Stoke City Attack
The easiest way to commence is by considering Stoke’s average possession and passing statistics for each of their season’s in the Premiership.Â
Stoke average between 37% and 40% possession each season which is the lowest in the top flight. With less possession, Stoke also play the fewest number of passes although they achieved their highest number of passes and highest pass completion accuracy level last season with a substantial increase upon previous campaigns. Indeed last season witnessed a marked increase in the number of passes attempted.
Stoke City Passing Breakdown
The table above contains long balls, through balls and short passes. Last season saw the most progressive performance from Stoke in the Premiership in terms of their frequency of pass types. Although long balls increased, so too did their accuracy and this is where we can sometimes stray a little and let prejudices inform our views. If Arsenal or Man Utd hit a long pass, it’s praised. If Stoke hit a long pass? It’s often simply labelled a long ball which does the team a disservice. All teams will hit long passes. This is not the same as long ball which is simply directing the ball into a general area of the field in a somewhat haphazard and aimless fashion. Stoke, Pulis would argue, use long passing. There is a subtle difference.
Stoke City Pass Direction
Last season also saw Stoke playing the ball forward less often than previously. Only 49% of their passes went forward in comparison to 63% in season 2010/11 when records began. The drop in playing the ball forwards was mirrored with a drop in the number of backwards passes Stoke make. There is now a more expansive element to Stoke’s play perhaps indicative of the higher quality players they now have in wide areas.
Stoke City – Attack Direction
Yet the expansion appears to be isolated to one side of the pitch, the right hand-side.
Stoke overwhelmingly attack down the right, a clear deviation from season 09/10 when there was more of a balance to their attacking intentions.
This does have implications for their future success. Man Utd have already responded to the perceived threat of Stoke on the right by playing two left backs. As more teams understand the threat and respond to it, so Stoke must too.
Therefore, last season Stoke attempted more passes than previously (both long balls and short passes) yet substantially reduced the number of through balls being played perhaps due to using Peter Crouch as their main striker and his lack of pace. Stoke also played the ball to the sides more often, noticeably the right hand-side.
Stoke City – Crossing Statistics
A product of the increased width in Stoke’s play is the high number of crosses which they produced last year. The width and crossing has been introduced to suit Peter Crouch in the striking position. There is no point playing long vertical balls to Crouch hence the declining verticality of their approach in terms of pass direction and the reliance upon the right hand-side to deliver crosses.
Stoke City – Chance Creation
It’s not easy being s Stoke striker. Stoke have always struggled to create goalscoring chances in the Premiership and last season saw their lowest tally of chances from both open play and set pieces since their promotion.
Is this poor chance creation last season related to the increasing passing? Followers of Charles Reep would unequivocally say yes. Much of the problems of the modern game in the UK can be attributed to Reep’s view of getting the ball forward towards your opponent’s goal as quickly and as directly as possible to maximise your goalscoring chances.
Perhaps Stoke are better being more direct and playing at a higher tempo? If they slow the game down it allows their opponent time to recover and stabilise their defence.
We can see quite clearly from the statistics that Stoke are altering their style of play. Whilst there is still the reliance upon a physical and direct style of play, it has been tempered slightly with fewer balls being played forward and a higher degree of pass accuracy. Increasing the chance creation is the next step to be considered.
Next Page:Â Evolution, The transfer market, where Stoke City should finish with regards to their wages and the future.
