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Tactics TFC's Tactical Autopsy Thread

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Nice to see that we're top (bottom is "top") of the *** screams *** "PLAY! PLAY! PLAY!" table.

:ange-arms:
 
Creativity vs Profligacy:

EPL 2024/25 to date (R19), minimum 360 minutes played, at least 0.15 xG contribution per 90.

Onana (Villa), Sarr (Spurs), and Max Allister (Dippers) are the stand-outs in that combination of winning / retaining possession while still helping create chances.

Nkunku (Chelsea) looks amazing but only 400 minutes played so far and most of that was against Ipswich, Southampton, Man City and West Ham so not really representative

Salah (Dippers), Luis Diaz (Dippers), Evanilson (Bournemouth) and Szoboszlai (Dippers) are the stand-outs as highly creative yet efficient with possession.

A lot of very wasteful players at Man Utd, Rashford, Hojlund and Zirkzee in particular, (although Diallo and Casemiro look good)
For Spurs I think it stands out that Son and Madders are the most creative. I've mentioned this before and I think their lack of mutual involvement in the game is seriously damaging our chances to be a force in the attack. One creative player is often not enough. It takes a similar mind to understand what the other is going to create, and Son and Madders are really similar.

Happened against Newcastle when they came on. We saw it against City (4-0) and against Southampton (5-0 in 45 min).

Kulu is also creative, but as the graph shows, not so efficient. He fell in love with himself last few weeks and is now taking extremely long on the ball. He's also our slowest player so should be the one driving it forward. He's good for locking up defences but he shouldn't be the one dictating.

Maddison never really got his place back after his injury against Chelsea. He doesn't even start nowadays. It's clear what we're missing.

This is what's so frustrating with Ange. He just doesn't get it.
 
Underlines the importance of Romero to our build up but also the importance of recruiting a cb that can do likewise, with maybe better bc defending too?


View: https://x.com/datamb_/status/1877141650532872474?s=46&t=IomICbZIqZC4FsH907qgfw

Leave it out bus Romero would have been on the edge of the box instead of on the goal line 1-1.
I get sick of this narrative of his distribution he is a CB and his job is to protect the goal which he hadn't done this season
 
For Spurs I think it stands out that Son and Madders are the most creative. I've mentioned this before and I think their lack of mutual involvement in the game is seriously damaging our chances to be a force in the attack. One creative player is often not enough. It takes a similar mind to understand what the other is going to create, and Son and Madders are really similar.

Happened against Newcastle when they came on. We saw it against City (4-0) and against Southampton (5-0 in 45 min).

Kulu is also creative, but as the graph shows, not so efficient. He fell in love with himself last few weeks and is now taking extremely long on the ball. He's also our slowest player so should be the one driving it forward. He's good for locking up defences but he shouldn't be the one dictating.

Maddison never really got his place back after his injury against Chelsea. He doesn't even start nowadays. It's clear what we're missing.

This is what's so frustrating with Ange. He just doesn't get it.
Agree with all that. I can only assume Ange is trying to get an attitude shift out of Maddison by making him feel he has to earn his spot in the starting line-up.
 
Apart from showing that our line has got deeper since we lost our Cb’s it also shows the difference losing our first choice cb’s has made:


...*ssssssssssiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*...how have they controlled for the other absences/injuries? If they haven't then this is merely correlation and not as you are presenting it...but i can stay out of it if yall would like to get on with the Ange is our savior circle jerk...
 
...*ssssssssssiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*...how have they controlled for the other absences/injuries? If they haven't then this is merely correlation and not as you are presenting it...but i can stay out of it if yall would like to get on with the Ange is our savior circle jerk...
See the very next post for causation to explain the correlation. Forster + Dragusin + Gray + Bissouma's individual stats show 12 more turnovers per 90 when compared to Vicario + Romero + van de Ven + Bentancur. That reduced ball security / press resistance of those 4 individuals creates more opportunities for our opponents, which is supported by the xG conceded correlation posted by b.c.

And I think the eye test confirms it. We've looked far less solid playing out from the back without Vicario, Romero and van de Ven. To the point of even starting to abandon that tactic.
 
Not got a clue sorry😂😂
Bottom graph:
  • Bottom left, Leicester, Southampton and Wolves shit at both attacking and defending set pieces, conceding lots of chances (xG) but not creating many.
  • Top right, Woolwich, Forest, Liverpool and Bournemouth good at both attacking and defending
  • Bottom right, Spurs good at attacking set pieces but also conceding lots of chances from defensive set pieces.
  • Left: Everton kind of opposite to Spurs, better at defending set pieces that creating chances
Top graph:
  • Liverpool creating the most chances from open play and also ok from set pieces
  • Woolwich creating the most chances from set pieces and bang average from open play
  • Forest, Villa and Brighton also heavily dependent on set pieces
  • Spurs good from both set pieces and open play
 
I've vacillated about a response to this...I have very little interest in going back and forth about Ange (with intransigent AngeIN-ers...perhaps not you but this may be evidence) or about statistical analysis (with those without a firm grasp of statistical analysis...perhaps not you but this may be evidence). I just like shitting on the descriptive statistical circle jerk in here...you should ignore me, bus-conductor bus-conductor does...
See the very next post for causation to explain the correlation. Forster + Dragusin + Gray + Bissouma's individual stats show 12 more turnovers per 90 when compared to Vicario + Romero + van de Ven + Bentancur. That reduced ball security / press resistance of those 4 individuals creates more opportunities for our opponents, which is supported by the xG conceded correlation posted by b.c.
Yeah, this is a mess of an post-hoc analysis...and a craning of data into a convenient narrative...but it is most assuredly NOT a determination of a causality...all still correlation my friend.

Some potential confounding matters: relative level of opposition, defensive aggressivity* of opponent, %/number of increased turnovers that actually directly led to a chance (and defining time/#of passes parameters), etc etc etc etc...I could go on for an hour on these. And they would have to be known and controlled for in order to establish something resembling causation.

And I think the eye test confirms it. We've looked far less solid playing out from the back without Vicario, Romero and van de Ven. To the point of even starting to abandon that tactic.
Let me get this straight, what you see is what you already thought? Hell yeah, now we're talking!!!!

That's all convenient but nothing in this data confirms anything other than a pre-established bias and a desire for matters to fit conveniently into a mitigation narrative...as others would have and will further mention, we were also doing all the losing while those players were here...that's a hell of a confounding factor.

Good luck with any further analysis.
 
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