Wolves Prospectus: A Stat and Chart Heavy Look at the Season

[saturdaysoncouch]

I have summarized I think almost everything Wolves this season and would love to hear what the diehards think about it. My broad conclusions were this was a team that lacked offensive quality in midfield especially, leaving their attack incredibly slow and horizontal and leaving the attacking players a bit starved of transition chances.

Defensively they seemed caught in between with a press forcing opponents into vertical, difficult passes but the inability to actually take the ball away at a high enough rate which led to too much openness. A solid defense kept opponents from turning settled possession into a lot of danger, which helped the defense overall.

Wolves Prospectus

All kinds of data, player stats, charts and more. I hope it adds to the Wolves fan experience and any questions on just what these numbers mean please ask (I mostly write for the small audience that follows me more so while they know, a newbie to my site might not follow along).

 

[YoungWolf]

Doyle and Kilman Europa league quality… while Cunha is mid table and Lemina/Gomes are bottom half/relegation players.

Interesting, to put it politely.

 

[saturdaysoncouch]

Cunha was the hardest call, I could have been convinced to go a bit higher. What do you think I am missing on Gomes/Lemina or Kilman/Doyle?

 

[YoungWolf]

Doyle is a considerable drop off to Gomes/Lemina. Physically he is bypassed too easily nor does he control a game like you’d want him to for his technical level. He’s young and has just finished his first season in this league so he should be better next season.

Kilman is good in the air and mostly defends the box well but you often need to hide him around more aggressive defenders and his forward passing is poor. He’s a (mid) mid table defender.

Gomes can basically do everything. same with Lemina. The problem for them is that GON asks them to do all of this at once, and we leave so much space around and behind them.

 

[jd1981]

Kilman reading of a game is very poor at times and his performances improve when positioned alongside a more experienced defender ie Dawson.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

If Max Kilman joined a Europa League team then they wouldn't be a Europa League team for very much longer.

 

[Lycan]

This is a perfect example of why statistical analysis is only useful when paired with actual match review. The majority of the conclusions you've drawn here won't align with what most Wolves fans see on a match day.

Also, small tip but I'd lose the 'player ranking' at the end, It feels cheap compared to the rest of the article.

 

[jd1981]

If you put things bluntly are problems this season weren’t scoring goals, keeping clean sheets was a far bigger issue.

 

[The Bear]

If Max Kilman joined a Europa League team then they wouldn't be a Europa League team for very much longer.

Winning it first season to get in the Champions League?

 

[C.L.D]

I'm kinda curious about Kilman and how his stats lineup compared to his contemparies. There must be something to show why people like him so much yet there seems to be so much dissonance.

For the record I think he's EPL standard, better as 2nd CB in a pairing or trio, but not close to Europe League level (and definitely not a captain).

 

[Lycan]

I'm kinda curious about Kilman and how his stats lineup compared to his contemparies. There must be something to show why people like him so much yet there seems to be so much dissonance.

For the record I think he's EPL standard, better as 2nd CB in a pairing or trio, but not close to Europe League level (and definitely not a captain).

Without looking I'd guess that his stats would make him look a better player than he actually is. He tends to win most of the duels he goes for, I think he just tends to be too passive and just in the general vicinity when a goal goes in.

As far as ball progression goes I'd imagine he'll be about above average which is probably fair enough.

 

[Tredman]

Without looking I'd guess that his stats would make him look a better player than he actually is. He tends to win most of the duels he goes for, I think he just tends to be too passive and just in the general vicinity when a goal goes in.

As far as ball progression goes I'd imagine he'll be about above average which is probably fair enough.

That’s the problem with a stats only look - it doesn’t count the many other duels or blocks he should have attempted but didn’t.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Also stats on their own won't tell you the inescapable truth that he's largely incapable of playing as one of two centre halves, which rules him out of moving to the majority of teams.

 

[Tony Towner]

Or that he couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery

 

[saturdaysoncouch]

Doyle is a considerable drop off to Gomes/Lemina. Physically he is bypassed too easily nor does he control a game like you’d want him to for his technical level. He’s young and has just finished his first season in this league so he should be better next season.

Kilman is good in the air and mostly defends the box well but you often need to hide him around more aggressive defenders and his forward passing is poor. He’s a (mid) mid table defender.

Gomes can basically do everything. same with Lemina. The problem for them is that GON asks them to do all of this at once, and we leave so much space around and behind them.

that is quite interesting as the idea Gomes and Lemina can do everything just doesn't show up. the don't progress or receive the ball, don't get involved in shot buildup or keep the ball efficiently. Lemina does get forward for some shots but it's very hard to square your take with what the numbers show. I do highly value getting the ball forward and keeping it well, because it doubles as defensive duty. too often players who tackle well but are poor on the ball or bystanders essentially invite more pressure on their team because the ball stays deep (which is what I think is happening with Gomes/Lemina)


defenders are very hard to judge stat-wise, I think passing can be decently judged but all defending really is very hard to judge. Kilman's passing looks pretty good on the stat-sheet, there could be reasons it's not but the numbers are solid

 

[Tony Towner]

Wacky thought, try watching a game, because either your stats are rubbish or your interpretation of them is.

 

[Lycan]

Ah good. I enjoy it when a non Wolves fan pops along to tell us we're all wrong despite the fact that we watch every Wolves game. Always fun.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Lemina and Gomes don't sit deep. They play way higher up the park than Neves and Moutinho did for us for years.

Probably actually doesn't help us on occasion.

 

[saturdaysoncouch]

Ah good. I enjoy it when a non Wolves fan pops along to tell us we're all wrong despite the fact that we watch every Wolves game. Always fun.

not sure I said anyone was wrong, just offering my takeaway and some stats. I am interested where eye test and stats differ

 

[saturdaysoncouch]

Wacky thought, try watching a game, because either your stats are rubbish or your interpretation of them is.

I think a lot of information slips through when watching a game, we get drawn to a big chance missed, or a big tackle or something like that and tend to miss out lots of little actions that add up. why I love the stats so much, basketball is hard enough to judge if a player is playing well when it's 2 teams of 5 with clear offense and defense, double that and the line between attack and defense blurs and it's very hard with the eye.

but I do value people who watch every game, why I threw it out to the wolves here to get torn apart