Source: Liverpool_Echo
Dave Prentice: Everton FC’s statistics are less than vital
EVERTONIANS woke up to an intriguing analysis of their football team on Saturday morning. According to statistical boffins at a national newspaper, they were about to go and see the fifth best team in the Premier League.[LNB]Forget the league table which showed only West Ham as worse. Ignore the disappointing draw with Wolves and pay no heed to defeats at Blackburn and Villa Park.[LNB]Because the stats show The Toffees are better than their results suggest.[LNB]'The biggest shock is for the teams on Merseyside,' detailed the stattos. 'Everton (53 per cent as good as Chelsea) are close to being level with Liverpool (56 per cent) and could overtake them.[LNB] 'Liverpool retain a better defence - 85 per cent as good as Chelsea's, compared with Everton's 73 per cent. But in attack Everton are better than Liverpool.'[LNB]Notwithstanding that being almost as good as Liverpool is not necessarily a particularly proud boast at present, there was more.[LNB]'This season Everton's poor start in points contrasts with the fact that they are getting more shots on target per game and allowing fewer shots on target for their opponents.[LNB]'Which shows that you should not take the points, shots or goals of only four games seriously. Everton are very good.'[LNB]They're just doing a very effective job of hiding it.[LNB]What was it Disraeli was reputed to have said about three kinds of lies? 'There are lies, damned lies and statistics.'
