Whitey Grandad

Then there's hope for one of us, maybe?

Isn't it in all 4 divisions?

Oh, if only...

Status Quo: 'Down down, deeper and down'

Unless they play each other?

Very succintly put.

I think it just means... we aren't very good...

Sorry, I should have said 'one goal for every 6 chances. Some people talk about 'luck' when what we are really discussing is 'probability'. Basically, luck only applies in the short term. Over more than a few games, and certainly over a season, luck doesn't apply and you get what you deserve.

Sorry, that should have read 'one goal for every 6 chances' Well spotted, and thanks for reading it. I shall correct it now!

I think that what we are saying is: We need quality, not quantity.

Ah, but they had a big points deduction! ...oh

The Poisson distribution describes 'a large number of events, each with a small probability of success' and is a limiting case of the binomial distribution. Every time that you smoke a cigarette you have a very small but finite chance of starting a cancer so if you smoke for long enough you will die. Another examples is the number of deaths from horsekicks in the Prussian army, many soldiers were kicked but only a few died. So if you look at the probabilities of a team getting 0,1,2,3 goals and so-on in a game the pattern is a Poisson distribution. For goals in a football match the accepted ratio is one goal for every six chances but this is an average across the leagues and Saints are less than average. My view is that our lot are not hitting the ball hard enough, or accurately enough. I have a 50-year old coaching book that says 'always shoot hard and low on sight of goal'. Perhaps I should lend it to our lads (if they can read, that is).:smt048

But not in the long run. It's called 'the central limit theorem'. There's a very good chapter by M. J. Moroney in 'Facts from Figures' called 'goals, floods and horse kicks' about the Poisson distribution, and as we all know, all distributions tend toward the Gaussian (or 'Normal') distribution no matter what the shape of the underlying distribution as the number of samples increases. Basically, the more shots on goal that you have, the more goals you score. Simple really, isn't it?

Perhaps they should aim for the goal instead of the posts.

There are pizze and there are the things that you get from Pizza Hut. There's a big difference between the two.

Take your pick: Rasiak / John / Dyer

Yes but 20 yards difference is rather a lot, don't you think?

I think this has been a regular criticism over the course of the season. According to one or two posters, this is because we have been 'unlucky'.

On second thoughts, that may have been Burger King.

I have had the pleasure of eating them there.

I agree. We are arguing over (debating) the second goal when it was the first one that defeated us.

I think you must have misunderstood me. Their player made up 20 yards on James, who must be one of the slowest 'fullbacks' in the league.

Sproule gave James a 20-yard start and still skinned him. Surman very nearly got back in time but seemed to give up just at the last moment. It didn't affect the result though. Adebola's goal was criminal defending. Both centre-backs were tight-marking him and he just slipped between them. One of them should have been tight with the other covering deeper. He was well onside too.

The odds only reflect the money that has been placed and are not necessarily the probability of the events in question happening.

His salary was around the £1.2m mark when they were relegated and he accepted a 40% cut in May last year so I'm sure that he could find more rewarding employment anywhere but Saints. I'm sure that HCDAJFU but we couldn't afford him.