As we enter the most important part of a season, and in the absence of a West Ham match to ponder this weekend, I thought I would take a look at just how West Ham are shaping up statistically in all different areas. I will be looking at statistics over the entire Premier League season, including a more narrow-eyed look at the recent incline in results as well as individual ratings. All the statistics that I will be using can be found on WhoScored.com, which is a statistics website which covers the top five European football leagues in full detail.
I’ll start with a look at how West Ham shape up defensively in the Premier League this season. Now, it is no secret that West Ham’s clean sheet record this season is the best in the entire Premier League (13). But when you see that West Ham concede the second highest shots per game (18.2 – behind Fulham on 18.6), you have to give the upmost praise to the two goalkeepers who have been responsible for this record – Jussi Jaaskelainen and Adrian. In terms of goals conceded, West Ham are equal with Liverpool and Southampton (joint 7th with 35).
It’s up the other end of the pitch which West Ham have been struggling, averaging just 11.3 shots per game (the 5th worst in the league), of which just 3.3pg are on target (3rd worst in the league). The Hammers have also failed to score in 11 games, which goes far in undoing the defence’s good work.
In terms of individual player statistics, Kevin Nolan is far and away the most effective contributor to goals for West Ham. The skipper has scored five (ranked joint 19th) and has also assisted seven (ranked joint 13th). James Collins has the highest averaged block shots per game in the Premier League with 1.4, marginally ahead of Matthew Taylor with 1.2pg.
And finally, it’s back to clean sheet statistics to see that the Hammers currently hold a season record, joint with Southampton. That record is for most consecutive clean sheets with four.
So after a look into the statistics, it’s clear that West Ham have struggled with gaining any attacking form. On the contrary, the defence hold two season records with most clean sheets and most consecutive clean sheets. Positives and negatives to be found, as expected from a current mid-table side.
Possession seems to be a major problem, having the ball for less than 35% of some games lessens the chance of scoring!
Average needs to be 50% for possession… if not higher to get to the top half of the league (and winning of course)
I wouldn’t agree KaH, as when you get possesion you have to have the ability to know what to do with it, I’m not taking anything away from the West Ham squad’s credibility, but we are lacking in a few decent ball players, like Barcelona & Chelsea for example who are masters of possesion have. No, Sam knows we don’t have those players to date, so he & the squad have become masters at laying off of the ball, i.e. let the opponents burn themselves out. We had 13 clean sheets after just 26 games. Chelsea, yesterday have only just matched us with 13 after 29 games! Andy has played around 4 hours of football, and so far, has not got going yet. I hope he takes his wrath of losing HIS striker’s position in the England team out on all of our opponents for the rest of this season, i.e. make Roy Hodgson pay for his mistake of forgetting that it’s our Andy, who is England’s rightfull centre forward. I bet Nolan is also spewing over Roy’s decison not to even include 1 West Ham player in his World Cup squad, from a club who sit in the top half of the Premier League?? That’s incredible. No Andy & West Ham have had a really rough roll of the dice from the FA lately, after they refused to reconsider Andy’s appeal aginst his unjust 3 match ban, and now to be dropped from his England striker’s position, and as I say, not one Hammer in Roy’s squad. The FA have totally insulted West Ham FC as of late. Let’s make these stuffed shirts of the FA pay for their treatment of our club. I hope Andy scores a hatfull of goals from now until season’s close, AND I’ll tip England to progress no further than the groups stages in Brazil, and I will laugh because of what the FA have done to West Ham, to Andy & to all of us, but getting back to our club, yes;
West Ham lost at Everton on 1st Mar, while Liverpool beat Southampton on 1st Mar, but Southampton won at Palace on 8th March, thereby making West Ham’s chances of moving to 9th place virtually out of reach. West Ham have 10 games remaining while Saints have 9, so if West Ham win their game in hand, they’d need to pick 33% more points than Saints in those 9 games to capture 9th position. E.g. West Ham would need to win at least 7 out of their last 10 games, while needing Southampton to lose 6 of their last 9!
Lock in 10th place by beating Stoke this Saturday Sam,
And don’t forget West Ham’s hit list of 10 games for revenge in 2014, THAT STARTED WITH CHELSEA!
Continues with Stoke v West Ham Sat 15 Mar; 15:00pm, for a 0-1 home loss on 31st August 2013, after Stoke were awarded a late free kick and Pennant took away 1 point from the Hammers with a late goal. Of our revenge games played so far against Chelsea, Norwich & Everton, it’s only Everton so far that have done the double over us this season. Do not let a lowly club like Stoke do the same West Ham. Let’s show Stoke what we have & break their pottery this Saturday COYI!