Finding the best creative central midfielders in League Two – data analysis

Football in League Two may be a world away from the glitz and glamour of elite clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea, but it’s still a level that boasts plenty of individual talent. After clubs voted to curtail the season in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, Plymouth Argyle, Crewe Alexandra and Swindon Town were promoted on points per game. Northampton Town will join them after beating Exeter City in the playoff final. 

But which individuals really stood out for their teams last season? We’re going to dive deep into the League Two performance data to identify the division’s most creative central midfielders from last season. You’ll be able to gain an insight into which players were able to open up opposition defences in 2019-20, as we use detailed statistics and graphs to bring you a data analysis.

Method

In the analysis, we’ve taken a look at the key metrics that can evaluate how much influence a creative midfielder has had in a game. Weve used metrics that measure ball progression, attacking threat and attacking output.

In preparing the graphs, we used a filter that excludes players who’ve played less than 1000 minutes. This is because players who’ve had limited minutes have a small sample size of data, which means the numbers can be skewed. For example, a player could have played only one game all season. But if they were outstanding in their only appearance, the chances are they’d be top of a lot of metrics, as they’re calculated either on a per 90 minute or percentage basis. Players of all ages will be displayed on the graphs. 

Ball progression

The best creative midfielders have the ability to progress the ball through the thirds. Having a player like this is vital for any team to be able to create chances. We’ve measured who the best ball progressing central midfielders were, by looking at the number of progressive runs they make per 90 minutes, alongside how many progressive passes they averaged. 

A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is:

• At least 30 metres closer to the opponent’s goal, if the starting and finishing points are within a team’s own half,
• At least 15 metres closer to the opponent’s goal, if the starting and finishing points are in different halves,
• At least 10 metres closer to the opponent’s goal, if the starting and finishing points are in the opponent’s half.

The same applies for a run to be considered progressive, but the starting point is the player’s first touch, and the finishing point is his last touch.

In terms of progressive passing, Crewe Alexandra’s Ryan Wintle stands out. As a holding midfielder, it may be difficult to see him as ‘creative’, but the numbers suggest he was vital in helping to create goalscoring opportunities for the Railwaymen. He averaged a league-high 10.98 progressive passes per 90 minutes and 1.33 progressive runs.

Walsall’s veteran midfielder Danny Guthrie also stood out. The former Newcastle United man averaged 10.05 progressive passes per 90 minutes.