Malcolm Bailey's Football Blog: DON'T GET BEAT TEN-----IN TOP FLIGHT

Thursday 4 February 2021

DON'T GET BEAT TEN-----IN TOP FLIGHT

There have been some remarkable scores in our great game of football and it would be foolish to compare recent big scores with those dating from the origins of the "organised" game. This week, with the curious influence of COVID affecting crowds, fitness of players, new signings, refereeing decisions........some clubs have been humiliated. Most recent was Southampton, who fell to Man U 9-0 on Tuesday, the largest margin in a "top flight" match since 1992, the origin of the P.L.. The last team to reach double figures in the "top flight" was Fulham who had a 10-1 win against Ipswich, on Boxing Day 1963, in the old First Division. Understandable, following from the Christmas hangover; that was nearly 60 years ago and perhaps in those days the chaps were not quite so disciplined over the Christmas period.

Is 90 minutes long enough to score 10 goals? Well, clearly yes, but it doesn't happen often. The average number of goals per match this season is 2.74; approx. one every 33 minutes.

United's 9-0 effort on Tuesday translates to a goal every 33 minutes. I have to admit that watching so much top flight football on telly, does hypnotize me, following the tic a tac (tic toc??) passing, leaves me frozen. Tottenham, for example (my favourite top team!), are driving me to distraction by not getting the ball forward in the edge of the final third (the opposition's), leaving the front players "hanging". Good old Jose, they love him.

The United effort on Tuesday totalled only 6-0 by the 87th minute, when a flurry of goals in the final period notched up 9. Previously poor old Hasenhuttl was staring down the barrel of a 7-0 defeat by Leicester after 58 minutes and then in the 85th Maddison and Vardy added two more. The psychology of all this confuses the issue:

How hard are the losing opposition trying to catch up, having already been humiliated with minutes left? and maybe conserving energy for the next round of fixtures?

How hard are the winners trying, with a hot shower, rub down, sandwich and a pint in the bar beckoning them? And of course, goal difference likely to have an effect at the end of the season (remember 2011-12 and losing the title to Man City on goal difference?)

Do winning teams show a semblance of sympathy by taking their foot off the gas and by bringing on the subs when the game is clearly won? Do the subs brought on bring more energy into the game?

Will the ref shorten the added minutes in "over time" in sympathy?

Biggest Premier League winning margins: 4/3/95: Man U 9-0 Ipswich (Cole 5): 25/10/19 Southampton 0-9 v Leicester 9-0 (record away win): 2/2/21 Man U 9 v 0 Southampton: 19/9/99 Newcastle Utd 8-0 v Sheffield Wednesday (Shearer 5 with 2 pens): 22/11/09 Tottenham H 9-1 Wigan Athletic (Defoe 5): see below....Jermane Defoe (vegan)