Conclusions from Blades 3-2 Preston

[Beans]

Morning all, just published a big old article with some thoughts / talking points from this weekend's win, including:

- Trying to work out how Preston got back into this game
- Thoughts on whether midweek rotation was justified
- We're still great at set-pieces after a brief interlude against Birmingham

Give it a read if you're having a dull Monday

https://www.uptheblades.com/latest-articles/2018/9/23/conclusions-from-blades-3-2-preston

 

[Roygbiv]

Excellent read as always

 

[Sheffsteel]

Excellent read.

A massively significant point is the squad rotation issue,

I’ve heard many of our fans saying that Freeman, Stevens, Sharp and McGoldrick made a big difference on their return.
So the simple logic is......don’t change a winning team and play Freeman, Stevens, Sharp and McGoldrick against Birmingham.

It’s been highlighted as a mistake by Wilder to make so many changes resulting in the team struggling against Birmingham.

However there’s another theory that the reason why Freeman, Stevens, Sharp and McGoldrick played so well against PNE was because they’d all been rested in midweek and came back fighting fit wanting to prove a point. Thought Fleck looked a bit jaded against PNE, maybe that’s because he played against Birmingham.

My point is choosing a team isn’t simply about playing your best 11 players over and over again.
You need to consider energy, motivation levels and also tactics against the opposition.

 

[RammyBlade]

Love these stats and a nice end viewing

 

[NE Blade]

Good article Beans but I think you could be a little more balanced with your use of stats. Examples:

- I don't think removing a stat you don't find helpful from the table (shots on target) gives an objective view

- 'Added to that, they showed a complete lack of ambition in and out of possession, with every player behind the ball and essentially conceding 70% of the pitch to United'.....vs the stats showing Preston had 44% territory. Any thoughts on the stat not backing up that assertion?

I think most of the points you make are spot on though, particularly on rotation. I'm also a fan of the pod. Thanks for your hard work in making interesting United content.

 

[Broomhall Blade]

Looking at 4 points from the two home games is not a bad return, especially after Birmingham's(i think they are in a false position) excellent result on Saturday.
So i guess you can say the rotation was a success.

 

[super_pig]

Morning all, just published a big old article with some thoughts / talking points from this weekend's win, including:

- Trying to work out how Preston got back into this game
- Thoughts on whether midweek rotation was justified
- We're still great at set-pieces after a brief interlude against Birmingham

Give it a read if you're having a dull Monday

https://www.uptheblades.com/latest-articles/2018/9/23/conclusions-from-blades-3-2-preston

it’s not a weird week mate .. this is how we roll .. always have done
great read btw

 

[super_pig]

Excellent read.

A massively significant point is the squad rotation issue,

I’ve heard many of our fans saying that Freeman, Stevens, Sharp and McGoldrick made a big difference on their return.
So the simple logic is......don’t change a winning team and play Freeman, Stevens, Sharp and McGoldrick against Birmingham.

It’s been highlighted as a mistake by Wilder to make so many changes resulting in the team struggling against Birmingham.

However there’s another theory that the reason why Freeman, Stevens, Sharp and McGoldrick played so well against PNE was because they’d all been rested in midweek and came back fighting fit wanting to prove a point. Thought Fleck looked a bit jaded against PNE, maybe that’s because he played against Birmingham.

My point is choosing a team isn’t simply about playing your best 11 players over and over again.
You need to consider energy, motivation levels and also tactics against the opposition.

fleck is usually slow to pick up after an absence .. probably one of those who is better not being rested .. like bash

 

[ekke287]

"...unless you look at what went badly and try to fix it, you’ll never get better."

Great line, and one that we as fans tend to forget after a bad performance.

 

[Beans]

Good article Beans but I think you could be a little more balanced with your use of stats. Examples:

- I don't think removing a stat you don't find helpful from the table (shots on target) gives an objective view

- 'Added to that, they showed a complete lack of ambition in and out of possession, with every player behind the ball and essentially conceding 70% of the pitch to United'.....vs the stats showing Preston had 44% territory. Any thoughts on the stat not backing up that assertion?

I think most of the points you make are spot on though, particularly on rotation. I'm also a fan of the pod. Thanks for your hard work in making interesting United content.

Fair comment. I mentioned shots on target below the table for balance but the point I was making (as I'm sure many of us felt watching it) was that we were much the better team even if some of the stats are relatively even - I saw one of the Preston fans in Roy's View pointing out that it must have been an even game as both sides had 3 shots on target. Nahhh.

Also good point with the territory part. The point I was trying to make was that for the first hour or so Preston just let us do what we wanted, and then they came on strong after that. Annoyingly Stats Zone don't allow you to drill into territory % for specific sections of the match, but it does let you see some other stats in this way. So in that first 65 minutes United completed 2x as many passes overall, 2x as many in the attacking third (188 to 81), attempted 31 crosses to 9 and had 12 shots to 6 (only one of those shots for Preston was inside the box compared to 10 for us).

So basically, for the first 65 minutes Preston just sat off us / couldn't stop us getting into their box, and had very little going forward themselves. All changed after that and arguably that 20-minute spell from 65 mins to 85 mins was the most dominant period for either team, which is why the territory % skews closer together than we might have imagined.

 

[Baaaaaaa Blades]

great report and agree about Stevens, he has def got back to early last season form

 

[Trigger Blade]

Good article Beans but I think you could be a little more balanced with your use of stats. Examples:

- I don't think removing a stat you don't find helpful from the table (shots on target) gives an objective view

The BBC had it as 3 each, but that can't be right. We scored 3 and there was at least McGoldrick's header which as Beans says, hit a defender and was on target. I'm unsure how they define on target.

 

[I should coco]

An excellent thought provoking blog.

You need to a bit careful son, that'll never catch on around 'ere!

 

[Beans]

The BBC had it as 3 each, but that can't be right. We scored 3 and there was at least McGoldrick's header which as Beans says, hit a defender and was on target. I'm unsure how they define on target.

Opta (from whom Stats Zone take their data) class that as a "blocked shot" rather than one on target. Think "on target" means "keeper saved it / was a goal". Bit of a grey area there I suppose, if one's kicked off the line with the keeper beaten then that would feel a bit weird to class that as the same as a 20-yarder hitting a defender on the edge of the box but presumably that's what they'd do.

Probably why it's important to not just look at one category in isolation

 

[MJM]

Cracking read as always

 

[Stretch]

Cheers Beans. Great read as ever.

I could watch that video of Bash's goal all day long. The ball in and the way Bash loops it in are things of beauty.
Duffy knows it's in as soon as it leaves Bash's head and it's fucking priceless how Billy volleys te ball back into the net..with the Preston lad shielding himself like a big girl's blouse

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Cheers Beans. Great read as ever.

I could watch that video of Bash's goal all day long. The ball in and the way Bash loops it in are things of beauty.
Duffy knows it's in as soon as it leaves Bash's head and it's fucking priceless how Billy volleys te ball back into the net..with the Preston lad shielding himself like a big girl's blouse

Basham is totes amazeballs. FACT.

 

[N20 Blade]

Thanks, really interesting stuff. In regards to your section 5 comments, I know we ended up winning easily against Villa but for 15 minutes after they scored we looked decidedly edgy and uncertain. Another villa goal then and who knows? Game management is an overused term in football nowadays but it’s certainly an area we need to address. As you stated we can’t maintain such high intensity levels for an entire match, so we need to work on plan B. I think this was a shrewd observation and well articulated. Thanks again.

 

[Dnblade]

I remember CW been asked in an interview last season while we were on that early season run of form about the work rate and pressing,and will we be able to keep it up...CW replied... "just watch us".
But it's hard to keep playing that high tempo pressing game all season,and we tailed off a bit 2nd half of the season.
Seems like this is a lesson learned,and Chris is using the squad more for certain games when they come thick and fast..the wingbacks especially get through an incredible amount of work.
Can't see him making as many changes next time though.
Cracking read that by the way Beans.

 

[AWetFlannel]

Top article again Beans, completely agree with the rotation and it's effect on Enda, my MOTM on Saturday.

 

[NE Blade]

Annoyingly Stats Zone don't allow you to drill into territory % for specific sections of the match, but it does let you see some other stats in this way. So in that first 65 minutes United completed 2x as many passes overall, 2x as many in the attacking third (188 to 81), attempted 31 crosses to 9 and had 12 shots to 6 (only one of those shots for Preston was inside the box compared to 10 for us).

Nice one, so basically those stats back up the fact that they sat off us for the first two thirds of the game.

 

[WalkelyFan]

Opta (from whom Stats Zone take their data) class that as a "blocked shot" rather than one on target. Think "on target" means "keeper saved it / was a goal". Bit of a grey area there I suppose, if one's kicked off the line with the keeper beaten then that would feel a bit weird to class that as the same as a 20-yarder hitting a defender on the edge of the box but presumably that's what they'd do.

Probably why it's important to not just look at one category in isolation

I note that Jack's header and Bashembauer's from today's game were totally different. Do you know about the other two?

 

[Beans]

I note that Jack's header and Bashembauer's from today's game were totally different. Do you know about the other two?

Sorry, you've lost me! Could you rephrase the question?

 

[Houston_Blade]

Good blog again this Beans really enjoy reading them.

 

[blade too long]

conclusive review

we scored 3
they scored 2

we got 3 points
they got 0


that is all

 

[Blend-it-like-Harris]

We're 2 points behind Leeds United who are already gauranteed a return to the Prem (if you read their fans forum and the glee on the faces of Look North presenters) despite us being so far well off the pace and below par. Assuming we get Coutts back to something like full fitness and somewhere near 80 to 90% of what we know he's capable of, then promotion may be on the cards after all. I conclude that Stoke City will not win the league (as predicted by Deadbat) and we will not finish mid-table (as predicted by Deadbat) - but what the hell do I know?

 

[Dkc]

Relegated teams tend not to piss the league. They're more likely to be in the top six, but they rarely run away with it.

 

[WalkelyFan]

Sorry, you've lost me! Could you rephrase the question?

You said we'd scored four goals from set pieces. I've seen the O'Connell and the Basham one.. What were the other two? Corners, free kicks, headers etc....Does Oli's direct strike against Villa count as one for example.....

 

[bromtom]

You said we'd scored four goals from set pieces. I've seen the O'Connell and the Basham one.. What were the other two? Corners, free kicks, headers etc....Does Oli's direct strike against Villa count as one for example.....

Egan against Norwich, from a corner.

And then Norwood's free kick I'd assume.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Looking at 4 points from the two home games is not a bad return, especially after Birmingham's(i think they are in a false position) excellent result on Saturday.
So i guess you can say the rotation was a success.

Two points dropped, simple