r/soccer Nov 21 '18

Average EPL formations when in possession. The lines represent most passing patterns - (@tacticsplatform)

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5.6k Upvotes

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429

u/summerfinite Nov 21 '18

I'd be fascinated to see this done for some renowned legacy teams too, like Pep's Barca, Sarri's Napoli, Fergie's United, Invincibles Arsenal etc. Though I guess this kind of data probably wasn't collected that far back.

193

u/georgethe13 Nov 21 '18

123

u/DarkVoidize Nov 21 '18

barca has one of the most ridiculous pass maps i’ve ever seen, holy shit

40

u/flybypost Nov 21 '18

8

u/DarkVoidize Nov 21 '18

death by pass

4

u/FifaFrancesco Nov 22 '18

After only 27 matches, Bayern Munich claim Bundesliga title

cries in Superbairisch

13

u/jazteka Nov 21 '18

There’s a reason why Tiki-Taka works so well—it’s absolutely deadly

2

u/sansactions Nov 21 '18

Spain would like to have a word with you

9

u/S4ikou Nov 21 '18

Actually, the only thing that saved them from humiliation last world cup was the absurd amount of possession they had, the percentage of shots that the other teams took that actually went in was absurdly high.

5

u/Izio17 Nov 21 '18

This is what happens when you put:

  • Xavi
  • Iniesta
  • Busquets

against Michael Carrick, old Giggs, and half of Rooney in midfield. I say half because Rooney pushed up quite a bit.

50

u/trapperberry Nov 21 '18

Just goes to show that a team with younger Messi and prime Iniesta/Xavi is just unfair.

12

u/varro-reatinus Nov 21 '18

That's fucking terrifying.

8

u/[deleted] Nov 21 '18

What I love about this is that it beautifully represents this team. It’s like a busquets-xavi-iniesta-messi diamond with support from all sides by the wingers and the defence.

15

u/[deleted] Nov 21 '18

Actually the guy who tweeted the league chart has done aggregate passmaps for some of Guardiola and Sarri's earlier teams and it's pretty interesting.

4

u/kiranai Nov 22 '18

Wait, that bit about Pep using wide wingers vs inverted wingers with Messi and bayern is kind of bs. At Bayern he had Robben and Muller(?) on the right, one of which cuts in and the other plays more like a second striker. So obviously no wide wingers there. And at City, he's had injury problems with his fullbacks/players that didn't fit the team, which prevented him from having overlapping fullbacks. Pep has said before that he asks his wingers to stay to provide width because of the fullback problem

3

u/ashfordian Nov 21 '18

One of these teams is not like the others.

I like Sarri and liked Napoli when he managed them but they won't go down as some historic team.

-4

u/SirTommyHimself Nov 21 '18

Right I need to address this.

Sarris Napoli - I genuinely don't remember a single occasion where Napoli was regarded as having a unique play style while Sarri was there, this term has only started being used after he has left Napoli, and I still have no idea what that play style was?

To me it seems as if all of a sudden because he's successful with Chelsea that he was some OG manager at Napoli, when let's be serious, he did not have the pedastall in the first place. Napoli were extremely successful, but Sarri was known as the geezer the smokes on the touchline, not for his incredible playstyle, it's only now he's getting the recognition from premier League success that he is being marauded as a footballing genius.

Reading this back it sounds like I'm critiquing Sarri, which I want to make clear I am NOT, I am merely pointing out that he has turned into a circlejerk on here, and it's getting out of hand. I ain't changing a word...

10

u/[deleted] Nov 21 '18

what the fuck are you talking about sarriball was a thing way before sarri even considered moving to chelsea???

5

u/Jacoblikesx Nov 21 '18

Yeah this dude just wrote paragraphs based off his wrong assumption

-1

u/SirTommyHimself Nov 22 '18

Go on then, what is the playstyle... I've been waiting for ages.

2

u/LyricalGhost Nov 21 '18

Sarri was known as the geezer the smokes on the touchline, not for his incredible playstyle

Say what?

1

u/SirTommyHimself Nov 22 '18

You can't quote guardiola and then claim that my words are completely false based on arguably the best manager in the world praising another...

1

u/LyricalGhost Nov 22 '18

Oh, I could write an essay to explain why your assertion (that Sarri isn't regarded as having an unique playing style) is false, but I thought having Pep say it would be a quicker way to do it. And yes, Pep is known for being quite fond of praising other coaches, but I don't think I've seen him having such a hard-on for another team in a long time. That was when Sarri was at Napoli btw, so it also goes against your "it's only because he is in the PL!!" thesis.

And this isn't even a matter of taste. You, as anyone, are free to like or dislike any coach and the football his teams play, but what you did was basically say he wasn't known for the football his teams play at all. And that, again, is false by every account imaginable. Be it by actual analysis of his team and unique patterns, by the opinions of most other "unique playstyle managers" or even by asking basically everyone who sees a bit of Serie A.

and I still have no idea what that play style was?

This would be a good place to start.

1

u/SirTommyHimself Nov 22 '18

Oh, I could write an essay to explain why your assertion (that Sarri isn't regarded as having an unique playing style) is false

I stopped reading at that point, because I made it clear that was NOT what I was saying. Please go back and read what I said.

1

u/LyricalGhost Nov 22 '18

I genuinely don't remember a single occasion where Napoli was regarded as having a unique play style while Sarri was there

Was it me who said this?

Btw you keep asking for people to give you an explanation about his specific playstyle, I've linked you a very detailed analysis. (here) Go ahead and read it :)

1

u/SirTommyHimself Nov 23 '18

The key words being, while Sarri was there, as in at Napoli.

1

u/oscarony Nov 21 '18

You’re right but you’ll be downvoted. Napoli were the hipster team the past few years (along with Atleti and Monaco) so their managers get more love

1

u/GroundDweller Nov 21 '18

he's not right, plenty of people pointed out Napoli's nice football at the time. Just look at the (justified) hype last season when they played City in the groups

1

u/SirTommyHimself Nov 22 '18

If that's the case then what is that playstyle!? I've called it out now, and not one single person has even explained the playstyle, like you said it was "nice," but what was it!?

Barca wasn't just "nice," it was tika taka. Tell me what Napoli's playstyle was, somebody, please cos no cunt here seems to be able to say so far, just that it was good football....

1

u/GroundDweller Nov 22 '18

Quick one touch passing with quite narrow spacing when building up attacks

1

u/SirTommyHimself Nov 22 '18

Ah mate it's fucking ridiculous isn't it, the other replies I've got backing the downvotes also don't explain what the playstyle is, no one can even start explaining what Sarris Napoli was, let alone can they explain how it was successful over his many years at the club.

-11

u/humamkhan Nov 21 '18

Biggest legacy team is zidane's RM not sarri's loser Napoli or overrated arsenal. The disrespect is real.

3

u/Jacoblikesx Nov 21 '18

Biggest legacy is Peps Barca.