Great New Signing

[White Noise]

Timmyg from 'The Offside' has moved on a bosman to CCN!! :54:

http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2010/10/31/fulhams-tackling-interceptions/


Fulham's Tackling Interceptions

Filed under: Analysis — timmyg @ 3:57 pm

Hello there. After writing for TheOffside for the past 2.5 years, Rich has been so kind as to let me join CCN. I hope you're as kind to read and discuss my thoughts. We're all family, no?

Last week against West Brom, Fulham were chastised for "running out of ideas" and the like. Yesterday Fulham were in cruise control from the opening whistle. Wigan and West Brom are two similar sides, so what was the difference? Let's take a look:



The tackling chart on the left-bottom shows that Fulham were essentially ball chasing all around The Hawthornes, and not doing a very effective job at that. Additionally, the interceptions chart at the bottom-right show we were only able to cut out the ball at the top of the box. As Rich wrote about last week, this was all a result of our midfield being overrun and out of position from West Brom's "run-n-gun" offense.

Thankfully,the charts from yesterday show a different story than last week. Danny Murphy's return to the side completely reshaped our formation and kept the ball from ever really threatening our back four. All the interceptions are in the middle third near the center circle. The tackles are still in the middle third but all over the place — proof we were hustling and harrying them all around the Cottage. How we forced Wigan into our trap could be because of their ineptitude on the day (if you have a chance, be sure to dial up their passing chalkboard — not pretty), or Hughes made a point to train on this facet during the week, or maybe it is just down to Danny Murphy. Or maybe all three?

Roy was fantastic at getting our defense and midfield to form a phalanx that proved impenetrable. Hughes has abandoned the phalanx for, well, I'm still not too sure what. But the importance of having a rock in the center like Danny Murphy (who won 7 of 8 tackles) was on display yesterday like never before.

Oh, it also doesn't hurt to have a sidekick like Jonathan Greening with his team-leading 91% pass completion rate.

[TonyGilroy]

Trying to break football down into a science, just does not work for me

Plain and simple, we were miles better than them yesterday, i don't need explaining how

Some of us lesser mortals quite like to take a stab at understanding these things.

[RidgeRider]

Trying to break football down into a science, just does not work for me

Plain and simple, we were miles better than them yesterday, i don't need explaining how

Don't read it and move on. We don't need comments like this, you have been warned for the last time.

[NogoodBoyo]

I'm very happy to see the stats.  They nearly always prove how absolutely indispensable young Mr. Murphy is.
Nogood "Wumming a Wummer, isit" Boyo

[BarryP]

Mr. Murphy is a bit like Fulham's skeleton key to opening up opposing defenses.

[Scrumpy]

Interesting stats, but I wonder whether the difference is Murphy (who I know is fantastic) or simply the fact that WBA was Away and Wigan was at home. Of course we're going to defend further up the pitch at home, with the support from the home fans and the added need for 3 points.

So interesting stats, but not sure about the 'conclusions'.