soccermetrica: links

He was locked up in a Singapore prison, he was declared dead on the pitch, he was signed by 25 clubs in 13 countries and he is still the only professional to have played in all six of Fifa's confederations.

Spurs, for example, haven't just gone off form; they've almost collapsed, earning a full point per game less. As it stands, that is one of the worst drop-offs in league history. Liverpool, meanwhile, aren't far behind. Remarkably, it's Fulham who are the most upwardly mobile - and most underappreciated - risers.

Stoke City's style is the most rudimentary example of soccernomics on a football pitch. Each full-back generally looks for Peter Crouch on an angle (final third entry) and, in turn, the striker will attempt to cushion the ball down into the penalty area (penalty box entry) for his partner or a midfield runner. It goes almost without saying that the higher these two statistics are over a season, the more likely Stoke are to end up with a shot on goal.

It was the England Foundation Charity Golf Day today, which gave Peter Crouch the perfect opportunity to show how ridiculous he looks holding a driver.

Pages