A closer look at the table

[billycopper]

Whilst it might seem like we've had a mediocre season at best, the league table tells a slightly different story.

We've lost 8 games. That's only one more than Chelsea, the same as City and four fewer than Liverpool.

We've scored 45 goals, which is one more than Spurs, the same as Liverpool and just five less than City.

We've conceded 41 goals. That's less than everyone below us in the league bar Fulham.

We've been beaten three times at home, which is the same as Arsenal and only one more than Chelsea or City. We've won a game more than Newcastle on home turf and scored four more goals at Goodison than Spurs have at the Lane.

We've won four times on our travels, which is only one fewer than United. We've suffered five defeats on the road, which is the same as Chelsea and Spurs and one fewer than City. We've conceded 19 goals on our travels, which is four less than United. Only Arsenal and Chelsea have a meaner defence away from home.

Our problems are quite obvious though. We have only ten wins, which is half as many as United. Only Fulham and Birmingham can match our record of fourteen draws. We've won just six times at Goodison compared to Man United's fifteen victories. Away from home our record compares reasonably well with the top teams although, with four wins, we have collected all three points half as many times as Arsenal.

At home we've conceded nearly twice as many goals as any of the teams chasing European football. Our away record is quite close to the big guns but, to be a top team, we'd need to find the back of the net about another ten times.

 

[formerly manx toffee]

Too many draws early doors. To think of the talking up we were doing at the beginning of the season, as well as Moyes talking us up. We false started. In 2011 we haven't been too shabby bu those first few months killed off all hope we had of Europe.

 

[BlueSea]

I refer you to my posting on the 'seventh' thread.
"For such a small club (financially, which matters so much more these days) we are punching well above our weight so yes, I feel we've achieved greatly to be in the position we are now, we just need to 'keep it going'. "

 

[RFUS]

I was looking at the table in a similar light, earlier.

Quite simply we've drawn too many. Now, that's good in that we've really been hard to beat. Only the teams at the very top have lost less. But as I've said numerous times, draws are what really get you, because you can win one, then lose another, and still get more points than if you'd drawn both and technically remained "undefeated".

This is why I was so annoyed earlier on in the season when Moyes was making defensive and/or late subs in games we were drawing or chasing. When you're level, you've got more to gain than you have to lose.

Liverpool may have lost 4 more than us, but they're 4 points ahead, after all.

 

[ijjysmith]

Is this thread trying to say it really was on afterall?!

 

[Topblue]

So much promise and so little to show.

 

[Neiler]

To many draws, what we could have done with a centre forward.

 

[robbo1957]

Out of the top 6 there's only Arsenal that have beat us this season, so far.

 

[Pootsy]

I'm sure this has been said many many times on here but statistics can be made to shine diferent lights on things. However, highlighted is the fact that we have drawn 14 games this season. Obviously 1 point is better than none but its these games that we need to be turning to our favour if we are to push up the league.

To enable us to do that, we need finance. This can only be made available through a takeover or selling one or more of the crown jewels again.

Anyway, one last statistic. My Uncle has 2 balls more than my Aunt.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Worth remembering that our past successes have been earnt on pretty thin margins. Our 4th place finish was achieved due to a shed load of 1-0 wins. So the line between success and even moderate failure for us is a thin one. It does show however that the knee jerking was never really warranted. It sure would be nice if we had a season when we fired for its duration however.

 

[Rugby Toffee]

Look how many games we had numerous chances to make them safe...Gotta take your chances...What could have been a great season has become a season of what ifs and maybes..

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

I'm sure this has been said many many times on here but statistics can be made to shine diferent lights on things. However, highlighted is the fact that we have drawn 14 games this season. Obviously 1 point is better than none but its these games that we need to be turning to our favour if we are to push up the league.

To enable us to do that, we need finance. This can only be made available through a takeover or selling one or more of the crown jewels again.

Anyway, one last statistic. My Uncle has 2 balls more than my Aunt.

99.999% of statistics are made up....... Vic Reeves.

I would say that supporters of most teams in the prem will be looking at the season in much the same way as us, this season is the one which stands out like no other in memory as 'There for the taking.' I can remember after 10/12 games everyone was amazed that Ushoited were top with all the games they had drawn, Arsh and Chelsk had some defeats while Ushoited were avoiding defeat and picking up single points.

Throughout the Division teams have been struggling to put away teams below them, whereas it was the opposite before, which created such a gulf in the points everyone had.

Ourselves, as has been said have had many draws, we have scored a lot of late goals to save a point (point gained there imo as opposed to 2 dropped). Defeats when we have bossed games but failed to score, the Villa away game being a prime example with ridiculous stats but the one that matters relating to goals scored going against us.

Overall, looking back, it is the failure to score that has been our undoing, and a strike force that has underperformed in games, we can slate the club for allowing forwards to leave on loan etc. but these are players that have failed to come up with the goods previously, I must admit I thought The Yak was getting back to some kind of form though so was suprised when he went out to Lie-chester, as we had got him to a point where he arrived there and hit the ground running, although he seemed to be supplying more than finishing for us.


Statomundo......


99.96323 % of kopites have never been to Analfield.
88 % of which have never been to Merseyside.
94% of which hold Norwegian passports.
61% of members of Grandoldteam are in fact ChicoAzul.

 

[neonleon]

I am an Azul Sock Puppet also.

Some nights its just Chico talking to himself on here.

 

[davek]

You cant sugar coat this season, I'm afraid. A good end to a bad campaign (again) that got us nowhere (again) is no comfort at all.

It's no surprise that this lot started to put the results together when there was no pressure on them to win anymore. All those draws talked about earlier in the season are due to them (and the manager) bottling it when something was at stake. It was a gutless campaign.

 

[billycopper]

Worth remembering that our past successes have been earnt on pretty thin margins. Our 4th place finish was achieved due to a shed load of 1-0 wins. So the line between success and even moderate failure for us is a thin one. It does show however that the knee jerking was never really warranted. It sure would be nice if we had a season when we fired for its duration however.

Good point. Most of the time this season we've given the opposition a head start through sloppy defending and then been chasing the game. Against Wolves we didn't really start defending properly until the second goal went in, but then we were throwing bodies in the way of everything and we looked pretty much inpenetrable. Howard has got a rare summer off (as far as I'm aware) from international tournaments, so hopefully he'll come back refreshed. Jags has said that it will take a full season to get his form back after his injury, so hopefully that will help too. When we had Fellaini and Rodwell in tandem screening the back four early in the season the only goals we leaked were off Jagielka and from the penalty spot. If we can keep them both, and they both stay fit, I think we'll be much harder to break down next season.

I still feel that the quality of the opposition that we play during the close season doesn't prepare us adequately for the league campaign. There's possibly also the factor that playing with such a small squad at such high intensity means that we take longer to recover from the season before than other teams. That's one of the reasons why I would have started this season with 'surprise packages' such as Gueye, to give our other players longer to recover. Perhaps it will be a blessing that Saha, Cahill, Fellaini and Arteta miss the end of this season, if they start the next one feeling less jaded?