Archive for June, 2012
 

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The Italy v Spain or Xavi Vs Pirlo Euro 2012 Final Preview

Written by    on  June 30, 2012

We’ll begin with a quick review of the Euro 2012 Semi Final Result: Italy 2 Germany 1…and ‘It could have been four, or five’.    This was the night that Balotelli finally came of age; where Pirlo was involved with 34% of the Azzurri’s play (received or played a pass) and boasted a 92% pass [...]

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The Ups and Downs of Newcastle United

Written by    on  June 29, 2012

It is fair to say that Newcastle United have had their fair share of ups and downs over the years, from winning promotion to the Premier League in the 1992/1993 season to losing 2-1 to Scunthorpe in the Championship and everything in-between. Kevin Keegan got Newcastle promoted to the Premier League in 1993, one season [...]

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Giroud Signs for Arsenal | Joins van Persie & Podolski | Stats

Written by    on  June 28, 2012

Olivier Giroud’s capture has been confirmed by Arsenal – joining Lukas Podolski as fresh attacking options for Arsene Wenger in the 2012-13 season.  The arrival of another striker could have signalled the exit of Robin van Persie, but given the relative youth of Giroud (25) and the immense positional flexibility of Podolski (winger, attacking midfielder, [...]

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Liverpool – Opta Stats Season Review 11/12 | Part Three – Attack

Written by    on  June 28, 2012

Welcome to part three of the end of year statistical review of Liverpool’s 2011/2012 season. You can find part one and two here if you wish to brush up on what I all ready compiled for LFC’s goalkeeper, defender and centre midfield statistics. In this part we are going to be looking at mainly attacking [...]

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Shinji Kagawa | Manchester United’s New Midfield Maestro | Stats

Written by    on  June 26, 2012

Sir Alex Ferguson has completed the signing of Shinji Kagawa and the Japanese international has officially joined the stable of premier attacking options at Old Trafford.  Our own @RedMancunia touched briefly on the quality of Manchester United’s wingers as compared to the rest of the league in his post here, and the addition of Kagawa [...]

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Did A Lack Of Rotation Cost Redknapp His Job? | Opta Stats Analysis

Written by    on  June 25, 2012

When Vedran Corluka claimed that Spurs poor end of season form was down to Harry Redknapp’s reluctance to rotate his team he was quickly shot down by the Spurs manager, but did the Croatian have a point? Tottenham had six outfield players that played at least 75% of their 3420 Premier League minutes last season [...]

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England 0 Italy 0: Post-Match Analysis & Stats

Written by    on  June 25, 2012

England were always up against it with one win over Italy in 35 years. Despite their record, the opening stages suggested England might end Italy’s stranglehold. However, despite the early signs of life, the game settled into a familiar pattern with Italy dominant. De Rossi’s early volley left Hart stranded as the post rescued England. Roy [...]

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Assessing Forward Involvement | Shots Vs Passes Opta Stats Analysis

Written by    on  June 22, 2012

One of the more interesting innovations from an analytical standpoint at the current European Championship has been the measuring of the amount of time that a player spends with the ball per game. This measure of player involvement has in particular been applied to forward players, such as Mario Gomez. Gomez managed to score 3 [...]

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Aston Villa fans hope for positive season ahead | Fans Perspective

Written by    on  June 22, 2012

 It would be fair to say that there’s a buzz at Villa Park once again with Paul Lambert’s appointment, the weekend’s Kit Festival unveiling the new shirts and then Monday’s fixture announcement. Paul Lambert’s arrival has been a breath of fresh air for Villa fans who has said lots of positive things about the club, [...]

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Liverpool – Opta Stats Season Review 11/12 | Part Two – Midfield

Written by    on  June 21, 2012

Welcome to part two of the end of year statistical review of Liverpool’s 2011/2012 season. You can find part one here if you wish to brush up on what I all ready compiled for LFC’s goalkeeper and defender stats. We will take a look at central midfielders in this part; however, I will divide the [...]

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