Is Possession Everything?

Rotherham United lost away at Wigan Athletic yesterday and I think I might have been a little harsh in a reply I posted to Paul Warne’s post-match interview.

I had a bit of a moan, something I usually keep in my head or just talk to friends about. But, I think, yesterday I’d just come to the end of my tether a bit. I don’t like to criticise Millers players, I don’t think it’s the right thing to do. Everyone has an off day, everyone has days when things don’t go right (I actually have weeks like that) so I’ve had some time to simmer and think probably it wasn’t as bad as I was making it out to be. Was it?

I have to say I think referee Scott Duncan might not have helped matters along booking Jon Taylor after just five minutes then going on to book another two of our players before the half-time came. I actually text friends and said he was the worst referee I’d seen this season to which one replied ‘and that’s saying something’!

Wigan had twenty more per cent of possession than we did but being the home side isn’t that about right? And is possession everything? Both sides has sixteen shots at goal with the Millers having four to Wigan’s five on target. While our shooting accuracy was rated at twenty-five per cent, Wigan’s wasn’t that much better at thirty-one per cent. Apparently we won more of the ‘aerial duels’ so perhaps the defenders were getting the ball away more than I thought. And we actually had six corner to the hosts’ three.

As I write this we are still fifteenth in the Championship – and wouldn’t we take that at the end of the season, I certainly would. If Norwich beat Ipswich tomorrow they could go above us but we’d only drop to sixteenth as we go into an international break.

It’s only been a month and we have a lot to learn but I’m sure, given a few more weeks, we will do that.

Wigan Athletic				Rotherham United
Vaughan (73)
Walton				Rodak
James				Vyner
Robinson				Mattock
Dunkley				Raggett (Robertson 19)
Kipre				Wood (Proctor 77)
Morsy				Vaulks
Connolly				Taylor (Vassell 59)
Evans				Manning
Powell (McManaman 60)				Ajayi
Windass (Garner 90+1)				Williams
Grigg (Vaughan 60)				Smith
Substitutes
Jones				Bilboe
Bruce				Robertson
Byrne				Newell
McManaman				Palmer
Roberts				Towell
Garner				Proctor
Vaughan				Vassell

Game Statistics
16	Goal attempts	16
5	On Target	4
3	Corners	6
10	Fouls	13
2	Yellow Cards	3
0	Red Cards	0
60	%	40