Now that the transfer window is open, I thought it was time to take a quick look at how Premier League clubs have been performing on various dimensions. Let's start with offense for today. Which clubs have been doing exceptionally well, and which ones seem to need some help, perhaps by finding a player or two?
Below is a graph of number of shots created by the goals/shots ratio so far this season (through January 4). Recall that teams in the upper right hand corner both created lots of chances and managed to convert them to goals very efficiently. In contrast, teams in the lower left hand corner neither created shots nor scored very efficiently off the chances they did have (the green lines denote the league median - 50% above and below).
With these very simple numbers in hand, it is not very difficult to figure out why some teams have been over- and under-performing the rest of the league offensively.
Manchester City lead the pack on offensive production - the Citizens created more shots than anyone else, and their shots were more likely to find the back of the net than anyone else's. Contrast that with Liverpool FC: Suarez & Co. produced as many shots as Chelsea or Tottenham, but they were literally half as efficient as Manchester City, and roughly a third less efficient than other top teams like Arsenal, Tottenham, or Chelsea. In fact, Liverpool were so bad in front of goal this year, there was only one team that performed worse (Fulham). In fact, both Merseyside clubs struggled when it came to converting chances to goals.
Very curiously, Blackburn's goals to shots ratio was second in the league - almost as good as Manchester City's. That's a remarkable fact, if you ask me, and testament to the fact that Rovers' Achilles heel does not appear to be in taking chances when they present themselves. Instead, Rovers aren't very good at creating them in the first place (and this obviously says nothing about their defensive prowess).
One other club stands out by not standing out. While Sunderland did not have a great first half of the season and fired their manager, they were squarely in the middle of the pack on offensive production.
So, what should clubs take away from these basic statistics?
To survive, Blackburn need to find a way to create more shots (as do West Brom, Bolton, Swansea, Aston Villa, and Stoke). In contrast, to crack the top 5, Liverpool need to find a way to put them away (as do Fulham, Everton, QPR, Wigan, and West Brom). Finishers should be able to command a premium.
And if they want to contend with the clubs from Manchester, the aspiring London teams (Tottenham, Chelsea, and Arsenal) need to improve their finishing or find players who can do it for them (or they need to hope for the Manchester clubs to regress back to the mean).
Below is a graph of number of shots created by the goals/shots ratio so far this season (through January 4). Recall that teams in the upper right hand corner both created lots of chances and managed to convert them to goals very efficiently. In contrast, teams in the lower left hand corner neither created shots nor scored very efficiently off the chances they did have (the green lines denote the league median - 50% above and below).
With these very simple numbers in hand, it is not very difficult to figure out why some teams have been over- and under-performing the rest of the league offensively.
Manchester City lead the pack on offensive production - the Citizens created more shots than anyone else, and their shots were more likely to find the back of the net than anyone else's. Contrast that with Liverpool FC: Suarez & Co. produced as many shots as Chelsea or Tottenham, but they were literally half as efficient as Manchester City, and roughly a third less efficient than other top teams like Arsenal, Tottenham, or Chelsea. In fact, Liverpool were so bad in front of goal this year, there was only one team that performed worse (Fulham). In fact, both Merseyside clubs struggled when it came to converting chances to goals.
Very curiously, Blackburn's goals to shots ratio was second in the league - almost as good as Manchester City's. That's a remarkable fact, if you ask me, and testament to the fact that Rovers' Achilles heel does not appear to be in taking chances when they present themselves. Instead, Rovers aren't very good at creating them in the first place (and this obviously says nothing about their defensive prowess).
One other club stands out by not standing out. While Sunderland did not have a great first half of the season and fired their manager, they were squarely in the middle of the pack on offensive production.
So, what should clubs take away from these basic statistics?
To survive, Blackburn need to find a way to create more shots (as do West Brom, Bolton, Swansea, Aston Villa, and Stoke). In contrast, to crack the top 5, Liverpool need to find a way to put them away (as do Fulham, Everton, QPR, Wigan, and West Brom). Finishers should be able to command a premium.
And if they want to contend with the clubs from Manchester, the aspiring London teams (Tottenham, Chelsea, and Arsenal) need to improve their finishing or find players who can do it for them (or they need to hope for the Manchester clubs to regress back to the mean).
