We were the worst dribblers in the Premiership in October according to The Times. Puts a different complexion on Dyer's return, doesn't it?

-- Anonymous, November 11, 2001

Answers

Dribble or drivel??

Worst at one but defo best at another.Not you though.You are a shining light.A veritable orchid amoungst dockleaves.The light in the darkness.The penicillon to our infections.£10 please.

-- Anonymous, November 11, 2001

sell your soul for a tenner !!

-- Anonymous, November 11, 2001

It is quite late in the month you know.

Paying homage to the lovely but misguided Dougal is not selling my soul though.

As an aside Macbeth,my sister was looking at the friends reunited website on this pc and she immediatly recognised your sisters name.

Small world aint it!

-- Anonymous, November 11, 2001

Haven't we also got one of the highest attempted dribbles as well?

Players like Bellamy and Robert keep trying to get past people, most of the time they fail but when it comes off it reaps rewards.

Dyer would obviously improve that figure, as he is far and away the most skilful player we have when the ball is at his feet.

-- Anonymous, November 11, 2001

I'm sure that Ketsbaia running up blind alleys would have really improved these important stats. What a shame we have been trying to get the ball to do the travelling and attempt quick passing this season.

-- Anonymous, November 11, 2001

Ooh, Soops, I'm quite overcome. Softie is right of course but I still think that a dribbler with a shot might add considerably to our repertoire. The Times also points out that Dabs is currently the best player in the Premiership statistically.

-- Anonymous, November 11, 2001

And we all know that O'Brien has been our best defender.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

The stats take into account international games in October where Dabs has accumulated points, too. For a stat cat, you don't have much respect for stats, do you, Softie ;)

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

Selective Statistical Vision?

It's a normal thing, you use the facts to back up your arguments, some stats can be very misleading though.

Dabizas has played well recently though - his high points margin might come from the goal against Manure as well.

When Newcastle keep a clean sheet the defenders get triple points as it's obviously harder for us to keep clean sheets otherwise we would do it more often.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

I think the statisticians take account of runs etc which is where Dabs picks up points (although, by the same token he wouldn't have lost points for gallumphing forward at Goodison, giving the ball to Gravesen who ended up on a one on one with Given).

What do they say about lies, damned lies and statistics?

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

Just the Opta stats because they don't look at the player's intent.

For example, the average Hurricane shot down more German planes than the average Spitfire in the Battle of Britain. The thing is that the Hurricane wasn't a match for the ME109 so they were sent after the bombers whilst the Spitfires went up against the German fighters. The Spitfires had the tougher job (and incidentally had the FW190 been available in numbers we'd have had our arses well and truly kicked).

A player who habitually passes sideways or backwards will have great pass-completion stats but won't be much of a match-winner. The kind of passes Gazza or Beardsley went for wouldn't always come off but would cause a lot more damage when they did.

My own stats are above reproof :-)

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2001

Softie, I agree re OPTA: that year that Man Utd won the Treble, I don't think they had a player in the OPTA Top 10 for most weeks of the season. Even allowing for a team to be greater than the sum of its parts, that is just absurd.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2001