MARTINS vs MARTINEZ
We get a lot of comments comparing the current rebuild and Pedro Martins 2018/19. A lot of these comments claim that the 18/19 season saw better results and football than this season. We compared derbies and Europa League to this point:
Martins 18/19
Europa League
2 Wins(Dudelange x2)
1 Draw(Betis)
1 Loss(Milan)
Derbies
1 Win
2 Draws(Aek/Pao)
1 Loss(Paok)
Martinez 23/24
Europa League
1 Win
1 Draw
2 Losses(Freiburg, West Ham)
Derbies
1 Win
1 Draw(Aek)
2 Losses(Pao on paper/Paok)
In both seasons our only derby wins come from Aris, if we’re counting them as a derby.
OFFENSIVE STATS
Some of you are not convinced simply by results and want a deeper look at the data. We have plenty of that in store for you. Starting with offensive stat:
GREECE - Martinez/Martins per 90
Goals: 2.8/2.13
xG: 2.01/2.18
Shots: 17.5/16.6
Shot Accuracy: 32.6%/38.6%
UEL - Martinez/Martins per 90
Goals: 1.75/2
xG: 1.78/2.17
Shots: 13.38/15.25
Shot Accuracy: 40.2%/42.6%
Martins and Martinez both lineup primarily in 4-2-3-1. While martins stayed strict in that shape, Martinez in action operates in 4-2-2-2 a lot and has adjusted to 4-3-3. Both coaches benefited from high flying Fortounis. At the same point in 2018, Kostas Fortounis had 6 goals and 6 assists compared to his current 7 goals and 9 assists. Statistically the rebuilds have very similar offensive production with Martins slightly more effective in Europe.
DEFENSIVE STATS
Now we break down the differences defensively for Martins 18/19 and Martinez in terms of goals/shots allowed
GREECE - Martinez/Martins per 90
Goals Against: .6/.57
xGA: .75/.66
Shots Against: 6.3/8.75
Shot Accuracy: 27%/34.3%
UEL-Martinez/Martins per 90
GA: 1.13/1
xGA: 1.08/1.36
Shots Against: 8.75/10.92
Shot Accuracy: 34.3%/36.6%
Martins stuck strictly to a 4-2-3-1 which would eventually in later seasons become a 4-4-2 behind the ball. Martinez transitions from 4-2-4(High Press), 4-4-2(mid block), and 4-3-3(condensed midfield). Notice in Europe Martinez’s team has a lower xGA, lower shots allowed, and lower shot accuracy against. The higher goals allowed stat is an indication of the horrendous individual mistakes suffered despite the system preventing clear scoring chances(on paper).
POSSESSION STATS
Now a comparison between the 18/19 Martins rebuild and Martinez’s in regards to possession. We look at some buildup stats to compare the 2.
GREECE-Martinez/Martins per 90
Possession: 60.26%/61.15%
Accuracy: 84.7%/86.3%
Passes to Final Third: 59.5/69.17
Accuracy: 76.5%/75.9%
Pass per Possession: 5.03/4.77
Match Tempo: 16.42/16.95
UEL-Martinez/Martins per 90
Possession: 52.24%/57.92%
Accuracy: 83.5%/86%
Passes to Final Third: 48.38/65.1
Accuracy: 71.1%/75.1%
Pass per Possession: 4.34/4.59
Match Tempo: 15.84/16.9
At face value, we see Martins possession stats in 2018/2019 slightly superior across almost every category both in Greece and in Europe. During Martins’s first 2 seasons, he kept the lines tight with faster ball movement through the middle and width expressed by our fullbacks in their overlaps(Omer, Tsimikas/Koutris). The integration of Ortega for Martinez, has seen improvements in these categories in every game he plays compared to when he does not. Martinez’s buildup out of the back requires more movement but does allow for more spaces and less condensed positioning compared to Martins first season.
The context is important though. Martins did not have a strong Panathinaikos or Aek to deal with. In Europe, his average stats are elevated because of big wins against Dudelange. If we remove Dudelange, it’s almost the same if not more favorable to Martinez in some categories.
FINAL THIRD PRODUCTION
The last part of the rebuild comparison between Martins 18/19 and Martinez looks at final third production and actions.
GREECE-Martinez/Martins per 90
Open Play Attacks: 38.1/36.93
Efficiency from Play: 29.1%/26%
Crosses: 22/20.8
Accuracy: 22.64%/37.2%
Corners: 5.9/5.97
Efficiency: 39%/28%
Free kick: 2.2/3.4
Accuracy: 22.7%/23.5%
UEL-Martinez/Martins per 90
Open Play Attacks: 27.5/28.83
Efficiency: 30.5%/25.4%
Crosses: 13/12.67
Accuracy: 24.1%/32.9%
Corners: 4.88/5.17
Accuracy: 43.6%/43.5%
Free Kicks: 1.63/2.67
Efficiency: 8%/28.1%
In final third we see higher volume of opportunities under Martinez. This includes higher number of big scoring chances and proportion of big scoring chances overall specifically in open play. On the other hand, we did see better efficiency from Pedro Martina’s group in set pieces. Both in Greece and in Europe we saw a larger volume of set pieces in the opponent’s third as well as better conversion of those set pieces. In this respect we see a big difference. Martinez’s squad this year creates more chances in open play while Pedro Martins drew more set piece opportunities and were much better converting them on a whole.
OUR MESSAGE TO YOU
We understand that there is context unique to each season. This fact is no different than the rebuilds we are comparing. In addition to the difference in context within the league there was also different context within our own squads. Visit the link below for the full list of the complete roster in both seasons:
The entire point of this blog, and the five part series that we did on socials that preceded it, was to give perspective to the #MartinezOut crew that seems to have assembled. These same individuals are some of the same individuals that were calling for Martins's head when we could not win a derby in the first season outside of Aris. The data comparison's purpose is to highlight the similarities to the 2018/2019 season that the fanbase reveres and discusses in such high esteem. Martinez's rebuild is operating within almost the exact same parameters and at a similar pace. Have patience, TRUST THE PROCESS. We're building something here.