82,891
edits
Attack and defence: Difference between revisions
no edit summary
Amwelladmin (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
Amwelladmin (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{a|devil|}}{{quote|“On 18 December 2022, he fouled Randal Kolo Muani to give away the penalty for | {{a|devil|}}{{quote|“On 18 December 2022, he fouled Randal Kolo Muani to give away the penalty for France’s opening goal in the final, where Argentina eventually won 4–2 in the penalty shoot-out after the match ended 3–3 at extra-time, to win the World Cup.” | ||
:— Wikipedia, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicol%C3%A1s_Otamendi Nicolás Otamendi]}} | :— Wikipedia, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicol%C3%A1s_Otamendi Nicolás Otamendi]}} | ||
{{Quote|“Mbappé became only the second player in history to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, scoring three goals against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final. | {{Quote|“Mbappé became only the second player in history to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, scoring three goals against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final. Argentina led 2–0 with just over ten minutes remaining before Mbappé scored twice in two minutes, the second from a volley after playing a one-two.” | ||
:— Wikipedia, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kylian_Mbapp%C3%A9 Kilian Mbappé]}} | :— Wikipedia, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kylian_Mbapp%C3%A9 Kilian Mbappé]}} | ||
It struck the JC while watching the 2022 World Cup Final that there is a large asymmetry between attack and defence. The final will be remembered for Lionel Messi, yes, but also for 23-year-old Kilian Mbappé’s | It struck the JC while watching the 2022 World Cup Final that there is a large asymmetry between how we evaluate attack and defence. The final will be remembered for Lionel Messi, yes, but also for 23-year-old Kilian Mbappé’s hat-trick — the first in a World Cup final since Geoff Hurst’s in 1966. | ||
It is interesting to compare Mbappé’s performance with an Argentine defender’s. Nicolás Otamendi. How the UK media saw it is set out in the panel below, but it is also captured in the Wikipedia quotes above. | |||
The common consensus: Otamendi had a solid game, kept Mbappé quiet for 90% of it, but made one obvious mistake, giving away the penalty that brought France back into the game. Mbappé was more or less invisible for 80 minutes, but sparked to life ten minutes from the end, scoring an impressive goal and converting two penalties to take the match to penalties. | |||
Yet Otamendi’s average rating was around just over 5; Mbappé’s almost between 9 and perfect. Infact, the Argentine defensive line, in which Otamendi was central, so dominated the French forward line that two French forwards (Giroud and Dembélé) were unceremoniously withdrawn before half-time. | |||
Yet Otamendi’s average rating was around just over 5; Mbappé’s almost between 9 and perfect. | |||
Interesting note: despite the widespread use of Enhanced Football Intelligence — every player in the tournament was GPS tracked and data exists for number, location and success rate of passes, tackles and touch rates, not one of the ratings made reference to it. | Interesting note: despite the widespread use of Enhanced Football Intelligence — every player in the tournament was GPS tracked and data exists for number, location and success rate of passes, tackles and touch rates, not one of the ratings made reference to it. | ||
| Line 47: | Line 45: | ||
{{tablebottom}} | {{tablebottom}} | ||
</small> | </small> | ||
===Poor old Giroud=== | |||
It is worth comparing Mbappé’s fate with that of his striking partner poor old Olivier Giroud, who was substituted off after 40 minutes. “Seethed after humiliating early substitution but in truth the game had completely passed him by. 5” said the Guardian. “Slightly lucky at one point not to give away a penalty and so ineffective up front he did not make it to half-time” opined the express. “A miserable final for the former Arsenal man as he was subbed before half-time,” said the express, before awarding the poor chap 3. | |||
At least he put in a tackle! | |||
===Relative cost=== | ===Relative cost=== | ||
Yes; an anecdote; but a representative one. The ten top-paid ''defenders'' in the world earn between £12m and £18m a year.<ref>https://www.johnfyucha.com/2021/12/highest-paid-defenders.html</ref> The top paid footballers earn between £20m and £35m, and most are strikers.<ref>https://www.johnfyucha.com/2022/10/top-10-highest-paid-footballers-in-2022.html</ref> Not one is a defender. | Yes; an anecdote; but a representative one. The ten top-paid ''defenders'' in the world earn between £12m and £18m a year.<ref>https://www.johnfyucha.com/2021/12/highest-paid-defenders.html</ref> The top paid footballers earn between £20m and £35m, and most are strikers.<ref>https://www.johnfyucha.com/2022/10/top-10-highest-paid-footballers-in-2022.html</ref> Not one is a defender. | ||
The point here is not to challenge these ratings, but note how much harder it is to be well-rated as a defender than as an attacker. You can shut the brightest star in football’s firmament out of a world cup final for 80 minutes and get 4; you can ''be'' shut out for that time by | The point here is not to challenge these ratings — well, it is partly that: the Telegraph’s in particular is preposterous even on its own terms — but note how much harder a job it is to be well-rated as a defender than as an attacker. You can shut the brightest star in football’s firmament out of a world cup final for 80 minutes and get 4; you can ''be'' shut out for that time by a not-especially notable centreback (who is apparently playing poorly!) and get a ten. | ||