Just a couple of stats

[Whitesideup]

Many have voiced an opinion that Hangeland wasn't at his best last season. Maybe we can agree that at times he struggled with his injury. We can also concur that he did make to the odd mistake  ..but which defenders didn't? Some, myself included, have argued that the criticism was overly harsh and have placed greater emphasis on the team performance that put our defence under greater pressure. To support that view, consider the following: (chelsea home considered as him not playing due to early departure)

With Hangeland           Played 22   Points 22   average 1
Without Hangeland       Played 16   Points 10   average 0.6

This becomes even more marked when you look at the goals conceded:

With Hangeland          Played 22 Conceded 41   average 1.86
Without Hangeland      Played 16 Conceded 44  average 2.75

I know statistics can be extremely misleading. I don't want to re-open the debate on Hangeland, just to point out that it is not as one-sided as some of the posts have suggested.

The other stat perhaps only I found interesting was games with Parker starting ...28 average points = 0.68, without him starting 10 average points = 1.3. Perhaps too small a sample for it to be meaningful.... but I don't care.

[hovewhite]

But there again maybe it puts season in perspective as if we averaged a piont a game we would have survived.
Small margins team sport.

[YankeeJim]

The addition of Johnny Heitinger had to effect the situation as well. The stats might mean more if he was factored in.

[Forever Fulham]

Yes, I think that's right.  There are probably more variables at play coinciding with when he did and didn't play which would arguably impact these statistics.  Such as who was managing then, and who was in the lineup with him/without him, and whether the quality of  opposing teams when he was in the lineup are representative of when he wasn't in the lineup.  Statistics aside, we all have eyes to see; and we know what we saw.  He wasn't playing with the same quality we've become accustomed to.