10-match segments 2024/5

Excellent again RCB. I look forward to these. I don't think there is much difference to last year at this period in terms of our own performance? But in comparison to the rest of the division this season it is more favourable?

 

Looking over the stats for 10 games in, there isn't anything majorly jumping out at us, we are very bang in the middle. In goal, Walker is kinda up there for most things really. He's 8th in terms of save percentage with 72.2% saved, he's 10th for goals against per 90 mins. Only thing that's maybe an issue so far is our clean sheet column, just 2 notched in 10 games. But with an ever changing defence, it's probably to be expected. But the keeper is statistically performing better than the defenders.

Defensively - Shots against per game, we are 15th in the league with 10.8 on average per match. We are 20th for tackles per game, we are 18th for interceptions per game, we are 3rd for fouls committed per game, we are 5th for cards too. Overall our defensive ranking is 12th. Not bad for a constantly changing defence, but 2 clean sheets again might be a worry, sort that out and we'll be up there.

Offensively - Shots per game we are 13th with 11. 6 per game, we are joint 11th-13th for shots on target per game, Dribbles per game and fouls per game we are mid table too. Overall our offensive ranking is also 12th. So statistically, we are average at both sides of the play so far this season.

Only Walsall have scored more goals in open play than us so far this season, although we are 22nd for set piece goals. We are 4th for crosses per game, we are 12th for long balls per game, we are 7th for short passes per game. Pass completion is 10th too. Our xG is 13.56 and we scored 14, so about right. xG against is 12.09 and we've conceded 10. We don't really have a style of play reading into the numbers, we don't go long more or less than most, we go shorter but not massively shorter than the rest. Shots for and against per game is very similar too. We're either a consistently average side in the league, or consistently inconsistent so far in the 24/25 season.

 

I think the next 10 games will give us a really good idea of where we stand. It takes us to nearly the halfway point and so far we've had relatively nice home games. In the next 10 games we've got Gillingham, Doncaster and Barrow at home so we will see if we have turned a corner at home or if it is just that we've had nice fixtures. After them 10 games we must have the hardest 4 games over the Christmas/New Year period out of any teams in the league with all 4 likely to be in or around the play off race at least.

The away form is a worry but for me the biggest worry has been the lack of performances and how slowly we've started them all apart from MK.

 

For me if we hadn't had the injuries in the Grimsby match and change in formation from half time against Walsall and the subsequent matches up until Monday, we would be at least 2 points better off now, maybe 4.