Assessing 20/21 season

Birdy

Senior Member
I am starting a new thread so as to not let info get lost within parallel discussions and many irrelevant pages of other threads.

The aim is to assess this past season with the aid of stats. And when I say stats, I mean the last gen, cutting edge, sophisticated stats.
I will be posting new things (charts, pies, etc) as they get posted on the usual places I visit.
This is a good time as many analysts post season reviews etc.

Let's start with some first pieces posted by StatsBomb (top when it comes to football analytics):

1) xG/shot made or conceded:
Higher xG/shot means taking a shot from a good scoring position, lower means taking a shot from a not so good scoring position.

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So Barca takes the most shots from good scoring positions (no surprise as we are far from all others in xG created this season)

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Here you clearly see the problem:
Barca bottom 3 in xG/shot conceded, meaning that when the opponent takes a shot it's very frequently a clear-cut chance (from the counters we concede or individual mistakes we make)
Note that Atleti, RM, and Sevilla are top-4 on the category

2) Set piece goals and XG

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So, here another problem is seen.
Although we are 3rd in xG created from set-pieces, we are 9th in goals from set pieces, contrary to RM and Atleti.
We cannot convert our set-piece chances


(to be continued...)
 

JohnN

Senior Member
I don't won't to spoil the fun or anything and this is a legitimate question.
Is there any stat / metric that presents goals conceded by purely individual mistakes. most goals are due to mistakes so this is a hard ask, but I am talking about pure, extravaganzaly bad individual mistakes and not suspect positioning or not so good clearance.
That stat would have us top of the charts by a mile.
 

Interlop

Member
It’s clear that one of the most important things Koeman or the next manager has to do is to improve our defense.
 

malvolio

Senior Member
Defense won't improve with the same personnel. Koeman can only help them trough tactics, but otherwise he can't do much. And he is not the type of manager to improve or teach players in their mid twenties or thirties new skills.
Pep or Bielsa can do that.
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
Defence is not great and Busquets on front of them is as bad a DM defensively as will see in a top team.

If Pique and Busquets are still getting skinned on the break nothing will change.

A leader type in beside Araujo and if Emerson can provide some of the pace and power that is needed defence can improve.

FDJ and Wijnaldum can improve midfield defensively also.
 

FinBarcelonafan

Well-known member
Defence is not great and Busquets on front of them is as bad a DM defensively as will see in a top team.

If Pique and Busquets are still getting skinned on the break nothing will change.

A leader type in beside Araujo and if Emerson can provide some of the pace and power that is needed defence can improve.

FDJ and Wijnaldum can improve midfield defensively also.

True.. Barca still haven't figured out that if you play high line you better have quick defensemen
 

Birdy

Senior Member
I don't won't to spoil the fun or anything and this is a legitimate question.
Is there any stat / metric that presents goals conceded by purely individual mistakes. most goals are due to mistakes so this is a hard ask, but I am talking about pure, extravaganzaly bad individual mistakes and not suspect positioning or not so good clearance.
That stat would have us top of the charts by a mile.

Not that I know of as of now.
I don't exclude the possibility of that stat appearing in the near future
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
xG is massively flawed and top clubs dont use it or put much relevance at all to using it in analytics.

A shot from 40yds is logged as closer to a goal than a chance missed by an inch from a yard out.
 

Birdy

Senior Member
No it isn't and top clubs do the contrary of what you write.

But if you want to believe that, fine no problem
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
No it isn't and top clubs do the contrary of what you write.

But if you want to believe that, fine no problem

I know they dont and it is massively flawed as I said.. one shot from 40 yds is logged as closer to a goal than and air swipe at an open goal from a yard.

To point clubs have told players/staff to ignore it and it not to be discussed in the clubs as misleading and wont help solve anything.

You using xG earlier in season to try and show Braithwaite was best finisher at club as example of how flawed it is.
 

Birdy

Senior Member
I know they dont and it is massively flawed as I said.. one shot from 40 yds is logged as closer to a goal than and air swipe at an open goal from a yard.

To point clubs have told players/staff to ignore it and it not to be discussed in the clubs as misleading and wont help solve anything.

You using xG earlier in season to try and show Braithwaite was best finisher at club as example of how flawed it is.

You don't know shit, and you are exposing your ignorance...

You are just on your thing again, trying to pass off your idiosyncratic views on things as 'objective'
Not in the mood to take you seriously
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
You don't know shit, and you are exposing your ignorance...

You are just on your thing again, trying to pass off your idiosyncratic views on things as 'objective'
Not in the mood to take you seriously

You are in love with a stats you think is relevant in ways it isnt and top clubs dont use it and I know for fact last season one club was actively telling their players/staff to ignore it when being brought up by press etc and if being discussed internally

There is one numpty ignorant and backing wrong horse and not me.

Go study it and come up with 'Braithwaite is best finisher at club' again. That was a topper.
 
Last edited:

jairzinho

Senior Member
It’s clear that one of the most important things Koeman or the next manager has to do is to improve our defense.


Defense won't improve with the same personnel. Koeman can only help them trough tactics, but otherwise he can't do much. And he is not the type of manager to improve or teach players in their mid twenties or thirties new skills.
Pep or Bielsa can do that.


Only so much you can do with this current bunch. Its true a coach like Allegri can come in and make us more organized but you can't do much with Lenglet, Umtiti, Bob etc. You can't make Busi, Pique faster either.
 

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