⚽ Match Thread vs. AFC Wimbledon 10.05.25 [EFL L2 POSF1]

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Originally Posted by nw6pie

Having more possession does translate into winning more games, but only when you have the players and formation to make it work. Leeds topped the possession stats in the Championship (61%) this season, Liverpool were second in the Premier League (58%, only behind - unsurprisingly - Man. City), Bayern Munich were top in Germany (63%).

We?re doing a ?discount? version of the possession-based game that?s far more conservative than the teams mentioned above. Also, all of those teams play a 4-2-3-1 formation, compared to our 3-4-2-1. Maybe this needs to be the biggest change next season?

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Yeah, I agree, it works better the higher up the pyramid you go, and the better players relative to the level you have. In L2, it's clearly not so effective:

Top five L2 sides by possession: Notts, Chesterfield, MKD, Carlisle, Swindon.

Where's our trophy?

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Originally Posted by matt_magpie

Totally agree on a getting the ball forward quickly I want us to it do more but for me personally doing long balls 99% of the time from the goal keeper isn?t for me.

That tactic doesn?t turn around teams as they are sat in place and ready for it. As I said under Nolan it fell to bits when we no longer had Yates picking up 2nd balls and for me was dreadful to watch winning or losing.

I?m definitely up for mixing up our current style and playing out quickly and getting a ball down the channel where you have a chance of getting on to it or maybe getting a throw and gaining territory.

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To be really effective, possession based football depends on having players with the technical ability to bring a ball, arriving to them at pace, under control, quickly and find a pass, quickly. The main difference between Notts and EPL teams who play this way is the speed at which they play, the pace on passes is noticeably greater for one thing. You don't need to 'lump' the ball forward to get up the field quickly if you have the right players and we simply do not, use width, effectively enough.

I pointed out the other day that Notts rarely if ever, throw the ball down the line, it nearly always goes backwards.

Vardy's available after Sunday, not Rebekah, the other one.........