Cardiff are the 92's pass masters | OneFootball

There's a fascinating debate ongoing regarding how important possession share is in modern football. 

The old cliche that 'the opposition can't score if they don't have the ball' will always hold firm. However, the likes of Brentford and Crystal Palace have shown that you don't necessarily need to dominate possession to be very effective in the Premier League, and ultimately it's what you do with the ball when you have it that counts.

Given Manchester City's much-imitated brand of 'tiki taka' football under Pep Guardiola, it is mildly shocking to see that the Cityzens are not among the most possession-heavy sides in the top four tiers of English football this season. 

City have opted to play direct with more frequency this term, which Erling Haaland very much seems to be enjoying, and their average possession share of 57% - though still healthy - trails behind Liverpool (62%), Chelsea (60%) and Arsenal (59%) in the top tier. 

In fact, the team to dominate the ball the most, on average, across 'The 92' this season is League One Cardiff (62%). 

The Bluebirds have former Man City youth coach Brian Barry-Murphy in the dugout, and the Northern Irishman has installed a possession-based game since his appointment in south Wales. 

League Two sides Chesterfield and Grimsby (both 60%) have shown that possession-based football can also pay in League Two, with both the Spireites and the Mariners around the play-off places in the fourth tier. 

Check out the Playmaker graphic below for the full rundown of teams with an average possession share of 60% or higher...