I’ve built an early prototype of xG Stat—a football analytics tool designed to make post-match analysis fun and intuitive. My aim is to sort of have a sort of real-life football manager. Right now, it’s super simple: just one page with key visuals like passing networks and momentum graphs.

I’m looking to learn more about what people want in a tool like this: features you’re craving, is the data overwhelming, or is it missing something crucial... etc. Any input would be golden.

There's a tutorial step in the link above which explains how to leave feedback!

https://preview.redd.it/ygac8ujo9gyd1.png?width=1398&format=png&auto=webp&s=beacafccc4ecf9eb93944e1bd9c6cb700da0006d

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So one of my favorite players this year uses a strategy that he came up with that I found hilarious.

TLDR -

The Strategy - this player's primary strategy is that as we're in formation approaching the box we always soft pass it to the opponent's CB/LB/RB in the box in the first half. His objective is that after the pass you quickly ambush/steal it from them. This causes a ton of chaos and frustration, which is probably signs that this kid might be a future Dexter.

Backstory :

The league we're in had coaches poaching strikers and wings and then using whatever was left to get CBs. We live in a region where only special players embrace CB at this age. The expensive camps and trainers will focus 80% of training on what you'd teach an attacking mid or wing/striker. About 50% of the time a kid playing CB will be thinking about changing teams and playing down to get reps at Mid/Wing/Striker.

I'm very much the opposite. My team was created by getting LB/RB that played very well in u7 (or played the previous year at u8 at rb/lb). We didn't even go after a true striker, I just converted a fast wing. We win possession in almost every game.

Anyways, one of our players realized that it was far more effective if you actually passed the ball to the RB/LB in the box then ambushed them with 2 other players to get the score. In the 2 seconds that it happens they aren't expecting a direct pass and don't clear it. They aren't well training to make a move in these situations and are the employees already dreaming of a new job at another club so it's playing into the power dynamics.

Would I ever teach this? No. But I thought it was hilarious after I caught him doing it for the 5th time and it scored on 3 out of the 5 times he tried it.

He explained that he came up with the idea when he played his little brother in Madden. He would take it to the 1 yard line. Miss a field goal. Because his brother wasn't great at running the ball he would all out blitz him and get a safety then a touchdown.

https://youtu.be/mXKrBLyITrs?si=UayEMNuVQnSmbDL3

If anyone can give an in depth explanation here that would be nice, or if you have a resource for it that's even better.

I've noticed on kickoff a lot of teams, even if they'd normally like to hold possession, will hoof the ball forward immediately. Then a period follows where both sides pop the ball back and forth without really trying to get it under control.

Why don't they play it to the back line and then build up normally? I've seen this happens sometimes but like I said a lot of times they don't.

Is this because they don't want to play until they get their shape? Is it because they're scared of the opponents press when they're full of energy? Is it because they want to try to force mistakes early?

Do stats show more or less likely goals during the first minutes or two, and is this behavior (which seems to be accepted by both teams) trying to open up early goals or stifle them? And then as a followup, why is it accepted by both, shouldn't the situation favor one or the other? Like if it increases the likelyhood of a chaotic goal shouldn't the better team want to shut that down?

If so, why?

All,

I am currently enrolled in my USSF D License course but was curious if anyone know of another Federation where you could take licensing online in the USA? If its a dumb question I apologize, but I have realized there isn't much of a future (in my lifetime) in the USA to make a career of football. Any help is appreciated!

I'm currently recruiting for a football club who want to offer somebody their first role in football. Bit of a catch, you must have a PhD in Maths and be willing to go to Italy once every three months.

Get in touch

Arsenal ended up 3-1 winners over Southampton. In a game where Arsenal showed great blow-back ability as they started off the 1st half great but went 1-0 down in the 2nd half to a Cameron Archer goal, but instantly recovered with Kai Havertz making it 1-1, Martinelli putting himself on the score sheet, and Bukayo Saka putting the nail in the coffin to make the Gunners triumphant.

Arsenal came into the game with some rotational changes, with Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling replacing Gabriel Martinelli and Leonardo Trossard in attack. Jurrien Timber wasn’t available for this game as he picked up a knock against Paris Saint-Germain midweek, forcing Thomas Partey to drop into right back, and Jorginho was introduced back into the line-up.

Roll the tape.

1st Half Press

Arsenal started of the game brightly. Southampton insisted on sticking to their principles by playing out from the back in the early minutes of the game. Often trying to play the vertical pass into their attackers in an attempt to draw out Arsenal’s defenders.

https://reddit.com/link/1g0gn4v/video/fh8l96xdywtd1/player

We see here. Arsenal execute their press beautifully as the ball is played to Ramsdale; Havertz curves his run to take away his passing lanes, Jesus is getting ready to pounce at the pass through the middle, which forces Ramsdale to pass to his center back. While the center back is observing his options, getting ready to make that vertical pass into the striker. Jorginho is already shifting over; he takes a quick glance at the approaching attacker, speeds up his jog anticipating the pass, and intercepts the ball.

https://reddit.com/link/1g0gn4v/video/zrgok9wpzwtd1/player

On the next play, Southampton insisted on going long as the center back put in a clipped through ball to bypass Arsenal’s instant press. Which was useful but the Southampton player takes a poor touch, which Calafiori recognises and engages, winning the ball back. Immediately creating an attacking opportunity by driving the ball up the pitch.

Normally most defenders would win the ball back and retreat, but you see Calafiori after the pass join the attack and enter the box.

https://reddit.com/link/1g0gn4v/video/d8sm5nggywtd1/player

The brilliance of Bukayo Saka

I’ve run out of words to describe how good this guy is. Even despite playing against low-half table Southampton, the guy put on a masterclass. This game offered up something different but familiar for Bukayo. The absence of Martin Odegaard in recent games has offered Saka a new role, with him being seen as more of the creative hub for this side. This can be seen with the amount of live touches Saka has had with and without Odegaard.

Only the games where Arsenal had 11 men on the pitch

2 game sample sizes for both

With Odegaard: Averaged 40 Live Touches

Without Odegaard: Averaged 110 Live Touches

To create something during the first half, Arsenal continued to feed Bukayo. As during the first half, Arsenal's continuous waves of attacks came mainly on the right flank. The data supports this, since he had the most touches in the attacking final, third out of the entire team. He frequently attempted to advance the ball inside the penalty area, but Southampton contained the winger by consistently doubling and occasionally triple teaming, making it easy for him to recycle the ball.

With the changes that Arsenal made, it came with a loss of rhythm and familiarity, with players being in different roles, Thomas Partey being introduced into right back for only the 3rd time in his Arsenal career, and Kai Havertz taking up the right side midfield role.

This often left Saka isolated, with Kai often retreating to the penalty box where he is most comfortable and Partey often not providing Saka space by giving an overlap.

https://preview.redd.it/4jussdyiywtd1.jpg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cecfb7f3e18eacd264aadeeda112cf1a229de17c

In a situation like this when teams double up on Saka, Odegaard, White/Timber, and Saka would form a triangle to create a numerical advantage to the double, with Odegaard hanging at the end of the penalty to give one twos and White/Timber getting ready for the overlap to take away the spare man.

Southampton provided Arsenal a sucker punch via a Matheus Fernandes goal in the beginning of the 2nd half, giving the Emirates Stadium shell shock after dominating most of the 1st half. In a time where you want your big players to rise to the occasion, Bukayo Saka did that as he made a timely interception, then immediately dishing it into in-form Kai Havertz, who provided an instant getback by putting the Gunners level.

https://reddit.com/link/1g0gn4v/video/pgvtdajlywtd1/player

As the game turned, Bukayo Saka provided a beauty as the Arsenal captain received the ball from Thomas Partey. He kept a close dribble, obeying his options as Partey provided an underlapping run to take away the triple team. As he cut inside with the space provided, he provides a glance into the box as he sees a waiting Martinelli, ready to pounce in a goal-scoring at the furthest post. Saka supplies an almost looping like golf swing on the dime for Martinelli to latch onto to make it 2-1 for the home team.

https://reddit.com/link/1g0gn4v/video/72to2i9pywtd1/player

Trossard leads the group as the ball carrier in an attempt to transfer the ball to Martinelli during a brief break made possible by the long ball. When Joe Aribo challenges him, defender Yukinari Sugawara tries to deflect the ball out of his path, but Bukayo Saka successfully slots it into the bottom corner, beating Ramsdale in the process.

In a moment of adversity, the Arsenal captain stood tall and stamped his authority on the game as he grabbed one and two assists with Mikel Arteta in a post-game conference, expressing, "He believes in that, that he has the capacity to change games, to decide games, like many other players, and he wants to be at the top.

Super subs impact

After the immediate levelling of the score, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta decided to go all in by a triple substitution with Leanardo Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli, and Premier League debutant Mikel Merino in place of Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, and Jorginho. All 3 players provided immediate impact as the game took full control of the game like they did in the 1st half.

Gabriel Martinelli scored with a back-post finish in the lead-up to goal In a millisecond of a moment on the TV, you see Merino telling Martinelli to delay his run. This led the defender to focus on Merino and then burst, curving his run into the space as the cross was about to be delivered. The final third stuff, whether it ends in a shot or a cross, embodied what Martinelli does best.

Arsenal had an encouraging beginning, a minor setback, but through the individual brilliance of Bukayo Saka and the impact of substitutions. Mikel’s men came through as victorious

Check out the substack version: https://open.substack.com/pub/tdm23/p/how-arsenal-defeated-southampton?r=22biqt&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

https://www.tuttofotosport.it/2024/10/04/padova-alessandria-1929-1930-1-3/