Topic: Brazilian Porn Review Topic (Warning: may contain Wijnaldum)

[BabuYagu]

100% pass completion isn’t taking risks with the ball

And when you are playing without a central midfield, that is a good thing.

[rushyman]

100% - Georginio Wijnaldum (@GWijnaldum) completed 61 passes v Chelsea, the highest tally with a 100 percent accuracy in a PL game for a Liverpool player since Opta collect detailed PL data (2003/04). Reinvention.

Just took this off Twitter.

Pretty damning if anything that

Doubt even messi gets 100% passing record. You get that one way, by going back or sideways the entire game.

[rushyman]

And when you are playing without a central midfield, that is a good thing.

He does take risks though, not with passing but in possession. I go cold at the situations he tries to get out of with a dribble

[Bobinhood]

I like the Windjammer. its hard to define his role or what he does but hes good at it    Hes fast, strong, good on the ball....he can come on for an injured Ox and the team doesn't miss a step....its not his fault all the other midfielders are hurt so his profile is raised, hes a perfect rotation player in an excellent squad and he can raise his game when the stakes are high. Seems to be good in the dressing room he runs his heart out most of the time...no problems with this lad at all. Hes exactly the kind of player you need in order to have enough depth to compete in all comps.

[Art of Lies]

So what did he do going forward?

I know Karius is the goalkeeper but what did he do going forward? Why didn't he effect play, what does he do, he doesn't score any goals and we really needed a goal out of him against Chelsea.

[BabuYagu]

He does take risks though, not with passing but in possession. I go cold at the situations he tries to get out of with a dribble

Against Man City, Ox was positioned between the lines. Gini turns on the ball and plays him in. Centrally. He then plays in Salah who scores.

Against Chelsea, where were our 8's? They were both drifting out of midfield. So who should he pass to? Try a thread a ball through midfield into the feet of Firmino? What of we lose it, how would our midfield press the ball to get it back from the flanks? Who prevents the Chelsea overload now in the middle? How do we stop their counter attack?

If you have no midfield, you cannot play vertical passes.

[PhaseOfPlay]

Pretty damning if anything that

Doubt even messi gets 100% passing record. You get that one way, by going back or sideways the entire game.

He actually played more passes forward than backward - 34 forward passes to 25 backward passes. His passes left and right were split pretty evenly.

However, he only played 12 passes towards the attacking third. That's only 2 more than Lovren, but 2 less than Henderson, who only played a half.

[Gerry Attrick]

My main gripe with Wijnaldum is his tendency to dwell on the ball for ages, it's why I don't like him playing against defensive teams much. Anecdotal, but I watched a bit of Netherlands' friendly against Portugal and on more than one occasion they had great attacking opportunities and he'd spend an age just turning on the ball and allowing Portugal to get back into position.

[red vinyl]

PoP,would you say Gini is playing to Klopp’s instructions ie diciplined positioning and not being in front of the ball then?

[BabuYagu]

He actually played more passes forward than backward - 34 forward passes to 25 backward passes. His passes left and right were split pretty evenly.

However, he only played 12 passes towards the attacking third. That's only 2 more than Lovren, but 2 less than Henderson, who only played a half.

That would make sense to me. I suspect Gini as a 6 wants to be playing the ball 10-15 yards into the feet of the midfield and full backs to move the ball up the pitch rather than playing longer, riskier passes into the attacking 3rd. Whereas Henderson, as an 8, would be receiving the ball higher and playing short passes into the attacking third.

I checked and all but 1 of Gini's passes into the attacking 3rd were short passes. Which tells me his starting position dictated the end position of his passes. If he stays deeper, his passes will ultimately end up ~15 yards in front of him in the middle of the pitch.

[PhaseOfPlay]

PoP,would you say Gini is playing to Klopp’s instructions ie diciplined positioning and not being in front of the ball then?

You would have to assume so. But given that Henderson will sometimes leave position to get forward, and Milner drifts wide, even if it's not a specific tactical instruction from Klopp, it's good that he DOES stay behind the ball, otherwise we'd be like it sometimes was under Brendan, with a counterattack against no midfield at all.

[red vinyl]

Thanks PoP,I thought that would be the case and Babu has also said similar to you. I do like Gini in the 8 role and breaking into their box also.
All in all an intelligent player who can fill the places he’s needed to.

[rushyman]

Against Man City, Ox was positioned between the lines. Gini turns on the ball and plays him in. Centrally. He then plays in Salah who scores.

Against Chelsea, where were our 8's? They were both drifting out of midfield. So who should he pass to? Try a thread a ball through midfield into the feet of Firmino? What of we lose it, how would our midfield press the ball to get it back from the flanks? Who prevents the Chelsea overload now in the middle? How do we stop their counter attack?

If you have no midfield, you cannot play vertical passes.

Did you even read what you were responding to there?

Sounds like you've been in the middle of a big debate in here and are assuming I've just said the same as everyone

[rushyman]

He actually played more passes forward than backward - 34 forward passes to 25 backward passes. His passes left and right were split pretty evenly.

However, he only played 12 passes towards the attacking third. That's only 2 more than Lovren, but 2 less than Henderson, who only played a half.

Our middle 3 for you

What is there to say? We are down to bare bones and have 2 DM's and Milner in middle. On this particular occasion Trent was in there but looked lost. Drifted out of position and gave possession away 

[Number 7]

Thought he was excellent today. Must have had close to a 100% successful pass rate again.

[BazC]

He’s a proper controller.

Some absolutely immense football from him again today.

[Geormajesty]

Thought he was excellent today. Must have had close to a 100% successful pass rate again.

96%, 31/32.

[red vinyl]

He was excellent today I agree,broke up so many situations when they looked to counter.

[stara]

Great game today.

[John C]

Please play like that in the European Cup Final Gini, if you play like that in the European Cup Final we'll win the European Cup a week on Saturday.

Him and Henderson were great, but Gini clear motm for me.

Well done lad.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Was fantastic, he has played several roles this season and credit to him, not always been at his best but he's been important.

[Zee_26]

He is probably one of the best in the squad at using his body to shield the ball. Even today there were a few times when Brighton players just bounced off him.

[Angelius]

Thought he was really good today. One of his best games albeit in a different role than his usual.

[Giono]

Another role, another great match from Gini.

With him as one of the two in midfield playiing on the right, TAA was getting cover when surging ahead and the interplay between the two was great to see.

Gini could have got a goal today too.

[red vinyl]

Gini is a big game player and like John C says he needs to be on it against Madrid,there will still be the what does he actually do brigade in here soon.

[Asam]

If we are to control the midfield battle against Madrid then Gini will be crucial to our chances-

[Crosby Nick]

Played really well today I thought, first half he was getting to everything. He and Henderson really helped build up the pressure by winning it back time and again.

[God's Left Peg]

Just getting better and better. Becoming first pick in cm for me. You can see him growing and taking the responsbility more and more.

[Groundskeeper Willie]

So, so strong on the ball. Shields it so well and nigh on impossible to wrestle off it. Tidy on possession and covers a lot of ground.

[BabuYagu]

Liverpool completed 10 tackles today, 4 of them by Gini.

[spen71]

His best game for us today.    Seemed to be all over the midfield

[Dim Glas]

His best game for us today.    Seemed to be all over the midfield

this is what I love about Gini, he's had about 10 'best games for us' this season, and the same last

He's just a class player. So understated. (And still underrated too I am sure).

[BabuYagu]

this is what I love about Gini, he's had about 10 'best games for us' this season, and the same last

He's just a class player. So understated. (And still underrated too I am sure).

I still remember the Arsenal game where he put Arsenal's midfielders on their arse about 5 times each during the game. I haven't seen domination like that since I got lost in the Red Light District.

[BabuYagu]

100% pass completion isn’t taking risks with the ball

There is a metric called xgchain, measures players involvement in the buildup to goals by quantifying the progession of the ball towards the opponents goal in terms of the liklihood of a goal being scored from the time they receive it to the time the next player receives it.

Gini's xgchain per pass this season works out at 0,0088.

Here is a list of how our midfield options for next season performed (minus Lallana due to minutes played) versus a random selection of other midfielders in the Premier League plus Jorginho.

Chamberlain 0,0173
De Bruyne is 0,015
Silva is 0,014
Keita is 0,011
Gini is 0,0088
Fabregas is 0,0084
Milner 0,0080.
Shelvey is 0,0078
Wanyama is 0,0073
Henderson is 0,0072.
Dembele is 0,0072
Jorginho is 0,0071.
Dier is 0,0067
Matic is 0,0066
Gueye is 0,0066
Ndidi is 0,0062
Doucoure is 0,0061
Herrera is 0,0050
Klaassen is 0,0044

While I wouldn't read too much into any one metric, it does suggest when it comes to the task of moving the ball up the pitch, Gini is nowhere near as conservative in doing so as some suggest and using his passing accuracy as a stick to beat him with seems silly. If anything, he should be lauded for keeping possession of the ball.

[mallin9]

 

I still remember the Arsenal game where he put Arsenal's midfielders on their arse about 5 times each during the game. I haven't seen domination like that since I got lost in the Red Light District.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

And god yes he was good against Le Arse. Quietly great season from SmilesFactory Inc.

[Legoland]

I still remember the Arsenal game where he put Arsenal's midfielders on their arse about 5 times each during the game. I haven't seen domination like that since I got lost in the Red Light District.

I remember that game. I think there are gifs of that on this very thread.

All I can imagine is those gifs playing to "Be humble bitch, sit down."

[red vinyl]

Thanks for that metric Babu,my comment about 100% pass completion was in reply to someone saying he takes to many risks with the ball. It was later clarified as he turns in wrong areas but I don’t agree with that either.
He has real ability in shielding the ball and just knocks players off like dandruff ala Dembele at Spurs. The whole metrics thing is way above my head but I know what I see in him.
A smart talented player who recycles the ball and positionally sound,very rarely gives the ball away also.

[BabuYagu]

I remember that game. I think there are gifs of that on this very thread.

All I can imagine is those gifs playing to "Be humble bitch, sit down."

I thought he was even better last season against Spurs. He absolutely ruined their midfield that day. He was great against Arsenal that day though and had some real highlight reel moments. I vaguely remember one where he made two players fall over in one movement, one got up and was promptly put on his hole again.Fucking wonderful stuff.

I said a long time ago when we moved to 4-3-3 it was because we lacked the right personnel to play the 4-2-3-1 at Dortmund, particularly in midfield which was glaringly obvious against Sevilla in 2016. I think we saw today how that would possibly work if we moved to it next season. Gini really is the perfect squad midfielder - smart enough to play any role and will never give a performance that will cost you a game, tactically speaking. Worst case scenario, he will fail to leave a mark on the game personally while still fulfilling his role requirements.

Solanke, Fekir & Firmino would be good options for the 9 & 10 spots. Mane, Salah +1 (or Wilson) for the 7 & 11 spots. Hendo, Gini, Naby, Lallana, Chamberlain, Milner, Grujic gives lots of names in midfield and pretty strong in terms of 8's, pretty weak in terms of 6s perhaps though - especially if you work on the assumption that Henderson may only be good for 1/2 season, Grujic is untested and Gini only tends to play #6 with a center half at full back to give us protection on the counter.

[BabuYagu]

Thanks for that metric Babu,my comment about 100% pass completion was in reply to someone saying he takes to many risks with the ball. It was later clarified as he turns in wrong areas but I don’t agree with that either.
He has real ability in shielding the ball and just knocks players off like dandruff ala Dembele at Spurs. The whole metrics thing is way above my head but I know what I see in him.
A smart talented player who recycles the ball and positionally sound,very rarely gives the ball away also.

Ah one of the problems with seeing one post in isolation. No problems mate

[newterp]

I do recall in parts of last season and early this season where people kept complaining about this pickup from a relegated team.