Player-Centered Passing Network with Actual Pass Direction
The graphic below, which I developed with inspiration from the 2D solar system, puts a specific player at the center of the game, unlike the team-based “passing network”.
We can find answers to these questions, to whom, in which direction and at what distance, on average, the player indicated by the yellow dot (Yes, It’s the Sun metaphor) made the accurate passes.
To find the average pass direction, I used the “circular mean” method.
The size of the dots shows the frequency of passes, while the colors represent the average xT per pass. If you ask why I used a blue and orange(?) color, the planets that the Sun gives life turn to “Earth” blue, while the others become arid like Mars. Simple logic :)
When I first made the visualization about 6 months ago, I included players instead of positions. For example, Rodri’s passes to Foden, not FW. After John Muller’s Pass Network article, I thought I would examine it from the perspective of position.
Going back to Rodri’s example, the Spanish player’s relationship with other players is quite symmetrical. Rodri, who is the central midfielder of the 433 formation, and his friends (MCR and MCL) playing on his right and left, with the forward trio immediately draws attention. It’s like when we look through Rodri’s eyes, we see Man City itself. One corner of each triangle was him. He is really a key player for Pep.
Man City plays very extreme football. Rodri seems to have adapted to this as well. When we look at which zone the Spanish player makes more passes, there is an intensity at the end of the mid-third and at the beginning of the away-third.
When we combine Rodri’s central role on the pitch and the position of the MCRs and MCLs on our PassSolar chart, we can more clearly understand the players in the MCR and MCL. One of the players in these positions is Kevin De Bruyne. Let’s see where the Belgian star received the passes from Rodri.
The density in the right half-space, visible from the heatmap, is not just because of Rodri. It reflects a general character of KDB playing as MCR in formation 433. Why am I saying all this? Because to make sense of KDB’s PassSolar.
Diagonal passes are one of the most powerful offensive actions. It is also useful to consider the strong relationship between KDB and FWL (and also MCL) from this perspective. We are talking about the player who makes the most key passes and reaches the most xA in the team. Also, the pass distance is not short. For example, while the average passing distance of Ilkay playing as MCL is ~16 m with FWR, this figure is ~21 m for KDB (with FWL). Likewise, the distance of the passes made by Bernardo Silva in the matches he played as MCL is not as long as KDB.
In fact, there is a similar image for Liverpool. The second place finisher is among those who prefer 433 formation. Thiago’s connection with FWR is quite interesting during the minutes he played as MCL.
I think we all know who FWR is mostly. Do I need to mention that person is Salah?
The average pass length is quite high. From the xT point of view, the diagonal connection again resulted in high threat. The average target location of the passes is the edge of penalty area, which is really important for being before the assist or shot phase. According to Understat, Thiago Alcantara is the best among his teammates who have played more than 1200 minutes in terms of xGBuildUp p90.
Salah causes this situation a little bit due to his role on the pitch. Let’s look at the CM’s PassSolar for example. The Reds mostly used Fabinho in that position. While the Brazilian player was playing in that position, not in the other position, to whom did he pass?
You can see a mile off FWR is farther away than others.
Also, going back to our starting point, we don’t see any symmetry like in Man City. However, it is clear that the passing distances are shorter. His passes to FWR and FWL, which I’m talking mostly about Salah and Mane, have a high xT, which is perfectly normal given the way Liverpool use their three front players. In a scenario where Firmino takes more time, FW is also likely to be more behind compared to FWL.
Final Word
Visualizing data and sharing it on Twitter brings interaction, but I guess it is not possible for it to become widespread and used by others. For this reason, I tried to add a meaning to the chart through Manchester City and Liverpool with this blog-post.
For Chelsea fans, I placed a subliminal message on the cover image. You see Jorginho’s passing network over there.
I used the word “PassSolar” for the graphic in some places in the article, but I said so because I couldn’t find a name. As I mentioned at the beginning, I used it that way because I was inspired by the 2D Solar System. I am open to suggestions.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my post.
