The Joy of Stats – In Potency

With the strikers main task to put the ball in the back of the net as regularly as possible there is surely one statistic that defines their goal scoring prowess, his ratio of games per goal. There was a time when I could be found trawling through the Wikipedia pages of strikers gone by to find the best and worst ratios, this time I decided to narrow my search and concentrate solely on the strikers of the Premier league.

Here is how I conducted the research; the Wikipedia page of every Premier league club has a ‘current squad’ section with positions defined into GK, DF, MF etc. So for every player who had a FW position I added them to the list. The statistics for more gravitas however came from BBC Sport, what follows is an analysis of my findings.

This analysis was carried out on a grand total of 119 players who have scored over 8,000 goals in 26,000 games between them. Obviously some players’ careers are in their infancy so for fairness I’ve only included players who have played 50 or more senior career games.

As with any leader board we shall start at the bottom, players mentioned here are somewhat stealing a living and kidding themselves when they call themselves a striker, as they clearly couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo.

The Bottom 3 are as follows (and to be honest I’m not very surprised with any of them)

3. Victor Anichebe – he averages a colossal goal every 9.3 games, extrapolate over a whole season Evertonians could expect to see him bag season defining 4 goals. Yes he’s sometimes played out of position, yes his hard work helps others, but seriously 13 goals in 121 games, no wonder Everton struggle for goals.

2. Franco Di Santo – head and shoulders above of Anichebe, Di Santo will score your team a goal every 18 games, he already has two this season (which amazingly doubled his career total) so Wigan fans, that’s him done.

1. Nile Ranger – Now when I’ve seen him he’s not been too bad, but boy do the statistics not back this up. Ranger will again get you two goals in a season, but his ratio is at 19.3 games per goal. Mike Ashley, do you wish you had bought a new striker now? 

Nile Ranger: He shoots...he misses

Other worthy mentions of players down at the bottom are David N’Gog who gets a goal every 5.6 games therefore being the 12th worst ratio. Then two players who have played more than 700 games between them, quite often at a lower standard, have only scored just over 100 goals yet somehow find themselves on the books of Premiership clubs, Mamady Sidibe and Patrick Agyemang I’m talking about you.

Now I’m afraid I’m going to keep you waiting for the top awards (place your bets now for who you think has the best ratio) by offering you another piece of analysis, the clubs strike force. Now to make this fair I have narrowed it down to strike partnerships as with some clubs their third striker is either a youth striker or just not as good as their main two. At the bottom of the list we have Stoke City, their most potent partnership of Kenwyne Jones and Peter Crouch average a goal every 3.3 games. Rory Delap keep pumping those throws into the box, they’ll get on the end of them eventually. Somewhat surprisingly next is Aston Villa, mainly due to Darren Bent being let down by his partner. Agbonlahor and Bent would average a goal every 3.2 games, yet Bent alone has a ratio of 2.3 games per goal. The Top six in the list is comprised of 5 of the Top 6 six sides from last year the one that is missing is Arsenal they have an abysmal partnership average of 3 games per goal, the 5th worst in the league (for those interested it’s Van Persie and Young). Norwich City are the side that complete the Top 6 as they seem to have already analysed these statistics before purchasing their strikers as Morison and Holt both have very impressive ratios (yes this weren’t Premier league goals but a goals a goal here).

Right...to the top of the list the facts and figures you’ve all been waiting for!

3. Carlos Tevez – The want away striker averages a goal every two games in his career, yet it’s even better for his current club Man City, averaging a goal ever 1.7 games. He may want to go but on this showing City will want to keep him (as if they didn’t know that already)

2. Luis Suarez – The man was a sensation in Holland and many Scousers think he could turn out to be as influential for them. With a ratio of 1.7 games per goal he should get you 22 goals a season.

1. Edin Dzeko – When he joined Man City in January almost everyone thought wow this lad will do well...until he played that was and then the fans were wondering if they had a dud on their hands. The new season has come around and a new Dzeko has turned up scoring goals a plenty. He needs to keep that up if he wants to keep his average up, as with a goal ever 1.6 games he’s statistically the most potent striker in the Premier league. 

Looking like this I think the only place Tevez scores is on the pitch

Other worthy mentions for strikers at the top end of the league are Demba Ba, who might find himself carrying a large weight of expectation for goals on his shoulders at St James’ Park as he is 10th with a goal every 2.3 games, better than Wayne Rooney at 2.4 and Jermain Defoe at 2.4 also.

A statistic that surprised me was that out of the 119 forwards analysed only 35 have played more than 50 games for their current club, the search for success at clubs seemingly lies with the strike force, so when the club isn’t performing new strikers are being sought as the solution as they do say goals win games.

Finally below are few trivia questions to keep your mind busy –

1. Which striker has scored the most goals in his career?

2. Which striker has made the most career appearances?

3. Which striker has made the most career appearances for his current club?

4. Which striker has scored the most goals for his current club?

If anyone would like the spreadsheet I created for this analysis please tweet me. 

Josh

The Kids Are Alright? The Kids Are Bloody Superb!

United placed a starting 11 out with an average of 23 against Tottenham and this same team then demolished Arsenal. The team included 4 up and coming English players in the likes of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck. If you also include in that list Ashley Young and Wayne Rooney, the future for not only Man United, but for England, looks very promising.

Phil Jones had the composure, power and strength to make it seem like he had been at United for years. Apart from one tackle on Gareth Bale in the first half against Tottenham which could have led to a dangerous free-kick (that the referee missed), his game was flawless, pair this with a dominating display against Arsenal and he has merited his call up to the England senior side. To have such a young defender playing alongside another youngster in Jonny Evans was a bold strategy in both games. Defoe and Van Persie may not be brutally strong but both have a degree of pace and can be labelled as top strikers. The good news for United is that neither centre back looked out of place in the first team and marshalled the attacking threat levelled at them.

Evans has bulked up and worked on the physical side of his game and this showed against Spurs more so than Arsenal - although it will be interesting to see what he will be like against stronger opponents such as Drogba and Kevin Davies. The downside to Evans’ game is the lack of pace he has shown, he was at fault for Arsenals penalty, but then not many centre backs can read what Theo Walcott will do as he is running, let alone keep up with him. But if he is either played next to a pacey centre back or can adjust his positioning skills to cover the lack of pace he’ll be at United for many years to come.

Phil Jones strikes me as a centre back that comes as a complete package. He seems as if he could handle the biggest of centre forwards, he can pass, he can bring the ball out from the back and most importantly he can tackle. In my eyes, he should warrant a place in the starting eleven, even if Rio is fit to play. Rio will have to work very hard in training to get his place back.

Another youngster who has shown he has the tenacity and commitment to play for United is Chris Smalling. Having been thrust into the first team last year due to injuries and suspensions, Smalling took his opportunity with both hands and has never really let go. He has the composure of a centre midfielder and the passing range of one too, and even better for United, he has shown the willingness to run up and down the right flank to support Nani or Ashley Young. He has delivered good crosses from deep and has shown that he is a very capable right back in terms of attacking and defending.

Danny Welbeck was unfortunate to pick up a hamstring injury in the Arsenal game, but it looks like he has matured into a very good, athletic and intelligent centre forward. His touch is superb and his heading ability has come on leaps and bounds since the last time I saw him in a United shirt. I will be brutally honest about myself and predicted him to be a bit part player that wouldn’t warrant a starting place – how wrong I was. I hope that he can recover from his injury relatively quickly a challenge for that starting spot again.

Another player that I predicted to do not-a-lot for United this season was Tom Cleverley. In my pre-season review, I was adamant (like most) that United needed an attacking creative midfielder. But, with the emergence of Tom Cleverley, and Anderson finally showing what he can do there is a huge amount of creativity coming from the United midfield. Tom Cleverley appears to have been given huge faith by Alex Ferguson and is given a licence to roam with Anderson picking up the pieces – although saying this, Cleverley has shown he is not afraid to put his body in the way and make some good tackles. Hopefully this midfield partnership will blossom in the upcoming games and Park, Carrick and Giggs will have to be used to being impact subs.

Of course, it is always easy to get carried away with the club you support especially when you see youth players coming through the system such as Cleverley, Evans and Welbeck. But, the future is bright for this generation and the fact they have so many years ahead of them, it will take a lot to destroy the self-belief and confidence they have in themselves and are gaining with every game they play.

Dave

One week left and these players have to move clubs

After I read today on a popular football website about 10 players that had to change clubs, I found myself disagreeing with a few of their choices. So, here are mine.

10 Adam Johnson - The winger is far too good to be sitting on the bench at Man City, and should not be happy with 20 minute cameo appearances. He has shown plenty of skill, shooting ability, flair and great pace for City when he has played. He needs to be playing regular football if he is to command a place in the England team. It will take a high-price bid to take him from Etihad Stadium but for someone it will be worth it.

Johnson is desperate to get some...game time

9 Nicklas Bendtner – The ‘Great’ Dane, as he would call himself, has to move from the Emirates. Mainly because he said so himself at the beginning of the transfer window “it is 100% certain I will not have another season like that, I will leave Arsenal”. Great, encouraging words for someone that thinks he could be the best striker in the world. Moves to foreign clubs have broken down and no-one in the premiership seems to be interested. A team like Bolton could take a punt on him, but it’s more than likely that if he moves, it will be abroad. He needs the game time and goals to prove he is as good as he thinks he is.

8 Darron Gibson – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer described Gibson as “the central midfielder with a shot like a Porsche engine”... and, unfortunately for him, that's all he seems to have. Yes, he can pass, he can move and he can tackle, but not at the standard expected of a United player. Teams like Stoke, Bolton, Villa and Everton would relish having him as an option in their midfield. And, for his career to progress it is vital he moves away from the Champions.

7 Wayne Bridge – Wow. What a fall from grace. Going from challenging Ashley Cole as England's left back to relegation with West Ham and sitting back in City's players lounge. Not even making the bench is tough for any player, but Bridge clearly has something left to offer in the Premiership or to a Championship aiming for promotion. He simply must move on.

Bridge has resorted to playing by himself

6 Federico Macheda – With a strike force of Welbeck, Rooney, Hernandez, Berbatov & Owen. Minutes on the pitch will be hard to come by. After bursting onto the scene against Aston Villa, Macheda has gone from potential superstar to relative obscurity. A poor loan spell at Sampdoria did nothing to help his cause. A move, whether on loan or permanent could be good for the young Italian. He needs to redevelop that spark that he showed in the earlier parts of his United career. Again, teams like Bolton or Everton could be sniffing around a loan deal. For a permanent transfer, look back towards his home nation.

5 Nedum Onouha – After a progressive loan spell at Sunderland, going back to your parent club and saying you're going to challenge for a starting spot was probably the right thing to do... unless it’s Man City. With a defensive line of Clichy or Kolarov, Lescott, Toure or Kompany, Micah Richards or Zabaleta, Onouha will always struggle to break into this squad. Add into the bargain Man City can go out and buy nearly anyone they please, it is very unlikely that he will play again for the Blue side of Manchester. A move to Sunderland, Blackburn or anyone else in the Premiership would be a great for his career.

4 Daniel Sturridge – The Chelsea forward has to go on loan somewhere where he will be the focus of striking options. He showed at Bolton that he will flourish when given responsibility up front. And, much like Onouha at Manchester City, it looks like he will struggle for game time at Stamford Bridge. Experienced Premier League players such as Drogba, Torres, Malouda, Kalou and Anelka alongside the new arrivals of Lukaku and Mata will give Chelsea an abundance of attacking options. Sturridge will struggle to break into this team and a loan move will keep him on track to fulfil the great potential he clearly has.

Does Sturridge need to kiss goodbye to Chelsea and move on?

3 Joe Cole – Another fall from grace. Being called the most technically gifted footballer in the England squad to a red card on your debut for Liverpool and becoming a forgotten man. Not starting under Kenny Dalglish this season should give Joe Cole a big hint that he may need to consider a pay cut and move clubs for regular football. He should have a plethora of clubs after him based on past reputation alone. QPR, Swansea and Norwich should do as much as possible to get him. Everton would be a good choice but crossing Merseyside may not be advisable, and money may not be available. Spurs have been mentioned but I feel this would depend heavily on the sale of Modric. Joe Cole has become England's forgotten man, he needs to do something to revive his stagnant career.

2 Jermaine Jenas – When your own fans are questioning why you're still at the club, you should probably move on. However, who will take him? I can't remember Jenas having a good game for spurs except when he plays against Arsenal. A move to a newly promoted team could work in everyone's favour, Jenas would get first team football, the team would get valuable Premiership experience and Spurs would get a little bit of money for a player they don't use.

1 Shaun Wright-Phillips – If there was one player that has to move in the remainder of this transfer window, it’s Wright-Phillips. Talks of a move to Bolton have been on-going for some time and talks that go on this long normally indicate a problem in negotiations (with either club or player). Making a grand total of 18 appearances in all competitions last season, he is definitely not in Mancini's plans. If he has any sense, he will move to Bolton and try to resurrect his career – after all, he is now 30, and is coming towards the end of his career as a winger. Clubs other than Bolton will be interested; Blackburn, Swansea, well... anyone that needs a fast winger may try to snap him up. Much like Joe Cole, he has become a bit of a forgotten man and may need to lower his wages if he wishes to get his career back on track.

Dave



Hearts 0 - 5 Tottenham

Well that was a very comfortable win wasn’t it? Before hand some may have been a little wary of an upset, but that fear soon went out the window. By the time Spurs were two nil up, Hearts had probably touched the ball twice. The passing was sublime - short sharp and incisive play. It can sometimes be frustrating when Van der Vaart roams deep into midfield but last night, along with Kranjcar, dictated the tempo beautifully. What made a nice change to last season was that Spurs played well and scored goals! The first goal early on in the game it set the tone, so many times in recent seasons they’ve huffed and they’ve puffed but if an early goal didn't come it often spelled disaster.

With it being a whole team performance last night it makes sense to look at each team members game individually starting from the back working forward. 



The whole team played their part last night

Gomes, how with so little to do, did you still manage to look like a dodgy ‘keeper? With him still at the club the pending dread of seeing his name on the team sheet is still there, let’s just hope it’s not there on Monday night. In front of him was Kyle Walker. A very good player, he just needs to calm down a little, as everything seems a little rushed. Going forward he needs to utilise his teammates a little more as he is often found running, head down, into a dead end. When defending he needs to do the simple thing but overall though it was a pleasing performance. The centre back partnership of Dawson and Kaboul was solid, but it was clear early on that it wasn’t really going to be tested to its full capabilities. Kaboul can really become a top player, he was looking immense alongside Gallas last year until injury struck, let’s just hope he can really push on this year. Assou-Ekotto, so underrated by others but he’s one of the best left-backs in the league, no problems last night and oh so composed (a touch of the Chimbonda about him at times, not sure if that’s a good thing or bad).

In central midfield there was a new partnership, beforehand you would have been forgiven for thinking that it would have been Spurs’ weakest area, but it proved to be very strong. Livermore kept it simple and showed his composure to score his first goal for the club. On that showing he could be considered Spurs’ 5th choice midfielder with Jenas being shown the door...if there are any takers! Lennon is a bit of a mystery; he didn’t really do much until setting up Defoe, and still never really burst into life. Does he realise how quick he is? I’m often found screaming at the TV begging him to roar past a player on the outside but he just doesn’t do it as much since his groin injury, *sigh*.

Up front, Van der Vaart, a class above and a joy to watch, he just needs to build up that match fitness and try to be effective over 90 min throughout the season. His partner last night was Defoe, now with all the talk of a new striker, it seems like everyone has lost hope in Defoe, but remember his goals fired Tottenham into the top four two years ago, why can’t he do it again? He was looking really sharp at the start of last season until he got injured; there are early signs that he will be back on form again this year...until he peters out as usual around February of course.

Spurs fans got to see big Tom Huddlestone come on and show his class. Some lovely touches, some not so lovely. But he set up Bale with ease and hopefully he'll shake of this persistent ankle injury and get fit, then become a force to be reckoned with this year. The sky is the limit for him. Pavlyuchenko came on and...was frustrating. Heavy first touch, no awareness, poor overall technique. More performances like this and he'll be edging closer to the exit door. Finally Andros Townsend came on for Bale, the lad is quick and can dribble, and he could do a job on loan for a newly promoted Premiership club. With two fantastic crosses last night they could have been easily have led to two goals.

Overall Spurs fans can’t be anything but happy with last night’s game, perfect preparation for Monday when they’ll somehow get cheated out of a win against Man United (you know it’s going to happen so prepare yourselves for the refereeing error now).

Josh

PS - If you don't use 101 great goals already to catch up on the goals you may have missed...do!