SwissBlade
Well-Known Member
Its still much earlier than I would normally do something like this, but I think we’re at a point where we can say that we are seeing some trends and it will also be interesting to see how we’re looking at the end of Oct. As we’ve just lost at home in really frustrating fashion as it was a game we really should’ve got something from, its probably the best time to do this.
Preparation
One thing that has becoming more and more noticeable since we left League one behind is the level of homework and preparation that we do for games.
It wasn’t as apparent in League one, but when we had the presentation after the Chesterfield game on the final game of the season we saw exactly how many people were working in the coaching, sports science and data analysis side of the team. The back room appeared a very large room even then.
Last season, we saw in certain games how we unpicked sides, or tried to. Leeds and WBA being fine examples. We’ve also had the likes of Blades Analytics and Beans analysing games and passages of play to help us understand some of the stats which are available.
However, now that we’re in the big scary league and we’re 5 games in, there is a pattern emerging. I don’t have the access to all the stats software/ websites, so I am relying on what I am reading or watching for myself, so if I have made some errors, I will happily be corrected.
I can’t speak for the Bournemouth and Leicester games as I wasn’t able to watch them and follow up with the analysis in the detail that I wanted to, but its been noticeable as well as being pointed out with stats, that the other games we’ve done our homework:
Palace – Zaha getting marked out of the game
Chelsea – Attacking down our left to expose their weakness in Azpilicueta
Southampton – Attacking down the right, exposing Vestergaard and Djenepo, especially in the first half.
Is it working? I’d say yes. As Wilder has pointed out teams are changing their formation before the game to match us, so they’re doing their homework too, but they’re also changing during games, which is having mixed results.
Of course it doesn’t guarantee a win or even a result, but as we know yesterday was fine margins. And as I alluded to before the match, this is the first top flight Blades side in my lifetime where I think that every game we’re capable of winning. We’re creating chances from the way we set ourselves up, yes we can focus on the misses and I have said from the Bournemouth game where Didsy missed those chances that not being clinical enough will cost us. 17 chances yesterday, 4 on target and I’d say that at least 2 or 3 other chances lost due to poor decision making.
We’re playing sides and not just matching them, but at times we’re overloading them in attacking areas and whilst we’re not dominating possession in games like we did in League one or even at times in the Championship. We’re making the possession count. One of the things that we seem to also do now is counter attack more quickly. We’re upsetting teams like Chelsea and Southampton with the way we’re unbalancing them. Yesterday both the left back and left mid were having to cover Baldock and he was still getting through due to the quality of balls from Norwood and Fleck.
Areas for improvement
Still very early and as I said, I don’t have the stat access that some have, but from what I have seen I think we have a few areas to improve on, which we can hope will push the balance in our favour and give us a better chance to get some more goals. We don’t currently have a player in the form of Pukki, but we have a lot more to cope with this season.
I don’t believe that we’re far off.
Defensively – There is nothing to really concern us, no individual has really been exposed as not being good enough. Lots of individual mistakes, but mostly out of character.
Midfield – Again, coping well, not being overrun in games, opening teams up well and doing their job defensively as well
Strikers – Converting chances is looking an issue, but I also have faith in the players. We’re getting into the positions, we’re creating chances. But we don’t have a player that’s standing out as exception yet. This is an area where I feel its too early to make rash decisions and some patience is needed in the players.
Improvements are general from these observations
Our ability to adapt and recover quickly
Teams come with a game plan, pretty much all have had to adapt. Bournemouth, Leicester and Southampton all stand out for their ability to change things up when Plan A hasn’t been working.
Chelsea at 2-0 looked strong and we had a spell where we really looked on the ropes. Similar happened against Leicester and then Southampton when they had scored. We finished all those games the strongest, but its that ability to quickly adapt or recover when the opposition step it up a gear that may be punished.
Do we have a plan B? Yesterday we seemed to be a little out of sorts after their goal. So bringing on Mousset and Robinson looked to be a plan, like it was against Chelsea (where it worked), but when that doesn’t work, what then? We ran out of ideas when we had 10 men
Corners
So many corners yesterday and they were coming to nothing, we need to be a little smarter
Finishing
Obvious one and perhaps it might just be about confidence but we’re making great positions for chances, so we need to focus on hitting the target more, 4 from 17 isn’t great.
Are we missing a natural finisher on the pitch like Billy
Decision making
Preparation
One thing that has becoming more and more noticeable since we left League one behind is the level of homework and preparation that we do for games.
It wasn’t as apparent in League one, but when we had the presentation after the Chesterfield game on the final game of the season we saw exactly how many people were working in the coaching, sports science and data analysis side of the team. The back room appeared a very large room even then.
Last season, we saw in certain games how we unpicked sides, or tried to. Leeds and WBA being fine examples. We’ve also had the likes of Blades Analytics and Beans analysing games and passages of play to help us understand some of the stats which are available.
However, now that we’re in the big scary league and we’re 5 games in, there is a pattern emerging. I don’t have the access to all the stats software/ websites, so I am relying on what I am reading or watching for myself, so if I have made some errors, I will happily be corrected.
I can’t speak for the Bournemouth and Leicester games as I wasn’t able to watch them and follow up with the analysis in the detail that I wanted to, but its been noticeable as well as being pointed out with stats, that the other games we’ve done our homework:
Palace – Zaha getting marked out of the game
Chelsea – Attacking down our left to expose their weakness in Azpilicueta
Southampton – Attacking down the right, exposing Vestergaard and Djenepo, especially in the first half.
Is it working? I’d say yes. As Wilder has pointed out teams are changing their formation before the game to match us, so they’re doing their homework too, but they’re also changing during games, which is having mixed results.
Of course it doesn’t guarantee a win or even a result, but as we know yesterday was fine margins. And as I alluded to before the match, this is the first top flight Blades side in my lifetime where I think that every game we’re capable of winning. We’re creating chances from the way we set ourselves up, yes we can focus on the misses and I have said from the Bournemouth game where Didsy missed those chances that not being clinical enough will cost us. 17 chances yesterday, 4 on target and I’d say that at least 2 or 3 other chances lost due to poor decision making.
We’re playing sides and not just matching them, but at times we’re overloading them in attacking areas and whilst we’re not dominating possession in games like we did in League one or even at times in the Championship. We’re making the possession count. One of the things that we seem to also do now is counter attack more quickly. We’re upsetting teams like Chelsea and Southampton with the way we’re unbalancing them. Yesterday both the left back and left mid were having to cover Baldock and he was still getting through due to the quality of balls from Norwood and Fleck.
Areas for improvement
Still very early and as I said, I don’t have the stat access that some have, but from what I have seen I think we have a few areas to improve on, which we can hope will push the balance in our favour and give us a better chance to get some more goals. We don’t currently have a player in the form of Pukki, but we have a lot more to cope with this season.
I don’t believe that we’re far off.
Defensively – There is nothing to really concern us, no individual has really been exposed as not being good enough. Lots of individual mistakes, but mostly out of character.
Midfield – Again, coping well, not being overrun in games, opening teams up well and doing their job defensively as well
Strikers – Converting chances is looking an issue, but I also have faith in the players. We’re getting into the positions, we’re creating chances. But we don’t have a player that’s standing out as exception yet. This is an area where I feel its too early to make rash decisions and some patience is needed in the players.
Improvements are general from these observations
Our ability to adapt and recover quickly
Teams come with a game plan, pretty much all have had to adapt. Bournemouth, Leicester and Southampton all stand out for their ability to change things up when Plan A hasn’t been working.
Chelsea at 2-0 looked strong and we had a spell where we really looked on the ropes. Similar happened against Leicester and then Southampton when they had scored. We finished all those games the strongest, but its that ability to quickly adapt or recover when the opposition step it up a gear that may be punished.
Do we have a plan B? Yesterday we seemed to be a little out of sorts after their goal. So bringing on Mousset and Robinson looked to be a plan, like it was against Chelsea (where it worked), but when that doesn’t work, what then? We ran out of ideas when we had 10 men
Corners
So many corners yesterday and they were coming to nothing, we need to be a little smarter
Finishing
Obvious one and perhaps it might just be about confidence but we’re making great positions for chances, so we need to focus on hitting the target more, 4 from 17 isn’t great.
Are we missing a natural finisher on the pitch like Billy
Decision making
- Examples Didsy should’ve been focused on hitting the target rather than power
- Mousett should be taking his man on in a 1v1
- Baldock should’ve smashed his chance across goal first half
