Possession football

[Washysafc]

After yesterday’s game I thought that I would have a look at the QPR fans forum to get a feel for how they were feeling before we play them and came across this, which I have cut and paste from there.

some interesting points. We were not the only team to win with very little possession. In most games we win the possession stats as well.

All 8 wins out of the 9 wins this weekend home or away in the championship are by teams having less possessions than their opponents

Bristol City (2-1 away to Swansea) - 39% (4 shots on target to 4)
Sunderland (5-0 home to Southampton) - 31% (9-2)
Huddersfield (2-1 away to WBA) - 38% (4-5)
Preston (2-0 away to Stoke) - 30% (3-1)
Rotherham (2-1 home to Norwich) - 38% (3-5)
Plymouth (3-0 home to Blackburn) - 42% (9-4)
Hull (1-0 away to Leicester) - 35% (4-1)
AND
QPR (2-0 away to Middlesbrough) - 39% (3-9)

Ipswich only team that won with more possession 3-2 v Cardiff at home (55% 7-5 shots)

Possession can do one? It is not just us if you wonder having less possessions in matches. We certainly are not lucky to win. We played well and are competitive. Statistics is a funny game.

It is what you do to the football when you have it that counts.

 

[samwise_new]

watching the game i was surprised to see the facts come up, i know they did a lot of passing the ball around but we hardly looked like a team on the back foot...to be honest, i am one of those who reckons having the ball means nowt if you dont do summit with it and we do well with what we have.

 

[young2077]

After yesterday’s game I thought that I would have a look at the QPR fans forum to get a feel for how they were feeling before we play them and came across this, which I have cut and paste from there.

some interesting points. We were not the only team to win with very little possession. In most games we win the possession stats as well.

All 8 wins out of the 9 wins this weekend home or away in the championship are by teams having less possessions than their opponents

Bristol City (2-1 away to Swansea) - 39% (4 shots on target to 4)
Sunderland (5-0 home to Southampton) - 31% (9-2)
Huddersfield (2-1 away to WBA) - 38% (4-5)
Preston (2-0 away to Stoke) - 30% (3-1)
Rotherham (2-1 home to Norwich) - 38% (3-5)
Plymouth (3-0 home to Blackburn) - 42% (9-4)
Hull (1-0 away to Leicester) - 35% (4-1)
AND
QPR (2-0 away to Middlesbrough) - 39% (3-9)

Ipswich only team that won with more possession 3-2 v Cardiff at home (55% 7-5 shots)

Possession can do one? It is not just us if you wonder having less possessions in matches. We certainly are not lucky to win. We played well and are competitive. Statistics is a funny game.

It is what you do to the football when you have it that counts

Thoughts ?

Sorry mate not sure what's yours and whats from QPR forum.

What I will say is it seems like the matches where we win comfortably are the ones where a team attempts to dominate us with possession. We seem to deal with that better defensively than being caught in the break and we are lethal on the break! But I think we can play both ways we just struggle to break teams down who set up to defend and frustrate but with the addition of strikers hopefully that changes!

 

[Oliver's Army]

Martin O'Niels teams used to nearly always have less possession and draw the opposition on then try and hit them on the break. Just different ways of playing I suppose. I wouldn't want to have possession just for the sake of it if that makes sense, the team has to make progress up the pitch with purpose.

We are going forward a bit longer nd earlier this season I reckon, and I don't mind that at all.

 

[Nads]

Depends on the oppo.

Yesterday it was smart to let them have the ball and wait for them to leave space, we absolutely tore them up on that.

We scored 5 could easily have been 8.

If we’d tried to pass around then and keep the ball then we are at risk off the shoulder, Mogga got it spot on.

There’ll be games we do dominate possession, those are often the frustrating ones, because oppo are defending deep.

 

[Washysafc]

Sorry mate not sure what's yours and whats from QPR forum.

What I will say is it seems like the matches where we win comfortably are the ones where a team attempts to dominate us with possession. We seem to deal with that better defensively than being caught in the break and we are lethal on the break! But I think we can play both ways we just struggle to break teams down who set up to defend and frustrate but with the addition of strikers hopefully that changes!

This is from the QPR forum:

All 8 wins out of the 9 wins this weekend home or away in the championship are by teams having less possessions than their opponents

Bristol City (2-1 away to Swansea) - 39% (4 shots on target to 4)
Sunderland (5-0 home to Southampton) - 31% (9-2)
Huddersfield (2-1 away to WBA) - 38% (4-5)
Preston (2-0 away to Stoke) - 30% (3-1)
Rotherham (2-1 home to Norwich) - 38% (3-5)
Plymouth (3-0 home to Blackburn) - 42% (9-4)
Hull (1-0 away to Leicester) - 35% (4-1)
AND
QPR (2-0 away to Middlesbrough) - 39% (3-9)

Ipswich only team that won with more possession 3-2 v Cardiff at home (55% 7-5 shots)

Possession can do one? It is not just us if you wonder having less possessions in matches. We certainly are not lucky to win. We played well and are competitive. Statistics is a funny game.

It is what you do to the football when you have it that counts

 

[Chunksafc]

I was suprised at how high the Southampton possession stat was, but thinking their morning, they did have a fair amount between their 2 centre half's and we sat back, got into shape and got solid so they had nowhere to really apart from sideways.

A few round me where shouting to get into them, chase them down, but you could see the gameplay TM and the coaches had set up and it worked an absolute treat.

 

[cumbrianmackem]

TM said as much in his interview, he knew they’d have most possession but we used the width of the pitch brilliantly yesterday.
Four of our goals came from crosses, Ekwahs second was all his own work.
JC had the ball on a bit of elastic, they’re back four must have been knackered by full time.
We didn’t use hoof ball, the two big lads at CH hardly had to clear a header cos we played round them.
TM and the coaching staff deserve a lot of credit for the game plan as players alluded to after the match.
We just have to out think QPR next.

 

[SAFCDRUM]

Having watched the game again I'm not sure this way of playing will suit RS.

 

[Nads]

Having watched the game again I'm not sure this way of playing will suit RS.

Very true. Who’s he gonna run off?

They were incredibly predictable with the ball.

 

[Milton Nunez's Thong]

The buzz word at the minute is transitions. Think that summed us up yesterday. Get the ball then get it forwards quickly while there is space and before they get a chance to get into their defensive formations. Not as simple as counter attacking, but moving the ball quickly about the pitch to create space for our more skillful and creative players to punish them. Worked an absolute treat

 

[C Montgomery Burns]

Possession is 9/10 of the law and 1/10 demonic, as my mate says...

Seriously though, it all depends where you have possession and what you do with it. If all you do is knock 5/10/15 yard passes square around between your back four and midfield in the middle of the park or your own half, it's not hurting the opposition and is ineffective. Having possession in the final third, especially in the penalty area, gives a better indication of what you're doing with it. If it's resulting in regular shots at goal, shots on target, corners won, possession recovered quickly when lost, then it's effective. It gives you the chance to stretch the opposition and wear them down. If you give the opposition time to get back, organise and be solid, it's not working and you run the risk of being picked off yourself.

In the end it also depends on who you're playing and teams should have more than one way of playing, in case things aren't working out.

 

[clockstander]

Depends on the oppo.

Yesterday it was smart to let them have the ball and wait for them to leave space, we absolutely tore them up on that.

We scored 5 could easily have been 8.

If we’d tried to pass around then and keep the ball then we are at risk off the shoulder, Mogga got it spot on.

There’ll be games we do dominate possession, those are often the frustrating ones, because oppo are defending deep.

Exactly this our poor home form has puzzled me but the answer lies in this thread , I have been thinking about this for a while now and still not sure how we resolve it but trying to win the game by half time is not the answer.
Another strange fact, we scored from a corner kick yesterday , I think we had a 100 last year before we managed it.
Another case of catching them on the break., ).as was most of our specials from last season, its one to think about. and why I would like us to set up 3/5/2 against certain teams and during stages of home games.