Unsung & Underrated - In Praise Of Marcus Fraser

 Unsung & Underrated - In Praise Of Marcus Fraser

Somewhat quietly, sandwiched between clashes with the Old Firm, St Mirren managed to go on a 5 game unbeaten run. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't scintillating, and at times it was actually very fortuitous. The penalty we were awarded against Ross County, for instance, granted us our only victory in that sequence - and that should not have been given. We have looked tired, uninspired, and our performances have lacked somewhat in skill, pace, and guile.

This was to be expected considering injuries and our punishing schedule. Eight games in the shortest month was taxing enough; all of our opponents were fired up too. There were no dead rubbers with Aberdeen and Livingston both gunning for Europe. Similarly, Motherwell, Hamilton, and Ross County are desperate to avoid the relegation zone. Playing some of these games - Aberdeen and Livingston especially - in appalling weather conditions meant our style of play was less important compared to getting the point(s) required to stay in contention for a top half berth when the split arrives.

The foundation for this relative success following the 4-0 defeat to Celtic? Our defence. We've conceded only twice in these matches and both were unfortunate: the Livingston goal conceded was a freak own goal; and Bruce Anderson's shot took an enormous deflection off Joe Shaughnessy, without which Jak Alnwick certainly prevents the ball crossing the goal-line (see below).

 Jak Alnwick has already received his fair share of plaudits so let's focus on the unsung hero of our top six push - Marcus Fraser. Below you can see his heat map in the Scottish Premiership this season on the left (showing his versatility having alternated at right back and right centre back throughout, unafraid to push forward and join attacks as well as carrying out defensive duties). On the right is his radar, which shows how he compares to the league as an average. Typically, the more expansive the blue is on the circle the better.

Marcus Fraser has been dependable all season. Nobody has played more minutes than him in the league for us in 2020/21 and he's 4th in the entire league (behind Joe Lewis, Connor Goldson, and Callum McGregor respectively). This high volume of minutes means he also ranks top 30 in the league for interceptions (9th), defensive duels contested (2nd), and shots blocked (22nd). Happily, his performances in the past 5 games are reflected in the numbers:

Marcus Fraser statistics improving (average over last 5 games vs season long average) - all stats per 90 minutes

• Aerial duels won up 16.1% (73.4% vs 57.3%)
• Duels won up 9.8% (68.4% vs 58.6%)
• Interceptions increased (8.2 vs 5.64)
• Passes to final third accuracy increased (61.2% vs 52.3%)
• Subsequently, expected assists - xA - average is higher (0.09 vs 0.03)

Other stats such as passing accuracy and dribbles completed successfully also either stayed the same or modestly increased. Even if you are unconvinced by the numbers, or have valid counter arguments against presenting them - small sample size, relatively weak opponents, differing positions/systems etc. - the data is borne out by the eye test. Marcus Fraser has been very impressive and has looked his most assured in a Saints jersey all season.

In the above clip, what is striking is his tenacity. He makes the initial block on the shot, albeit the ball again falls to a Motherwell player. The next strike is again blocked by our defence and Marcus is able to return to his feet and prevent the opponent returning the ball, clearing the ball and allowing the team to regroup. This was part of an exceptional rearguard display on the night when Jak Alnwick was barely tested - our post shot xG conceded was an incredibly low 0.06.

The clip below shows how our back 3 tends to work in practice. As the main central defender, Conor McCarthy marks the opposition striker (in this instance, Hamilton's Marios Ogkmpoe) and Fraser is allowed to track runners and be more proactive to intercept the ball in between the lines. Shaughnessy, for what it's worth, tends to fall into a halfway house - he is one of the outer centre backs but also more inclined to get into the physical battle with strikers and contest aerial duels.

Marcus Fraser is one of the players prospering as a consequence of our recent formation change. As an outer centre back, he can progress forward with or without the ball safe in the knowledge that he will have a solid base in McCarthy and Shaughnessy to cover for him. It would be easy to pick a clip from late in a game we were chasing a winner in; however, the video below is just 25 minutes into the Ross County match last weekend. After showing composure near the halfway line and passing forward to Erwin, Fraser continues to press all the way up until the opposition box and shows great wherewithal to consider blocking off passing lanes when goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw has the ball at his feet.

If you aren't enamoured with any numerical evidence or highlights presented, it should be pointed out Fraser has also been named in the SPFL team of the week twice recently (Feb 17th after Aberdeen and Hamilton games, then again on Tuesday March 2nd). This team includes not only the top flight but the second tier, meaning there is a lot of competition for places. Our uptick in form defensively needs to continue to the trip to Ibrox as goal difference could still prove vital for our league campaign. Apologies in advance if I've jinxed you Marcus!

Thanks for reading,

Lewis.