why he's always the man to pull off the brilliant last-ditch tackles.

As always, subscriptions, reviews, shares on the social medias are greatly appreciated!

 

[SteveBlade]

50% of the word analysis is anal.

 

[dazzlingblade]

60% of the name Steve is Eve

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

Hey all, just published the next podcast episode, taking a closer look at our draw with Birmingham.

Includes instant reaction from BDTBL (01:30), and how it feels to finally draw a match (04:22). Then looking at some advanced metrics including expected goals (09.23), why we keep conceding long range strikes (14:25), what we can learn from the average position data (17:28) including the performances of Lundstram and Wright (19:08) and the importance of getting Baldock back (21.03).

Download from iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/bladespod/id1309198119?mt=2

Play on SoundCloud:

I guess it's useful to share the "average position" data here - these were a few conclusions I drew from it, expanded on in the podcast itself Information comes from SofaScore.

View attachment 33757​

• Lundstram was used as an "anchor", arguably moreso than Coutts' role, giving Fleck more licence to move forward. That said Lundstram still got forward plenty and had a couple of shots from long-range which is encouraging in terms of his situational awareness.
  
  
• Our attacking dominance in this game is reflected in the fact that only Wright and CCV averaged more time in our half than theirs - look at the position of O'Connell, for example.
  
  
• This backs up how much we really miss a proper right wingback: Basham is one of our more advanced players but unfortunately is just not as good in this role as Baldock or Freeman. I expect a significant improvement when Baldock gets back in the team. Both Birmingham and Fulham packed the centre (Fulham had their players slightly further up the pitch) which drove us out wide, where we saw moves break down.
  
  
• Really interesting (to me, at least) to see how deep Wright plays compared to the rest of our team. We've used his strengths really well and not asked him to fill a role that he is less comfortable with than Basham, CCV and O'Connell are. This also partly explains why he's always the man to pull off the brilliant last-ditch tackles.

As always, subscriptions, reviews, shares on the social medias are greatly appreciated!

Another belter mate. Really well done!

 

[Jesus_was_a_Blade]

Yeah really enjoy these, great way to pass half an hour in the afternoon

 

[Beans]

Thank you! Still waiting for someone to make a comment about Lundstram being an absolute anchor though...

 

[Deleted member 1486]

Really interesting (to me, at least) to see how deep Wright plays compared to the rest of our team

Does he play so deep, or was he just told not to push forward? (which would be reflected when averaged)

 

[Maidenhead]

Here we go.

Paralysis by analysis

 

[flashinblade1889]

60% of the name Steve is Eve

30% of the name dazzlingblade daz is a crap washing powder

 

[Beans]

Does he play so deep, or was he just told not to push forward? (which would be reflected when averaged)

Yeah, I think so - talked about it a little more in the podcast itself. He’s the one defender who doesn’t support the attack so his position remains deep. That makes sense to me as I think it’s fair to say that his strongest suit is as a covering defender rather than someone who steps out to join play, or bombs forward. And he’s been fantastic in that role - really wasn’t sure if he’d be able to do it in the Championship but he certainly has.

 

[dazzlingblade]

30% of the name dazzlingblade daz is a crap washing powder

23% ish......................... actually

 

[Deaneandagana]

What would be interesting to see is the same average position graphic when Coutts played - apologies if this has already been posted discussed.

 

[Beans]

What would be interesting to see is the same average position graphic when Coutts played - apologies if this has already been posted discussed.

It's very similar - here's the last 3 games that Coutts played alongside Fleck, disregarding Burton of course. Note that the Leeds game has us kicking "the other way" as we were the away team, but it looked more confusing to flip the image upside down Lundstram has been sliiightly deeper, but it's negligible to be honest.



You could say (in fact, I did ) that Lundstram could be closer to Fleck if we wanted to try and replicate the Coutts-Fleck partnership to its fullest. Arguably our most complete performance out of these 3 games was the Hull one which is when they played closest to each other. But this does suggest that we are at least trying to use Lundstram as a like-for-like swap for the role Coutts occupied, dropping back to pick the ball up from the CHs but also getting forward to support the attack where necessary.

One other thing I found interesting from looking at that, is the difference in the positions of our wide players compared to Fulham and Birmingham - they're much deeper on average, particularly Stevens and O'Connell. So maybe there's something here where, since we lost Coutts, we've tried to have Lundstram holding (in the knowledge that he doesn't have the skill levels Coutts does, but potentially offers more defensively) and given our wide players more licence to get into the other half? It could simply be that we were chasing the game against Fulham and Birmingham, but then we were also behind / level for a good stretch of the Hull and Leeds games too.