Everton have the 14th highest possession in the league, cloggers?

[Seathestars]

Liverpool is an interesting case. In the beginning under Klopp, Liverpool used relatively many long balls, but gradually they have become one of the teams with the most ball possession.

I wouldn’t know, I don’t even know what my own team’s possession stats are. I do know there’s more than one way to skin a cat though.

 

[Egil Olsen]

I will say this, when I go to watch my team or watch on the tv, I certainly don't enjoy the opposition knocking it about with 60-70% possession, that is not my idea of a fun afternoon at the football.

Agree. Possession of a ball for no other purpose than to keep the ball in the team is boring to watch. But often it is a result of meeting an opponent who basically has all his players behind the ball on his own half of the field.

So therefore you try to lure the opponent forward in the field, and by constantly getting the team to move sideways to create space to play in. It is of course more fun when both teams want to take great risks, and give away a lot of space .

 

[Egil Olsen]

I wouldn’t know, I don’t even know what my own team’s possession stats are. I do know there’s more than one way to skin a cat though.

Yes, but in a competition there are some methods that are more effective than others.

 

[Tipp blue]

WHat do you think of your play style under Ancelotti?

Only Palace, West Ham, Burnley, Sheff U, Newcastle and West Brom have had less of the ball than you.

Couldn't care if we had the least possession in the league, theres only 1 stat that matters after each game, and that stat has improved for us.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

This fellas fetish with Everton is rather odd.

I mean...

Martinez is the best manager you've ever had.

[On Marco Silva] Here we go..

Who would do better that you can get? lollollol

Where do you expect Everton to finish? lollollol

And then, before this season;

On paper teams better than you.

1. City
2. Liverpool
3. Chelsea
4. Man United
5. Arsenal
6. Spurs
7. Leicester

In reality Wolves, Southampton and probably Leeds will finish above you too. So 11th place finish for Everton this year.

So if you expected us to finish 11th, then we're not doing too bad are we?

Oh and found this before the season;

When was the last time a team went toe to toe with Liverpool at Anfield in PL? Only Man City ever do it

Under Ancelotti we did last month mate. Won 2-0.

 

[Terrarian]

Oh is this guy not even a Blue ffs

 

[Chrismac]

If we want to progress we will need to get a helluva lot better at keeping the ball.
Meaningless possession can throw stats to a degree but if you look across history at the teams competing for trophies year in year out, 90%+ will dominate possession.
The bigger issue we have is not only do we have low possession stats, but also our heat map of where we play is also at the foot of the league, and along with average pass accuracy stats means we are currently relying on a freakishly high shots to goals rate which im guessing is unsustainable in the long run.
Better quality of player is the answer, atm teams can press us til the ball ends up at our weaker links then its turnover time.

 

[Jimishorts]

I wish we would have signed Thiago, he gives a boss thumbs up

Top of the ’idea balls’ league.

 

[chrismpw]

No, it's a pretty good predictor of how many points a team gets at an aggregate level. But it is of course correlated with other variables, but even adjusted for this I mean to remember, that it was one of the most robust variables. Especially if we separate the proportion of long balls, and measure teams that preferably use short passes.

Maybe it is - boring togger though.

 

[chrismpw]

Swashbuckling we are not.

We have moments - few admittedly, but more so than under previous managers.

 

[chrismpw]

@chrismpw

Nah - I have no problem with people having different opinions to mine. Most of the time they're wrong though.

 

[sdk]

Oh is this guy not even a Blue ffs

Rarely seen Swansea supporter.

 

[LocalNative]

I mean our style of play has been turgid throughout the majority of the season but possession stats count for nothing. I'm optimistic with a few new additions in the Summer we'll start playing proper togger.

 

[Lanolin]

We have moments - few admittedly, but more so than under previous managers.

Not of being swashbuckling we don't. The first couple of games of the season were, but not since then. It's not a criticism, just pointing out that our lack of possession is nothing to do with us playing high risk football, it's pretty much the exact opposite. We play safety first football, which often involves us completely sacrificing the ball in order to maintain our defensive shape. If it works to the extent that we finish top 6 then I'll be very happy with that approach, if we slide down any further than we currently are then I think i'd rather we'd been a little bit more expansive. It's a fine line.

 

[AsiaAsia82]

Liverpool is an interesting case. In the beginning under Klopp, Liverpool used relatively many long balls, but gradually they have become one of the teams with the most ball possession.

Interesting since the asthma has reduced and Covid testing started they don’t seem to be able to kick it as far or be as fast running after it

maybe that’s why they have more possession and lose more games