Analysing Roy Hodgson's latest England Squad

Thursday saw the announcement of the last England squad before he names his 23 man squad for Brazil. Hodgson has plenty to play with for the upcoming friendly against Denmark, selecting a 30 man squad. There’s a good blend of youth and experience, with 14 players under 23 and 7 over 30, a promising sign if the world cup squad is to be made up of similar proportions.

Goalkeepers

Hodgson has called up four goalkeepers to his latest squad, presumably only three will go to Brazil, and a maximum of two will play on Wednesday. It might be wise to give Fraser Forster another game to prove that he is up to the standard, it’s then between Ruddy and Foster and that might have to be decided on league form.

Defenders

Southampton left back Luke Shaw has been in excellent form this season and is well deserving of his first international call up, his performances are such that he’s been linked with a move to all of the top clubs in England. While he has to compete with the experience of Ashely Cole and Leighton Baines, given that Cole isn’t playing for Chelsea at the minute and Hodgson seems intent on taking two left backs to Brazil, a good performance in the friendly and remaining consistent for the remainder of the season could see Shaw heading to Brazil.

Shaw’s pace and strength is something not necessarily associated with a left back, but is certainly a big advantage. He is also likes to get forward, with 1 assist so far this season. He gets dribbled past less than once a game, which is good for a left back.

A place for Steven Caulker is justified and also justifies his move away from Spurs to get regular first team football. Although, his position is only at the expense of Jones and Jagielka both of whom are injured. Caulker wins an average of 3.9 headers per game and his aerial prowess is also a threat going forward, shown by the fact that he has scored two goals so far this season.

Midfielders

One decision that is perplexing is the selection of Andros Townsend over Adam Johnson. Admittedly, Townsend was particularly impressive in his first few games as a full international, however following a recent injury his Spurs form has suffered and there’s no guarantee he’ll get into the starting XI under Tim Sherwood.

Johnson on the other hand has been a revelation under Gus Poyet at Sunderland, scoring 7 and creating 3 so far this season. In his last 7 games Johnson has scored 6 and provided 2 assists, on current form he’s one of the best midfielders in the country.

In comparison, Townsend has scored just once so far this season and provided no assists in his 10 starts for Spurs this season. At times his decision making is poor, more often than not when he gets the ball he’ll shoot, averaging 2.9 shots per game so far this season. That statistic makes his goal per game ratio even more worrying.

The inclusion and justification of Townsend in previous England squads has become an almost defining moment in Hodgson’s England managerial career, it signifies the shift towards youth over experience, and form over reputation, but in including Townsend in his latest squad and omitting Johnson Hodgson is in danger of making the same mistakes those before him have.

Despite being arguably England’s strongest position for many years the centre of midfield is again sees the inclusion of Tom Cleverley. The 23 year old has scored just once for Manchester United and has failed to provide any assists so far this season, he is quickly completing the transition from one of the most exciting young English midfielders to laughing stock. His selection in United teams is bemoaned every time, he doesn’t seem to add anything to the team.

One man who must feel sympathy for Cleverley and can provide an example of how to recapture that form is Jordan Henderson. Too much was expected from the midfielder following his £20m move from Sunderland to Liverpool, and the pressure clearly showed on him. The subsequent inclusion in the England squad for Euro 2012 didn’t help as he did little to distinguish himself.

This season he has been a revelation, and that has been helped in part by Gerrard dropping deeper, allowing Henderson more freedom. Henderson has scored 3 goals and supplied 3 assists so far this season and is looking more and more valuable to Liverpool as the season progresses. The inclusion of teammates Gerrard, Sturridge and Sterling could provide a strong core and understanding to the team, from their exploits at club level.

There’s also the possibility of playing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the centre of the park, but such is the competition there that you’d feel he might be best suited out wide for now, with the move to a more central position coming after the tournament as England prepare for the next European Championships.

Forwards

England aren’t overly blessed with striking talent at the moment, whilst Sturridge is in the form of his life at Liverpool, Welbeck continues to struggle at United, Defoe has now completed his move to the other side of the Atlantic and you imagine he’ll lose match fitness and some of his cutting edge whilst over there.

The inclusion of Jay Rodriguez is, I think, a positive thing. The Southampton striker has scored 10 goals and provided 3 assists so far this season, averaging 2.8 shots per game. The 24 year old has the advantage of being adept at playing in a number of positions, as a central striker, attacking midfielder or even out wide, such versatility would be a huge benefit to Hodgson’s squad.

Of the 4 Southampton players included Rickie Lambert is perhaps the most surprising on current form, the 32 year old has scored 8 goals and has 7 assists to his name in 22 appearances for the Saints so far this season, he has not been as prolific as last season. However, he adds another dynamic to the England squad, he is a target man, and a very good one at that.

His main competitor in that respect is Andy Carroll, following his return from injury Carroll has looked more like the player he once was. The aggression is back in his play, he has 3 assists in the 4 appearances he’s made this season but is yet to register a goal. If he has a good last 10 games or so, and starts scoring again Hodgson may considering taking the player who he took to the Euro’s. If Andy Carroll is in his best form, he’s virtually unplayable and would provide a perfect foil for the likes of Rooney and Sturridge.

Sterling’s call up is also justified, with 5 goals and 3 assists from 16 starts this season. His pace and unpredictability adds another dimension to the England attack. His inclusion will undoubtedly have been benefitted by the recent form of Daniel Sturridge, the pair have struck up a strong relationship over the course of the season and play well together, something Hodgson will be recreated on an international stage. 

Returning Trio Stop the Rot

Before Sunday’s game at home to Aston Villa Newcastle had not scored in their last four, had conceded 10 in their last 3 and had not won at St James’ Park since Boxing Day of 2013 against 9 man Stoke. Fortunately for Alan Pardew, good early season form had cemented a mid-table position and his job didn’t seem to be under too much pressure, that said Newcastle fans were beginning to grow restless and another home defeat could have spelt the end for Pardew.

Newcastle have been without top goal scorer Loic Remy for the past three games following his suspension against Norwich. His goals have been sorely missed, Newcastle lacked any real class up front, with Gouffran the only other striker to have scored this season and he was missing for the most part through injury. Unsurprisingly it was Remy who popped up with a last gasp winner for Newcastle, turning what would have otherwise been a disappointing point into a vital win.

Remy has averaged the most shots per game (3.5) in the Newcastle squad, his form couldn’t be more contrasted with fellow striker Papiss Cisse. The Senegalese international, who looked like a revelation when he first arrived on Tyneside now looks devoid of any confidence, as illustrated by the simple chance he missed against Villa. Cisse is averaging just 1.6 shots per game, half as many as Remy on average, that’s the difference, Remy has the confidence to take the shots on whereas Cisse doesn’t. On Sunday Cisse had 2 shots, 1 of  which was on target, whereas Remy had 7 and 3 on target, further demonstrating Cisse’s lack of confidence.

Whether or not Cisse will be playing for Newcastle next season hangs in the balance and will largely depend on whether he starts scoring in the second half of the season or not. He was linked with a move away in January and that could become reality in the summer. Although that may depend on whether or not Newcastle can retain the services of on-loan Remy from QPR, his performances this season have been top class and merit playing in the Champions League, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Arsenal make a move for him.

Pardew also had the chance to welcome back club captain Coloccini, the 32 year old Argentinian had been missing since the start of the year, in that time Newcastle shipped 15 goals in 7 games, 2.14 per game on average. Coloccini adds considerable experience to the defence, his organisational and leadership abilities have certainly been missed in the last few weeks.

Against Villa, Coloccini made 4 tackles and 4 interceptions, giving him the highest combined total in the Newcastle team. His defensive contribution didn’t stop there, the Argentine also made 5 clearances and won 2 headers, on more than one occasion clearing what looked like a threatening situation for Aston Villa. His performance was aided by that of Mike Williamson, who recaptured some of the form which had seen him become so indispensable to Pardew. As always Williamson was imperious in the air, winning a staggering 11 headers, stopping the aerial threat Benteke posed in the process and he made 8 effective clearances, the most in the Newcastle team.

The partnership at the heart of the Newcastle defence has been so important all season and without it they look lost at the back, that’s down to Coloccini, he’s the most experienced of the back four and he’s such a big asset for Newcastle when he plays in the kind of way he did on Sunday.

The third returning player was Cheick Tiote, the Ivorian added some much needed steel to the centre of Newcastle’s midfield. That’s something which has been lacking in recent weeks and is especially important when the two Newcastle central midfielders have been facing three.

Defensively, Tiote was sound, making 5 tackles (the most in the Newcastle team) and 2 interceptions, breaking up the play in the centre of the park is one of his most important jobs for the team. His discipline is still an issue, he committed 5 fouls on Sunday and picked up his customary yellow card in the process of doing so.

An area of Tiote’s play which is often not appreciated is his passing ability, he made the most passes in the Newcastle team (58) and had the second highest passing accuracy (84%). He also played 3 key passes, a pass which leads to a chance, a total matched only by Vurnon Anita. Anita is another who is often pigeon holed as a defensive midfielder, when he has the vision and passing ability of much more than just that, as with Tiote it is goals which are missing from making him more of an attacking threat.

It was a vital win for Newcastle and Alan Pardew, one which offers a sense of optimism about the future and that the rest of the season is more than just a damp squib. It was a real team performance, but one that was undeniably helped by the returning trio of Remy, Coloccini and Tiote. They considerably strengthened the core of the team and if they all remain fit for the rest of the season Newcastle fans should be able to look forward to a few more wins.

 All statistics courtesy of whoscored.com

Can Aubameyang replace Lewandowski?

The news that Robert Lewandowski will leave Borussia Dortmund for Bayern Munich is one that further asserts the Bavarians’ dominance over German football, to be able to sign the best players form their main title rivals is something which must be hard for the Dortmund fans to swallow.

In the summer Dortmund completed the signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Saint-Etienne. In 36 games in Ligue 1 Gabon international Aubameyang scored 19 goals and supplied 9 assists, averaging 3.7 shots per game, an improvement from 16 goals and 7 assists the year before. His performances were enough for Dortmund to sign the highly coveted attacking player.

The 24 year old has scored 13 goals in 15 starts (5 sub appearances), Lewandowski has scored 1 more in 20 starts. Aubameyang has been predominantly been deployed on the right of an attacking 3 in behind the Polish forward. His pace means that he is more than able to play out wide, but his more natural position is as a central striker.

Aubameyang certainly looks like he will be able to surpass his goal tally in his first year in Germany and given how it is generally of a higher standard than the French league, that’s testament to his ability. Although, arguably he’s now playing in a better team alongside better players so you’d expect an improvement in his performances.

There’s clearly a massive difference between leading the line and playing as an attacking midfielder. Aubameyang may not have the strength to lead the line in the same way that Lewandowski does, the latter wins on average 4.8 headers per game, whereas Aubameyang wins just 1.2. That could be as he’s playing out wide so there’s less long balls targeted at him, that said, in his time with Saint Etienne he was winning less than one (0.5) aerial duels per game. Aubameyang is still a physical presence, he’s the same height as Lewandowski.

His style of play relies more on his pace and movement rather than on his strength, which may fit in better with Dortmund’s counter pressing style of play, than using Lewandowski’s aerial ability. It could lead to them playing more on the counter, they certainly have the players to do so.

Half (18) of his performances last season where as the central striker, in the same 4-2-3-1 formation as employed at Dortmund, so there’s no doubt that he’s comfortable playing in that position. It probably is his best position, although he has the ability to play in several positions, so you’d expect an improvement if he was used there.

The decrease in the number of shots per game, from 3.7 to 2.4 is as a result of not playing as the central striker. However, he’s scored more goals, which suggests Aubameyang has become somewhat more clinical in his time at Dortmund.

If he is to mature to the main striking role next season, he’s now had a season in German  football and has proved he can produce the goods on that stage and so deserves a chance in his best position. He’s had time to acclimatise to the style of play and German football overall, which should stand him in good stead for the future. There’d be a level of apprehension if he was brought in as a direct replacement without experience of the league itself.

Whether or not Klopp signed him with a view to playing him as a central striker in the future is unknown, however it’s certainly an option he has and given Aubameyang’s performances this season it must be one he is considering. If not, Klopp has a player who can provide goals from a wide area which could be as important if whoever else is brought in needs time to settle and adjust to the style of Dortmund’s play. Lewandowski is one of the best strikers in the world and his loss would damage any team, but in Aubameyang Dortmund have a player who can readily fill his boots. 

Statistics courtesy of whoscored.com 

Allardyce Repaying Faith

Following a 5-0 dismantling in the F.A. cup by Nottingham Forrest and a 9-0 drubbing in the League Cup by Man City the pressure was well and truly on Sam Allardyce, however West Ham stuck by their manager and their recent results are paying dividends.

West Ham are now undefeated in their last four Premier League matches since the defeat at the hands of Newcastle and Yohan Cabaye, which seems like an eternity  ago. In the process they’ve accrued 10 of a possible 12 points and conceded no goals. The run began with an impressive rear guard action in the 0-0 away at Chelsea and has been followed up by three successive 2-0 wins against Swansea, Villa and Norwich.

West Ham now sit in 11^th place, although they are just 4 points above the relegation zone, as is the congestion this season. However, similar performances to those in recent weeks should soon dispel rumours of relegation and ensure job security for Big Sam.

The defensive performances have been aided by the fact that Allardyce has been able to select the same back four in each of the games, Demel, Tomkins, Collins and McCartney. These were players who were missing when West Ham were on their poor run of form.

Collins has been a rock at the heart of the West Ham defence, he’s made the most clearances of any player in the past four games, an average of 17.5 per game. He’s also been making an average of 2 tackles and winning 4 headers per game.

Goalkeeper Adrián deserves praise too, he’s now kept 5 clean sheets in 8 Premier League appearances. In the 8 games he’s played he’s only conceded 9 Premier League goals (although on each occasion he’s conceded he’s let in 3 and he conceded 6 against Manchester City in the League Cup). He’s doing well enough to keep an experienced keeper like Jaaskelinen out, which says a lot about the level at which he is playing.

Of the 6 goals West Ham have scored in the last four games, Kevin Nolan has managed to score 4. The performances have been Nolan back to his best, real captain’s performances, Nolan has atoned for the red card and suspension he received for a petulant kick against Fulham. Goals have been something of an issue for the Hammers all season so it’s important that players like Nolan contribute.

Nolan’s been putting in shifts defensively as well, against Swansea he made 7 tackles, disrupting their play from further up the pitch. Mark Noble has been consistent as always, creating 7 chances in the four games. Defensively he has been solid too, making an average of 3.5 tackles per game.

Andy Carroll’s return has had some impact on West Ham’s recent form, he provided 2 assists against Swansea, before being sent off. Carroll proved he was back to near his best winning 10 headers in both the 64 minutes he played against Chelsea and the 59 minutes he played against Swansea. Although, the red card is an issue it shows that the aggression is back in his game.

The Nolan-Carroll partnership is one that will be key to West Ham staying up this season, it’s one that was effective at Newcastle and reuniting the pair looks to be a good move by Allardyce. They feed off each other well, with Carroll occupying the defenders, leaving space for Nolan to do what he does best.

West Ham now have a short break due to their F.A. cup exit and next up face Southampton at the Boleyn ground. It’ll be a close fought game, but if West Ham can produce their best they can push Southampton all the way. 

Manchester United vs. Fulham, a Statistical Review

Darren Bent’s last gasp equaliser was enough to earn Fulham a share of the spoils at Old Trafford on Sunday. It was one of the strangest encounters I’ve ever witnessed, Fulham set out almost exclusively to defend and scored two goals on the counter-attack. Despite having the lion share of possession and attempts, United did little to dispel the feelings of angst which are circulating more and more rapidly as the weeks go on.

On paper it was a game that United should have won, Fulham sitting bottom of the table, winless in four, whilst Juan Mata’s arrival seemed to have breathed belief back into United.

Much has been made of United’s ineptitude to break down a solid Fulham defence, Fulham deserve praise for the way they played, they carried out their game plan to perfection. Although, that wouldn’t have been the case had United been able to defend anywhere near as resolutely.

Fulham had 6 shots, 3 on target and scored 2 goals, Manchester United had 31 shots, 9 on target and also scored 2 goals. That says a lot about United going forward, they lacked the clinical edge we’ve come to associate with them, especially with Rooney and van Persie in the team. Fulham restricted them to half chances really. Whilst on the rare occasion Fulham did attack they looked like they were capable of scoring.

Much has been made of the 81 crosses United put in to the Fulham area and how well they dealt with it. Meulensteen described United’s tactics as ‘simple’, whilst 6ft 7in defender Dan Burn, who made 22 clearances, likened them to those used in the Conference. Fulham congested the centre of the pitch forcing United out wide where when the ball was put in to the box Fulham had the players to deal with it, with just 18 crosses reaching a teammate.

Kieran Richardson was deployed on the left ahead of Riise, limiting the room for Mata, who was mainly deployed on the right. Mata then had to come inside but he failed to provide the killer pass, although his shot fell to van Persie for the first.

Figure 1: Average Player Positions (United: blue, Fulham: orange)

That’s shown from Figure 1, Mata (number 8)’s average position is more alike to that of Rooney(10) than a winger. The average position plot shows Fulham’s compact shape, all 11 players are packed into the centre of the pitch, and they all occupy their own half. Showing Fulham’s counter attack based game plan.

United looked predictable and that’s why Fulham’s game plan worked. Despite the obvious attacking talent available to them, there was still a distinct lack of creativity. The deployment of Mata on the right is perhaps a little worrying, his best position is undoubtedly through the middle, but that was being occupied by Rooney. Moyes could have reshuffled earlier, bringing on Valencia for Fletcher and pushing Mata through the middle and Rooney alongside van Persie. That would have given them more dimensions going forward and given the Fulham defenders more to think about. 

United’s play came predominantly down the left, with Ashley Young and Patrice Evra providing 15 and 14 crosses respectively. This is shown in Figure 2, with 42% of the play coming down the left, 35% down the right and just 23% through the middle. Similarly, Fulham’s game plan can be seen from these statistics, with 44% of their play coming through the centre of the pitch, overrunning the middle of the park but leaving space out wide for United.

Figure 2: Attack sides (United: blue, Fulham: orange)

Interestingly, United normally play more down the right hand side, with 42% of their play on average coming down that side. The introduction of Juan Mata has changed that though, in the 3 games he has played for United they have played 31.6% down the right where Mata has been stationed and an average of 47.3% down the left. You would have expected Mata and the side he plays to receive more of the ball, the reason this isn’t the case is due to Mata drifting infield.

In deploying Mata out wide Moyes is making the same mistake Ferguson did with Kagawa. He is not playing him in his best position, which in turn is hindering the performance and natural flow of the team. Instead of adding creativity, against Fulham, Mata added to the predictability of the Manchester United team. The Mata signing is a classic case of buying a player because they are good, not because they fit in to the system; it’s the same as with Kagawa.

It’s worrying that Fulham, despite playing gallantly, managed to come away from Old Trafford with a point. If results don’t pick up soon, the pressure is only going to mount on David Moyes, whilst Rene Meulensteen must use this performance to kick on Fulham’s push for survival.

Statistics and infographics courtesy of whoscored.com

How Important is Vidic to Manchester United?

News coming out of Old Trafford this morning is that Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic will be leaving the club at the end of the season when his contract expires, although he will not be staying in England. There was a time when the partnership of Ferdinand and Vidic was unrivalled in defensive superiority, it’s safe to say those days have passed, the pair have started just one game together so far this season.

Vidic has made 15 starts so far this season, he’s made an average of 1.5 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game. Of the defenders in the United squad, only Rafael and Jones have better statistics. Vidic has made a staggering 10.7 clearances per game, the most in the United squad and in the Premier League. Vidic’s aerial prowess is shown by the fact that he wins an average of 3.9 headers per game, his strength is something that’ll be missed.

With Vidic	Without Vidic
Swansea                1-4 W	West Brom                 1-2 L
Chelsea                  0-0 D	Southampton             1-1 D
Liverpool                1-0 L	Stoke                          3-2 W
Crystal Palace       2-0 W	Cardiff                         2-2 D
Manchester City    4-1 L	Aston Villa                  0-3 W
Sunderland            1-2 W	West Ham                  3-1 W
Fulham                   1-3 W	Hull                              2-3 W
Arsenal                  1-0 W	Cardiff                         2-0 W
Spurs                     2-2 D	Stoke                          2-1 L
Everton                   0-1 L
Newcastle              0-1 L
Norwich                  0-1 W
Spurs                      1-2 L
Swansea                2-0 W
Chelsea                  3-1 L

In the games that Vidic has played United have won 7, lost 6 and drawn 2, a win percentage of 46.7%. Without Vidic they have won 5, drawn 2 and lost 2, a win percentage of 55.6%. Arguably United played tougher teams with Vidic in the team, only one of the 9 game he missed was against top 9 opposition (Southampton), whereas he played 9 games against teams from the top 9. That highlights Vidic’s importance, he plays in the big games if he is fit. United have only kept 2 clean sheets without Vidic but have kept 5 when he has started.

In losing Vidic United lose more than just a top class defender, they lose their captain and a leader on the pitch, replacing him won’t be easy. When Vidic plays he inspires confidence in the team and those around him, his organisational skills will be badly missed.

However, it allows Moyes to begin the restructuring which is so badly needed. You’d expect this to also be the last season for Patrice Evra as well, the United back four next season will have a very different feel to it.

You’d expect Moyes will have to dip into the transfer market if he is to find a suitable replacement for Vidic. Phil Jones has been deployed into many positions without really making any of them his own although centre-back is undoubtedly his best position. A partnership between Jones and Smalling would take time to develop, but would be solid for years to come if it did so in the right way. Smalling is another who hasn’t really taken the chances when they’ve been given to him. Jones and Smalling have started just 6 games apiece in the centre of the United defence and have not played there together. The preference has been to use Jonny Evans, personally I don’t think he’s good enough for United.

Rio Ferdinand is too injury prone to hold down a starting place, Moyes must want a settled back four and Ferdinand has played just 7 games so far this season. Moyes can’t afford to be sentimental, despite the fact Ferdinand has been a great servant to the club his fitness isn’t good enough and he looks more error prone than in his prime. Ferdinand would be a strong figure to have around the club, perhaps in a coaching role.

It’d be interesting to know whether or not Vidic would have left if Ferguson was still in charge or had United been more successful this season. His departure signifies a weakening of the club, it is the player who is deciding to leave not the club telling him to, when presumably they will have tried to make him stay. One thing’s for certain, Vidic will be a huge miss for United next year.

Statistics courtesy of whoscored.com

Villarreal Impressing on La Liga Return

 Villarreal where once a force to be reckoned with in Spain and across Europe, reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2005/06 and finishing second in La Liga in 2007/08. I think the majority of English fans would have been surprised to learn of their relegation given their pedigree. They bounced back following that set back achieving promotion at the first attempt and mad their La Liga return this season.

Whilst fellow promoted clubs Elche and Almeria sit in 15^th and 16^th places respectively, hovering dangerously above the relegation zone, Villarreal have adapted much more successfully to life in the top division. They sit in 5^th place, just 3 points behind Athletic Bilbao, and are definitely in contention for that Champions League play off place. Their achievements this season have exceeded most people’s expectations, most had expected a mid-table finish.

Of their 22 games Villarreal have won 12, drawn 4 and lost 6, scoring 42 goals and conceding just 23 in the process, those results have included 6 clean sheets. Villarreal’s style is not as possession based as some of the Spanish sides, they have just 48.5% possession on average per game and an average passing accuracy of 78.4%. That, along with the fact that Most of the time they have employed a 4-4-2 system, might suggest they play a more direct, long ball style of football. That is not the case, Villarreal win on average 14.4 headers per game (3^rd lowest in La Liga), they play short passes but in a more direct attacking manner.

The majority of the Yellow Submarine’s goals have come from Ikechukwu Uche, the 30 year old forward has scored 12 in 13 starts, including a hat-trick against Rayo Vallecano, making him the 6^th highest scorer in La Liga. However, he has scored just 29% of Villarreal’s goals and they are more than just a one man attack. Jérémy Perbet has scored 7 in 4 starts and 10 substitiute appearances, whilst former Spurs player Giovani dos Santos has scored 8 in 16 starts.

dos Santos has supplied the most assists in the Villarreal team with 7 and has been averaging 2.3 shots per game, the most in the squad. Perbet has also provided 3 assists, which a good return given that he has mainly featured as substitute.

The experienced Cani has provided 6 assists from central midfield, although he is also good at the defensive side of the game, making 2.7 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game. His partnership with Bruno in the centre of the pitch has been vital to Villarreal’s success this season. Bruno has been made 1175 passes so far this season (58.8 each game on average), the most in the squad by some considerable way.

Defensively they have been very solid too. Right back Mario has been averaging 3 tackles per game and making on average 2 interceptions. If the 23 year old has a weakness it’s that he has been conceding on 1.3 fouls per game. That is less than left back Costa, (1.8) who has been booked 8 times, although he too boasts impressive defensive statistics, with 2.9 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game. Both players have also provided 1 assist so far this season and getting forward to support attacks is part of their game.

Musacchio has been a key figure at the heart of the defence, appearing 21 times, missing just one game. He has won the most headers in the team, 2.6 per game on average. The 23 year old Argentinian has been impressive so far this season and many have called for him to be included in the World Cup squad for Brazil. He has made 3.5 interceptions per game, the most of any player to have played more than 10 games, this suggests a maturity beyond his years and that he is adept at reading the game, something that will stand him I good stead in years to come.

The Villarreal team is one where the sum of the parts is greater than the sum of the individuals, they have a real team spirit. Their performances this season have been impressive and they have a good balance between attack and defence. If they continue to play this way they will push Bilbao to the end for the Champions League spot and it wouldn’t be undeserved if it was achieved. The Yellow Submarine is buoyant once more.

Statistics courtesy of whoscored.com