24 Feb 2013

Stat Shock: 91% - Is this the most surprising LFC stat of the season...?

As a team, Liverpool's overall passing accuracy this season is currently 85%, a five percent increase on last season's total figure, but who is the club's most accurate passer? Most fans probably think Joe Allen is top dog, but the reality is surprising different.

It transpires that Jamie Carragher is Liverpool's most accurate passer this season, which is really surprising as he's not generally renowned for passing quality. Here are the results for the season so far:

1. Jamie Carragher: 91.7%
2. Martin Skrtel: 90.8%
3. Joe Allen: 90.5%
4. Daniel Agger: 90.2%
5. Lucas: 89.4%

6. Andre Wisdom: 88.9%
7. Daniel Sturridge: 87.9%
8. Steven Gerrard: 86.4%
9. Jordan Henderson: 85.6%
10. Suso: 84.9%

11. Raheem Sterling: 84.5%
12. Glen Johnson: 84.2%
13. Stewart Downing: 83.8%
14. Jonjo Shelvey: 81.2%
15. Luis Suarez: 77.2%
16. Jose Enrique: 75.9%

Stats OPTA

* Carr is perceived as being on the decline defensively, but his passing accuracy has improved by almost 12% his total for last season.

* Liverpool's defenders have consistently made sloppy, costly mistakes this season, but as a unit, their passing accuracy is the best in the squad, with the club's top six passers all performing defensive roles in the team.

* The only defender to let the side down is Jose Enrique, who's passing accuracy is comparatively poor 75%.

* Luis Suarez is a superb attacking player for Liverpool, but his passing accuracy is amongst the worst in the squad, and there's a big gulf between the Uruguayan and his strike partner, Daniel Sturridge.

Carra's result seems to suggest that he's playing fewer aimless long balls this season, which would make sense given Rodgers' possession-based philosophy, and combine that with Carra's fantastic defensive performances this season, it just goes to show that the legendary defender is literally going out at the top of his game.



NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)


54 comments:

  1. The fact Martin skrtel is the 2nd best passer in our team is the thing that surprises me the most, lol.

    ReplyDelete
  2. These stats are a little misleading. Carra and Skrtel's passing is mostly to the other centre back partner or a short pass into midfield. Players who usually are unmarked, simple passes really. Whilst Suarez is usually trying to pass through a packed defence to create chances. I don't think pass percentage really means anything in a game, it's key passes that count. Passes that effect the outcome of the game. Joe Allen being an example, I think he's a decent player but all he really does is keep the ball and make simple passes, whilst Gerrard who plays a lot of "Hollywood" balls has probably not as good a pass completion rate but effects the outcome of the game much more and is generally seen as the better player. It's not a case of the short pass or the long pass its the right pass that's needed...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Another terrible article, u just look at the stats and that's it, u have to consider parts of the field in attack for Suarez and Enrique, as he plays more long balls towards Suarez like he did for the Newcastle goal, carragher gets to pass to Lucas in an easy 10 yard pass and to either agger and either full back which is no more than 20 yards flat ont he ground or even back to reina, u defo need to come up with better than this as this shows that u only watch football and obv don't actually play 11 a side football or any at all

    ReplyDelete
  4. Poor show deleting my comment cos of ur terrible article

    ReplyDelete
  5. Guys, we know defensive passes make the stats look better, I just think the article was intended to take the sting out of J.C.'s mistake on Thursday.Rightly so.The guy's been a model pro and an ambassador for the club since day one. His attitude and spirit on and off the pitch and his work for local charities should ensure the status of 'Club Legend' and make his rare errors easily forgettable.Why remember a split second's lack  of concentration.Just watch the CL final again to see what 'Your Everything' means.With just half of the team playing with his spirit and passion for the club we'd beat most sides in Europe.With 11 ? ...

    well you saw the result from 3-0 down !

    Still Dreamin' of a team of Carraghers

    YNWA

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ofcourse when you pass it back to the keeper or the other CB you would expect such high percentage, if not we would have seen more goals like the one that knocked us out of Europa league..Suarez would have lowest as most of his passes are in the final third where the defenders would be all over him..  There is nothing to discuss on these stats.

    ReplyDelete
  7. What's the point on commenting on articles if ur just gona delete the comments? I wasn't abusive or swore, i purely commented on the fact u keep referring to things in articles and seem to have no experience of playing in an 11 a side match

    ReplyDelete
  8. And end up getting blocked

    ReplyDelete
  9. Jose Enrique passing looks low due to the fact that he plays a more attacking role, looking for key passes to find the forwards.

    ReplyDelete
  10. One would have to wonder why he didn't start passing the ball earlier in his career.

    ReplyDelete
  11. JAMIE CARRAGHER has improved his style under BR.He doesn't seem to rugby kick it as much as he's done in previous seasons.But the stats are misleading because all he does now is pass it to his defensive partner or back pass it to REINA!

    ReplyDelete
  12. If carra played the same amount of games with those being compared, The stats will be lower for sure.  I wonder how Liverpool were successful in years gone by without stats?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Because hoofing it doesn't lead to the mistake he made on Thursday,but Id prefer passing then hoofing any day or the week

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ross, comments disagreeing with Jaimie only stay on here if they are weak and don't totally undermine his argument. His articles are always provocative, but if you reply in kind, you'll be accused of being abusive and deleted. This post will last 5 mins if I'm lucky.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Well, hoofing leads to a different kind of "mistake", at least if the first ball is won by the opponent, they head it straight up to their attacker who easily outruns our defence, bang. A hoof at times is all right, but generally it's a style that, too, has it's downside.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The stats were there in the past, too, but no-one bothered to publish them. Now, equivalent to ancient Roman times, it's bread and games for us people. We need to remain occupied with football to watch every evening and stats and rumours to discuss about all day long. Otherwise we could start thinking about the state of our world/society/financial affairs and demand change a.k.a. go on the road and protest. This answer's not what you've asked for, I know, sorry 'bout that, it just came out like this.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Unbelievable. You slagged off the article in derogatory terms that have nothing to do with content. If you can't post an opinion in a civil manner then you're not welcome here. You've done this persistently, which is why you're now banned. People like you just never get it. Attack the argument, not the person. I don't want people like you on this site.

    ReplyDelete
  18. please stay 1 more season carra i think he,s the most concistant pro i ever saw

    ReplyDelete
  19. my point is u constantly post articles that are always negative and simply made the point that a lot o ur articles make points that seem like u have no experience playin in an 11 a side match and understand positions and positional play! this seems like u are banning me because i challenge u and u have no rebuttle!!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. and a bet u wont post this as it seems u do not want to be proven wrong in articles

    ReplyDelete
  21. it seems u do not like being challenged and obviously cant accept people having a better answer to ur article, would like to see more positive articles which most of my posts clearly state instead of negativity which liverpool has suffered too much over the last few seasons

    ReplyDelete
  22. Exactly, & Carra, Skartel has 100% accuracy when passing back to Pepe, well almost 100%. 

    ReplyDelete
  23. I agree with you mostly. But I always believe that stats can be misleading when used like this. Like Suarez, who is 15th. He plays almost every game and has a lot of passes into the box which are low percentage passes to begin with. I'm notorious on here for my disklike of Glenn Johnson who I believe gives up the ball too much. The fact that he gets as many low percentage passes being on defense as he does, and is still that low... There's also the Joe Allen thing, of course his pass percentage is high, he doesn't play that often and when he does, he's not taking a lot of chances by being a position to cough up the ball when passing. To me, the stats are useless without context.

    That said, I think this was to kind of ease up on Carra a little. And it's totally justified.

    "And number 1 was Carragher, and number two was Carragher.."

    ReplyDelete
  24. That's my defense of Suarez too. Enrique does a lot of long passes into the box, and at the top of the field in his attacking role. Which is why I tend to forgive Enrique, he attacks more than Johnson, who to me, doesn't attack that way and still gives up the ball too much.

    ReplyDelete
  25. allens stats are shocking 90% the ten% hes missing will be the forward ones;-)

    ReplyDelete
  26. what these stats show is we fanny about at the back a lot with the ball.....just for fun why not get the stats up for our defenders last year when we had the 3rd best defense...call me old fashioned but id sooner have the ball in the oppositions half more than ours.....perhaps these stats explain why our season is over in feb  

    ReplyDelete
  27. thats why stats for the most part mean shit....

    ReplyDelete
  28. he wanted to win things

    ReplyDelete
  29.  jaimie change your avatar to something peaceful.....when i read your posts i think your shouting

    ReplyDelete
  30. in our penalty area surrounded by attackers id prefer the safety first option

    ReplyDelete
  31. Too much statistics in the game these days, stats are the reason fsg sanction all their aquisitions, I wish stats had never been invented.

    ReplyDelete
  32. rodgers had 180 pages of stats and bullshit .180 pages more than shanks and sir bob ever had and the stats are 19 wins from 44 games !!

    ReplyDelete
  33. another stat managed 3 clubs sacked by 2

    ReplyDelete
  34. totally agree cos when the ball is in our half we have reina in goal

    ReplyDelete
  35. just heard about a body beinning found  in the anfield area .no id on the body and couldn t take finger prints cos the hands were missing.  rumour has it it could be reina!!!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Passing it out from the back if done right and big emphasis on the 'if' is a lot better but we'll get better and better as time goes in regards to passing while being pressed etc. but like antheater said all hoofing does in reality is give the opposition the ball again to try an attack,its not the way forward,passing out from the back IS the way forward

    ReplyDelete
  37. Jamie in order to quantify these stats the number of passing attempts have to be divulged too, ie a player makes 10 passes in a game and each pass finds it's target = 100% pass success rate, that compared to a player say making 100 passes in a game with only a 90% pass success rate does not make the first player better imo, stands to reason the more passes a player attempts the more chance of some failing to find their target.

    ReplyDelete
  38. For this particular stat about Carragher, it just goes to show the guy is really a great student of the game. He tries to take on what the manager is trying to set up and works on it (which is pass for the sake of passing). Other than that, nothing much really.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Back passing to keeper included in this stat?

    ReplyDelete
  40. Andre Wisdoms stats look good another good one out of the academy.

    ReplyDelete
  41. So, hoofing the ball is the only way to win things, gilstrap, right? No team has ever won anything actually passing the ball. I'm a bit surprised Stoke are not top of the table. They seem to hoof it a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Even Kenny Dalglish has got a few sackings on his CV. As does Rafa.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Finally Carra hoofs the ball accurately...LOL

    ReplyDelete
  44.  The further up you come on the field, the harder it becomes to find space to pass the ball. So no, it's no surprise at all that all our defensive players has the highest pass % while our offensive players the lowest. Try putting our defense up with the opposite box and see how many passes they complete there. That's where you'll find out who our most accurate passer is!

    ReplyDelete
  45. There is a bit of a difference between passing the ball out of defence to the nearest midfielder with no pressure and having two defenders on your back looking for someone to get through on goal. Comparing apples with pears

    ReplyDelete
  46. but on kennys and rafa cvs there are alot of trophys as well

    ReplyDelete
  47. True but people like Wisdom and Enrique who do manage to get forward a bit i may say Wisdom looks good in comparison to Enrique.

    ReplyDelete
  48. pretty pointless stats given how few games carragher has played this season (despite current run in the side) and that most of his passes will be to Skrtel/Agger, Reina or the Full backs, not really sure this warranted an entire article and if it did needed to be justified with the amount of attempted passes in comparison because the picture would look far different in my opinion with that as well

    ReplyDelete
  49. i bet the you all hoped that carra had hooofed the ball aimlessly in the zenit game instead of gifting them a game 

    ReplyDelete
  50. Sort of misleading, Carragher has not played may games so therefore his pass rate completion would be higher. If he started every game then hiss pass ration would be slightly lower. You also have to ask yourself how many of his passes can be considered as ones which lead onto goals.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Suarez is leaving and borini is staying - ENOUGH SAID

    ReplyDelete
  52. stats are for geeks with no real insight for the game. one of liverpools worst ever seasons, no one deserves credit..................apart from the main man suarez............so far.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Don't want to take anything away from Kenny, but he took over a winning team back in the day. Rafa, at Rodgers' age, had won nothing but promotion either.

    ReplyDelete