Why Stats do not work in Football

[Andy S]

Once again today we had a very good percentage of the ball. Unusually in the attacking part of the field. Our players did a lot of running and worked hard. However that is only a part of football.
In the 1960's we had Frank Large. Poor old frank ran his legs off for 90 mins but could not score to save his life. In the 1980's We had Gordon Davies. Gordon hated training and never came out for a pre game warm up. Didn't do a lot of running on the field yet was lethal in front of goal because he could get in to the right position and time his runs to perfection. Under Jean Tigana we had Louis Saha and Louie Boa Morte. Two distinctly different players Boa used his power to beat players but Saha looked lazy and disinterested for a lot of the time. However he had a turn of speed and an ability to get in the right place to finish regularly.
There is only one important stat in football and that is how many times you get the ball in the net.
Todays footballers are all very fit and there are no mugs. Basically defenders are much better than they were when I started watching the game but the winners have to have an ability to lose their marker or a lot of power where it matters  Where's the stat for that?
That is why some players have a very good season and never manage to reach the same standards in the following seasons. They get found out

[Woolly Mammoth]

Stats work. I'm not going to dignify any flat-earthers' suggestion they don't with a counter argument.

The issue is the need to be applied intelligently (eg used a supplement to other methods) and by people who know what they're doing.

We have put them in the hands of someone whose only relevant qualification seems to be that he's the chairman's son's friend. Not only that but by most accounts we seem to have given him a power of veto over the manager.

That's the problem.

By the way the earth is flat, cause big Sam recently fell off it.

[YankeeJim]

Stats serve a purpose. Mind you, they are not an answer. Someone please tell Mr Kline.
What stats do is give you an idea of what is going well and what isn't. Our defending is markedly better than last year. Our effort is improved. We move the ball well. Stats confirm this. What we don't do is get that last ball to an attacking player. I believe the shots on target will start going in and still believe we'll challenge for a playoff spot. That being said, Slava has to change tactics and needs to light a fire under Martin.

All the babbling about losing our goal scoring tandem is pointless. Neither was staying with us. Ross has scored twice this season, I think and Demblele has about five, abet in a lower quality league. Would they have been scoring for us like they did last season? I'd think so. However, the club went out and tried for several strikers of quality but all fell through. That left us with Martin. If we buy him that'll mean we have spent upwards of 30 million on strikers in the last few years. That is a stat and it hasn't improved the club a great deal.

As the nuns use to say, "offer up your pain for thr love of Jesus". Heaven must be full of Fulham fans.   :022:

[RaySmith]

Well, the main stat at the moment is that we  have a lot of the play, and even create a lot of chances, but can't score  may actual goals.

We also concede  crucial goals after having a lot of pressure without actually scoring, and thus  have the very important stat of losing or drawing more games than we win.

Some important stats in  signing a striker - how many goals have they scored? how many assists have they had? - and I believe that Martin satisfies both those stats with his record.

[Mince n Tatties]

They don't work in my house, I'm sure it was the
wife's turn to make Sunday breakfast, Ah well better
get my Pinny on.