Long balls

112 long balls in Town's last game more than any other game so far by a distance. We had 66% possession and made 572 attempted passes so the extra long balls partly reflect the fact that we just had the ball more. People were saying they thought we'd been playing more long balls recently so I looked up the stats on Sofascore.

The number of long passes that TOWN HAVE MADE in each game we have played are:

Morecambe 68
Bradford 72
FGR 69
Colchester 79
Port Vale 91
Walsall 75
Crewe 76
Oldham 88
Salford 112

Quoted from GrimRob

112 long balls in Town's last game more than any other game so far by a distance. We had 66% possession and made 572 attempted passes so the extra long balls partly reflect the fact that we just had the ball more. People were saying they thought we'd been playing more long balls recently so I looked up the stats on Sofascore.

Morecambe 68
Bradford 72
FGR 69
Colchester 79
Port Vale 91
Walsall 75
Crewe 76
Oldham 88
Salford 112

If someone who had no knowledge of football (i.e. no prejudices) were to look at that and the League table they wouldn't be able to make the connection that 'more long balls = less success'. Or the reverse.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

If someone who had no knowledge of football (i.e. no prejudices) were to look at that and the League table they wouldn't be able to make the connection that 'more long balls = less success'. Or the reverse.

Just the be clear the numbers are the number of long passes that TOWN MADE in each game we have played

Quoted from GrimRob

Just the be clear the numbers are the number of long passes that TOWN MADE in each game we have played

Do you know what the success percentage was Rob.

Like 30% found Hanson's head ?

Quoted from GrimRob

Just the be clear the numbers are the number of long passes that TOWN MADE in each game we have played

Doh! I read it as what the other teams did.  

Anyway, the point stands. You can draw absolutely no conclusions from those stats against the results of the games.

What's the definition of a long ball?

Quoted from Teesknees

What's the definition of a long ball?

rugby ball     sorry just had to do it

I saw the thread title and thought someone was getting personal and I was going to complain.

Quoted from arryarryarry

I saw the thread title and thought someone was getting personal and I was going to complain.

Are you sitting with your thighs too close together Arry?

Mine are quite long and as I get old they seem more so.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Are you sitting with your thighs too close together Arry?

No, they just come with age

Quoted from arryarryarry

No, they just come with age

Second highest on the list, the Port Vale game, and we were excellent....

Thread convergence: Long ball and big bellies...

A long pass is good as long as it does not give away possession. As any coach would say - the ball can run faster than any player. If you are going to do the “sit back and wait” game and then counter attack it is very likely that a fair few long passes will happen. To do it well you need a Dave Boylen.

The snag is that opponents soon suss it out. That is what used to happen with the Hurst master plan of using Monkhouse disguised as a flag on the halfway line to nod  the ball on into the corner. It happens with Engerland. That long diagonal ball to Sterling or Rashford out wide works for 5 minutes and maybe even a goal until the other side gets the message and then Southgate has to scratch his stubble for a Plan B. Much better to vary it with someone carrying the ball out at pace which is why I like to see Max Wright there.

Would be interesting to see how that correlates with possession percentages though. We had 66% possession on Tuesday, which must be the highest for us this season. Watching it, it certainly felt like Salford barely touched the ball.

Very much depends on how these stats are counted.

There's a big difference between a long (say, 40 yards) pass to pick a player out or switch play, and a floated punt up from the CB that is either just put into "an area" or put in the rough vicinity of the big striker. The first one is a deliberate and accurate pass, the second is a bit of a hopeful punt that pretty much leaves it 50-50 who gets possession as it's just who wins the aerial challenge.

Quoted from Tommy

Very much depends on how these stats are counted.

There's a big difference between a long (say, 40 yards) pass to pick a player out or switch play, and a floated punt up from the CB that is either just put into "an area" or put in the rough vicinity of the big striker. The first one is a deliberate and accurate pass, the second is a bit of a hopeful punt that pretty much leaves it 50-50 who gets possession as it's just who wins the aerial challenge.

Exactly Tommy. I would guess that most of the hopeful wellies in the direction of a target man come in games where we have lots of possession and very few ideas what to do with it. Tip-tap, tip-tap, tip-tap ...... thump.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

A long pass is good as long as it does not give away possession. As any coach would say - the ball can run faster than any player. If you are going to do the “sit back and wait” game and then counter attack it is very likely that a fair few long passes will happen. To do it well you need a Dave Boylen.

The snag is that opponents soon suss it out. That is what used to happen with the Hurst master plan of using Monkhouse disguised as a flag on the halfway line to nod  the ball on into the corner. It happens with Engerland. That long diagonal ball to Sterling or Rashford out wide works for 5 minutes and maybe even a goal until the other side gets the message and then Southgate has to scratch his stubble for a Plan B. Much better to vary it with someone carrying the ball out at pace which is why I like to see Max Wright there.

Don't totally agree with the highlighted bit Ron. There's the tactic of deliberately losing possession providing it's in the area down the opposition defender's flank. Long ball into that area or even into touch and it gives the other team the problem of what to do with possession in that area. Obviously you've got to push up as a unit to minimise their scope to do something useful. Not the most eyecatching football though.

Quoted from sam gy

Would be interesting to see how that correlates with possession percentages though. We had 66% possession on Tuesday, which must be the highest for us this season. Watching it, it certainly felt like Salford barely touched the ball.

I quite agree and if Hanson didn't win as few aerial challenges as people have counted, most of the times Salford got possession was from the punts.

I felt we did some great inter passing, but what was missing was a bit of raw pace, like their number 3 had; and some guile at playing the killer pass. I would like to have seen Harry and a fit Ahkeem go at them.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Don't totally agree with the highlighted bit Ron. There's the tactic of deliberately losing possession providing it's in the area down the opposition defender's flank. Long ball into that area or even into touch and it gives the other team the problem of what to do with possession in that area. Obviously you've got to push up as a unit to minimise their scope to do something useful. Not the most eyecatching football though.

I once watched a Mike Lyons training session which was devoted to just that tactic. The ball is launched into “the channel” for the two strikers to hunt down the defender going for the ball, probably facing his own goal, and get possession.The key words shouted in Scouse throughout the session were “SECOND BALL!!”

But in the 1966 World Cup semi against Portugal, the tactic got England a goal. Ball played onto the channel, Hurst won the 50/50 and held up the ball unil he could do a perfect ball back to Charlton .... thump ... goal!