Statistically our best midfielder per 90 minute matches

[funkyrobot]

Pass stats just don't add up

[Itsthejoeker]

Although assist stat is shit I still think that if we analysed build up play we'd get a better result

[cityfanlee23]

Pass stats just don't add up

As I said previously, there were other stats not worth mentioning that they have put as separates from the generic "forward passing" and "backward passing"

"Key passing" is considered separate from both of those, and there were a few others which adds up the total passes, but were not worth mentioning

[cityfanlee23]

The worrying thing for me is that's as "box to bick CM players, their defensive stats are below average at best, but attacking is almost null and void, would have liked an attacking midfielder in January... Dorrans would have been perfect, he was a CAM playing the box to box role and even on the wing...

So the box to box role we play wouldn't have been an issue and he Atleast has a decent pass and strike on him!

As others have said, Danny drinkwater has been the shock of the season, he's been terrible, but I think of all our midfielders bar Cambiasso he's the most promising if he hits form, he will come good im sure.

[Dan]

Stats are very over-hyped. Interesting but don't really paint the full picture.

[One Legged Beaver]

In fairness Cambiasso should have a fair few assists if people could finish.

[foxes_rule1978]

In fairness Cambiasso should have a fair few assists if people could finish.

Absolutely, you only get an assist if the strikers finish... so you could be the worlds greatest midfielder, create many chances but get very few assists if the guys up top can't do their job

[Guest Col city fan]

People will bang on about lies, damn lies and statistics. And will argue that black is white.

But, for me, they basically quantify what I've been trying to say all season:

Cambiasso has not consistently been 'class'. If the stats are to be beleived,,he's down on most dimensions.

Our 'assists' from midfield are embarrassing.

The box-to-box role is not popular in the Prem, for a reason... It neither enables our midfielders to defend, or attack, very well.

Our midfield can't shoot for shite..

I must admit though, as a bloke who has considered our midfield to be weak, pretty much all season, even I'm surprised at these stats. I do agree that if our strikers took more chances, our assists stats would be better. However, turn that on its head, maybe if the assists were of better quality, they would have led to more goals.

But what about 'shots on target'? That's disgraceful!

Well done Lee...interesting thread..and so much better than 'Drinky's' rubbish, Cambiasso is a superstar, etc etc..

Perhaps the biggest regret is that Andy King, once renowned (at least amongst us lot) as the player who would make those bursts into the box to score chances, has been resigned to stats like these. The Bryan Robson of Leicester City has become a reincarnation of Lee Marshall!

Joking aside, not good...

HOWEVER, let's get it better!!

[crisp packet]

Why are people surprised by these stats ?we've all known for a long while the midfield have been below standard not stepped up , two stats spring to mind ?

1.Not once ?if at all have we had more possession in a game?

2. 17 fcuking points...

[Greg2607]

The main issue that we have in midfield is that none of our midfielders run forwrad with the ball.  They never commit the player, or get the wrong side of them.  It's much easier to defend against passes when your midfield retains it's shape and isn't getting pulled about.

 

We need a midfielder who can pick up the ball, run at players and get the other side of them.  This then pulls defenders out of position. Much in the same way that Mahrez and Kram were pulling the defenders around and out of position, we need a central midfielder who can do the same.

[21st Century Fox]

Ariel duels won

James - 1.35

Drinkwater - 1.06

Cambiasso - 1.68

Hammond - 2.29

King - 2.08 

 

[CosbehFox]

Stats are very over-hyped. Interesting but don't really paint the full picture.

Agreed partocularly in this case. Passing stats are always misleading because is the pass twenty yards from goal or sixty?

Anyone can see really it's James and Cambiasso as they both have the biggest box to box engines in their legs. King and Drinky rarely have the energy to do it. Hammond you might aswell discount as when he plays it's as DM in a three generally (I'm certain he must have a niggly injury).

[Bert]

Hammond took a shot which was blocked which lead up to Cambiasso's first goal for the club.

[filbertway]

I'm sure this has probably been said, but the assists thing probably isn't the midfielders fault, the amount of chances our strikers have spunked away won't help them.

[cc_star]

With regards for centre midfield play only and not team as a whole

 

I think King & Hammond combined to be our best pairing early season, this was upset by 'better' James & Drinkwater returning from injury and Cambiasso slotting in to absolutely nil effect, in fact we went on a disastrous run which could ultimately cost us relegation.

 

Stats seem to show King to be the weakest and watching the performances since that early season spell it's hard to argue with that

 

Out of the rest I wouldn't say James is the best regardless of being a stat or two ahead of Drinkwater & Cambiasso, all three have proved to be a weakness.... and I really don't get the Cambiasso jerk circle. One or two good games and a shit load of woeful ones

 

For me, none of them have been helped out by Pearson's tactics where every CM has been required to be a box-to-box players in an era where dedicated CDMs are a key position

[Out Foxed]

pretty damning. to think we were confident about this midfield.

[Stadt]

If you're playing a 442 your midfield pairing needs to be quite disciplined, you can't have one galavanting forwards all of the time otherwise you'll get countered if you've only got your centrebacks and another midfielder behind the ball.

Our biggest problem with our midfield is that they're too similar, James, Drinkwater and King can all play safe passes and work hard but none of then are particularly creative. Cambiasso can do most things but obviously his age stops him from being an ever present. Hammond is Hammond, he does a job which none of the others do but he's still too limited.

[Guest Col city fan]

pretty damning. to think we were confident about this midfield.

?

Plenty of us weren't. .

[Fox Ulike]

pretty damning. to think we were confident about this midfield.

 

To be fair I think most of us were confident about our midfielders playing in a 3. I’d be confident about James playing DM, with Cambiasso and Drinkwater in front pushing on from the middle with Schlupp and Mahrez on the wings.

 

I keep saying it, but if you play two midfielders against 3 midfielders then you are going to lose the battle for midfield. We have done it all season.

[cityfanlee23]

To be fair I think most of us were confident about our midfielders playing in a 3. I’d be confident about James playing DM, with Cambiasso and Drinkwater in front pushing on from the middle with Schlupp and Mahrez on the wings.

I keep saying it, but if you play two midfielders against 3 midfielders then you are going to lose the battle for midfield. We have done it all season.

Agreed,

The only way for us to be solid in the midfield is to play the 4-3-3

Striker

Attacking wingers

3 in midfield in a straight line

4 at the back

That way out of the 3 midfielders we can commit 1 or even 2 forwards on a counter attack, and still have one to sit back and make up a defensive 5 if we lose possession,

Look at our United vicory, hammonds deflected shot fell perfectly for cambiasso, if they weren't in those areas we wouldn't have scored and the Scoreline would have been different.

my ideal 3 would be Hammond in the centre of the midfield 3, dropping back into the CDM position when out of possession,

With cambiasso and drinkwater on either side of Hammond committing forward on be break but also dropping back out of possession,

That's the only way is playing 2 box to box midfielders will work, if we have another cm able to drop back and cover defence.

Kram

Schlupp Mahrez

Cambi hammond Drinky

[cityfanlee23]

And just to reiterate, I didn't put these stats up as a clear indication of who's our best player, stats can't be used in that way,

Each position and player has a different role which ultimately means they will all end up with different results.

However the clear proof that can be taken from this, is that regardless of job or position on the pitch, the figures are still pretty embarrassing...

And if it's not improved I can see this run continuing, we need to control games more

[Itsthejoeker]

So our goal against Arsenal was down to Cambiasso holding up the ball and handing off to Mahrez to get the assist. Just because that stats say they have no assists it doesn't mean a player hasn't played a vital role in creating the chance or goal.

[cityfanlee23]

So our goal against Arsenal was down to Cambiasso holding up the ball and handing off to Mahrez to get the assist. Just because that stats say they have no assists it doesn't mean a player hasn't played a vital role in creating the chance or goal.

 

 

I think we all get that....

But the assists should be higher its as simple as that, the only teams with similar figures are burnley, hull and villa, and we all know what sort of position they are in, the same as us. 

 

It HAS to improve or we simply wont stay up, the midfield do not directly influence the match enough on a regular basis. 

without mahrez this season we'd be in trouble, he's the only player that has been a consistent threat.

[ramadaone]

I would have no problem with Hammond being one of the CB's if we played 5-3-1 as he would use the ball more intelligently than some 

 

It's not like we play Wimbledon every week so think he would cope fine in a back 3

[ScouseFox]

i did a bit of half arsed research to prove a point i don't really care about, and i could find leroy fer and graeme dorrans as the only two regular centre mids in the bottom 6 with more than 1 assist. in the modern game centre mids don't get many assists unless they are genuinely attack minded centre mids playing with the best strikers and taking all the set pieces. 

 

even going higher up the table;

 

steven gerrard: 22 apps (numerous set pieces) 1 assist.

aaron ramsey: 18 apps 2 assists. 

moussa dembele: 16 games 1 assist. 

ross barkley (the future of english football): 17 apps 1 assist. 

morgan schneiderlin: 17 apps 0 assists.

daley blind: 13 games 1 assist. 

yaya toure: 18 games 1 assist.

 

 

even one of the most technically genius central attacking players in the game today with one (or more) of the best strikers in the world right in front of him...

 

david silva: 19 games, 2 assists.