Our season so far...

[Berenger]

This piqued my interest so I had a quick look at it for all teams (points per game).

We are a bit of an outlier: best record outside the top six against current bottom 10; one of the worst against current top 10.

For what it's worth, I do think this will improve towards the end of the season. I think we'll take at least one win from the tough home matches coming up.

 

[SerenityNigh]

This piqued my interest so I had a quick look at it for all teams (points per game).

We are a bit of an outlier: best record outside the top six against current bottom 10; one of the worst against current top 10.

For what it's worth, I do think this will improve towards the end of the season. I think we'll take at least one win from the tough home matches coming up.

View attachment 55005

I would think this isn't a linear curve, since by definition PPG is easier against the bottom teams

 

[Berenger]

I would think this isn't a linear curve, since by definition PPG is easier against the bottom teams

Sorry should have said, wasn't a line of best fit -- just parity for a sense of perspective.

 

[-Rob-]

No idea how you did that analysis but it's probably not fair to conpare all teams until the end of the season. At this point not every team has played an equal number of top & bottom half teams.

 

[SerenityNigh]

Sorry should have said, wasn't a line of best fit -- just parity for a sense of perspective.

No worries. In some ways the Everton outlier is one of the worst. Wolves are weird, but clearly can get points from better clubs. Man City shows their lack of focus against lesser clubs. Everton is bang mid table, which matches the eye test.

*of course, Everton plays most of the top clubs at Goodison on the back half of the season, so there's always a chance to increase on the X axis

 

[Berenger]

No idea how you did that analysis but it's probably not fair to conpare all teams until the end of the season. At this point not every team has played an equal number of top & bottom half teams.

Correct -- one of the flaws of your original argument! But using points per game is a quick way to normalise it across teams. There's also the issue of who's played them at home and away. And that the top ten/bottom ten will likely change a bit with the next ten fixtures. But you knew all that!

 

[Frang]

Second rate
Half arsed
Insipid
Tedious
Embarrassing

What about the players mate?

 

[Berenger]

No worries. In some ways the Everton outlier is one of the worst. Wolves are weird, but clearly can get points from better clubs. Man City shows their lack of focus against lesser clubs. Everton is bang mid table, which matches the eye test.

EFC is quite striking I think. I looked at our performance vs. top 6 in the last few years a while back because I thought people were going overboard relative to clubs around us. But no, it's a terrible record. Highlights the job Silva has in getting this squad (and club) to believe they belong up there. My take is there'll be one breakthrough victory. Fingers crossed it's this weekend!

 

[Frang]

This piqued my interest so I had a quick look at it for all teams (points per game).

We are a bit of an outlier: best record outside the top six against current bottom 10; one of the worst against current top 10.

For what it's worth, I do think this will improve towards the end of the season. I think we'll take at least one win from the tough home matches coming up.

View attachment 55005

The stats aren't saying that tho..

Just a hunch is it that we'll suddenly be able to beat a top 6 side?!

 

[The binman chronicles]

It's been a great season, I have never enjoyed my football so much. At the end of every match I just can't wait for the next game to start.

 

[barneygumble]

I heard a stat the other day that this season is the only season we’ve had more than one player in double digits for goals scored in the past 10+ years and we are still sh*te

And that was Walter Smith era....



So don't be too downbeat. Think it was Moyes first season wasn't it? Remember that, when we started 3 up front against Spurs at home on opening day Now we don't even have a striker.

 

[-Rob-]

Correct -- one of the flaws of your original argument!

I wasn't putting forward an argument, it was just an observation. Also I didn't do a comparison to any other teams, it was just our season so far.
Your analysis is certainly very interesting though. I hope you can rerun it at the end of the season.

 

[N90]

And that was Walter Smith era....



So don't be too downbeat. Think it was Moyes first season wasn't it? Remember that, when we started 3 up front against Spurs at home on opening day Now we don't even have a striker.

Correct. Super kev and Radzinski

 

[Khalekan]

Transition. Season.

It will take three years to fix this shambles, because we did not take the right approach to fixing the shambles left by Martinez. It is not feasible to try to refresh the bulk of the playing squad in one summer and one winter window, and we HAVE to refresh a lot of the squad due to having a huge payroll, loads of non-contributing players, and having spent large transfer fees to the extent that we are close to the limit regarding the financial rules.

Sacking a manager for getting transition season results during a transition season is the absolute definition of idiocy.

Transition Season......


The cliche de jour on this forum.

 

[Yarrgh]

Our baseline should be:

We should be beating all the lower half teams on a consistent basis. We should be competing with the teams from 7 down to 11. We should be hard to beat against the top 6 and nicking the odd point.

Once you do that, then you have a platform to improve on. I bet you the top 6 teams have a belief that they should be beating everyone from 7th down, and be competing effectively against the others in the top 6 - that's the next target. Then you have City who probably think they should be beating eveyone. But that's how the mentality of winning goes - if you don't expect to win, you won't be upset by an expected loss.

All of this should be done with an attractive attacking style balance against the need for a solid defence.

As none of this has been achieved, then I can only say this season, then we have failed. I know as @Khalekan said, "transition season" but how many can we have, before we actually do throw in the towel and the stadium is half empty and no one cares anymore? Probably a lot, but we've got to at least get out of this stinking rut sooner rather than later.

What was the question again? Oh the season so far? Far from what I want, but a small glimmer of optimism that needs to be reignited soon before I go down the Silva out route next season.