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Latest Spurs videos from Sky Sports
Fun stats pieces:
On Spurs' defence (the author collected the stats for this by hand. Massive respect):
And from Ted Knutsen (formerly of Smart Odds/Brentford FC/FC Midtjylland):
The SmartOdds situation is interesting. Apparently they have closed down their football analytics department. Those involved are not talking, but seem to hint at a very toxic work environment full of competing egos. Benham's bet on letting the numbers direct the football people, rather than letting smart football people use the numbers as they saw best seems to have failed to work out.
On Spurs' defence (the author collected the stats for this by hand. Massive respect):
And from Ted Knutsen (formerly of Smart Odds/Brentford FC/FC Midtjylland):
The SmartOdds situation is interesting. Apparently they have closed down their football analytics department. Those involved are not talking, but seem to hint at a very toxic work environment full of competing egos. Benham's bet on letting the numbers direct the football people, rather than letting smart football people use the numbers as they saw best seems to have failed to work out.
Michael Caley has updated his advanced stats pages for the Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue Un, La Liga and Serie A:
English Premier League Advanced Statistics
Advanced Statistics for European Football Leagues
And Ted Knutson wrote about Aubameyang:
The Evolution of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
English Premier League Advanced Statistics
Advanced Statistics for European Football Leagues
And Ted Knutson wrote about Aubameyang:
The Evolution of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Ted Knutson does Q+A on a bunch of topics, including stats use by clubs and midfield options for Spurs in the summer:
http://statsbomb.com/2016/04/statsb...lwich-buy-in-midfield-more-transfer-shopping/
http://statsbomb.com/2016/04/statsb...lwich-buy-in-midfield-more-transfer-shopping/
James Yorke takes a look at a few topics, including overachieving players. Spurs don't feature:
Into the Stats: What’s Going On In The Premier League?
Into the Stats: What’s Going On In The Premier League?
What a pointless table...
The brilliant bunch at Opta have done some fine work today, mapping out what the Premier League table would look like if shots that hit the woodwork actually hit the back of the net.
In a rather hypothetical table, Woolwich would leapfrog Tottenham and Leicester into top spot whilst Spurs would drop all the way down from 2nd to 6th.
Unfortunately for Woolwich, they lie 11 points behind Leicester City in the real world and only have seven games to catch them.
Mid-table Merseyside clubs Liverpool and Everton would each rise four spots whilst West Ham United would climb into third. Aston Villa remain rooted to the bottom of the table, with four fewer points than what they actually have.
Woolwich and Tottenham will certainly need luck on their side if they stand any chance of catching runaway league leaders Leicester City.
The brilliant bunch at Opta have done some fine work today, mapping out what the Premier League table would look like if shots that hit the woodwork actually hit the back of the net.
In a rather hypothetical table, Woolwich would leapfrog Tottenham and Leicester into top spot whilst Spurs would drop all the way down from 2nd to 6th.
Unfortunately for Woolwich, they lie 11 points behind Leicester City in the real world and only have seven games to catch them.
Mid-table Merseyside clubs Liverpool and Everton would each rise four spots whilst West Ham United would climb into third. Aston Villa remain rooted to the bottom of the table, with four fewer points than what they actually have.
Woolwich and Tottenham will certainly need luck on their side if they stand any chance of catching runaway league leaders Leicester City.
If if and buts were candy and nuts...What a pointless table...
The brilliant bunch at Opta have done some fine work today, mapping out what the Premier League table would look like if shots that hit the woodwork actually hit the back of the net.
In a rather hypothetical table, Woolwich would leapfrog Tottenham and Leicester into top spot whilst Spurs would drop all the way down from 2nd to 6th.
Unfortunately for Woolwich, they lie 11 points behind Leicester City in the real world and only have seven games to catch them.
Mid-table Merseyside clubs Liverpool and Everton would each rise four spots whilst West Ham United would climb into third. Aston Villa remain rooted to the bottom of the table, with four fewer points than what they actually have.
Woolwich and Tottenham will certainly need luck on their side if they stand any chance of catching runaway league leaders Leicester City.
Yeah, Leicester have had all the luck this year, and it's starting to really grate on me. If they were a brilliant footballing force with the ability to do some magical stuff, I'd have some respect for them. But flukey conversion %'s, Park-the-bus-and-counter 4-4-2, and magically missed handballs are not a title challenge of merit.
On the other hand, next year when they have to cope with a European campaign as well as the League, and their conversion %'s start to regress, I can't wait to see the whiplash from journalists jumping off the bandwagon.
Some statistical noodling by me. Scoring contributions this year for certain Spurs players (so that's goals + assists + key passes per 90 minutes):
Kane: 2.00
Alli: 2.83
Eriksen: 4.23
Lamela: 3.06
Chadli: 2.81
Son: 1.95
Mason: 1.42
Carroll: 1.76
As an interesting tidbit, I also worked out the numbers for a couple of players who were injured this year, but played elsewhere last year, so we could see what we potentially missed:
Pritchard (at Brentford): 3.12
N'Jie (at Lyon): 2.60
Kane: 2.00
Alli: 2.83
Eriksen: 4.23
Lamela: 3.06
Chadli: 2.81
Son: 1.95
Mason: 1.42
Carroll: 1.76
As an interesting tidbit, I also worked out the numbers for a couple of players who were injured this year, but played elsewhere last year, so we could see what we potentially missed:
Pritchard (at Brentford): 3.12
N'Jie (at Lyon): 2.60
5 games in and we're gonna break some personal records (*current status*)
Most points in a PL season - 72 2012\13 (65)
Most wins in a PL season - 21 2012\13+13\14 (18)
Least defeats in a PL season - 8 2010\11+12\13 (4)
Most goals scored in a PL season - 67 2009\10 (60)
Least goals conceded in a PL season - 38 1995\96+05\6 (25)
Will probably our finest season since 1985
Most points in a PL season - 72 2012\13 (65)
Most wins in a PL season - 21 2012\13+13\14 (18)
Least defeats in a PL season - 8 2010\11+12\13 (4)
Most goals scored in a PL season - 67 2009\10 (60)
Least goals conceded in a PL season - 38 1995\96+05\6 (25)
Will probably our finest season since 1985
Spurs are the first team to complete all of their fixtures against the rest of current top 6:
Played 10 Won 4 Drawn 3 Lost 3
The rest have scored as follows:
Leicester: Pl 8 W 3 D 3 L 2 Man U away and West Ham home still to play
Woolwich: Pl 9 W 4 D 3 L 2 Man C away still to play
Man C: Pl 9 W 0 D 3 L 6 Woolwich home still to play
Man U: Pl 8 W 3 D 3 L 2 Leicester home and West Ham away still to play
West Ham: Pl 8 W 3 D 3 L 2 Leicester away and Man U home still to play
Played 10 Won 4 Drawn 3 Lost 3
The rest have scored as follows:
Leicester: Pl 8 W 3 D 3 L 2 Man U away and West Ham home still to play
Woolwich: Pl 9 W 4 D 3 L 2 Man C away still to play
Man C: Pl 9 W 0 D 3 L 6 Woolwich home still to play
Man U: Pl 8 W 3 D 3 L 2 Leicester home and West Ham away still to play
West Ham: Pl 8 W 3 D 3 L 2 Leicester away and Man U home still to play
Ted Knutson wrote a good piece on shot quality and trying to explain it to players:
Explaining and Training Shot Quality
Explaining and Training Shot Quality
City's stats are ridiculous.
Really does speak of how close the sides really are that, City aside, the results are so varied
Lifted this from Football 365
Tottenham’s blend of attacking play and young, dynamic players might be all sorts of sexy, but there is a dark side to their success under Mauricio Pochettino. Spurs are the best in the league at what we can call ‘foul management’.
Firstly, Tottenham have conceded the third most fouls in the Premier League this season, and received the third highest number of yellow cards. The two teams above them in that second category are Watford and Aston Villa. The top five is comprised of teams in 20th, 17th, 14th, 12th and…second.
To avoid suspensions, therefore, Tottenham hunt in packs and spread their fouls around. In a list of the top 15 individual foulers, four are Spurs players: Erik Lamela, Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele. Stoke are the only other side with more than one representative: left-back Erik Pieters and winger Marko Arnautovic.
While the rest of that list is comprised of central midfielders, for Tottenham it is a job of the entire midfield. It’s also an almost no-lose tactic, Pochettino’s demand to press high up the pitch leading to four possible eventualities in each situation:
1) Win the ball back, and immediately switch onto the counter to overload the opposition.
2) Make a foul in an area of the pitch where the resultant set piece is not likely to be dangerous.
3) Force a pass. Sideways or backwards means a teammate will take over the press. A pass launched forward is likely to be swept up by the defence.
4) Are dribbled past. The least appetising of the four eventualities.
This all-tackling, all-fouling midfield is doing its job emphatically, namely protecting Tottenham’s defence and instigating attacks high up the pitch. Pochettino’s side may have conceded 411 fouls, but only 24 of those have been given away by their first-choice central defenders – 16 fewer than Harry Kane alone. More than 60% of the 411 have been committed in the opposition half. It is a vital part of the best defensive record in the Premier League.
Of course, the success of that tactic relies on stamina and fitness so late in the season. Which brings us to…
Tottenham’s fitness
Eight of Tottenham’s 11 starters covered more than 10km against Stoke on Monday, Jan Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele and Hugo Lloris the exceptions. Vertonghen fell 80m short and Dembele 50m short, substituted in the 87th minute. The lazy b*stards.
The stamina of these Tottenham players might not make headlines, but it is the most impressive part of their title tilt. While other squads with less demanding strategies have fallen away, blaming fatigue for their slumps, Tottenham keep on keeping on. Their next fixture will be their 50th of the season.
Tottenham’s blend of attacking play and young, dynamic players might be all sorts of sexy, but there is a dark side to their success under Mauricio Pochettino. Spurs are the best in the league at what we can call ‘foul management’.
Firstly, Tottenham have conceded the third most fouls in the Premier League this season, and received the third highest number of yellow cards. The two teams above them in that second category are Watford and Aston Villa. The top five is comprised of teams in 20th, 17th, 14th, 12th and…second.
To avoid suspensions, therefore, Tottenham hunt in packs and spread their fouls around. In a list of the top 15 individual foulers, four are Spurs players: Erik Lamela, Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele. Stoke are the only other side with more than one representative: left-back Erik Pieters and winger Marko Arnautovic.
While the rest of that list is comprised of central midfielders, for Tottenham it is a job of the entire midfield. It’s also an almost no-lose tactic, Pochettino’s demand to press high up the pitch leading to four possible eventualities in each situation:
1) Win the ball back, and immediately switch onto the counter to overload the opposition.
2) Make a foul in an area of the pitch where the resultant set piece is not likely to be dangerous.
3) Force a pass. Sideways or backwards means a teammate will take over the press. A pass launched forward is likely to be swept up by the defence.
4) Are dribbled past. The least appetising of the four eventualities.
This all-tackling, all-fouling midfield is doing its job emphatically, namely protecting Tottenham’s defence and instigating attacks high up the pitch. Pochettino’s side may have conceded 411 fouls, but only 24 of those have been given away by their first-choice central defenders – 16 fewer than Harry Kane alone. More than 60% of the 411 have been committed in the opposition half. It is a vital part of the best defensive record in the Premier League.
Of course, the success of that tactic relies on stamina and fitness so late in the season. Which brings us to…
Tottenham’s fitness
Eight of Tottenham’s 11 starters covered more than 10km against Stoke on Monday, Jan Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele and Hugo Lloris the exceptions. Vertonghen fell 80m short and Dembele 50m short, substituted in the 87th minute. The lazy b*stards.
The stamina of these Tottenham players might not make headlines, but it is the most impressive part of their title tilt. While other squads with less demanding strategies have fallen away, blaming fatigue for their slumps, Tottenham keep on keeping on. Their next fixture will be their 50th of the season.
