Stats, stats and more bollix

[7sisters]

I notice this years stat pre occupation has shifted away from assists and now resides with distance covered in km's.
I'm really not sure what this is meant to conclusively prove, as I've always wrongly assumed that the team in possession will at times cover less distance than the opposition, who run around much more trying to dispossess them. A bit like a good squash player.
In contrast, and as Wenger is at pains to point out, Lester and others won a fair amount of games last season by having less than 40% possession.
For every argument, there's a contrary point, it just gives pundits something else to talk about other than it being a games of two halves I'd guess.
Do we really give a toss about how much running about goes on in 90 mins. Apparently West Brom covered more ground than any other PL side this weekend :-/

[Ash]

I notice this years stat pre occupation has shifted away from assists and now resides with distance covered in km's.
I'm really not sure what this is meant to conclusively prove, as I've always wrongly assumed that the team in possession will at times cover less distance than the opposition, who run around much more trying to dispossess them. A bit like a good squash player.
In contrast, and as Wenger is at pains to point out, Lester and others won a fair amount of games last season by having less than 40% possession.
For every argument, there's a contrary point, it just gives pundits something else to talk about other than it being a games of two halves I'd guess.
Do we really give a toss about how much running about goes on in 90 mins. Apparently West Brom covered more ground than any other PL side this weekend :-/

Also, by "running" does this refer to distance covered, or distance actually run, as much of the time the players just walk around the pitch? ~10k in 90 mins is no big deal rally. I can probably just about walk that.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

Headless chickens run quite far I am reliably told.

[redgunamo]

Also, by "running" does this refer to distance covered, or distance actually run, as much of the time the players just walk around the pitch? ~10k in 90 mins is no big deal rally. I can probably just about walk that.

It must be distance covered surely?

[Sir C]

Also, by "running" does this refer to distance covered, or distance actually run, as much of the time the players just walk around the pitch? ~10k in 90 mins is no big deal rally. I can probably just about walk that.

True, the figure might mean slightly more if one obtained an 'effort expended' figure by multiplying distance travelled by average speed. But then you'd need to add impacts sustained, impacts made and, most importantly, how often the subject rose from the floor, because that's what really takes it out of you, being hit, going down, and then picking yourself up and going again.

[redgunamo]

I notice this years stat pre occupation has shifted away from assists and now resides with distance covered in km's.
I'm really not sure what this is meant to conclusively prove, as I've always wrongly assumed that the team in possession will at times cover less distance than the opposition, who run around much more trying to dispossess them. A bit like a good squash player.
In contrast, and as Wenger is at pains to point out, Lester and others won a fair amount of games last season by having less than 40% possession.
For every argument, there's a contrary point, it just gives pundits something else to talk about other than it being a games of two halves I'd guess.
Do we really give a toss about how much running about goes on in 90 mins. Apparently West Brom covered more ground than any other PL side this weekend :-/

Running is essential to any discussion about football though because it fundamentally separates the player from the punter. There's more to than that, of course, but it's a decent starting point.

[Viva Prat Vegas]

Running is essential to any discussion about football though because it fundamentally separates the player from the punter. There's more to than that, of course, but it's a decent starting point.

Mezut Ozil?

[redgunamo]

Mezut Ozil?

Exactly. He does plenty of "running". I'm guessing his stats will back that up.