Percy - Football Chat : Saturday, September 16
Lies, Damn Lies & Statistics

Ever heard that saying? Steve McClaren obviously hasn't. Or if he has he must not think much of this particular piece of olde world wisdom.

Perhaps he has employed an expensive firm of statistic gatherers to collate the statistics about how accurate statistics are and been presented with the findings that statistics are 100% accurate when used to back up something you want people to believe.

McClaren, along with a lot of other "young" managers in the game apparently places a lot of trust in statistics presented him by a faceless body of number crunchers whose interest in or knowledge of football cannot be guaged.

After England's recent internationals he spewed out facts and figures which were intended to make us all realise the heinous errors we had been making in thinking that Fat Frank had simply had just another desperately average game and that Stewart Downing was not copping out by refusing to take on Andorra's right back and was in fact giving a dynamic wingers' performance.

The only semblance of interest contained in these figures was in considering just how pointless they actually were.

In the case of Lampard another team of experts had stats which showed he had been one of England's poorer performers, this company obviously didn't have McClaren's official endorsement so were not to be trusted.

In the case of Downing the "fact" that he might have put over more crosses in the game than anyone else was simply irrelevent.

It was hardly likely that one of the Andorrans was going to be the bloke whipping over most centres and England themselves had picked only one out and out winger (which is what Downing purports to be).

Who else should have put over the most crosses?

More importantly, however, was not how many crosses Downing put over but where he put them over from.

Not once did he go outside his full back and attack the byeline to put over a centre from a dangerous position which the forwards would have been able to attack.

He either sent them in with his left foot from 30 to 40 yards out or cut inside onto his right foot to send them over with his weaker right foot.

Basically the Andorrans were happy to let him do this. Even one of the worlds' few international park teams know that these balls are relatively easy to defend and had the attitude that if Downing was happy to take the easy option then they were just as happy to let him do so.

As soon as Aaron Lennon came on he did what wingers are supposed to do, beat his man and put over a centre from a position in advance of his forwards allowing them the chance to attack the ball. From that centre England scored.

These are details McClaren's beloved stats completely overlook.

Personally I have no time for stats whatsoever where football is concerned.

The team I support used to have a bloke in the centre of midfield who was total crap. All he ever did was pass the ball two yards to the nearest player, usually the full backs.

Apparently his passing stats were great and other supporters were always telling me he gave the ball away less than any other of our players.

Well of course he didn't. No-one would ever give the ball away if they played like him. The game would never stray outside the centre circle either.

As for managers placing such importance on stats I think it is basically sad.

I would never decide if a player was good or bad by looking at some numbers against his name, I just make my mind up by watching them play.

Generally my mind is made up inside half an hour or so and generally the impression is confirmed over a period of time.

How people can manage top clubs and the national side and place as much importance to a load of numbers on a piece of paper as their own eyes and judgement is beyond me and, as an England fan, it scares me rigid.