njligernj
Player Valuation: £15m
There is a concept in poker (or indeed in any game theory situation) in which you shouldn't be too "results orientated." In other words, just because you won a pot with 7-2 doesn't make it a winning hand long-term. Just because you flip a coin five times and it comes up heads every time doesn't make heads (or indeed tails) more likely to come up next time.
I know in football people are apt to say "the only stat which matters is the final score." Obviously this is true -- however people are getting SO bent out of shape about our start I'm loathe to admit that I don't really think we've been playing all that badly (aside from the strikers obviously).
Our finishing has obviously been non-existent. That said, we have in the past survived (and won games) without any "real" strikers on the pitch.
If you're the "the only stat which matters is the final score" type then just look away now ... no point getting your panties in a bunch (in fact I'm not entirely sure why you're on a message board at all -- if we lose we're bad; if we win we're good ... what's to discuss?):
Blackburn (0-1): 70% possession for Everton. Blackburn forced one shot which required a save from Howard. Crazy blunder from Howard cost us the game.
Wolves (1-1): 59% possession for Everton.
Villa (0-1): 68% possession for Everton. 18! corner kicks (to 4). Villa had twice as many fouls.
Man. U (3-3): 53% possession for Everton. More corners; Man U. committed more fouls.
Newcastle (0-1): 51% possession for Everton.
Fulham (0-0): 55% possession for Everton.
I am aware possession can be misleading to some extent (such as when you're chasing a game). However we had dominated possession in many of these games prior to falling behind; plus in the Wolves game they were chasing for most of the second half but we retained a possession advantage. Bad teams rarely control the game when they've got a lead -- they go into a shell and start clearing balls (turning over possession) rather than playing their way out and retaining a possession advantage.
Playing Villa for instance we fell behind early, away from home, and they sat back to the tune of us having almost 70% of the ball. That's what teams do when they snatch an early goal at home against Chelsea or Man U. and then park the bus and pray. That's how a relegation team plays a top four team, not how a team currently in fifth (albeit not at the time) plays a team currently dead last (again not at the time but it wasn't that long ago).
Last week one of the commentators (I presume a neutral) kept going on about how we'd been playing well but couldn't finish.
I remember many, many times on these boards and others, people saying things like "I just wish we'd play some nice possession football; control the ball, pass it around." Especially in the seasons when we made 1-0 type results our bread and butter we'd hear this familiar refrain. Now we're starting to play this way (but not getting results) everyone seems far more results orientated. I feel like if we had 40% possession most games and played a very direct (even longball at times) style, but had six more points, we'd have far less Moyes out people.
It seems people are able to acknowledge we played badly when we won ("yeah we won but where's the style? Too negative!") but far less willing to acknowledge we might be playing reasonably well but we're losing.
Not only are people so focused on results, there seems to be almost no acknowledgment that we've had some bad luck and actually played well (at times). I'm aware some of you have made this point but just in general from most it's not too forthcoming. The results overwhelm everything else. I'm not saying we've been playing great -- obviously we haven't -- but we have "deserved" more (even though I hate that saying).
Yet, in a few years (or probably right now on other club's boards) there are people throwing their hands up and wondering why managers choose to play defensively and direct. They get frustrated that all they do is grind out a 1-0 at home and play defensively for a 0-0 away. Yes ... what a "mystery" that is. I've even heard people praise teams who got relegated because "at least they try to play football." However it's clear that results are really all that matters and style be damned.
*Top poll question should obviously read "We've been playing as badly as a team in 20th place." Can't seem to edit the poll.
I know in football people are apt to say "the only stat which matters is the final score." Obviously this is true -- however people are getting SO bent out of shape about our start I'm loathe to admit that I don't really think we've been playing all that badly (aside from the strikers obviously).
Our finishing has obviously been non-existent. That said, we have in the past survived (and won games) without any "real" strikers on the pitch.
If you're the "the only stat which matters is the final score" type then just look away now ... no point getting your panties in a bunch (in fact I'm not entirely sure why you're on a message board at all -- if we lose we're bad; if we win we're good ... what's to discuss?):
Blackburn (0-1): 70% possession for Everton. Blackburn forced one shot which required a save from Howard. Crazy blunder from Howard cost us the game.
Wolves (1-1): 59% possession for Everton.
Villa (0-1): 68% possession for Everton. 18! corner kicks (to 4). Villa had twice as many fouls.
Man. U (3-3): 53% possession for Everton. More corners; Man U. committed more fouls.
Newcastle (0-1): 51% possession for Everton.
Fulham (0-0): 55% possession for Everton.
I am aware possession can be misleading to some extent (such as when you're chasing a game). However we had dominated possession in many of these games prior to falling behind; plus in the Wolves game they were chasing for most of the second half but we retained a possession advantage. Bad teams rarely control the game when they've got a lead -- they go into a shell and start clearing balls (turning over possession) rather than playing their way out and retaining a possession advantage.
Playing Villa for instance we fell behind early, away from home, and they sat back to the tune of us having almost 70% of the ball. That's what teams do when they snatch an early goal at home against Chelsea or Man U. and then park the bus and pray. That's how a relegation team plays a top four team, not how a team currently in fifth (albeit not at the time) plays a team currently dead last (again not at the time but it wasn't that long ago).
Last week one of the commentators (I presume a neutral) kept going on about how we'd been playing well but couldn't finish.
I remember many, many times on these boards and others, people saying things like "I just wish we'd play some nice possession football; control the ball, pass it around." Especially in the seasons when we made 1-0 type results our bread and butter we'd hear this familiar refrain. Now we're starting to play this way (but not getting results) everyone seems far more results orientated. I feel like if we had 40% possession most games and played a very direct (even longball at times) style, but had six more points, we'd have far less Moyes out people.
It seems people are able to acknowledge we played badly when we won ("yeah we won but where's the style? Too negative!") but far less willing to acknowledge we might be playing reasonably well but we're losing.
Not only are people so focused on results, there seems to be almost no acknowledgment that we've had some bad luck and actually played well (at times). I'm aware some of you have made this point but just in general from most it's not too forthcoming. The results overwhelm everything else. I'm not saying we've been playing great -- obviously we haven't -- but we have "deserved" more (even though I hate that saying).
Yet, in a few years (or probably right now on other club's boards) there are people throwing their hands up and wondering why managers choose to play defensively and direct. They get frustrated that all they do is grind out a 1-0 at home and play defensively for a 0-0 away. Yes ... what a "mystery" that is. I've even heard people praise teams who got relegated because "at least they try to play football." However it's clear that results are really all that matters and style be damned.
*Top poll question should obviously read "We've been playing as badly as a team in 20th place." Can't seem to edit the poll.
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