EngLOLand - The Backlash!

[soggy biscuit]

A new mathematical analysis of team tactics predicts a Spanish win in Sunday's FIFA World Cup final and also sheds some light on why England were trashed by Germany.
Mathematicians and football supporters Dr Javier López Peña and Dr Hugo Touchette from Queen Mary, University of London have collected ball passing data from all of the FIFA World Cup games and analysed it to reveal the nations' different styles of play.

Using the mathematical technique called graph theory, they have revealed the gaping holes in England's tactics against Germany and made predictions about the Netherlands-Spain final that may just rival the psychic octopus.

For each national side, López Peña and Touchette have drawn up a network of passes between players throughout the tournament and analysed how these networks compare between teams. Touchette explains: "Each player in the network is given a score called centrality, which measures how vital they are to the network. The higher the centrality score, the bigger the impact if that player wasn't there. This method is most commonly used to make computer networks more robust, but it can also be used to plan football strategy

[sandman]

There was a good point last night about Spain - where they play players in their best position and dont just give them a game (out of position) cos of their reputation - hence why Fabregas sits on the bench and doesn't get put wide left/right

Slightly wrong Sergio Ramos is usually a centre back and Capdevilla is a converted left winger.

[sandman]

Did I hear correctly last night that Del Bosque only reveals his team 3 hours before kick off? Admittedly I haven't been paying attention to such things, but I don't recall the Spanish team coming out and whining like babies about it. To the outsider it looks like they just got on with it like professionals and, er, won the World Cup.

Carragher said that every manager he's had has only announced the team a few hours before kick off.

[Skyline]

Not read the whole of this thread, but Trevor Steven had an interesting article in the City AM yesterday:

http://www.cityam.com/sport/trevor-steven/hard-work-starts-here-capello

Hard work starts here for Capello
Thursday, 15th July 2010
TREVOR STEVEN

THE Football Association have one almighty PR exercise on their hands if they are to generate interest for England’s friendly with Hungary on 11 August.

After leading a dismal World Cup campaign, I feel it’s down to coach Fabio Capello to come out and shoulder the blame, while assuring fans of a brighter future.

If he doesn’t, then red-faced FA chiefs could be looking at a revolt from fed-up fans, and subsequently a quarter-full Wembley, as Capello prepares to lead his men into the Euro 2012 qualifiers, starting against Bulgaria on 3 September.

Irrespective of how many turn up at Wembley in three weeks’ time, Capello’s work starts here.

One thing he would have learned from South Africa is that he needs to go back to basics and look to introduce a more continental 4-3-3 formation, which has not only been proven by Spain, Holland and Germany, but also coincides with the systems played by our top clubs domestically.

Capello has stuck religiously with the 4-4-2 throughout the qualifiers and World Cup, but as that has clearly not worked, he simply has to look to bed in the likes of Adam Johnson and Ashley Young flanking Wayne Rooney up front.

Longer-term, Capello has a problem in trying to replace the likes of John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard, who are unlikely to be playing at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Worryingly, none of our top sides seem to be producing English talent worthy of stepping into the breach. Indeed only Martin O’Neill at Aston Villa, in the likes of Young, James Milner and maybe Fabian Delph, can offer any kind of encouragement.

I’d like to see the likes of Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere and Everton’s Jack Rodwell eased gently into the England set-up, even in this next qualifying campaign, while Capello should also be monitoring and leaving his office door open to lads such as Nathan Cleverley, on loan at Watford, and Ipswich’s Connor Wickham, who are both showing potential. These lads may think they are a million miles away from a call-up, but they could be only a season away.

Criticism of Capello missing the Uefa Under-19 Championship in France is harsh, he will undoubtedly have his coaches monitoring any new talent. He has more pressing issues to deal with back home.

There was an accompanying graphic showing a suggested 'England Future XI', which looked like the following:

Goalkeeper: Joe Hart (Man City)

Defence: Micah Richards (Man City), Chris Smalling (Man Utd), Gary Cahill (Bolton), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal)

Midfield: Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Jack Rodwell (Everton), James Milner (Aston Villa)

Forwards: Adam Johnson (Man City), Wayne Rooney (Man Utd), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)