Possession

[Monts]

No this isnt another GOC thread

I was noticing from the bbc stats that we had 54% of the possession last night.

From memory I cant remember us having the majority of possession in a league game all season.

Anyone got any stats?

And does that actually mean we are improving?

[Ozyhibby]

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No this isnt another GOC thread

I was noticing from the bbc stats that we had 54% of the possession last night.

From memory I cant remember us having the majority of possession in a league game all season.

Anyone got any stats?

And does that actually mean we are improving?

I'm sure that's the first time this season.

[Stevie Reid]

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I'm sure that's the first time this season.

We had 62% against Falkirk.

[Monts]

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We had 62% against Falkirk.

Talking about league games though.

[Treadstone]

Is anyone surprised ? We barely pass the ball through our midfield. Sparky plays on scraps. Twenty goals is an incredible haul considering our style.

[Stevie Reid]

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Talking about league games though.

I've just looked on BBC and if you believe their stats, we had the majority of possession in the 2-2 draw at United and 1-0 away win to St. Mirren. Those were the only two I looked at.

[Andy74]

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Is anyone surprised ? We barely pass the ball through our midfield. Sparky plays on scraps. Twenty goals is an incredible haul considering our style.

I keep reading this but I think it's nonsense. The main problem we have is turning the ball we get in midfield to anything decent in the attacking third, but we do play short passing to the midfield and between the midfield. Often if we don't get anywhere you will then see it played up from Griffiths.

The way some talk you would think we just constantly lump high balls forward and chase after it, that's rubbish.

Early season it worked well, we had neat passing passing and interplay and the wide players were able to take it and have an impact. Cairney and Wotherspoon in particular. They went bang off form and so with the type of stikers we have we struggled to get the ball from midfield forward and when the ideas run out or the options run out that's when you see a longer pass.

If we can get wide players to play more effectively and get in a striker that can make the ball stick and bring wide players and midfield players into the game we will improve.

I wish we'd stop with the myth that we set out to play long ball football though, if anything we play a bit too tippy tappy around the midfield at times.

[Stevie Reid]

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I've just looked on BBC and if you believe their stats, we had the majority of possession in the 2-2 draw at United and 1-0 away win to St. Mirren. Those were the only two I looked at.

Possession stats are a bit misleading anyway, as many teams are happy to let McPake linger on the ball for ages, especially if we are getting beat. We had 59% of possession against St. Johnstone in the 3-1 game at ER, but the majority of that would have been when we were 3-0 down.

[jw1410]

Game last night fortified for me the view that we really either need a creative, incisive midfielder or a strong, target man style forward who is going to finish at a much higher percentage than any strikers we've had at Hibs for a while. Against Aberdeen we had all the ball and did **** all with it.

We play really well down the wings, but I can't help but feel that our opponents aren't really worried about crosses coming in because we always seem to get hustled off the ball.

[Andy74]

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Game last night fortified for me the view that we really either need a creative, incisive midfielder or a strong, target man style forward who is going to finish at a much higher percentage than any strikers we've had at Hibs for a while. Against Aberdeen we had all the ball and did **** all with it.

We play really well down the wings, but I can't help but feel that our opponents aren't really worried about crosses coming in because we always seem to get hustled off the ball.

This is currently why the 442 isn't great for us. Our wingers start too close to the half way line or in our half and if they happen to get past people they have nothing to hit. Doyle and Griffiths are not renowned for getting on to crosses. If we get as far as a cut back that can be effective.

With Griffiths up there we are a bit more suited to the wide players starting further up and then cutting in to link up around the edge of the box. They haven't been good enough at doing that in recent months and we haven't released a midfilder to join up effectively through the middle.

As you point out we also don't have a midfielder with a real attacking edge in playing incisive passes to strikers or wide players. They are all good enough at winning the ball and playing short passes. Not sure why Cairney hasn't played a bit more in the advanced position in a middle 3.

Hibs rarely get the big stiker position right and it can make such a massive difference in this league.

[CallumLaidlaw]

Games where we've had at least 50% possession, From the BBC -


Home to Hearts - 12/08 - 50%
Away to St Mirren - 19/08
Home to Dundee - 06/10 - 63%
Away to Motherwell - 26/10 - 58%
Away to Dundee - 17/11 - 62%
Home to Aberdeen - 24/11 - 50%
Home to Ross County - 26/12 - 52%
Away to Ross County - 30/01 - 66%
Home to St Johnstone - 11/02 - 59%
Away to St Mirren - 16/02 - 55%
Away to Dundee Utd - 24/02 - 52%
Home to Hearts - 10/03 - 53%
Home to ICT - 30/03 - 51%
Home to Aberdeen - 22/04 - 54%

[jw1410]

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Games where we've had at least 50% possession, From the BBC -


Home to Hearts - 12/08 - 50%

Home to Hearts - 10/03 - 53%

Funny, in derbies it always seems to feel like its all Hearts, didn't think we'd be anywhere near (or over) 50%.

[derekHFC]

I thought KT was excellent last night and rarely gave the ball away when he did have it.

[Treadstone]

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I keep reading this but I think it's nonsense. The main problem we have is turning the ball we get in midfield to anything decent in the attacking third, but we do play short passing to the midfield and between the midfield. Often if we don't get anywhere you will then see it played up from Griffiths.

The way some talk you would think we just constantly lump high balls forward and chase after it, that's rubbish.

Early season it worked well, we had neat passing passing and interplay and the wide players were able to take it and have an impact. Cairney and Wotherspoon in particular. They went bang off form and so with the type of stikers we have we struggled to get the ball from midfield forward and when the ideas run out or the options run out that's when you see a longer pass.

If we can get wide players to play more effectively and get in a striker that can make the ball stick and bring wide players and midfield players into the game we will improve.

I wish we'd stop with the myth that we set out to play long ball football though, if anything we play a bit too tippy tappy around the midfield at times.

That was brutal last night not helped by the full backs hitting balls into channels and totally bypassing midfield. Dire stuff.

[jw1410]

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That was brutal last night not helped by the full backs hitting balls into channels and totally bypassing midfield. Dire stuff.

I'm lost when it comes to how we play with our fullbacks. On the left, Stevenson and McGivern are REALLY good going forward, imo they're better at driving the ball up to that corner flag than anyone we play down the left (seeing as our wingers can't do anything with the ball without cutting it in themselves instead of trying to spread the line).

The problem for me is what they do with it once they get here, the midfield either sits off, no-one floods the box, everyone just sits back looking for either a pass along the edge of the area or they try and over-complicate it with some kind of elaborate run, in which Cairney tries to beat every man between himself and the goal.

If I understand what you're getting at with the "hitting balls into channels" I have no real problem with this, if our fullbacks can drop balls over the top to our undersized, "speedy" forwards then by all means, its not like the midfield produces much with the ball. So tired of seeing Deegan run along the halfway line like he has no idea what he's doing.

[Treadstone]

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If I understand what you're getting at with the "hitting balls into channels" I have no real problem with this, if our fullbacks can drop balls over the top to our undersized, "speedy" forwards then by all means, its not like the midfield produces much with the ball. So tired of seeing Deegan run along the halfway line like he has no idea what he's doing.

Thats the crux for me right there. They are not 'dropping' balls over the top. They are hitting long balls and hoping. Midfielders should be able to receive and play purposeful balls. I agree McGivern and Stevenson have it in them to get forward but usually settle for playing a longer ball (especially McGivern recently) from the halfway line.

[Diclonius]

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Games where we've had at least 50% possession, From the BBC -


Home to Hearts - 12/08 - 50%
Away to St Mirren - 19/08
Home to Dundee - 06/10 - 63%
Away to Motherwell - 26/10 - 58%
Away to Dundee - 17/11 - 62%
Home to Aberdeen - 24/11 - 50%
Home to Ross County - 26/12 - 52%
Away to Ross County - 30/01 - 66%
Home to St Johnstone - 11/02 - 59%
Away to St Mirren - 16/02 - 55%
Away to Dundee Utd - 24/02 - 52%
Home to Hearts - 10/03 - 53%
Home to ICT - 30/03 - 51%
Home to Aberdeen - 22/04 - 54%

That's a whole lot of wasted possession.

[number9dream]

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Thats the crux for me right there. They are not 'dropping' balls over the top. They are hitting long balls and hoping. Midfielders should be able to receive and play purposeful balls. I agree McGivern and Stevenson have it in them to get forward but usually settle for playing a longer ball (especially McGivern recently) from the halfway line.

Clancy got to the byline once last night and we were unlucky not to score when Doyle hit the post. Stevenson did not get beyond Harris once.
Both full-backs were guilty of some shocking, aimless hoofs up the park. It's an area that needs to be improved.

[jw1410]

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Clancy got to the byline once last night and we were unlucky not to score when Doyle hit the post. Stevenson did not get beyond Harris once.
Both full-backs were guilty of some shocking, aimless hoofs up the park. It's an area that needs to be improved.

They weren't great last night, across the season I think our fullbacks usually perform quite well though, from an offensive stand point.

[KeithTheHibby]

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That's a whole lot of wasted possession.

Dundee away too, horsed 3-1 with a consolation goal late on.

[Heedersnvolleys]

For me it is not the overall possession that concerns me it is the length of the individual spells of possession. I would like to see us hold on to the ball for longer. Even with KT and/or Claros we just don't seem to have the players to be able to do this. It would help us control games and make us look less panicky in close matches.

[ancient hibee]

We are better with less possession and playing a counter attacking game-the stats prove that.

[I'm_cabbaged]

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For me it is not the overall possession that concerns me it is the length of the individual spells of possession. I would like to see us hold on to the ball for longer. Even with KT and/or Claros we just don't seem to have the players to be able to do this. It would help us control games and make us look less panicky in close matches.

I would want to see the exact opposite, quick one/two touch football having the opposition chasing shadows. KT did it a few times changing wings that had the sheeps midfield stretched.

[frazeHFC]

Possession doesn't show we are improving imo. Loads of games we have the ball but do nothing with it. 62% possession at Dundee, lose 3-1.......52% possession at Dundee Utd, fantastic performance but draw 2-2.......under 50% possession home to Celtic but counter attack creating lots of chances and win.

Shots on goal, and in particular goals, is how i am deciding what is progress.

[One Day Soon]

Actually Possession could explain quite a lot at Easter Road.

Time for the Holy Water. "I command you to leave the body of this player..."

[Heedersnvolleys]

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I would want to see the exact opposite, quick one/two touch football having the opposition chasing shadows. KT did it a few times changing wings that had the sheeps midfield stretched.

I agree, but you can still play like that but keep it for longer spells but to do this we need more players who are comfortable on the ball.

For me for us to progress long term and to control games we need to do be able to do that. Look at the semi for example if we were able to hold on to the ball we could have just closed the game out after we managed to get in front but because we keep giving it away it allowed Taylor another chance.

[CallumLaidlaw]

Barca have had about 65% possession tonight

Bayern are a joy to watch tho. Closing down brilliantly, then break quickly and dangerously.

[sauzee6_2]

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Games where we've had at least 50% possession, From the BBC -


Home to Hearts - 12/08 - 50%
Away to St Mirren - 19/08
Home to Dundee - 06/10 - 63%
Away to Motherwell - 26/10 - 58%
Away to Dundee - 17/11 - 62%
Home to Aberdeen - 24/11 - 50%
Home to Ross County - 26/12 - 52%
Away to Ross County - 30/01 - 66%
Home to St Johnstone - 11/02 - 59%
Away to St Mirren - 16/02 - 55%
Away to Dundee Utd - 24/02 - 52%
Home to Hearts - 10/03 - 53%
Home to ICT - 30/03 - 51%
Home to Aberdeen - 22/04 - 54%

Don't be mislead by these stats, all of these are made up by a journalist sitting in the west stand. It drives me crazy that they do this. The possession stats are a complete guess.

[HFC 0-7]

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This is currently why the 442 isn't great for us. Our wingers start too close to the half way line or in our half and if they happen to get past people they have nothing to hit. Doyle and Griffiths are not renowned for getting on to crosses. If we get as far as a cut back that can be effective.

With Griffiths up there we are a bit more suited to the wide players starting further up and then cutting in to link up around the edge of the box. They haven't been good enough at doing that in recent months and we haven't released a midfilder to join up effectively through the middle.

As you point out we also don't have a midfielder with a real attacking edge in playing incisive passes to strikers or wide players. They are all good enough at winning the ball and playing short passes. Not sure why Cairney hasn't played a bit more in the advanced position in a middle 3.

Hibs rarely get the big stiker position right and it can make such a massive difference in this league.

Griffiths and Doyle are not renowned for it because we never cross it! Don't see where you are getting this about us being good at short passes, we don't pass it that much and when we do its rushed. A team that's good at short passes do it in a way that invites opposition in to create space for other players. At the moment we are passing the ball to anyone that's free without a thought of how is going to create anything or relieve pressure.

The team needs to be set up to draw teams out so we can get in behind. When we do pass it short and opposition do come out, we don't get anyone ahead of the ball which means we either get pushed back or resort to lumping it. We like to pass it to where a player is standing, not to where a player is running to. So many time this season I have a player moving forward and they need to stop because the ball isn't played in front of them.

[JMac]

It's not about the quantity of possession, it's about quality. unfortunately hibs have neither
:pfgwa