I'm 27 and this current team is, probably, the best team I've seen us have.
Certainly the style and skill shown in games like the 4 vs Arsenal and Man U are something special and in terms of raw statistics we've racked up more points this season than we have since we last won it.
So I thought it might be interesting to see where we got those points from and where we've improved from last year and previous good years under Moyes and Royle.
You can divide those 38 games into 6 sections. Home vs the top teams, away vs the top teams, home vs midtable, away vs mistable, home vs the bottom teams & away vs the bottom teams.
I've bolded the points total which are our best and underlined the ones we've are the worst from these seasons.
This year, we got 8 points from home games vs the top 6, 1 point from away games vs the top 6, 21 points at home vs the midtable 9, 20 points away vs the midtable 9, 13 points at home vs the bottom 5 & 9 points away vs the bottom 5.
Last year, we got 11 points from home games vs the top 6, 3 points from away games vs the top 6, 18 points at home vs the midtable 9, 13 points away vs the midtable 9, 13 points at home vs the bottom 5 & 5 points away vs the bottom 5.
In 2008-09, the cup final year, we got 3 points at home vs the top 6, 3 points away vs the top 6, 16 points at home vs the midtable 9, 19 points away vs the midtable 9, 11 points from home games vs the bottom 5 & 11 points from away games vs the bottom 5.
In 2007-08, the yakubu year, we got 1 point at home vs the top 6, 1 point away vs the top 6, 21 points at home vs the midtable 9, 20 points away vs the midtable 9, 15 points from home games vs the bottom 5 & 7 points from away games vs the bottom 5.
In 2004-05, 4th year, we got 9 points at home vs the top 6, 1 point away vs the top 6, 14 points at home vs the midtable 9, 12 points away vs the midtable 9, 15 points from home games vs the bottom 5 & 10 points from away games vs the bottom 5.
In 1995-96, Royle's only full season, we got 4 points from home games vs the top 6, 6 points from away games vs the top 6, 18 points at home vs the midtable 9, 15 points away vs the midtable 9, 13 points at home vs the bottom 5 & 5 points away vs the bottom 5.
So it's a combination of two things, that makes this season the best. Our performance against the midtable teams (Man U down to Villa) is the joint best we've done in the PL era. Especially away. Compared to last year, 4th and Royle's season especially the big difference is the away form vs the bottom 14 teams, where we got 29 points vs 18, 22 & 20.
We've often been very good at home but struggled at being the team to comfortably turn up at other people's stadiums and play them off the park. But we are that now. We did it at Old Trafford, at St James, at Villa Park, etc, etc.
But in 2007-08 & 2008-09 we did just as well in those games, what we couldn't do was beat the top 6 at all. We were flat track bullies.
This year, however, we got 9 points vs the top 6 which might be less than we did last year, in the 4th year and in Royles 6th season but is much much better than the 2 points we picked up during the Yakubu/Cahill flat track bully year.
So basically Martinez has managed to create a team that can both go toe to toe with the top 6 at home and also ruthlessly dismiss the bottom 14 away from home. Which we've never done in my lifetime, before. The next step is to start converting some of our better away performances vs the top 6 into wins there, too. And then we'd be a real force.
Certainly the style and skill shown in games like the 4 vs Arsenal and Man U are something special and in terms of raw statistics we've racked up more points this season than we have since we last won it.
So I thought it might be interesting to see where we got those points from and where we've improved from last year and previous good years under Moyes and Royle.
You can divide those 38 games into 6 sections. Home vs the top teams, away vs the top teams, home vs midtable, away vs mistable, home vs the bottom teams & away vs the bottom teams.
I've bolded the points total which are our best and underlined the ones we've are the worst from these seasons.
This year, we got 8 points from home games vs the top 6, 1 point from away games vs the top 6, 21 points at home vs the midtable 9, 20 points away vs the midtable 9, 13 points at home vs the bottom 5 & 9 points away vs the bottom 5.
Last year, we got 11 points from home games vs the top 6, 3 points from away games vs the top 6, 18 points at home vs the midtable 9, 13 points away vs the midtable 9, 13 points at home vs the bottom 5 & 5 points away vs the bottom 5.
In 2008-09, the cup final year, we got 3 points at home vs the top 6, 3 points away vs the top 6, 16 points at home vs the midtable 9, 19 points away vs the midtable 9, 11 points from home games vs the bottom 5 & 11 points from away games vs the bottom 5.
In 2007-08, the yakubu year, we got 1 point at home vs the top 6, 1 point away vs the top 6, 21 points at home vs the midtable 9, 20 points away vs the midtable 9, 15 points from home games vs the bottom 5 & 7 points from away games vs the bottom 5.
In 2004-05, 4th year, we got 9 points at home vs the top 6, 1 point away vs the top 6, 14 points at home vs the midtable 9, 12 points away vs the midtable 9, 15 points from home games vs the bottom 5 & 10 points from away games vs the bottom 5.
In 1995-96, Royle's only full season, we got 4 points from home games vs the top 6, 6 points from away games vs the top 6, 18 points at home vs the midtable 9, 15 points away vs the midtable 9, 13 points at home vs the bottom 5 & 5 points away vs the bottom 5.
So it's a combination of two things, that makes this season the best. Our performance against the midtable teams (Man U down to Villa) is the joint best we've done in the PL era. Especially away. Compared to last year, 4th and Royle's season especially the big difference is the away form vs the bottom 14 teams, where we got 29 points vs 18, 22 & 20.
We've often been very good at home but struggled at being the team to comfortably turn up at other people's stadiums and play them off the park. But we are that now. We did it at Old Trafford, at St James, at Villa Park, etc, etc.
But in 2007-08 & 2008-09 we did just as well in those games, what we couldn't do was beat the top 6 at all. We were flat track bullies.
This year, however, we got 9 points vs the top 6 which might be less than we did last year, in the 4th year and in Royles 6th season but is much much better than the 2 points we picked up during the Yakubu/Cahill flat track bully year.
So basically Martinez has managed to create a team that can both go toe to toe with the top 6 at home and also ruthlessly dismiss the bottom 14 away from home. Which we've never done in my lifetime, before. The next step is to start converting some of our better away performances vs the top 6 into wins there, too. And then we'd be a real force.