http://www.barriesview.com/2012/05/101-premier-league-201112-season-stats Some Liverpool specific stats that i found interesting and surprising(especially Re : Downing). -Most shots on goal, -Least amount of shots allowed on our goal -Most corners awarded -Hit the woodwork more than any other team(33 times). -Luis Suarez won more penalties than any other player. -Liverpool were booked for diving more than any other team.(This surprised me especially since Gareth Bale was the diver of the season according to this) -Liverpool converted just nine per cent of shots into goals; the lowest proportion of any side -Andy Carroll attempted the most headed shots on goal. -Stewart Downing created the most chances for team mates without recording a single assist -Stewart Downing had the most shots without scoring a goal. -Liverpool attempted the most headed shots on goal Figured i would highlight these since it would indicate we had some really crappy luck/conversion rate in the opponents half.Goes a long way to show we aren't that far off if we had managed to find the net a few more times.Hoping FSG get a new striker/offensive team coach in to show them where exactly to put the ball.
Most corners awarded - The couple of times that we actually did score from corners I was like "**** me we scored from a corner!" So without even looking at the stats, I'm guessing you could add - least amount of goals from corners?
The 'facts' merely confirm that last season was one of the most frustrating that I have ever experienced. So near and yet so far! However, the trend started on day one of the season and was never successfully addressed and there in lies the problem.
I remember the CC final especially well with our 14 corners (Skrtel did score the rebound after one) and then Cardiff getting their first in extra time cleared of the line for another corner, which they scored. Bayern Munich then decided to copy this strategy in the Champions League Final quite well
What do we put it down to - the quality of the corner or the lack of bodies, or players wanting to fight for the header, or just poor heading? Lucas and Kuyt are the worst headers of the ball I have ever seen. Suarez is hit and miss. I think Gerrard and Skrtel are the best headers of the ball, they have power and accuracy, whilst Torres was also pretty good in the air.
Surely those stats justify the moneyball philosophy. Although we ended up having a pretty dire season, if we continue along this path then surely the results will begin to go our way. Most shots on goal and fewest shots on our goal is a really good place to be- strong defense with our finishing only needing to be slightly improved and we will win most games (especially with the 33 times hitting the woodwork). I don't think you can count 33 times hitting the woodwork 'unlucky', it is just bad finishing. Those few inches make such a difference but it seems we are going in the right direction even though it doesn't look like it on the final league table.
It's the reason why Kenny should have stayed IMO. However, I hope whoever comes in can push is forward from this.
True, i thought he could have stayed as well. However I think the owners saw the failings as a chance to revolutionize the club, to fully implement their own systems. Hopefully we'll see some success with their new methods
Those stats back up what most of us feel, that we weren't has bad as our finishing league position! I can think back to maybe 5-6 games where we deserved nothing from the game, but there is a good 8 games where we drew and should have won and at least 3/4 games we lost we should have won, for example Arsenal, West Brom Home, Stoke Away, (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/14773121, the stats on that games are ridiculous, a microcosm of our season really!) and QPR when we should have been out of sight and then 10mins of madness at the end cost us the game..
One thing i noticed last season is that our build up play is too slow at times and that there was never enough players attacking the box when the ball was played out to the wings.All well holding the ball and playing containment football but need alternatives to teams that are hard to break down.
I still say that there were only half a dozen league games last season that we deserved to lose, the standard of football got a hell of a lot better than the previous season, but as foredeck says, it was ****ing frustrating. I think we moved forward though, the squad has not got as much ****e in as it used to, maybe we have a few people in the starting XI who should really be just squad players. We need to trim a couple more (dealt with in the Stop and Go thread, I'll add no more) and make 3 good first team signings and I reckon things will look all rosy like.
