'Championship success may not hinge on dominating the ball'
Thu Sep 17, 2015 5:03 pm
' Why Championship success for Cardiff City may not hinge on dominating the ball '
THURSDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2015
BY TERRY PHILLIPS
This season's Championship is already showing the value of teams being smart in possession, organised and tight when they aren’t
It’s said that possession is nine tenths of the law. But that old adage is far from true in the Championship.
After all, Cardiff City dominated the ball for up to 65 per cent of their home league clash with Hull City this week and lost 2-0.
Yet over the previous four City matches, against Blackburn, Wolves, Nottingham Forest and even Huddersfield the Bluebirds had less than half of the possession each time and were unbeaten in that run, winning three of those fixtures.
And when you look at the Championship overall there have been a total of 82 matches so far this season and teams who have enjoyed the majority of possession have gone on to win only 21 per cent of those matches.
Teams with saw most of the ball won 17 times and those who had less than half of possession earned 36 wins.
The big factor is now how much of the ball your players have, but the quality and effectiveness of a team’s work when they have possession.
That was underlined when Cardiff took on a Hull team relegated from the Premier League last season and bossed the game, almost from start to finish.
The Bluebirds were clearly the better team around the pitch and yet Hull had the quality - and a little luck - to survive and take their chances when they came to take all three points back to Humberside.
Cardiff attacked and attacked with Joe Ralls and Fabio linking superbly down the left, while Kagisho Dikgacoi, sharp and incisive thanks to his fitness regime, produced his best performance so far for the Bluebirds.
Yet for all their endeavours, Cardiff scarcely troubled goalkeeper Allan McGregor.
They pinned Hull back, sent Bluebirds players running free down the flanks thanks to a high tempo and slick passing, but but too often failed to deliver final balls, crosses and passes, into the right places.
Hull manager Steve Bruce watched in delight as his team sat back, used their three centre-backs - Michael Dawson, Alex Bruce and Curtis Davies - to stop Kenwyne Jones and keep a clean sheet.
While Cardiff knocked the ball about with some style, Hull simply asked ‘Can you break us down’ and waited for the chance to hit their hosts on the break through sheer pace and timing.
The quality of Hull’s second goal, scored by Abel Hernandez, was outstanding.
In reality, while City had more of the ball, Hull were able to demonstrate they had the sheer quality needed to win the match.
Any team’s playing principles have to be based on the type of players they have available.
Read more: Four changes Cardiff City boss Russell Slade should consider against Rotherham
Bournemouth, for instance, won the Championship by bossing possession in most matches because that was the strength of their team.
The Bluebirds, under Malky Mackay in 2012-13, kept things tight, played a cautious style and ground out wins. Heidar Helguson and Peter Whittingham were City’s top scorers with eight each, while Mackay’s men conceded less than a goal a game over the 46 matches and won the title.
Hull were runners-up to Cardiff in that season, clinching automatic promotion when the top two clashed at the KC Stadium and drew 2-2, and yet scored just nine goals more (61) than they conceded (52).
Championship football is nothing like then Premier League, European or international football.
It can be and often is unpredictable. The Championship is about grinding out results and the key is to play winning football, whether that comes by dominating possession or not.
Last Saturday only two teams, Forest and Middlesbrough, won having had more of the ball than their opponents.
And Forest’s 2-1 victory came against a Queens Park Rangers team who had to play the final 20 minutes with 10 men.
Eight of the dozen matches ended in wins for the side who had least possession.
And what about Reading on the Friday night. They thumped Ipswich Town 5-1 at home even though their visitors had 57 per cent of the ball!
In midweek there were 11 Championship games - and only two of those were won by the team who had more possession. Leaders Brighton had the ball 66 per cent of the time and won 2-0 at home against Rotherham, while Derby defeated Reading 1-0 away having had the majority of possession.
Six teams, Hull, Forest, Burnley, Huddersfield, Ipswich and Middlesbrough, had to live on less possession than their opponents and all of them won, while Preston, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn all earned draws even though they spent less time on the ball.
Charlton bossed the game against Huddersfield at home and were in control of the ball for 65 per cent of the game and lost.
There is a lot talked about possession, but at Championship level at least it can often mean very little. Teams who are smart in possession, organised and tight when they aren’t will often come out on top.
The Bluebirds proved that again, to their cost, when their unbeaten record was wrecked against Hull this week.
THURSDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2015
BY TERRY PHILLIPS
This season's Championship is already showing the value of teams being smart in possession, organised and tight when they aren’t
It’s said that possession is nine tenths of the law. But that old adage is far from true in the Championship.
After all, Cardiff City dominated the ball for up to 65 per cent of their home league clash with Hull City this week and lost 2-0.
Yet over the previous four City matches, against Blackburn, Wolves, Nottingham Forest and even Huddersfield the Bluebirds had less than half of the possession each time and were unbeaten in that run, winning three of those fixtures.
And when you look at the Championship overall there have been a total of 82 matches so far this season and teams who have enjoyed the majority of possession have gone on to win only 21 per cent of those matches.
Teams with saw most of the ball won 17 times and those who had less than half of possession earned 36 wins.
The big factor is now how much of the ball your players have, but the quality and effectiveness of a team’s work when they have possession.
That was underlined when Cardiff took on a Hull team relegated from the Premier League last season and bossed the game, almost from start to finish.
The Bluebirds were clearly the better team around the pitch and yet Hull had the quality - and a little luck - to survive and take their chances when they came to take all three points back to Humberside.
Cardiff attacked and attacked with Joe Ralls and Fabio linking superbly down the left, while Kagisho Dikgacoi, sharp and incisive thanks to his fitness regime, produced his best performance so far for the Bluebirds.
Yet for all their endeavours, Cardiff scarcely troubled goalkeeper Allan McGregor.
They pinned Hull back, sent Bluebirds players running free down the flanks thanks to a high tempo and slick passing, but but too often failed to deliver final balls, crosses and passes, into the right places.
Hull manager Steve Bruce watched in delight as his team sat back, used their three centre-backs - Michael Dawson, Alex Bruce and Curtis Davies - to stop Kenwyne Jones and keep a clean sheet.
While Cardiff knocked the ball about with some style, Hull simply asked ‘Can you break us down’ and waited for the chance to hit their hosts on the break through sheer pace and timing.
The quality of Hull’s second goal, scored by Abel Hernandez, was outstanding.
In reality, while City had more of the ball, Hull were able to demonstrate they had the sheer quality needed to win the match.
Any team’s playing principles have to be based on the type of players they have available.
Read more: Four changes Cardiff City boss Russell Slade should consider against Rotherham
Bournemouth, for instance, won the Championship by bossing possession in most matches because that was the strength of their team.
The Bluebirds, under Malky Mackay in 2012-13, kept things tight, played a cautious style and ground out wins. Heidar Helguson and Peter Whittingham were City’s top scorers with eight each, while Mackay’s men conceded less than a goal a game over the 46 matches and won the title.
Hull were runners-up to Cardiff in that season, clinching automatic promotion when the top two clashed at the KC Stadium and drew 2-2, and yet scored just nine goals more (61) than they conceded (52).
Championship football is nothing like then Premier League, European or international football.
It can be and often is unpredictable. The Championship is about grinding out results and the key is to play winning football, whether that comes by dominating possession or not.
Last Saturday only two teams, Forest and Middlesbrough, won having had more of the ball than their opponents.
And Forest’s 2-1 victory came against a Queens Park Rangers team who had to play the final 20 minutes with 10 men.
Eight of the dozen matches ended in wins for the side who had least possession.
And what about Reading on the Friday night. They thumped Ipswich Town 5-1 at home even though their visitors had 57 per cent of the ball!
In midweek there were 11 Championship games - and only two of those were won by the team who had more possession. Leaders Brighton had the ball 66 per cent of the time and won 2-0 at home against Rotherham, while Derby defeated Reading 1-0 away having had the majority of possession.
Six teams, Hull, Forest, Burnley, Huddersfield, Ipswich and Middlesbrough, had to live on less possession than their opponents and all of them won, while Preston, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn all earned draws even though they spent less time on the ball.
Charlton bossed the game against Huddersfield at home and were in control of the ball for 65 per cent of the game and lost.
There is a lot talked about possession, but at Championship level at least it can often mean very little. Teams who are smart in possession, organised and tight when they aren’t will often come out on top.
The Bluebirds proved that again, to their cost, when their unbeaten record was wrecked against Hull this week.
Re: Why Championship succes may not hinge on dominating the
Thu Sep 17, 2015 5:25 pm
But hoof ball long term is not the answer as we found out under Malky in the Prem when you get out of the championship playing possession football it gives you a good platform for the prem. 
Re: 'Championship success may not hinge on dominating the ba
Thu Sep 17, 2015 7:08 pm
Got to laugh at this article when last year all the pundits were saying we don't have enough possession! Over the course of the season having more possession guarantees nothing but it gives you a fighting chance, Hull will dominate games and lose and we will have less possession and win, that's football. 
Re: 'Championship success may not hinge on dominating the ba
Thu Sep 17, 2015 7:15 pm
Argued black and blue that possession stats was not everything last season but people just moaned about the teams lack of possession!
Re: 'Championship success may not hinge on dominating the ba
Thu Sep 17, 2015 8:53 pm
yes terry, on a one off game, you may win having 35% possession.
but you will not go up having 40% average possession. its a nothing article really.
but you will not go up having 40% average possession. its a nothing article really.