The BBC has made a ridiculously unfair claim about West Ham as the obsession with statistics tightens its grip on football analysis.
Sometimes critics like to build you up just so they can tear you down.
That is an age-old saying West Ham fans can very much relate to over the years.
It has become increasingly difficult for West Ham to wrestle the media limelight away from the so-called “Big Six” in the modern era.
Whenever the Hammers are doing well and making headlines for the right reasons, the wider sycophantic football media seem to want to drag them down.
Over the last week we’ve seen analysis from Sky Sports and even the Premier League’s official website stating West Ham are in a false position in the league.
BBC make ridiculously unfair claim about West Ham as obsession with statistics tightens grip on football analysis
The analysis has been based entirely on all manner of weird and wonderful statistics – many of which mean very little to most proper football people.
Now the country’s national broadcaster is getting in on the act.
The BBC have made a ridiculously unfair claim about West Ham as the obsession with statistics tightens its grip on football analysis.
In an article titled ‘How have Premier League teams really started?’ BBC Sport statistician Chris Collinson has essentially said West Ham are not as good as their start suggests and will be lucky to finish midtable at best.
‘Overall performances suggest a top-half finish at best’
“Early-season enthusiasm around West Ham might’ve been a bit premature, with the Hammers overperforming their expected goals more than any other side,” the report states.
“While they did pull off a masterclass against Brighton and won comfortably against Sheffield United, overall performances so far suggest a top-half finish at best.”
So this is the kind of football expertise and analysis our licence money is paying for?
David Moyes said it best when West Ham’s possession statistics were put to him in a recent press conference: “You’re just saying numbers to me which mean very little.”
Earlier this season we called out lazy possession and XG obsessed pundits and stated they must reassess how they critique matches.
There is of course a place for stats in the modern game. But the saying ‘there are lies, damned lies and statistics’ exists for a reason.
Lies, damned lies and statistics – how about using your eyes?
Passing the ball around for 10 minute spells and racking up hundreds of ‘successful passes’ does not necessarily mean you were the better team. Nor does racking up 26 shots on the stats – with half of them from 30 yards out and the other half off target.
A team is also about hard work off the ball, defensive organisation and solidity, effectiveness in attack and defence and executing a game plan. In fact most top managers insist on getting that right first before looking to play a more expansive style.
If you can play possession-based football with verve, pace and purpose – like Man City do more often than not – then that is of course total football entertainment. But there’s an argument to say that tika taka style is actually extremely boring to watch when there is no real thrust to it.
Dress it up whatever way you want – whether it is in West Ham’s favour or not – the only stats that really matter when analysing a game are the goals for and against, shots on target – because if you’re not hitting the target you can’t score a goal – and, of course, the end scoreline.
Everything else, as Moyes said, is just numbers and words with very little real meaning.
Let’s hope West Ham go on to prove the stattos wrong for the rest of the season.
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