Fouls committed by Team/Opposition (3 Viewers)

[Esoterica]

After some discussion on the Goal margins/Goalscoring thread regarding the apparent lack of 'taking a yellow for the team', fouls in general and also with Robins saying he wants to add more experience/increase the squad age, I thought I'd pull up some of the fouls stats for the season. Having seen the 'fouls committed' numbers, it does lend some weight to the consensus that we're a bit too nice - we have conceded the least fouls in the division by some distance. Given how poor we've been at defending set pieces, maybe this is also partially a tactical decision.

In terms of fouls against us we're 8th highest, perhaps an indication of our flair players and speed on the counter attack.

One non-Cov related point that jumped out at me was the discrepancy between 'Fouls committed by the opposition' for Luton (721) and Barnsley (441). They are polar opposites in the table with a differential of 280 free kicks over the season, which for the teams that are 1st and 2nd seems extraordinary to me. Not sure whether it's the respective styles of play or teams going up against Luton in 1st and fearful of the amount of goals they score trying to kick them off the park? Would welcome thoughts on that.

 

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[Nick]

Probably related to Collins / Hylton falling over in the wind as well! They are both terrible for it!

 

[Esoterica]

Here are the yellow card stats to supplement the first table too. Least number of yellows in the league and 2nd highest fouls per card ratio at 9.56 (behind Blackpool).

No surprise to see Joey Barton's Fleetwood at the bottom with double the amount of our yellows, 8 red cards and a yellow card every 5.38 fouls!

 

[Nick]

Our one red card was a bit tame as well

 

[joemercersaces]

Do you know what, I’m happy with that. Yes we could be much more cynical but I’m not sure I want to see us cheat to win. They’re a young team and doing pretty well playing with a degree of honesty that’s actually refreshing. I want us to go up next season by taking teams apart with skill and pace. I don’t think we were that far away this year because winning breeds confidence which in turn begets skill and assurance. One or two bits of good fortune in front of goal at key moments could have made a huge difference.

 

[fernandopartridge]

After some discussion on the Goal margins/Goalscoring thread regarding the apparent lack of 'taking a yellow for the team', fouls in general and also with Robins saying he wants to add more experience/increase the squad age, I thought I'd pull up some of the fouls stats for the season. Having seen the 'fouls committed' numbers, it does lend some weight to the consensus that we're a bit too nice - we have conceded the least fouls in the division by some distance. Given how poor we've been at defending set pieces, maybe this is also partially a tactical decision.

In terms of fouls against us we're 8th highest, perhaps an indication of our flair players and speed on the counter attack.

One non-Cov related point that jumped out at me was the discrepancy between 'Fouls committed by the opposition' for Luton (721) and Barnsley (441). They are polar opposites in the table with a differential of 280 free kicks over the season, which for the teams that are 1st and 2nd seems extraordinary to me. Not sure whether it's the respective styles of play or teams going up against Luton in 1st and fearful of the amount of goals they score trying to kick them off the park? Would welcome thoughts on that.
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To my mind we concede too many free kicks, I can't buy the argument that we don't give away enough. Certainly not in our defensive third of the pitch.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Do you know what, I’m happy with that. Yes we could be much more cynical but I’m not sure I want to see us cheat to win. They’re a young team and doing pretty well playing with a degree of honesty that’s actually refreshing. I want us to go up next season by taking teams apart with skill and pace. I don’t think we were that far away this year because winning breeds confidence which in turn begets skill and assurance. One or two bits of good fortune in front of goal at key moments could have made a huge difference.

Indeed, the stats don't show any correlation between success and conceding fouls given whee the top 2 teams in the league are in those tables

 

[Esoterica]

To my mind we concede too many free kicks, I can't buy the argument that we don't give away enough. Certainly not in our defensive third of the pitch.

Perhaps it's the type of foul then rather than the quantity itself. I think that it's a very circumstantial subject so there's no categoric right or wrong and that's where experience and game awareness comes into play i.e. knowing when and where to foul to gain an advantage e.g. in order to gain the time to reset the shape and formation. Of course no-one wants to be conceding free kicks in their own final 3rd ever (something I'm pleased Mason seems to have stopped doing, which I thought he was susceptible to when he first came into the side). However if Shipley bundles over Oviedo on the half way line against Sunderland instead of jogging back with him, it's an innocuous half way line foul that would have prevented a goal. Now I'm not picking on Shipley specifically, it was just a recent example that sprang to mind of the type of scenario I feel we miss a little.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Perhaps it's the type of foul then rather than the quantity itself. I think that it's a very circumstantial subject so there's no categoric right or wrong and that's where experience and game awareness comes into play i.e. knowing when and where to foul to gain an advantage e.g. in order to gain the time to reset the shape and formation. Of course no-one wants to be conceding free kicks in their own final 3rd ever (something I'm pleased Mason seems to have stopped doing, which I thought he was susceptible to when he first came into the side). However if Shipley bundles over Oviedo on the half way line against Sunderland instead of jogging back with him, it's an innocuous half way line foul that would have prevented a goal. Now I'm not picking on Shipley specifically, it was just a recent example that sprang to mind of the type of scenario I feel we miss a little.

Fair point thought similar as I posted

 

[Warwickhunt]

We certainly dont get a lot of offsides against us? is that down to good play or the opposition defending so deep! The last 3 home games i counted 3 offsides in total. Whilst i am on the subject we dont get many freekicks in dangerous positions in front of the Goals MR needs to start to teach our youngsters a better game management style if!

 

[stevefloyd]

After some discussion on the Goal margins/Goalscoring thread regarding the apparent lack of 'taking a yellow for the team', fouls in general and also with Robins saying he wants to add more experience/increase the squad age, I thought I'd pull up some of the fouls stats for the season. Having seen the 'fouls committed' numbers, it does lend some weight to the consensus that we're a bit too nice - we have conceded the least fouls in the division by some distance. Given how poor we've been at defending set pieces, maybe this is also partially a tactical decision.

In terms of fouls against us we're 8th highest, perhaps an indication of our flair players and speed on the counter attack.

One non-Cov related point that jumped out at me was the discrepancy between 'Fouls committed by the opposition' for Luton (721) and Barnsley (441). They are polar opposites in the table with a differential of 280 free kicks over the season, which for the teams that are 1st and 2nd seems extraordinary to me. Not sure whether it's the respective styles of play or teams going up against Luton in 1st and fearful of the amount of goals they score trying to kick them off the park? Would welcome thoughts on that.
View attachment 12072

400 of them was Clarke Harris also falling over with a trailing wind