The numbers game

From The Athletic, suggests there are five teams with an expected goal difference worse than us. What surprises me is Fulham, they've had a tough start, but no more difficult than ours, and they're looking in trouble on this early season data. Everton on the other hand are looking great, just need a centre forward who can score.

West Ham's table position looks to be flattering them a little, but they're showing possession isn't everything. With our signings, and some games against perhaps less dominating opponents, our field tilt might shift some way but after a season of counter attack football I'm not sure we're necessarily going to be better with the ball than we are without it.

What is field tilt?

What is field tilt?

I especially enjoyed the top linked Insta on the page, asking "Will Matt Turner be a gamechanging signing for Arsenal?"

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What is field tilt?
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Yeovil away.

It is ploughing season. I assume it's to do with ploughing.

I know we have to take all these things with a pinch of salt, but I'm very pleased to see Awoniyi mentioned in the same breath here as the likes of Haaland, Salah, Son etc.

12 months ago I can remember people (some on here, others in real life) asking why Cooper was picking him, laughing at his bundled/lucky looking goals, questioning his touch, and saying he couldn't do hold up play (e.g. against West Ham at home where he was actually very good). Some people were saying he was not as good as Keinan. But even then it was clear he has always had the speed, shoulders and finishing ability to be a very good player. For me he's the most Collymore-like striker we have had since errrr Collymore. He maybe doesn't have the left/right foot swinger, but he is much better at holding the ball up and backing into players than Stan, and on top of it all he also seems to have a first rate attitude and work ethic. What a great signing he has proved to be so far for 17M.

Flintham and Southwell ploughing matches are coming up for ploughing fans.

That's a good day out. Real old school rural event with flower and veg shows and EVERYTHING.

He's not the new Collymore. He's the new Campbell.

Campbell had a better touch but wasn't as strong or probably as good with his back to goal.

He’s nothing like collymore and I very much doubt anyone thought he was high quality after those first few games but I agree, he looks the dogs now and I’m glad we’ve got him.

The vast majority of people liked him and wanted him to do well for us, and I don't recall anyone saying, after the first 10 games or so, that he's "clearly going to be the new Collymore", because that would have been ridiculous.
He has improved enormously, and is already better than most fans had expected. It's a good thing. Fair play to them if the scouts had seen this in him. Even his highlights reel wasn't amazing.

The links I'm making with Collymore is they both make use of a lot of upper body strength, run fast and hard and can finish. They're different of course but there's something here.

I remember him getting panned against West Ham at home for not holding up the ball (which was nonsense) but anyway he's got better and better.

Collymore mention? Check.

Dogging reference? Checkz

Well done.

Relatively speaking, dogging is wholesome and decent.

Graph from the

Awoniyi stars in this one, in 2nd place ahead of Haaland and behind Firmino on goals:expected goals ratio.

Includes all games since August 2022, Awoniyi hasn't played half a season in minutes on the pitch, but when he plays, he's good.