Opponents booked for fouling LuaLua

[AZ Gull]

Last season, before LuaLua suffered his unfortunate injury at home to Fulham, it had become noticeable that a number of teams incurred multiple cautions for fouling our Congolese winger. With him starting this season in the form of his life, it has already become clear that he will be a marked man from the opposition’s perspective. I thought it would be interesting to monitor how many times opponents were booked for fouling him, and what proportion of total bookings (while he was on the pitch) this represented.

The season so far:

August 7: Championship – Home v Nottm Forest. LuaLua started, played 88 minutes: 1) Lichaj booked for fouling LuaLua 2) Vaughan booked for fouling O’Grady

August 11: COC – Away v Southend. LuaLua started, played the whole match: 1) Deegan booked for fouling JFC

August 15: Championship – Away v Fulham. LuaLua started, played the whole match: 1) Bodurov booked for fouling Baldock 2) Hutchinson booked for fouling LuaLua

August 18: Championship – Away v Huddersfield. LuaLua started, played the whole match: 1) Lynch booked for fouling Baldock 2) Butterfield booked for fouling LuaLua

August 22: Champioship – Home v Blackburn. LuaLua started, played the whole match: 1) Duffy booked for fouling Kayal 2) Marshall booked for fouling LuaLua 3) Guthrie booked for fouling LuaLua

August 25: COC – Away v Walsall. LuaLau played final two minutes as a substitute: There were no bookings during his time on the pitch

August 29: Championship – Away v Ipswich. LuaLua started, played the whole match: 1) Maitland-Niles booked for fouling LuaLua 2) Pitman booked for fouling Baldock 3) Fraser booked for handbags involving LuaLua [NOTE – NOT included as a booking for FOULING LuaLua 4) Knudsen booked for fouling LuaLua

September 12: Championship – Home v Hull. LuaLua started, played 87 minutes: 1) Meyler booked for fouling Stephens 2) Odubajo booked for fouling LuaLua

September 19: Championship – Away v Wolves. LuaLua started, played 78 minutes: 1) Coady sent-off for fouling Rosenior 2) Iorfa booked for fouling LuaLua

Summary

So far, LuaLua has started 8 matches and made 1 brief substitute appearance.
Opponents have received 9 cautions for fouling him; this represents 50% of all cards issued to opponents [18 in total] during LuaLua's time on the pitch.

I will keep this thread updated as we go through the season.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Good man. Interesting stuff.

 

[skipper734]

These are only the times the opponent is booked. Every match he plays he is fouled many times that aren't punished. Tragically he only has to look at an opponent in a strange way, and out comes the yellow.

 

[Don Tmatter]

What have his six bookings been for?

 

[drew]

These are only the times the opponent is booked. Every match he plays he is fouled many times that aren't punished. Tragically he only has to look at an opponent in a strange way, and out comes the yellow.

Problem is he has let himself down (and the team) with all of his bookings.


Nottingham Forest - booked for foul
Fulham - booked for dissent
Blackburn - booked for foul
Ipswich - booked for dissent
Hull - booked for foul
Wolves - booked for foul

 

[skipper734]

Problem is he has let himself down (and the team) with all of his bookings.


Nottingham Forest - booked for foul
Fulham - booked for dissent
Blackburn - booked for foul
Ipswich - booked for dissent
Hull - booked for foul
Wolves - booked for foul

Lua Lua isn't a Saint, he just suffers from being kicked up in the air many times every match, with what appears to be little protection from Refs. This has been happening to tricky players since football was invented. Some lose their heads occasionally, some don't.

 

[Biscuit]

Wolves did their homework and kept Kaz completely quiet on sat. They had to change the way they normally play in order to do that. Shows you what a threat teams see him as.

 

[Martlet]

To be fair to Kaz, he's been doing a great job defensibly for the team, as well as on the attack. Many of his fouls have come bringing down a breakaway attack - and can look pretty bad, hence he picks up more than his share of yellows.

 

[drew]

Lua Lua isn't a Saint, he just suffers from being kicked up in the air many times every match, with what appears to be little protection from Refs. This has been happening to tricky players since football was invented. Some lose their heads occasionally, some don't.

You say little protection but fouls are given and bookings hand out, as the OP pointed out. KLL needs to capitalize on that by attacking the players that are booked. They will either do something stupid or make it easier for him as they can't lunge in. He needs to be just a little bit smarter. If he keeps picking up bookings at this rate, he will have a lengthy ban by the end of the season!

 

[Bozza]

Great analysis. It's hard to believe there was any player in the Championship who drew more yellow cards from opponents than Karenga LuaLua did last season, but without doing a massive amount of work, that would be difficult to prove. From a cursory search I can't see that any of the numerous stats site includes this.

 

[Napier's Knee]

And three bookings for fouls on Baldock too. I expect Jamie Murphy will be the cause of a lot of bookings for opposition players too, especially on the Wolves evidence

 

[Stato]

Wolves did their homework and kept Kaz completely quiet on sat. They had to change the way they normally play in order to do that. Shows you what a threat teams see him as.

Watching on a stream, I was really impressed by Iorfa who was marking Kaz on Saturday. He was very strong and Kaz couldn't seem to get past him like he does most full backs. He also had a run down the wing in the first half where he reminded me of Rohan Ince when he gets up a head of steam. On that showing he could be a very good buy as our right backs are getting older, but I think the commentator said that he has already been involved with the England squad, so he's probably already out of our price range.

 

[GT49er]

Watching on a stream, I was really impressed by Iorfa who was marking Kaz on Saturday. He was very strong and Kaz couldn't seem to get past him like he does most full backs.....On that showing he could be a very good buy as our right backs are getting older.....

Agree - Iorfa looked very, very good.

Re our ageing full backs, though - Rosenior isn't that old, is he?

 

[Stato]

Agree - Iorfa looked very, very good.

Re our ageing full backs, though - Rosenior isn't that old, is he?

Youngest of the three, but just into his thirties. It would be good to have some decent competition when Bruno & Calde have gone, but as I said, I think that, if he is consistently as good as Saturday, Iorfa will be interesting deeper pockets than ours.

 

[AZ Gull]

Update:

September 26: Championship – Away v Bolton. LuaLua missed the game due to a groin injury.

 

[Bozza]

Update: January 23: Championship – Home v Huddersfield. LuaLua came on as a sub, played 38 minutes: 1) Smith booked for fouling LuaLua 2) Smith booked again, and sent-off, for fouling LuaLua

 

[BensGrandad]

Update: January 23: Championship – Home v Huddersfield. LuaLua came on as a sub, played 38 minutes: 1) Smith booked for fouling LuaLua 2) Smith booked again, and sent-off, for fouling LuaLua

This was unusual because with Lua Lua snd Buckley before him after a player was booked they tended to lay off him and not pressure him more.

 

[AZ Gull]

So, updating this with LuaLua's appearances since returning from injury:

January 9: FAC – Away v Hull. LuaLua played final twenty-seven minutes as a substitute: 1) Robertson booked for time-wasting

January 12: Championship – Away v Rotherham. LuaLua played final seventeen minutes as a substitute: There were no bookings during his time on the pitch

January 23: Championship – Home v Huddersfield. LuaLua played final twenty-eight minutes as a substitute: 1) Cranie booked for fouling Murphy 2) Smith booked for fouling LuaLua 3) Smith booked (and sent-off for second caution) for fouling LuaLua

Summary

So far, LuaLua has started 8 matches and made 4 substitute appearances.
Opponents have received 11 cautions (of which one resulted in a dismissal) for fouling him; this represents 50% of all cards issued to opponents [22 in total] during LuaLua's time on the pitch.

 

[Lower West Stander]

Interesting stuff.

Wondering how many times Dan Harding has been booked for fouling an opposition winger.

Or are there any games when he actually hasn't?

 

[Spearritt of the Albion]

I remember a game at Withdean against Exeter (I believe). They had something like 9 players booked and every one was for a foul on BZ. They just took it in turns to niggle at him until they got booked and someone else took over.