Matchweek 26 facts and figures, for KB Extruders and beyond….
HOLTE HEROISM
Needless to state, the Aston Villa narrative is overflowing with dread. The club can’t seem to turn anywhere for salvation. Not even the trusty farm system is offering much to boast about, not when AV is struggling against the likes of Southampton and Sunderland down in the Premier League’s reserve development season.
Alas, almost as if predestined, there has been one thread that has kept the Villa resistant to all the many outside forces closing in: The Holte End. The energy brewed by Villa Park’s south stanchion has been thriving, even while the crumble since 2010 has intensified. AV has 30 Holte End goals during this troubled span. Opposing teams have 22. And Villa, which has the league’s worst total for goals conceded (47) and home goals conceded (27) this season, has held opponents to four goals in all the 540 minutes they have defended The Holte side of the field.
Below is the scoring comparison between the Holte End and the North Stand during these last three beleaguered seasons.
2012-2013*
North: Opposition 14, Aston Villa 5
Holte: Aston Villa 4, Opponents 4
2011-2012
North: Opposition 14, Aston Villa 8
Holte: Aston Villa 12, Opposition 11
2010-2011
North: Opposition 12, Aston Villa 12
Holte: Aston Villa 14, Opposition 7
*Seven matches remaining
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PRESS ENTER
Shoddy defending tends to be the focus for everyone droning on about all the recent failures on the pitch. But murky initiative with the ball has been almost as costly, if not more.
(For instance, in last weekend’s 3-3 draw at Everton, the team’s total possession time finished way down at 28 minutes, 52 seconds. It was 38:39 in the recent West Brom meltdown at the Hawthorns and 27:51 when Manchester United stormed back to overtake the team in November.)
Sadly, that possession problem probably won’t be addressed unless the capabilities within the midfield get immaculately better within weeks. Still there are measures that can be taken to keep Villa from ceding the ball back so fast, which puts those purportedly fearful defenders back to work tirelessly. One doable method is to get Brad Guzan and the back line a bit more involved in working the ball upfield instead of launching the 50-50 balls out to the attacking end for every goalkeeper entry. Below is a look at how possession times this season appear to be influenced by those long, unpredictable entries from the keeper’s box. (Each time reference is how Villa performed within those slots.)
Above 49:00 in possession
Long GK Entry: 52 passes
Short GK Entry: 28 passes
% of Long: 65.0
40:00-49:00 in possession
Long GK Entry: 137 passes
Short GK Entry: 45 passes
% of Long: 75.2
Below 40:00 in possession
Long GK Entry: 200 passes
Short GK Entry: 35 passes
% of Long: 85.1
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FOOT WHERE
Below is the breakdown for what boot brands Villa players have been wearing this season.
Adidas
Bannan
Gardner
Guzan
Marshall
N’Zogbia
Sylla
Nike
Agbonlahor
Albrighton
Bennett
Bent (switched from Umbro in December)
Benteke
Bowery
Clark
Delph
El Ahmadi
Herd
Holman
Ireland
Lichaj
Lowton
Stevens
Weimann
Westwood
Puma
Given
Dunne
Vlaar
Umbro
Baker
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—Patrick Kinmartin (PKtype@Gmail.com …. Facebook.com/TypePK)
Where do you get this info patrick?i find it absolutely gobsmacking.good on you mate.i find it hard to comment on, because im sure it’s faultless.again fairplay to you mate.
You need your legover badly
I knew it, I knew it , its the boots we got to find a better boot factory. Sorry Patrick putting in the boots they wear made me laugh, Its stood out a mile with us about the defence, the blame lies there for me, and of course midfield, hopeful that is being solved in midfield, but yet to find out. interesting that Baker is a loaner on Umbro do they get paid to wear branded boots?.. Morning Graham looking forward to tomorrow? that twat next door (Westham man ) keeps asking if I want a paper from the shops, think he’s waiting for me to say do you want to watch it on my TV.but Bollox to him he’s been taking the piss for days.
[...] offering much to boast about, not when AV is struggling against the likes of Southampton and [...] …read more Read more here: Aston [...]
Morning bill is this hammers fan your neighbour?sounds like a right arse licker.i haven’t got that pleasure of knowing a hammers fan.most of the ones i know are baggies or the sky4 mate.you just keep on using him mate until he’s surplus to requirements.we’ll have to meet up bill,when it’s convenient for both of us mate.
Hi Giddy, (Graham) one day mate will do. Yer Ricky he’s a great lad, yer next door to me, he move in 10 year,s ago had to get out of the smoke due to having a gun stuck into his face and being robbed. we just joke with each other that’s all, I keep putting membership forms though the door to become a Villa fan, I said he’e 1/2 way there with the colours.
Patrick, can you use these stats to tell us which is the best starting 11? Also, with neither N’Zog nor Ireland scoring goals, which of the two is most successful sat behind the one or two strikers, both attacking and smothering the opposition’s play? Thanks for the stats by the way, always interesting to read.
Foxy good call, that would be interesting as to know what and who, think Ireland would be the least on that thought.