Buzzin Football

castrol performance research

Using data collected over the last two years of competitive international games, Castrol Performance have analysed some of the key individual head to head areas of tonight’s Euro 2012 qualifier between England and Bulgaria.

On paper the statistics are stacked in England’s favour and it would appear that Bulgaria need a miracle to get anything out of this game.

While Glen Johnson poses a massive threat to any team with his frequent excursions into the opponents half of the field where he produces his best football, it is a commonly held opinion that he still has a lot to learn in the art of defending.

This is borne out by the stats that claim Zhivko Milanov has won an incredible 100% of his tackles compared to just 78% for Johnson. However the Bulgarian is not prolific at pushing forward and has completed no dribbles compared to 59% completed by Johnson, no goal assists and no shots on goal. Johnson meanwhile has assisted in four of England’s goals and had seven shots himself.

In midfield Stiliyan Petrov proves to be a fantastic ball winner, claiming 94% of tackles won compared to Steven Gerrard’s measly 65%, the Bulgarians pass rate is also superior to the England player with 86% success to Gerrard’s 77%.

However the Englishman comes into his own in front of goal with four goals scored to Petrov’s one, 23 shots compared to 11 and an incredible 21 chances created including assists to the Bulgarians four.

In the front line England’s Theo Walcott has shown that his blistering pace can unsettle some of the best defenders and compared to Martin Petrov he is a far better dribbler of the ball, but both players have created nine chances and one assist, while Walcott edges it with eleven shots on goal  and three goals scored. Petrov very close with nine shots on goal and two scored.

It is not so easy to compare Wayne Rooney with his opposite number in the Bulgarian team as between them strikers Dimitar Rangelov and Valeri Bojinov have completed half the time on the field compared to the England striker.

Neither Bulgarian has managed to hit the target during that time though, while Rooney has scored nine times for England. Between them the two Bulgarians have managed eleven shots to Rooney’s 42 and created nine chances compared to 26 for the Manchester United player.

On the evidence of these facts England will find the Bulgarians a difficult team to break down through midfield and defence, but England have enough strike power to win the game comfortably and put some points in the bag for the Euro 2012 qualifiers.

Bill Nicholson - Football's Perfectionist by Brian Scovell

Bill Nicholson – Football’s Perfectionist by Brian Scovell

Bill Nicholson was, and remains, one of the true (and few) great football managers yet is possibly the most unsung of their number, considering how the names Sir Matt Busby, Bill Shankley, Brian Clough and Jock Stein still frequently appear in the media.

A Yorkshireman who, it would appear, outwardly conformed to the dour stereotype. He embraced many virtues of his time being punctual, loyal, principled, dignified, immaculately dressed and hard-working; who set the highest standards and expected the same from his players. He was hard, he had to be, spotting before anyone else that star players were on the wane and replacing them without sentiment. He was tight with the club’s money, although only ever earned peanuts himself.

Yet, almost paradoxically, what emerges is a portrait of a lovely, warm-hearted man. He was a winner, but despite a league championship, three FA Cups, the first Double of the 20th century, two League Cups, a European Cup Winners Cup and a UEFA Cup, was only ever satisfied by winning the right way – by playing entertaining, quick-passing, free-flowing, attacking football. He invariably reminded his charges that it was their responsibility to entertain as that is what the fans desire and it is they who have paid their wages. Oh, for his ilk now.

Brian Scovell is of a similar opinion and whilst it is one I absolutely agree with, his nagging digs at the modern game and its soulless, if not corrupt, personnel is one of the book’s faults. Once his position was stated there was no need for regular comparisons between Nic’s era and the modern day. The narrative speaks for itself and the reader can draw their own conclusions.

Lack of an index or a career stats appendix are other faults, but, unfortunately, this otherwise very enjoyable and overly-researched book is horribly let down by a great number of minor, and a few embarrassingly major, factual errors.

This is not the place to list them all, but Derby County have never won the European Cup; Charlie Nicholas could not have been considered a possible purchase from Arsenal, being that he was age 12, and nine years from being a Gunner, when Bill Nicholson resigned; Argentinian captain Rattin did not see a red card in the 1966 World Cup, nor was Dave Mackay threatened with one in 1967, as they were not introduced until the 1970 World Cup and not seen in English league games until the early 1980s; A picture caption is wrongly dated and there are typos and errors of grammar that should be picked up at the proof reading stage.

There’s more…

Margaret Thatcher did not become prime minister in the year that Bill left Spurs – Five years out. News of Neil Armstrong landing on the Moon did not interrupt Grandstand on the morning of the 1961 Cup Final – eight years out. And the US Civil War song, The Battle Hymn of the Republic (“Glory Glory Hallelujah”), adopted by the White Hart Lane faithful, was not written in 1965 – awry by a century.

We all make mistakes, but there are too many, and Brian Scovell should not necessarily shoulder all of the blame – Does the publisher not have editors and proof readers to check facts that any bright schoolchild would know? (I’m talking of the historical landmarks here, not the history of Derby County FC or the introduction of red cards – I spotted those because my head is full of near-useless football trivia!) They almost spoil what is still a good read of a decent gent.

Recommended, but football’s perfectionist deserves better attention to detail.

Bill Nicholson – Football’s Perfectionist by Brian Scovell is published by John Blake.

theo walcott

Maybe as a a consequence of missing out in the South Africa World Cup finals, Theo Walcott has started this Premier League season in sparkling form, easily the most dangerous of England’s wide men he has already bagged four goals in 187 minutes of football action.

He will surely have earned himself a starting place up in Fabio Capello’s team who take on Bulgaria this Friday in the first of the qualifiers for Euro 2012.

Castrol Performance analysis confirms that Walcott has compared very favourably to England’s alternative wide men, scoring more goals, mustering more shots, being more accurate with his crosses than all apart from Ashley Young and only behind James Milner in terms of successful dribbles.

Also Walcott will feel he has a point to prove and where better to do that than at Wembley in an England shirt.

With the statistics showing that Bulgaria were at their most vulnerable during the first 15 minutes of their World Cup 2010 qualifiers, Walcott may never have such an opportunity to prove his ability at international level.

Walcott shows lightening pace at the start of any game and the Bulgarians will have their hands full contending with the nippy Arsenal player as he runs at their defence at speed, hopefully creating chances of an early goal or two for himself or his colleagues.

While the Castrol stats show that England were more potent later on in their World Cup qualifying games, Bulgaria will be mindful that four of England’s goals in the campaign were scored inside the first 15 minutes and three of those were scored at Wembley.

Bulgaria will have to be at their most focused if they are to get anything out of this game and England are massive favourites to get themselves off to a winning start on Friday.

castrol performance research

Castrol say England are 76% most likely to win, 15% for a draw and Bulgaria have a 9% of upsetting the odds and winning the match.

An Irrational Hatred Of Luton by Robert Banks

An Irrational Hatred Of Luton by Robert Banks with a foreward by Jeremy Nicholas

An Irrational Hatred Of Luton is the classic account of one football fan’s obsession with West Ham United.

“Somewhere in a parallel universe there is another Robert Banks, who is a season ticket holder at Manchester United and is a highly successful novel writer and adored by everyone in the world, regardless of footballing, religious or racial denomination. But is he happy? You bet the hell he is”

But Robert Banks is not that man. Since childhood, he has been obsessed with West Ham United Football Club. A team of persistent and historical under-achievers.

After all, the only thing West Ham ever brought home was the 1966 World Cup, but that doesn’t count, apparently.

Originally published in 1995, An Irrational Hatred of Luton fast became a cult classic amongst Hammers and football fans in general. Spanning twenty years of matches home and away, it contains some of the most sublime writing on football and the irrational nature of fandom ever committed to paper.

“A rattling good read!” John Inverdale

Laugh out loud funny, and almost devastatingly poignant, An Irrational Hatred of Luton
is an odyssey through the world of a committed football supporter. A real-life Fever Pitch, and with a Hornby-esque deftness of tone, Banks’ book shows how intricately in the life of a true fan, football interconnects with the everyday. Banks’ friendships, relationships, work, emotions of joy and despair all take place against a backdrop of claret and blue.

Then Saturday comes and he watches his team get thumped again. A compelling and hilarious journey into the nature of obsession.

An Irrational Hatred Of Luton by Robert Banks with a foreward by Jeremy Nicholas
is published in paperback by Biteback priced £9.99.

Bob Bradley renews US contract

It looks as though the USA coach Bob Bradley has done the sensible thing and extended his contract with the US international team and put an end to any speculation linking him with the Aston Villa managerial vacancy.

Latest reports suggest that Bradley has agreed to remain in charge of the American team until 2014, a just reward for the achievements he has made with the international team during his current tenure.

Bradley has been responsible for the emergence of the USA as serious contenders at international level, their recent endeavours at the South African World Cup saw them reach the last 16 where they were beaten by Ghana.

It was at the 2010 World Cup where Bradley led the team to finish first place in their group for the first time in 80 years, having previously guided the team to the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the final of the Federation’s cup in 2009 where his team lost to Brazil after ending Spain’s long unbeaten run in the semi finals.

There is no doubt that Bradley deserves the plaudits for his achievements with the US team, he has taken a fairly limited squad of players and turned them into a tremendous team full of spirit, who will not be humiliated by ‘bigger better’ teams and who are prepared to fight for their country and each other and of course their coach.

The reason I believe it is the right decision for Bob Bradley to stay in the US is simply that Premier League football is a very different animal to what he knows, while I have no doubt that he would do an excellent job at Villa given time and resources it is not so easy seeing him fit into the in your face style of English media reporting, something that has quickly taken its toll on other coaches making the switch from international to EPL football.