Some interesting statistics...

[FPT]

I just found this interesting...

Ben Pringle - His key passes are down from his season at Rotherham last year. 14/15 he finished the season averaging 2.5 key passes per game (4th in the division overall), at Fulham so far this season, he's dropped to 1.1 key passes per game. On top of that, his crossing per game has dropped (which could play a part in his lower key passes), from a division topping 2.9 crosses per game down to 0.9 crosses per game.

Tom Cairney - Also, Cairney's key passes and crosses per game has lowered from last season. At Blackburn, Cairney saw 2.3 key passes per game which has come down to 1.1 since joining Fulham. His crosses = 0.9 at Blackburn to 0.4 at Fulham.

Jamie O'Hara - A front runner for Player of the Year? Well even O'Hara is down creative wise statistically from last season at Blackpool. His key passes dropping by 1.2 a game (from 2.7 at Blackpool to his current 1.5). O'Hara has been our most frequent crosser of the ball, but it's still down from his time at Blackpool, which I feel should be emphasised (bloody Blackpool), from 1.6 to 1.3, which isn't the most disastrous, but hardly makes up for the drop from Ben Pringle in particular.

Ross McCormack - Our Ross is down on a fair few things from last season where he won our Player of the Year award. Ross is taking less shots (3.1 to 2.6), creating less where his key passes are down from 1.8 to 1.3 and he's yet to grab an assist; and he's also crossing less from 1 cross per game to 0.6.



How you read these statistics is interesting to me. Are decreases understandable because each player was previously their 'star' so everything went through them which boosted the statistics? So when you put them all together, they almost 'share the creativity.' Or do you read as, we've creatively stifled individuals as well as not improved defensively which comes together to create a team not being used for what it was assembled for?



Are our creative players doing what they were brought in to do? Is the ball in the opposition box on a frequent enough basis? Fulham's shots per game is down 0.5 this season upon the last. Fulham's shots within 6 yards is down from 6% to 4%, but is up when it comes to shots within 18 yards, as last years' 49% moves up to 57%.

As for shots against, Fulham allow a division high 10% of shots in the 6 yard box up from the previous seasons' 6%. Fulham still allow a remarkably high amount of shots from inside the 18 yard box, with a small increase from 4th in the division 14-15, 53% to a current 54%. Now the shots allowed from outside the box percentage is down, but what does that mean if you allow more inside both the 6 yard and 18 yard boxes individually?



Delving into these statistics really does draw the question of whether we've improved or not? Positionally, we're currently in position which matches our highest in 14/15, and have been higher than it for 3 game-weeks. Are Fulham structurally sounder? The evidence points towards no, though I feel important to note the lack of game time and settled back four we've had this season - which is set to change again tomorrow. We're scoring goals, the second highest in the division, but still having bizarre games - a 4-0 win over QPR followed by a 3-0 loss at home to Wolves? 1 clean sheet all season, we've scored 2 goals away from home three times and only have 4 points to show for it when we should be looking at 7.

If you take out the statistics, if you ignore the numbers - we're simply not difficult to beat, and until then, promotion is in the distance. Look at Reading, look at Brighton, are these sides better than us? No they are not, but they are difficult to beat, they attack methodically and defend professionally. The six best defences in the division? They are all in the top 7. Of the six best attacks? Only 3 are in the top 7.

I just found it all very interesting. It appears not only have we not improved defensively, we're not offensively good enough to make up for it.

[MJG]

Great post FPT and while some on here don't like stats its clear their are issues...major ones as well...in so many areas .
We need more clean sheets or we can say goodbye to any challenge.you need about 15-20 clean sheets per season and that puts you in top six. We have had one in ten games.

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[PokerMatt]

Great stuff again FPT.

Interesting that our attacking stats don't appear any better than last season - in this instance I'm not sure how much we can read into this, because on the surface it does appear that we're much more threatening than we were.

I've been banging on about Brighton all season. Player for player, I think you'd take 8/11 in our favour - Kayal, Bruno and probably Hemed over Moose - yet they're flying and we are not.

It's down to coaching and organisation. And it's the defensive stats you post which are most worrying. Would Hughton be getting more out of our defence than Kit is? I have absolutely no shred of doubt whatsoever that he would. I love attacking football as much as anyone, but equally I know that your attack is only as strong as your defence.

If we carry on conceding 2/3 goals per game regularly we just can't expect to win more games than we lose. If you limit goals against to 0/1 a game on average then you only need 2 goals to win in most games - 1 will often get at least a point and sometimes even 0 will get something. Currently if we score 0 goals we get 0 points, it's as simple as that. If we score just 1 goal we'll most often get 0 points. This is a huge pressure on the attack and it needs to be addressed. And that starts with Kit and his coaches - do they have it in them? I have huge doubts.

[nose]

well done on putting it all together, it is fun to look at but not actually that relevant IMO

I do not begin to understand who compliles the raw data for the stats or how they are arrived at. What constitutes a key pass. is it the same rules this season as last and why is it being produced anyway (I suspect it is more about betting than making football better).
What i can see with my eyes is pringle and Cairney are underwhelming and O'hara is very good indeed. Ross is extremely influential and IMO remains our best player by a mile but is not always used to best effect.

The structure of fulham and the teams the new players came from is so different so you can't compare easilly and the team is itself is apparently misfiring and WIP the stats are interesting but don't really bring much to the party we don't already know.

[FulhamStu]

One stat is the most important.  The ability as Mike says to have 0 goals in the against column.  Until we can do this on a regular basis we have no chance of promotion.  This has been an issue in all of Kits time and he has done absolutley nothing to improve it.  This was/is his/our no 1 problem and is the reason he has to go.

[FPT]

Thanks guys.

Nose - A Key Pass is defined as "The final pass leading to a shot at goal from a teammate."

Stu - Although I agree, I do think the shots against stat is important for the closer you allow shots, the better chance of conversion, no? If anything, you want your highest percentage of shots allowed being outside of the box? I don't have the stats to hand, but I imagine that'd have been the case under Roy. So yes, the basics of defending statistics is "Goals Against" you can use other stats to analyse further.