Football By Numbers: Why Stats Are No Fun.

On their very brightest day, facts and figures are encouraging. Nobody truly gets excited and punches the air in delight after discovering a particularly pleasing conversion rate, the reaction you're more likely to come across is one of mild appeasement. The emotional equivalent of being at a party with barely anyone you know only to discover an old acquaintance. Life isn't suddenly inexplicably perfect but it's better than it was a moment ago.

That's not to say that I'm some kind of Hodgeasaurus who doesn't believe that stats have any relevance, far from it. What can be gleamed from them is useful but no conversion rate discussion captures the excitement of Daniel Sturridge when he's through on goal. The problem is that by and large, numbers are cold and unfeeling. Mourinho-esque in their rigidity. They're a slap to the face of ambiguity, with the ability to instruct and inform but very little else.

Football is a deluge of numbers. Because of their importance, they're forever in the top left corner of the minds eye. After a period of very clearly defined seconds and minutes, all that matters is for one side of a hyphen to be greater than the other. Those on the pitch - the people we put all our faith and hope in – once they cross that line all at once lose their identity and assume that of something greater. There was a time – feels like an eternity now – when Fernando Torres' name was sung with pride. Anfield would bounce along in honour of Liverpool's number nine and while it may seem that it may now forever be the height of his fame, there was no real magic in that fabric.

That shirt has a lineage which makes it coveted, so much so that it's current occupant spoke of his pride in adorning it for the first time on Saturday against Preston. Having been associated with players of the calibre of Rush, Fowler and Heighway mean that there is expectation. Whether or not Rickie Lambert will live up to that at Liverpool is still up for grabs. One thing is for sure. He's much more worthy of such a label than El Hadji Diouf ever was. Iago Aspas' decision to take that shirt last year looked brave and endeared him somewhat but ultimately only ever added a pressure his ability wasn't able to cope with. I doubt he'd make that same choice twice.

It goes even further than that. People generate their favourite figure by any number of frivolous means. Sometimes they're even capable of wielding some kind of magic. I'm not sure quite how a symbol used to represent quantity was somehow conferred these powers but thirteen in particular has a reputation. For better or worse, our strive for individuality leads to this. Fondness can be found because of any remote connection. The reason that Liverpool have a relationship with the number five is not because of our collective worship of terrible boy bands from the nineties. Similarly United love 1999 because they're all massive Prince fans. Obviously.

I've been told that they never lie, but Shakira's hips tell me they're not telling the whole truth. A last minute winner numerically speaking is the same as any other goal. It's simply one more to the tally. There's no way what happened in the dying moments at Craven Cottage in February can be described as trivially as that. Three points may be all that were awarded that day, same as any other victory. The manner in which they were obtained and the momentum that followed will never be represented.

Brendan Rodgers and his team have over the last twelve months kept the scoreboard ticking impressively. Over a hundred goals. Eighty four points. In the end however, it didn't quite add up. Looking at the table at the end of the season made for joyless reading, if you focus solely on the numbers. What'll raise a smile in years to come will not be sums and tallys, but headers and volleys.

Endings are the perspective from which all history is written. Those that triumph – have and always will set the narrative. The final score becomes the point from which the story is told. Any previous events that do not fit that mould are either bent into shape or discarded altogether. Spain were moments away from going into their encounter with the Netherlands in Salvador. David Silva probably should have doubled that lead moments before Daley Blind's cross field ball and Van Persie's incredible leap. Five-one doesn't care about all that. The result will even gloss over the epic nature of the goal which ultimately turned the tide. Five-one remains unmoved.

As languages go, binary does not have the capacity to convey Coutinho's goal against Manchester City. It was a feeling that can barely be quantified into words, let alone digits. There was something very Shakespearian about last year. Old Bill at his uppermost grandiose. Often baffling, defying all convention and eventually turning to tragedy. To address it simply in ones and twos would be to ignore what joy there remains in football.

Only one team can ultimately be crowned Champions of England and just because Liverpool slipped on their way to the throne does not invalidate everything that went before it. A sequence of incredible adventures that stir the heart, not a series of complex equations that tax the mind. Last season wasn't about an upward gradient. It was poetry in motion.

The Duality Of Fan

Fandom is a very difficult thing to nail down. Primarily because it revolves around the reaction of a single individual to something and the collating of said individuals into a group, bound by a common bond.

Human beings are complex and contradictory by nature, so the idea that even those who share similar interests will have similar personalities is not so much a fallacy as it is impossible.

Some connections resonate stronger than others, which complicate things even further. Pointless competition arises, whereby devotion to something is measured in a points system. Two people can be connected by one thing and yet at odds with each other by how much it means to them.

Glen Johnson, why…Joe Allen, can’t…Luis Alberto, no!

All these and more, readily and repeatedly within earshot. This was even before half time, when the Liverpool team had a two goal lead against Notts County. I should say that saying these things were mostly the rantings of one bitter, bitter man—but those that share his attitude and how it completely contradicts with mine is what I need to get off my chest.

Not one ounce of encouragement uttered within the entire game. He even had an extra half an hour to find it within him. I’m not asking anyone to blindly praise anybody, but to stop and think about things for a second.

Shouting “OH YOU…!” several times at a 17 year old lad who’s not having the best of times on a football pitch, what is that meant to achieve?

The important thing is not even how good or how bad his individual performance was, nor how it fitted in line with the team. Jordon Ibe’s progress will not hinge on one League Cup game; win, lose or draw. What he can learn from his game against Notts County is, and I’m certain that the coaching staff and Jordon himself will take something and move forward.

The last thing we want is that the next time he gets an opportunity he is afraid. That he would play anything other than his own, natural game, for fear of being derided.

Daniel Sturridge had been put through on goal. His shot hit the keeper and then bounced over the line and Anfield celebrates a goal like with the kind of joy and relief you wouldn’t associate with a second round League Cup tie against Notts County. It should have been—at the very least—the instant where red blushes were almost certainly spared. What had been a collective show of emotion gave way to something different entirely.

Chants of “You’re not singing anymore” directed from the Kop toward the Anfield Road end at the deflated Notts County fans were drowned out by boos.

As a precursor, I would like to point out that I was part of them, so I am not trying to condemn them. But did get me thinking. These were jeers not aimed at an opposition player or trying to intimidate the referee, but at a section of our own fan base.

Who needs enemies?

Football has often been likened to religion and the comparison is somewhat understandable given its emotional power with the masses. Emotion and rejoicing go hand in hand. Volume doesn’t matter because it comes from the heart more-so than the vocal chords. Especially at a football ground, where you’re very unlikely to hear anything pitch perfect. One voice can stand out and make a difference; for both the good and the bad.

Anytime you’ve ever really tried to sing—and even those of us without any real vocal talent have tried—you feel something deep down, that’s what it’s about.

I’d heard it all before.

The lone gunman, intent on picking apart every little thing about a certain player, or the manager. It’s happened before and it will happen again.

Being at Anfield is something I have always taken as a responsibility. You’re there as a supporter, to be there for when they need you. However, having listened to such vitriol—and become increasingly irate—with the mindless criticism around, in particular a complete assassination of Luis Alberto, came a realisation. I had been so worked up and deflated with what was being said, my voice had been missing as a counterpoint and so I was as much to blame as he.

Chances are, if Alberto heard one voice that night, it was mine. It wasn’t a great performance by any stretch of the imagination, but boy do I want him to succeed.

For that last half an hour when things went wrong on Tuesday, there was a sense of inevitability and that it had all been seen before. That mass acceptance shouldn’t even be contemplated let alone tolerated.

This isn’t to let any of the players off the hook, as there was a drop off which Notts County took full advantage of, but the idea, the very birth of that capitulation, came from doubt.

It spread like a disease and quickly led to frustration, which in turn led to uncertainty. As such, mind and body were out of synch. They didn’t regain much of that until Toure’s injury, and out of it rose a cloud of defiance. That doubt needs to be exorcised.

Opinions are not all equal. All that is valid is that you possess one, but that doesn’t prevent them from being superior or inferior. Everyone has their own personal bias one way or another.

It matters little how they arrived at such a conclusion.

Past judgements inform, but rarely illuminate. If anything they blind us to things as we are determined to see through our own eyes no matter how narrow the vision may be. Some would rather something goes wrong, or a particular player messes up, just for the sake of validation.

Being there isn’t just a badge of honor you wear for the sake of it. It’s part of a coming together. At the heart of it is a community. Football is, after all, so incredibly—feel it deep down in your bones—tribal and, perhaps more than most, the identity of what makes Liverpool Football Club is reflected in the people of the city.

This isn’t to invalidate anything or anyone outside of the city limits. That debate is tiresome and nonsensical, so long as you feel. You don’t have to embrace it (some of the people I know don’t like the city they were born in) but you do have to understand it and respect it. If you have it in you, nobody can take it away.

Come for the love of that team and leave your preconceptions at the turnstile.

Afterward, we can give an honest account of ourselves. Leave it to the opposition to undermine us.

Brendan Rodgers’ job is hard enough.

(H) West Bromwich Albion - Pre Match Thoughts

Premier League

                                 Monday 11th February 2013

                                               Anfield

                       Liverpool VS West Bromwich Albion


Almost as if by design, all the pieces have been put into place perfectly. We're looking for revenge, following an opening day defeat which started our season on a sour note. Taking part in the very kind of game which we've notoriously had difficulty with in recent times. How typical would it be after the performances against City and Arsenal to let this one slip through our fingers. Now is the time for the team to go on a run. It needs to. We have to.

As far as the cast is concerned, there will be a familiar face in the opposition dugout as Steve Clarke returns to Anfield for the looking to put a halt to his own struggles as well as getting one over on his previous employers. Following an awful run that spanned about two decades during which they didn't even score against us, Albion have enjoyed a decent run of form which included a win at Anfield last season. They're having a horrible time of things lately and could - much as they Hodged us out of the game last year - get everyone behind the ball and hoping to catch us on the break.

Squashing the lower midtable teams has been something we've done very well this season. Our last three at home (Norwich, Sunderland and Fulham) have saw three wins, a total of twelve goals scored and zero conceded. This is something that will need to continue for some time before teams start to be afraid of coming to Anfield again, coupled with our profligacy will always give them hope but if we can get an early goal then that will settle what nerves do remain.

With a heavy duty excursion to Russia in between this and our next game, there is going to be some indication as to who'll be taking part in that one with the team that is selected tonight. As such the temptation to start with Coutinho will be a strong one, especially if Sturridge isn't passed fit. Personally I'd like to see him held back just a little and integrate him into Premier League life slowly. The last twenty or so minutes would be fine, maybe even a little sooner if the game is all wrapped up.

Talk of late has been of consistency, the run of "easier" fixtures and the potential that this team has to go very far.  It's time for all that talking to stop. Now we have to go out on the pitch and do it. Today marks only the beginning. Despite having done so well in recent weeks there is still a massive amount of work we need to do in trying to catch those above us. Failing to do so may see them out of reach for this season. Failure is not an option.

(H) Wigan - Pre Match Thoughts

Premier League

                                      Saturday 18th November 2012
                                                  Anfield

                                 Liverpool VS Wigan Athletic

For all the heroics, all the splendour and credit that has gone our way in the last few weeks, they will count for very little should we fail to win today. We need to move up the table as quickly as possible and after having gained what was a creditable draw at Stamford Bridge last week we still only got a solitary point from the game.  Coming from behind in our last two games showed our character and the form of Luis Suarez is something to be proud of but there comes a time when we need points rather than positives and that time is now.

 We've been in this position before. Up against a side - at home - whom we should be beating. If we have any ambitions of pushing up the table then these are the kinds of games that we have to win. The problem is twofold and has become something of a vicious circle. Having only won a handful of home games this year at home against any opposition we're getting frustrated on a constant basis while at the same time teams are becoming more and more confident at getting a result at Anfield. Having beaten us in this fixture last year, any kind of result would be a positive but the team must think about winning. The only way that trend can be reversed is a slow and gradual process. Eventually we will grow in confidence and teams will learn to fear us once again.

It appears as though another reshuffle is on the cards. Having switched back and forth between formations against Anzhi, Newcastle and Chelsea then we're once again going to make a change it appears and revert back to what you would call the standard Brendan Rodgers 4-3-3, although given the line up it really could be any number of permutations. As ever I'm not sure if the shape matters so much as the players. Having Skrtel and Johnson back in will do much to add solidity as well as a threat at the other end, while Reina may be in line to finally make his return. The selections that intrigue are the inclusion of Enrique and the deployment of Suso in midfield. Enrique is a complete mystery in that there are times - sometimes no sooner than minutes apart - where he looks like a decent footballer and also occasions where his brain looks to have gone missing.  Suso meanwhile has really been growing in stature as of late. Having initially played so well but then tailed off a little, he's shown at the very least against Chelsea and Anzhi that he deserves a look in a more central position.

 In the away dugout today is the man who so very nearly could have been in charge of Liverpool Football Club. Roberto Martinez is someone who's earned a massive amount of respect not just for his tactics and achievements at Wigan but also his loyalty. Having rebuffed Aston Villa - and also us depending on who you believe - Martinez has stayed loyal to the club and chairman who showed him the same faith when things weren't going well. As a club Wigan are a side that never seem to click into gear until they're all but mathematically assured of relegation, only to rise up out of the ashes every year. Maybe that we're playing them early on - before they're in their prime so to speak - will be a good thing as they're incredibly inconsistent. Mind you, so are we.

 The end of the world will be nigh should we do the unthinkable and not get three points today. Cutting through the hyperbole - on either side - we're more than capable of getting a victory here with the players at our disposal. Simply "being frustrated" isn't a good enough excuse, both the players and the manager should be more capable of picking the locks that we know will be there. That being said, anyone expecting a rout will be disappointed. No doubt we'll have to be strong and patient, be as ruthless as possible when the time comes and when the final whistle comes, hopefully we'll be starting to put right the idea that coming to Anfield is a pushover.

Home Wasn't Built In A Day

No place on Earth is more significant than that which we start and end the day.  It's about more than just safety or comfort.  It's the dependability of knowing that while the wider world is forever changing there will always be somewhere you can rely upon. The strength to go out there and face whatever challenges await as well as the motivation to see them through and get back safely all come from one incredible intangible. Home.

Today, Liverpool Football Club formally announced it would be staying at Anfield and looking to redevelop it as opposed to moving to a new stadium.  This has been something which the club as a whole has been trying to address now for quite some time and finally there appears to have been progress in that regard. The current ownership have succeeded where others had failed in managing to talk the local council into redevelopment of the ground, something they had been vehemently opposed to in the past.

The phrase "spades in the ground" is a term symbiotic of the Hicks & Gillett regime.  Much like their promises to supporters that the club would not be going into debt it skirted the fine line between embellishment and outright lie.  Whatever happened with Stanley Park and everything surrounding that venture, it was a failure on such a level that the club is still - two years after having changed hands - coming to grips with it. Effectively having paid a Sergio Aguero's worth for a few renderings from architects, there is nor ever was any tangible progress on that front despite the incredible sums of money that were put into it.  No drawing of a stadium is that good.

As football has evolved over the last ten years - which is a polite way of saying it's become almost solely about money - Liverpool has been lagging behind in the stakes for generating new match day revenue.  This was an issue prior to the ill fated takeover of Tom Hicks and George Gillett and the gap will only get larger for anyone who stagnates.  The mistakes made in the past which were compounded by the economic state of the world were far more costly than they should have been but now they have made this final step in moving forward and though it does appear as though Liverpool has gone back to where it was ten years ago, in was the right move in order to get as far away from the previous ownership as possible.

Building a new stadium right now would be completely unfeasible monetarily and a complete financial black hole.  It would have a dramatic impact on the choices the club make in regard to both transfers and contract negotiation.  Think of the situation Arsenal have had to endure multiplied by a thousand. Not to mention the fact that Anfield can still go some way toward balancing the books while changes are being made whereas any new ground would not be earning until it's opened.

Naming rights is also an issue that has come up a number of times and with the decision to stay put, it's unlikely that the ground itself will have to change names - not that anyone would ever call it anything different.  Whether or not any of the reworked parts of the stadium would have any commercial subsidy (the Anfield Road end and Main stand are those that are presumed to be changed) attached to them remains a possibility however.  

Of the major new stadiums that have been built recently, the Emirates benefitted from Highbury being in one of the wealthiest areas of the country in terms of resale and the City of Manchester Stadium had substantial contribution from the government as it was built for the Commonwealth Games.  This project would be something more akin to the extention of Old Trafford, which has extended it's capacity by almost 20'000 since the turn of the century.

Comparisons were made to what John W Henry had done with Fenway Park and how it could be applied to Liverpool from the moment he bought the club.  Though the move in principle is the same, the work done in Boston was ensured not to extend the capacity beyond 40'000.  There was also a significant increase in the pricing structure which supporters will also be concerned about, Ian Ayre having gone on record as saying that a larger number of seats will not translate into any decreasing in ticket pricing.  

Though the speculation is that Anfield will be extended to 60'000 there will be no official word until any local properties that are necessary to the redevelopment have been purchased and any compensation packages agreed to.  The council will have to work hard in coming to an agreement with people who - the market having crashed pretty much everywhere - will not be quick in their willingness to move.  Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson was quoted in todays press conference as saying "we can't let a small group hold back regeneration" which suggests some level of commitment on their part but there will be a lot of talking yet to do.  After all, we are talking about their homes. 

It will take some time yet before any concrete plans are in place and as such there will be no bold and ultimately empty promises of spades going into any part of the area anytime soon.  Aside from the numbers aspect, the decision to remain at Anfield is one that supporters all over will be able to rejoice in.  Without the ground the club itself wouldn't exist.  This is a venue that has seen some of the most incredible feats of football to have ever been played.  Whatever spectacular feat of modern engineering the club could have moved into just wouldn't feel the same.  Major European nights at Anfield are something truly special in the world of football. St. Ettiene, Olympiakos and Chelsea have gone down in Liverpool folklore. With this announcement there will hopefully be many more to come.

(H) Hearts - Pre Match Thoughts

                                           Europa League

                                            Thursday 30th August 2012
                                                  Anfield

                                        Liverpool VS Hearts

Tonight's game represents an appetizer.  Something to water the mouths of every Liverpool fan ahead of what will hopefully be a long and eventful European campaign to come.  Our opposition may not be the greatest test we'll face at home this season but with the tie firmly in the balance it will a classic case of professionalism from the side that Brendan Rodgers chooses to go out and establish our place back in Europe following last years absence.  Among all our problems at home, being able to host teams from around the continent feels good again.  It's good to be back.

If this were a league game, it would almost certainly be the likes of Wigan.  I say that not to disrespect Hearts but to illustrate the power of a European night at Anfield.  Much has been said over the years that if we could replicate - as a crowd - the sheer noise and power that we all know we're capable of in the Europa or Champions League on a domestic setting, very few would be able to handle it.  Having said that, it's only human nature that some occasions don't make the hairs on your neck stand up quite as much and that it's much easier to be riled for certain teams and games than it is for others.  I've seen the sheer might of this old stadium in Europe many times and the fact that it still manages to inspire awe from teams and people around the world is a measure of how high we were.  It's time to start doing that again.

Luis Suarez himself said that he watched Liverpool as a boy, because when you get to the latter stages of a competition like this people at the very least you're in the back of everyone's mind.  Atletico Madrid have been unable to make a real mark in the Champions League over the last few years, but have had one hell of a time in winning the Europa League twice in the last three seasons.  People remember winners, regardless of how poorly a competition may be marketed in the eyes of a few.  Tonight isn't about winning a trophy however.  It's about the start of an adventure across the continent.  To go to places and see people that we wouldn't otherwise come into contact with.  There are a number of delightful cities we could end up seeing over the next few months, but none of that can happen unless we emerge victorious tonight.

As seems to be the case with every game these days, Brendan Rodgers has a few questions to answer in regard to selection tonight.  With Arsenal coming to visit Liverpool in the league on Sunday and the need for early points still very important, it's very possible we may end up seeing the majority of the same squad that travelled up to Tynecastle last week.  Daniel Agger's suspension now having been served, he'll almost certainly partner Martin Skrtel on Sunday, leaving Jamie Carragher to come in alongside the impressive Sebastian Coates.  Jose Enrique could have some part to play given his lack of match fitness but it's far more likely Jack Robinson will play at left back again and hope to impress.  Should the game be wrapped up late on I wouldn't be surprised if the Downing experiment continued tonight either.

Jordan Henderson needs some game time having not featured much in the league recently but who plays alongside him could be something of a mystery.  Gerrard and Allen are prime candidates for being rested ahead of Sunday but it's likely only one of them will be whereas Charlie Adam and Jay Spearing both look to be heading ever closer toward the exit door.  Up top Raheem Sterling may be a little disappointed to be on the bench or even miss out altogether but I think that would put him as a favourite to play against Arsenal and would underline how much of an impression he has made on Rodgers since he arrived in the summer.  Hopefully Adam Morgan gets a chance to play more than the handful of minutes that he took part in last week and Andy Carroll - despite the endless speculation - has done enough to shake off the injury that put him out of the first leg*.

Whatever team is put out, we are in that precarious position of having such a slender lead nobody knows what approach to adopt.  A clean sheet guarantees progress but sitting back too much may be a mistake while on the other hand a cavalier approach could lead to us getting stung on the break.  Hearts will know that if they score at any time things will get very anxious with the away goal situation but for the most part will probably be content to keep the game goalless for as long as possible and try to silence the crowd.  As we go from the heat of the summer to the relative cold and damp Autumn, Liverpool can give some warmth to the hearts of their fans with progression into the group stage.  The adventure begins here.

*I hope for his sake he has.  Brendan Rodgers just told ESPN that he's having a medical with West Ham.  Apparently it will be a season long loan.