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Post by yenilira on Apr 11, 2011 22:19:33 GMT 1
Looking at a few facts and figures of our season to date, it’s not all ‘Doom and Gloom’ as some people would like to make out.
Did you know, for example, that we have a 29% record of away wins, the best in the bottom half of the league table? Only Newcastle (31% wins in away matches) in 9th place, and you have to look at 5th place before you find any better – Spurs with 38%. We have two away games remaining.
But it’s our home win percentage which is a bit of a worry: second worse in the Prem at 27, but we have scored 24 goals in our 15 home matches to date, an average of 1.60 goals per game, better than 60% of the teams.
In the ‘goals from set pieces’ category, only Chelsea with 22 have more than us, (20), whilst Wigan have only 11.
Our away wins show some promise – 5 – and again, you’d be scraping the barrel to find anyone other than the top five - Man U, Arsenal,Chelsea, Citeh, Spurs, plus Newcastle, with a better record.
With Charlie our ‘bad boy’ of the league in terms of yellow cards – 11 – is it surprising that we are second to Spurs (491 to their 477 points) at the top of the ‘Fair Play League’ ? Our ‘average fouls per game’ isn’t to be sneezed at, either, with us on 11.3 with Spurs slightly less – 10.8. Makes you wonder how many could have been given in our favour, though? Birmingham, who were top for a spell, now lie fourth.
Our % of ‘goals scored by English players’ is quite high – 67.4% which puts us 3rd overall, with Villa tops on 80%, Birmingham in second place with a percentage of 67.7. Blackburn are the worse on 7.5%.
Looking at the number of games we have won in the last 15 minutes, our stats show we are the worse in the league – we haven’t won any at that part of the game, but what about games lost in the last quarter? Quite a few, I’d say. And that’s one aspect of our play I’m sure IH has looked at and is hopefully working on – the lads running out of steam towards the end of a game. Not everybody has the same stamina levels as DJ.
So, can we link the above statistics with our next , and last, four home games this season………. against Wigan, Newcastle, Stoke, and Bolton?
Our home results show that we have played 15, won 4, drawn 3 and lost 8, with goals 24 for, 30 against. This indicates that we score 1.60 goals per game. .. You would have to go above mid-table to find better.
Wigan, who are at the bottom, have only won two and drawn 6 of their fifteen away games, scoring 11 with 21 against. That’s 0.73 goals per game. They were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea at the Bridge this weekend, and have not won away from home since the Christmas fixtures. This is the game that we should be playing at their place…….
Newcastle, in ninth spot, on the other hand, have a similar away record to us: W5 D3 L8 but their goals are 12 for and 24 against, which equates at 0.75. We won 2-0 at their place in September in front of 49,597. The have only lost twice in their last four aways.
Stoke, up in 12th place, have lost their last four away games for a total of 12 out of 16 played, but have not lost at home in the last five. Goals away are 14 for, 26 against. They have three hard games before meeting us : Bolton in the FA Cup, Villa (a) and Wolves at home.
Our last home game of the season – against Bolton – taking into account we drew 2-2 at the Reebok in November, and that the Trotters have not won in their last five Prem matches away, scoring only three goals in that run…. looks like a more than possible win for us if their current form continues. They have to face Stoke in the Cup, then Arsenal, Fulham, Blackburn, and Sunderland, in that order, before arriving at Bloomfield Road on Saturday 14th of May.
On paper, then, as things stand, it looks like we could get around eight points from those remaining home fixtures.
Thoughts?
YL.
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Post by bigjohncraven on Apr 12, 2011 9:27:26 GMT 1
As I said before, if Bolton beat Stoke in the cup the final is on the 14th May. So where would they move the game too,the Wednesday before or the Wednesday after? Either way I fancy we could take advantage of the situation.If its before players would be scared of injury and missing the final,if after they are bound to be knackered. There are a lot of twists and turns to go before this season is over. I'm not at all down about it, the last few years we have got used to us finishing strongly and I see no reason to think this one will be any different. So come on Bolton beat Stoke and set up an exiting end to our First year back in the Prem.
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Apr 12, 2011 11:23:45 GMT 1
Hi Yeni, just like to ask about your percentage of Engliash players goals at 67.4%, would that figure not include Scottish players, not being sarcastic or anything. Have thought from the very off, we would be capable of staying up in this division and although I mentioned a few weeks back our position at the 31 dec being 8th in the league with 25 pts and 2/3 games in hand stood us in good stead for the rest of the season. I feel that from the January transfer window only Puncheon has added any weight to the squad, still saying that we are more than capable of staying up and have produced some greaty performances. We may have a low budget, like the low cost airlines, however unlike the airlines with no frills, our team has produced over the season thus far some exciting play and we have won over many supporters from the length and breadth of the country. Wigan will be a very tough game, their rececent performances against some of the top teams must have encouraged them and for both teams on Saturday a win could be a defining moment of the season. I still think we will scrape through, we all know how well we can play, my main worry for most of the season has been our fitness levels and in the next few games, each in a way like a cup final, fitness will be paramount. Whatever happens this season I really hope this summer we can do something with our training facilities, as I understand it we are a tad behind many Premiership and indeed Championship clubs when it comes down to training, so please Karl think about the future wherever we happen to be playing and give the manager a chance with a good training establishement. One last thought and a thought about luck, well luck does come into the final showdown in terms of decisions referees make, I can stomach being beaten by a better team or a team that wins by taking their chances on scoreing but to be beaten when a vital decision proved to be wrong after the event has cost us the game, well that is hard to take. Referees and air traffic controllers, both have to make split seconed decisions, it's a bloody good job referees don't control the airways, or I would never fly again.
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Post by yenilira on Apr 12, 2011 14:00:28 GMT 1
The 67% is, as far as I'm aware, for 'English-born' only, but if it were 'British' (Eng,Scot,NI,Wales), then I would summise the figure would be much higher. You, 'sarcastic' ? Never, I wouldn't hear of it. Yes, Wigan have had some encouraging games, not results, though, but you have to admit that their league away record is dismal, at best. They have only won once (Brum at home) in the last seven matches, all games. Whit, like me, you (and no doubt many others) have worries regarding fitness: that's exactly my point re the last 15 minutes of any game. I trust the training facilities will be improved and up to scratch by the start of next season (likewise the under-soil heating!). Like your quip re refs and ATC. Thanks YL.
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Post by bigjohncraven on Apr 12, 2011 15:23:09 GMT 1
The difference between refs and atc is a bit unfair,its not like you just get to look out the window and make the decision you have loads of computers radar ect to back you up. Whats the ref got.....Ollie just may have a point about technology eh?
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Apr 12, 2011 16:07:19 GMT 1
Sorry BJC, next time I'll try and be a bit more serious, I do really understand refs have a very difficult job, but why do Blackpool seem to get punished week in week out, we have players who get penalised while opposition players get away scott free in nearly all our games.
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Post by april13th1970 on Apr 12, 2011 18:20:26 GMT 1
Hopefully, an appointment at Vision Express
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Post by yenilira on Apr 12, 2011 18:28:50 GMT 1
Exactly, Whit.
There was one point during Sunday's game when one of their players went down as if he'd been hit with a sledgehammer, but when he saw he wasn't getting a free, and our our lad wasn't to be booked, he got up pretty sharpish...
as if a feather had hit him instead of a s/h...
they'll try owt, won't they, to break up the flow of our game?
decisions, decisions....that don't help us.
Anyway, back to the thread, eh?..........................................
Also, I'd think Whit would know a helluva lot more about ATC than the vast majority of us on here, so he would be best qualified to make the (non-)comparision, no?
YL.
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Post by bigjohncraven on Apr 12, 2011 18:41:20 GMT 1
Bit of a bad mood today yeni?
seems your getting touchy in your old age!!!!
I wasnt having a go at whit just making a light hearted observation.....if that's ok?
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Apr 12, 2011 19:01:39 GMT 1
Well i have a few days off and the handbags are out again. Come on people lets play nice, I always like reading yens post's. I read BJC comment the way it was meant lets all just enjoy the sunshine and 3 points on saturday
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Post by yenilira on Apr 12, 2011 19:07:57 GMT 1
No, just fcukin' fed up with my articles being highjacked ...... ..and I think you were having a go at Whit, otherwise why did he go to the extent of an ' apology'? YL. p.s. Sher - F1 results out in a couple of days or so? . . .
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Apr 12, 2011 19:09:07 GMT 1
Ok, I was a bit flippant, but I get more than upset over decisions made by these officials, not just this season but last year and year before also. Some people make the comment that it's swings and roundabouts, but we seem to get our fair share going against us. If we get beat the next few games and go down by teams playing better than us, that's fair enough, I now tend to worry more about the ref than I do the team and as we come to these final most important matches even more so. It has been mentioned before, our guys do not tend to fall over, dive or try it on with the officials and to be honest I hope we never do.
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Post by seasider511 on Apr 12, 2011 19:38:16 GMT 1
Back to the games ahead I agree with BJC that a United v Bolton final would be good for us hopfully United get to the Champs League final too as that is on the 28th May (is that right its on Saturday ??) but sure it will effect them if the league is in the bag maybe the FA Cup no one would like to get injured in a 50-50.
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Post by bigjohncraven on Apr 12, 2011 20:28:21 GMT 1
Yeni my old mucker there's no need to throw the toys out,we all go off topic now and again good grief if i got upset every time one of my posts went west I'd spend my life in a state of apoplexy. Whit in the past had himself defended refs and I in my own little way was only trying to point out the use of technology in making decisions. If an apology is required I will do it over a beer saturday when we all gather for the next instalment of the great escape. So in reply to the original post!!!! Wigan, 3pts Barcodes 3pts Stoke 3pts then Horwich 3pts Then we all sit back and wonder what all the fuss was about. Love you
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Apr 13, 2011 9:37:34 GMT 1
yes will do F1 in a bit i knew i had forgot something I think we will 9 points from our home games
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Post by mickyg on Apr 13, 2011 10:46:55 GMT 1
"from the January transfer window only Puncheon has added any weight to the squad" .........Oh how true Whit, how true!
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Post by sandgrown'un on Apr 13, 2011 10:48:24 GMT 1
We have, and always will, have a whinge at the linesman and the ref at a game and that is part and parcel of the whole product isnt it? Its been going on since like forever but the difference now is that once upon a time we all went home and read "The Green" (a publication put out within half an hour of the game finshing for the benefit of our younger Seasiders) and that was it until next week. Whereas now, we go home and see umpteen replays on the box and listen to the "experts" telling us how wrong the officials got it when the slow mo shows a mistake by the ref and feel hard done to. Well, all I will say is, Refs get judged by the technology so let them make decisions by it. It only seems fair to me. Roll on Saturday and three points. Are we all in F&B's? .
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Apr 13, 2011 21:22:13 GMT 1
very true about the ref, but sunday was something different, in the fact he could never make his mind up and i have never seen so many drop balls in one prem game you might get the odd one but three in a game.
I think the time has come for the use of video reply.
But the biggest problem is the fitness and speed of the linesmen and lines woman, they might all pass the fitness test but they also need to be able to sprint and keep up with the game.
the lines man running the line on sunday in the south end was so far behind the game it was a joke for both sides.
In japan they already have tried and test goal line tec with a micro chip in the ball and sensor on the goal post and has proved 100 % correct every time and are now testing combining this tec with a micro chip in the shirt which will show where every player is all the time in relation to the ball every time it is kicked to help with off side decisions which feeds back to the lines man flag as a vibration and all happens in a 100's of a second.
If i can find the link i will post it up
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Post by april13th1970 on Apr 14, 2011 3:01:03 GMT 1
Rather than a micro chip in the ball, some of our obviously visually impaired match officials might benefit more if they put a bell in the ball like in cricket for the visually impaired
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Post by otleyseasider73 on Apr 14, 2011 11:36:42 GMT 1
Interesting and thought provoking article. I really hope we can improve on that 29% home record. I agree that the last 10/15 mins of a game are a worry with us conceding so many late goals. I know our philosophy is we'll score more than you by playing passing and attacking football (which is fantastic to watch) however I think if we are winning with 15 to go in our remaining home matches we have to ( and I hate to say it ) park the bus having 5 in midfield leaving DJ up front on his own. When we do counter attack be conservative with our numbers going forward and don't commit the fullbacks leaving us exposed and unable to get back as there knackered. Again this is only in the last 15 if we are winning.
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