The possession obsession

[Karl998yr]

Some people (mainly pundits but I've read the odd comment from fans too) are being critical to the point of obsession about our possession stats in games.

For me there's not a greater feeling than playing the opposition off the park and coming away with 3 points but the latter is all that matters come the final whistle.

UTM

[Back of the net]

Totally agree. It’s what we do with it that matters. We need to be smart with the ball when we have it.

[Scum-Triumphant]

Forest had 24% possession at Stamford Bridge yesterday and came away with 3 points.

Opponents can do as many short passes from one centre half to the other as much as they like.

It doesn’t impress me. 20 yard screaming volleys into the top corner are much better.

[redhouse]

The opposition can have as much possession as they want in their own half , they're not going to hurt us from there

[millertop]

It makes some feel good but it’s actually pointless

[Brin]

Exactly!

According to the duff BBC stats, as they're usually wrong, we had 37% - 63% possession to Norwich but, who came away with all 3 points?

[mellowmiller]

I'm surprised pundits still bang on about possession statistics because they really are utterly meaningless.
The most damning example of why that's the case is because when Leicester won the Premier League title they averaged something like 35% possession for the whole season!

[Jimmy Badfellow]

I agree with all the points made but I think where we need to improve our possession stats are when we win the ball back under pressure,deep within our half.What MT is trying to instil is to keep the ball for longer and get back up the pitch faster.Otherwise we end up doing what we invariably did under Warne in the Champ which was to get deeper and deeper and resort to hoofed,'anywhere will do' clearances which give the ball straight back to the opposition for them to have another go. Remember for every 1% extra we have the ball is 1% less for the opposition.

[jakethemiller]

I totally agree we need to have a bit more nous when regaining possession and keep hold of the ball more to
relieve the back. But I laugh my c$$k off when teams get caught pointless tippy tippy between goalie and defence.

[GlennMiller]

I agree with all the points made but I think where we need to improve our possession stats are when we win the ball back under pressure,deep within our half.What MT is trying to instil is to keep the ball for longer and get back up the pitch faster.Otherwise we end up doing what we invariably did under Warnehttps://boards.footymad.net/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=40348222 in the Champ which was to get deeper and deeper and resort to hoofed,'anywhere will do' clearances which give the ball straight back to the opposition for them to have another go. Remember for every 1% extra we have the ball is 1% less for the opposition.

You're spot on Jimmy. With a bit more composure in the second half yesterday, we could have managed out the game much more smartly and, the thing is, our players have the talent and technical ability to do it.

[Heliosphan]

For the "stattos" on the forum, I thought I'd dig a bit deeper into the possession stats to help illustrate how the game actually went.

1st Half Possession
RUFC 40% NCFC 60%

Passes made in OPPOSITION half
RUFC 65 NCFC 49

Passes in OWN half
RUFC 46 NCFC 156

So in the first half, 221 passes in the Norwich half and only 95 in ours. That tells you where the vast majority of the game was played first half. 60% possession to Norwich but couldn't get out of their half.

Things changed in the second half.

Possession
RUFC 35% NCFC 65%

Passes in OPPOSITION half
RUFC 53 NCFC 102

Passes in OWN half
RUFC 27 NCFC 84

A total of 129 passes in our half and 137 in their half. So if you compare this to the 1st half, we had a lesser impact going forward, didn't pass the ball as much as we did and clearly Norwich moved the ball a lot quicker.

[gru]

Playing 4-3-3 like yesterday we've got to take enough of the chances we create to get something from games mostly wins. When we lose the ball in forward positions we're open then to counter attacks against the good sides they'll make them count at sometime. I don't want us to play passing the ball out from back too much it's not our game especially when we're being put under pressure from the opposition. Playing more direct football possession stats don't come into it.

[mellowmiller]

For the "stattos" on the forum, I thought I'd dig a bit deeper into the possession stats to help illustrate how the game actually went.

1st Half Possession
RUFC 40% NCFC 60%

Passes made in OPPOSITION half
RUFC 65 NCFC 49

Passes in OWN half
RUFC 46 NCFC 156

So in the first half, 221 passes in the Norwich half and only 95 in ours. That tells you where the vast majority of the game was played first half. 60% possession to Norwich but couldn't get out of their half.

Things changed in the second half.

Possession
RUFC 35% NCFC 65%

Passes in OPPOSITION half
RUFC 53 NCFC 102

Passes in OWN half
RUFC 27 NCFC 84

A total of 129 passes in our half and 137 in their half. So if you compare this to the 1st half, we had a lesser impact going forward, didn't pass the ball as much as we did and clearly Norwich moved the ball a lot quicker.

.......and the important stats:
First half goals Rotherham 2
Second half goals Norwich 1
Just sayin' 🙂

[Karl998yr]

If I have one criticism of Viktor it is his distribution and decision making.
There is often an opportunity to play out from the back but instead he chooses the long punt upfield. It's then 50/50 whether we come out with the ball.
Maybe this contributes to the amount of possession we have.

[gru]

If I have one criticism of Viktor it is his distribution and decision making.
There is often an opportunity to play out from the back but instead he chooses the long punt upfield. It's then 50/50 whether we come out with the ball.
Maybe this contributes to the amount of possession we have.



A simple ball out yes from Victor but anything else same from defence I'd sooner them look for a player further forward. Nothing worse than giving a goal away losing ball close to our goal.

[CAMiller]

.......and the important stats:
First half goals Rotherham 2
Second half goals Norwich 1
Just sayin' ��

However
First half : average fan blood pressure 120/80 (normal)
Second half : average fan blood pressure 180/110 (hypertension)

Conclusion: higher RUFC possession = lower RUFC fan's blood pressure XD

[uttis]

Yesterday was yet another example of the piss ing about in the box with it teams that have visited NYS in recent years don’t know why but I always fancy us against these type of teams we press them and some teams are good against us with it Norwich were not the number of times we pressed them i they panicked and kicked it out for a throw
I’m not saying we don’t play football we do it’s just that I’d prefer the way we play playing football in the right areas eg opposing penalty area rather than ours
Anyone who thinks we don’t play football look at Odoffin goal at Sunderland

[avondalemiller]

What worries me is that when we score we then switch off. Norwich very nearly scored straight from the kick off..........

[gru]

A simple ball out yes from Victor but anything else same from defence I'd sooner them look for a player further forward. Nothing worse than giving a goal away losing ball close to our goal.



Like Humphreys at Sunderland.

[mellowmiller]

However
First half : average fan blood pressure 120/80 (normal)
Second half : average fan blood pressure 180/110 (hypertension)

Conclusion: higher RUFC possession = lower RUFC fan's blood pressure XD

Not necessarily!
If we had scored a couple more goals in the second half the blood pressure would have fallen nicely.
I'd prefer to see the opposition's net bulge rather than count how many pretty passes we make that lead to absolutely nothing 😉

[Pacman]

I look at the possession stats on most of our games and also others, and have to say a lot of the time they just don’t seem correct anyway, I can’t be the only one surely?

[frogmiller]

Big Sam Alledise said on a podcast.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that football was invented 6 or 7 years ago. Punters like to east football played at speed. The quicker the ball goes from one end to the other the better

[gru]

Big Sam Alledise said on a podcast.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that football was invented 6 or 7 years ago. Punters like to east football played at speed. The quicker the ball goes from one end to the other the better



Always said a good side makes the ball do the work!

[mellowmiller]

Just seen an interesting statistic that every winning team in the Championship on Saturday apart from Ipswich had less than 50% possession with most being between 30% and 40%.
Nuff said 😉

[gru]

Always said a good side makes the ball do the work!



most of the time.