A closer look at Elliot Grandin

One of the best things about becoming a Premiership team (in my head anyway) is the amount of data we now have available to review our players. Imagine the articles that could have been written if we’d had this kind of data available in the past. Wonder how John Doolan would have measured up (no jokes about a 44 inch waist please) or how many tackles did Gary Briggs really win (maybe number of legs broken might have been more relevant). However, now we can look at our players performances in greater detail and start to get a better understanding of the peformances each week. To that end I will turn my attention to a different player from time to time to shed some light on what is happening on the pitch.

First up I want to look in detail at Elliot Grandin, the reason behind this as I feel that his inclusion in the side has seen our formation change somewhat from the fluid midfield three we saw last season. I wrote most of this before the West Brom game so I’ve had to make some running adjustments as arguably he had one of his best performances in a tangerine shirt.

If you were to write up what Eliot brings to the side, then you’d say, a good technique, a composed first touch, inventive flicks of the ball, the ability to beat a man with a turn of pace. However, I want to pick through that and see exactly what he has brought to the team.

Upon signing for the club and watching the oligatory YouTube videos that get bandied about I saw him as one of our wide players, potentially filling the void in the squad left by Hameur Bouazza (not a massive void I know). When it came to the first game against Wigan he setttled in to the midfield three, albeit at the head of what now appeared to be a more fixed midfield triangle in a more recognisable 4-2-1-3. This role may normally require a player to be good in possession of the ball, able to deliver incisive passes, beat men, strike dangerous shots and provide linkage between the deeper midfielders and the attacking three.

The tale of the tape

Eliot appears to be very secure in possession of the ball and passes very astutely and appears to be far from wasteful when passing. In his appearances so far (not including the West Brom game) he has a pass completion rate of 87% which is more than respectable. However, in his position it can be argued that it is the quality of the pass delivered which is more important, as it becomes about unlocking a defence as well as retaining possession. How can you measure the former? Well assists is one way of doing that and this is a part of Grandin’s game that lets him down. His first assist of the season came against West Brom in week 10 which isn’t a very good return for someone so far advanced up the pitch. If we break his passing down further to see if he is assisting Blackpool to break defences down then we need to look at his chalkboards and the direction of pass. It is here where more interesting trends come out. He rarely passes the ball in to the opposition box, only doing so six times in total this season, two against Wigan in the first game of the season and four against West Brom. None in the games in between. Again not quite the incisive passing you’d expect to see from a player who potentially holds the most important attacking position within the 4-2-1-3.

Grandin's passes from open play in to the opposition box are circled in red. Excludes Arsenal, Chelsea and Blackburn games.

If he’s not creating. How is he at providing a direct threat on goal? Prior to the West Brom game he had only had 4 attempts on goal, 2 on target, 1 off target and another blocked. In the West Brom game he had more attempts in one game than his whole season (1 on target, 3 off target and 1 blocked). Added to this he is yet to score in the Premiership. So if he’s not creating and not making the opposition defence aware of his goal scoring prowess – What has he brought to the Blackpool team?

Clearly he is comfortable in possession of the ball and this is vital for the way that Blackpool play in order to keep the ball moving around the pitch. This can buy the team time to ensure that Charlie Adam is positioned to recieve the ball in the areas where Adam can flourish and create the chances for Blackpool to score. This hints that Holloway doesn’t see the playmaker being at the head of the midfield triangle, but a deeper lying player which is Adam. So is Grandin’s role one of ….. keep the ball till the creator arrives to try and break the defence down??

Elliot may not have a set of stats to back up his individual effectiveness, however, sometimes you can’t measure impact within a team till that player is removed. The performance against Birmingham was the first time this season that Blackpool appeared flat and one dimensional and it was one game where Grandin failed to start, Blackburn being the other.

What he does appear to do is play a little too high up the pitch at times potentially occupying the space that DJ Campbell wants to occupy and perhaps a move out to the wing will play more to his strengths whilst freeing up more space for DJ to operate in. Perhaps this begins to explain the issues that DJ has faced in trying to bag goals. Last season the midfield rotated position more and Grandin does appear to hold a slightly higher position on the field so at times it looks like we play in a 4-2-4 formation.

What will happen as the season progresses remains to be seen, however, based on his Sky man of the match performance against West Brom then he is clearly improving in that position so he may well develop in to the role as time goes on. Or as has been mooted, he may gravitate out to the right wing to offer a greater attacking balance that was lacking against West Brom. However, keep delivering balls in to the box against Everton as he did the other night and we may well see the benefits of his role bringing great joy to everyone at Bloomfield Road.