Oleksandr Zinchenko - 2019/20 Performances

[kaz7]

It's funny that a lot of you guys on here keep saying the same thing over and over again like you're getting paid for it. "Isn't MC level, not good enough defensively, Mendy/Angelino way better". Some of this may be true, BUT.
What does Pep do? He starts Zinchenko. Over and over again. Have you wondered why? Or are you implying that Pep doesn't know what he is doing? Or MAYBE there is something that you guys are missing in this picture?
Pep NEEDS to be pressure-resistant, he needs to keep possession, he needs to be able to move out from his half quickly. Having an extra midfielder at that LB spot with good passing quality/one-touch passing helps Pep with all these.
Zinchenko isn't great defensively(yet) but fits very well in Peps team. Pep isn't blind and sees the defensive imperfections that Zinchenko has and still starts him because what Zin gives to this team has more weight compared to some of his defensive flaws.
Bottom line: Pep's opinion > everyone else's.

He has had to play him,we have had no left backs for 2yrs!

 

[kaz7]

Weakest spot in team. We will concide goal every game he starts , its not matter what he offer in positional play , his defence is just awful, allowing opponents two times more chances to score a goal than usualy. Just move him in the middle or whatever. Angelino and Mendy are natural FB so thats the point

Do you have the stats with the scores for every game he starts? even then i can't recall many of his mistakes that have led to goals given away

 

[Mike D]

I am not going to get on his back after one below par game but its time for for the other lads to start getting a chance. He has been brilliant for us playing out of position and filling in a problem position.

 

[Dax777]

Do you have the stats with the scores for every game he starts? even then i can't recall many of his mistakes that have led to goals given away

He doesn't. He just feels it in his gut.

Too many feelings over facts fans out here.

 

[mosssideblue]

Weakest spot in team. We will concide goal every game he starts , its not matter what he offer in positional play , his defence is just awful, allowing opponents two times more chances to score a goal than usualy. Just move him in the middle or whatever. Angelino and Mendy are natural FB so thats the point

Is that a fact?

 

[sir baconface]

We have just given him a 5yr deal

Good business in my opinion, Karen, in order to secure his transfer value, but it doesn’t necessarily mean a long term future.

If and when his gig at left back comes to an end, I suspect future opportunities at City will be limited.

 

[sir baconface]

It never seizes to amaze me the self delusion that passes for analysis around here: Thankfully, those who make the decisions on who get to play don't make their decisions based on some preconceived fantasy..

Just like the last time when he supposedly was " very poor", here are a few of the relevant facts from today:

98% pass completion: highest amongst starters
93 touches: 2nd only to Fernandihno
5 tackles: Most on the team
2 interceptions: Most on the team
3 Ariel battle won: 2nd most on the team
7.4 rating
It's almost like he played well :?


Oh but wait, he did give away 2 fouls though, like Rodri who also did the same. But you know what, Walker, Dihno and Ota only had 1 each, so he must have had a horrible game.

And the above are just the basics. I have not begun to point out his crossfield to Mahrez, the lob to Aguero for his mazy run, the grounder to Sterling for a 1 v 1. The one touch give and go with Jesus. The way he is always open for an outlet.

But let's assume you all are not just insane, and he is in fact a terrible LB.

From what the stats suggest, he must be the BEST worst leftback ever!

But again, carry on. Don't let me get in the way of the fact free fantasy

This type of post always reminds me of the statistician with his head in the oven and feet in an ice bucket.

“On average, the temperature is just right.”

 

[cjn]

It never seizes to amaze me the self delusion that passes for analysis around here: Thankfully, those who make the decisions on who get to play don't make their decisions based on some preconceived fantasy..

Just like the last time when he supposedly was " very poor", here are a few of the relevant facts from today:

98% pass completion: highest amongst starters
93 touches: 2nd only to Fernandihno
5 tackles: Most on the team
2 interceptions: Most on the team
3 Ariel battle won: 2nd most on the team
7.4 rating
It's almost like he played well :?


Oh but wait, he did give away 2 fouls though, like Rodri who also did the same. But you know what, Walker, Dihno and Ota only had 1 each, so he must have had a horrible game.

And the above are just the basics. I have not begun to point out his crossfield to Mahrez, the lob to Aguero for his mazy run, the grounder to Sterling for a 1 v 1. The one touch give and go with Jesus. The way he is always open for an outlet.

But let's assume you all are not just insane, and he is in fact a terrible LB.

From what the stats suggest, he must be the BEST worst leftback ever!

But again, carry on. Don't let me get in the way of the fact free fantasy

Most of those relevant facts can be explained by Everton playing down the wings the entire game and focusing on Zinchenko's side in particular. I agree that the criticism has been over the top, but the fouls he did give away were braindead, he got rinsed a few times by Richarlison, and his tracking generally made Fernandinho's life more difficult. I thought at one point he was a threat to get sent off. By his own standards he didn't play particularly well.

 

[Dax777]

Most of those relevant facts can be explained by Everton playing down the wings the entire game and focusing on Zinchenko's side in particular. I agree that the criticism has been over the top, but the fouls he did give away were braindead, he got rinsed a few times by Richarlison, and his tracking generally made Fernandinho's life more difficult. I thought at one point he was a threat to get sent off. By his own standards he didn't play particularly well.

I'll give you the "Everton playing down the wing the entire game" 43% of there attack was from the right and 30% from the left.



So yes it was no surprise he got more action. But in the 2nd after Kean came on Everton attacked more on the left, because Richarlison switched wings.

Again, the fouls were dumb. Actually the 2nd one was dumb, the first was bad luck, he was trying to body check Richarlison out of bounds but Richarlison stumbled and leaned forward and Zees shoulder check became a push in the back check.

As for attacking, Everton in spite of attacking more on the right, they created most of their none set piece chances on the left. The Iwobi lob over the top, Digne cross for Sigudson shot saved by Eddy, and another shot of a Digne cross blocked by Dihno. The only significant open play chance was for the goal. Which came from a Coleman cross that ought to have been defended by Sterling.

Anyway let me stop boring you with facts. Nothing about his game today was anything but workman like. Not outstanding. But nothing to sneeze at either.

 

[Dax777]

You need to learn how to use stats in context.

Of course he's going to accumulate those kinda numbers when Everton were attacking his specific channel the majority of the time, because they identified him as a weakness. It'll keep happening and I bet he'll pull high numbers as result.

Again, false. Everton attacked on his side more because by chance the 2 best attacking players on Everton, Richarlison and Coleman, were on his side.

And I say 'By Chance' because it wouldn't have happened had Walcott not Walcott got injured within a minute forcing Richarlison to the right to make room for Iwobi who plays better on the left.

The 2 best attacking players on the right coupled with Sterling losing more balls on that side compared to Mahrez and Kev who lost few on the other side, meant a lot of Everton's play happened on the right, but when Richarlison switched left after Kean came on they attacked more on the left late 2nd half.
This is how you let the facts of a game guide your opinion. Rather that state an opinion guided by a pre-judgment.

What your stats don't take into account are:

- How many times he was caught out of position (Once)
- How many times someone got in behind him ( His player got behind him once. ( Other played he wasn't defending i.e Coleman got behind 2ice... On Sterling)
- How many times someone else had to cover for him (None. When a Central striker runs a diagonal for a pass it's still the CBs job to cover him. Even when he is left of center. So that's not covering for the fullback. That's doing your job)
- How many tackles, (lost 2 tackles, One to Richarlison and one to Coleman) 4 if you count his fouls.
interceptions ( He didn't lose any. You can't lose interceptions)
and aerial battles he lost ( won 3 of 7 Ariel battles) The 4 he lost? All against Yerry Mina on set pieces. News flash, he wasn't supposed to win any of those against Mina. Lost Zero in open play.)

Until you can produce them and then compare them to other defenders, your stats are completely meaningless.

In comparison:
From open play
Everton created 4 chances from the Left (Walkers side) 2 from middle and 2 from the Right.

But for the record, baseless claims pulled from preconceived and predetermined beliefs are even far more useless than the most basic if stats.

So I'm often befuddled when those using generic predetermined opinions, try to dismiss stats as incomplete. I mean compared to what, a made up opinion?

Y'all should do better.