Our xG (from FBref) against Hull yesterday was 3.7 (Hull 0.9). With the exception of Sheffield Wednesday's trouncing of Plymouth on the opening weekend (xG 4.4), this is the highest recorded by any Championship team so far, the next best being Leeds's 3.3 against Portsmouth, also on the opening weekend. Individual contributions to the cumulative total were 1.5 (Sargent, 0.7 if you exclude the penalty), Sainz 0.7, Núñez 0.5, Gordon and Marcondes (both 0.3), with the balance made up by low quality chances falling to four other players.
Most coaches would be content with a comfortable 4-0 win, but there's a ruthlessness about Thorup lurking behind his placid manner, as Duffy pointed out after the game: "When we get comfortable leads, we're not doing it on purpose, but we step off it a little bit when we could keep going and punish teams more. It could have seven or eight today. That's the ruthlessness that the manager is trying to get. He's not fully happy because we sat off a bit after we missed the penalty. Goals change games, and that's his point - a goal there would have made things nervy. He wants us to be killers. That's what we need to bring to the group. We have a lot of young players, and it's just about adapting to that mindset." There's a certain viking like conviction in that, perhaps bolstered by the three Danes; Marcondes, Slimane, and Sørensen providing some steel down the spine of the team.
Re. that quote from Duffy, if anyone's mindset needs changing, I'd say it was the older players's, not the younger ones. "Get ahead, slow the game, shut them out" is not a mindset instilled at youth level. Also, I don't actually hear Thorup grumbling about not going all out e.g. for a fifth, after scoring four without reply. What I hear him complaining about is dropping the tempo before the game is secured, as in the example Duffy gives of the reaction after the penalty miss on Saturday. Going all out for a three goal lead makes good sense; going all out for a four or five goal lead much less so. Nor do I hear Thorup complaining about the team trying to manage the game; what I hear him complain about is trying to manage the game by dropping back and defending the penalty area. What he wants is game management through keeping possession in the opposition third of the pitch, stopping the opposition getting anywhere near our penalty area.
I find it very difficult to believe that the theme and content of Duffy’s interview wasn’t sanctioned by Thorup and the management team. You’re importing too much of your own views and suppositions of what Thorup said onto Duffy’s words, when Duffy’s words don’t say that. Now it may well be that Thorup is asking the players to say what you think he is - but there is no evidence of that from Duffy’s comments.
Are there any highlights available? Can only find sky which I am unable to access due to my location. Help would be greatly appreciated.
Having listened to Thorup's comments about this, I think Robbie is right about game management in the opposition third of the pitch both to keep possession and create scoring chances. The key to that lies in midfield through McLean, Núñez and Slimane in that game or others playing in that central trio, supported by the 3 attackers up front through good movement and space creation. That allows the defenders to keep a high line, especially the FBs providing outlets and overlaps. This is the 'aggressive play' Knapper wants and Thorup is achieving it sooner than most people, including me, expected. The challenge will come when opposing teams see this and try to exploit it.
