Manchester Derby Ends in a Dismal 0-0 Draw: Gary Neville's Lamentation of Premier League Football
Gary Neville criticized the current state of Premier League football, claiming it has become "robotic" and lacks the freedom to take risks in a goalless Manchester derby. His comments echo a growing sentiment among fans, who argue that the league has become boring compared to the drama of the Champions League.
According to statistics from Opta, the average Premier League game now has 897 passes, the second-highest in the league's history, with only 34.7 dribbles attempted per game, the lowest since 2018-19. Crosses have also seen a significant decrease, down to 24 per game from a high of 42 in 2003-04.
The passing style can be partly attributed to Manchester City, the most successful Premier League side in recent years, and their pass-heavy approach under Pep Guardiola. Danilo, a former City player, described his time at the club as "like being at university."
However, Chris Sutton countered Neville's argument, stating that there is a difference between coaching and micro-management. He pointed out that Guardiola allows players to have a role and freedom in the team.
One area where the Premier League has improved is the amount of time the ball is in play during games, with the ball active for an average of just over 57 minutes this season. This is a steady upward trend since the nadir of 2009-10, when the ball was active for just 53 minutes and 25 seconds.
The quality of keeper distribution has also improved, with passing accuracy up nearly 19% over the past 10 years, and seven assists coming from keepers this season. However, keepers are now averaging 42.3 touches and 32.2 passes per game, compared to 36.1 touches and 26.1 passes per game ten years ago.
On a broader scale, the Premier League title race has been dominated by Liverpool, with their lead after 31 games being the most in any campaign since 2020-21. At the bottom, the combined performance of the current bottom three - Ipswich, Leicester, and Southampton - is on course to be the worst-ever in a 20-team season.
Despite these issues, many clubs still have compelling seasons to play for, with teams between fourth and ninth separated by only six points in a thrilling battle for European football.
Source: BBC Sports Football
Post a Comment