It's time for my annual update of #EPL shot trends. After 14 years of drastic change we may finally be starting to stabilise. THREAD
1) Shots Outside The Box. Actually increased slightly again last season. 4.4 per team per match down from a peak of 6.6 in 2008/09
Conversion stabilising at just over 1 in 20
2) Shots inside the box. No trend at all here, goal scored every 7.5 shots
3) Penalties. Crazy increase 20/21 due to various VAR changes. a pen awarded every 3 matches!
Just 4 years ago it was a pen every 4.8 matches. Conversion rate 78.6% over 12 years
4) Non-penalty shots
when you see analysis about xg/shot this is what you need to benchmark against
Conversion of all non-pen shots has stabilised in the 10%-10.5% range in the last 4 years (XG/Shot 0.1 to 0.105)
5) % of all shots inside the box. This actually declined last season
6) Big chances (1)
This Opta qualifier has a bad rep due to its subjective nature but there's a reason why people keep coming back to use them: 57% of all goals come from the 16% of the shots that are "big chances"
6) Big chances (2)
It's worth pointing out that for a subjective qualifier, the volume and conversion rate is remarkably stable
In fact the conversion rate of non-pen BC is *exactly* the same over the last 3 years (38.6%)
7) Non "Big Chance" shots
Shots in the box that aren't categorised as "big chances" have stabilised at a 1 in 15 conversion
8) Defensive Errors
Finally, another major source of goals are defensive errors (which often have an overlap with big chances).
Last season, 10% of all goals came from defensive errors, typically its about 1 in 7 EPL goals that come from some kind of mistake.
/End
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If the ESL has been killed, this momentum needs to be used for more.
FIFA, UEFA, the EPL and FA all created the conditions for this to happen. It's their governance that has failed over 30 years, bankrolled by the Sky propaganda machine.
The whole lot needs a wrecking ball
FIFA corruption is legendary, culminating in the awarding of the World Cups to Russia and Qatar. Where was the united football front to force that to be reversed?
UEFA can't enforce its own rules and its Champions League is the primary source of all domestic league imbalance in Europe. Its new CL format is a worse version of the ESL
In a parallel universe where the ESL plan is not announced, todays focus is solely on the approval of UEFA's, frankly awful, new CL format.
A 36 team, single group stage.
10 matches each randomly selected by algorithm.
The 2 highest ranked teams who didn't qualify for CL parachuted in.
Winner plays 17 CL matches
100 extra CL matches overall (!)
That's what was approved today and frankly, it's not worth fighting for.
A reminder of the revised UEFA Champions League format that was, coincidentally, about to be approved today to start in 2024.
THREAD
36 teams in first phase, increase from 32 today.
2 of the places each season to be reserved for highest ranked teams that don't qualify through domestic performance.
Single group stage with all 36 teams playing 10 fixtures randomly selected by algorithm.
Top 8 qualify for knockout stage.
Clubs 9-24 play elimination matches to join top 8.
Round of 16/QF/SF/Final as today.
The closest we've come to a ESL in my lifetime was Media Partners in 1998.
Here's a look at their proposals, many of which look remarkably similar to what was published yesterday.
THREAD
32 teams in 2 ESL divisions, including 4 English sides.
16 "founder members" and 16 others changing from year to year based on league champions and 2nd-4th placed clubs in big leagues.
Founder members based on 10 year performance. NO RELEGATION for 3 seasons.
Minimum 15 games per season, with max of 22.
Matches played midweek with domestic leagues at weekends.
Teams guaranteed between x2 and x3 revenue vs CL at that time.
City just about matching #LFC's best ever half season of underlying performance, the first half of 18/19.
City 20/21 +23.8 non-penalty XG difference #LFC 18/19 +25.1
City's non-penalty XG conceded of just 11.2 in 19 games is astonishingly good. Easily the best defensive team in Europe this season.