Toffeeweb - The Mail Bag - We're Missing Eleven Goals

We're Missing Eleven Goals

7 Comments: First | Last

I've just been doing some calculations which show the average goals scored (or conceded!) by a Premier League Club stands of today at 1.36 per game or 41 goals in 30 games played.

On the defensive side, only three clubs, ironically all NorthWest rivals, Man Utd, Man City and Liverpool have conceded less and Everton are NINE goals to the good defensively against that mean figure.

At the other end of the pitch, Everton are 11 goals to the shy of the average goalscoring, 41, with a meagre 30... where would we be with those 11 goals to give us merely an AVERAGE attacking record? Drenthe's goal against Arsenal would have provided a point to start with...

My estimate, based on if we were merely an average attack, would be fighting for fifth place with Chelsea.

Please note, that I do know that mean scores are limited in their usage and reliability, but 11 goals down so far... that's just an extra goal every three matches!
Trevor Powell, Gloucestershire Posted 25/03/2012 at 16:46:43

back Return to the Mail Bag : Add your Comments

Comments

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer

Garry Corgan
517 Posted 25/03/2012 at 17:54:53

Report abuse

But attack vs defence is a balance. It would be nice to see us score more often but it would certainly be at the cost of goals at the other end.

If we'd scored those 11 goals to give us an 'average' attacking record it's likely we'd have conceded the 9 to give us an average defensive record...

All in all I don't think we'd be a lot better off.

Sam Hoare
519 Posted 25/03/2012 at 18:16:54

Report abuse

Dunno Gary. I think if we'd have had Jelavic all season instead of Saha i reckon we could have at least 5 more goals without our defense being any worse...

Keith Glazzard
537 Posted 25/03/2012 at 19:20:54

Report abuse

Moyes's team is built on sound defence, and every good team is. But our inability to put shots on target this season has been awful. Why it took Moyes until the Blackburn home game to take Saha off I will never know. GP loved El Stracq immediately because at least he tried.

The attack/defence balance gives the opposition the freedom of the park when we always fall back to the half-way line and allow them to do what they want. Stracq at least disrupts this, and the whole team benefits.

And as was saw yesterday, when the likes of Pienaar and Baines carry the ball forward we dictate play and create chances. I'll take Jelavic for Saha any day, but he will struggle if we don't get forward rapidly to support him. And an extra 15, 20 or hopefully more goals per season would transform our league position. It wouldn't mean that we would stop defending well.

Gavin Ramejkis
543 Posted 25/03/2012 at 20:52:14

Report abuse

The balance of defence and attack is valid to a point but a rock solid defence and nothing in the tank up the other end of the pitch will only ever get you a draw, 38 draws a season won't keep you up, a competitive sport is about winning, football even more obviously so, you score more goals than your opposition and you get three points.

Mike Allison
561 Posted 25/03/2012 at 21:56:55

Report abuse

Look at some of our terrible home results against mediocre opposition and it's not hard to find 10-12 extra points as well. All true, but painful and probably ultimately pointless to talk about except to Mr Moyes himself.

I almost always play the role of defending him on this website because of the sheer nonsense that comes from his critics but, if only he would've taken a few more risks in home games earlier in the season, I think we'd be where you say, battling with Chelsea and comfortably ahead of Liverpool.

There's no way of knowing that though, and the good results we have had may not have happened had we already been that high up and our more illustrious opponents had not been lulled into taking us lightly. It's a funny old game, a funny old world, and counter-factuals can only ever be a bit of fun speculation without offering any true insight.

John Daley
576 Posted 25/03/2012 at 23:02:57

Report abuse

I found it embarrassing the last game of last season when the stadium announcer (is that the correct term? I normally just call him "that annoying twat") screamed his head off, imploring us to celebrate the fact that Beckford had managed the unbelievable feat of "reaching double figures for the season". Our top scorer this season isn't even going to hit those heights.

Thomas Williams
604 Posted 26/03/2012 at 01:41:24

Report abuse

There is one reason only why our goal records have gone down and he is called Tim Cahill.

Fantastic servant but sadly over the last 12 months more of a liability, it did not go unnoticed that our play became more expansive after he was taken off yesterday.

Add Your Comments

In order to post a comment to the MailBag, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.

Log in now

Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and MailBag submissions across the site.