Charlie Adam is Liverpool FC’s top assist maker as season is reviewed in statistics
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2012/05/23/charlie-adam-is-liverpool-fc-s-top-assist-maker-as-season-is-reviewed-in-statistics-100252-31026161/THEY were unfairly labelled Anfield’s three stooges – the summer signings who struggled to settle into life at Liverpool FC
Yet the EA Sports statistics for the campaign just ended paint a different picture of the success or otherwise of Jose Enrique, Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson.
Left-back Enrique made a sparkling start to his Anfield career after switching Tyneside for Merseyside in a £6m deal – but despite suffering a second half of the season dip and enduring a disappointing FA Cup final, the defender finished the campaign top of three different categories.
Enrique won more tackles, made most passes and fired over more crosses than any other Liverpool team-mate, although his tackles won figure of 46 placed him a lowly 80th in the Premier League’s overall list suggesting that the Reds need more snap in their team generally.
The official Player of the Season, Martin Skrtel, predictably finished top of three separate categories – most blocks, most clearances and most interceptions, fully justifying his end of season award.
But perhaps the greatest unsing hero for 2011/12 was Charlie Adam, whose creativity only became apparent when he suffered a season ending knee injury in March.
Despite missing 11 matches, Adam ended the season with more assists than any other Reds player – 11 assists placing him just outside the Premier League’s top 10 creators, and only three came from set-piece deliveries.
A third of last season’s summer arrivals, Jordan Henderson, consistently covered more ground than any other Reds player – ending the campaign as the hardest working player having covered 184 kilometres.
But while Luis Suarez ended the season with the sixth highest shots on target figure for the entire Premier League, his accuracy figures were more disappointing.
While Newcastle newboy Papiss Cisse ended the season with an astonishing 65 per cent shot accuracy, just ahead of Tottenham’s Rafael Van der Vaart (63%), both Suarez and Fernando Torres made up the group at the bottom with a shooting accuracy of 45% (LS) and 43% (FT) respectively
Suarez also finished bottom of the curious ‘Goals via Clearcut Chances’ category – created to decipher which players are reliant on their team creating clear-cut chances.
Frank Lampard led the way with 92 per cent, however Lampard takes Chelsea’s penalties.
The stand-out striker in this category was Wolves’ Steven Fletcher who converted 70 per cent of his easier chances.
A sure target for Premier League clubs this summer – Fletcher has shown that he will put the ball in the back of the net if given the chance.
Suarez, however, came bottom – scoring some spectacularly difficult chances, but missing a penalty and plenty of other clearer chances.
His improvement on that statistic is possibly key to a Liverpool improvement next season.
REDS’ SEASON BY NUMBERS
Most shots on target – Luis Suarez 64 (6th in Premier League)
Most tackles won – Jose Enrique 46 (80th in PL)
Most blocks – Martin Skrtel 19 (29th in PL)
Most clearances – Martin Skrtel 52 (16th in PL)
Most interceptions – Martin Skrtel 163 (7th in PL)
Most passes – Jose Enrique 728 (24th in PL)
Most crosses – Jose Enrique 94 (9th in PL)
Most dribbles – Luis Suarez 62 (13th in PL)
Most assists – Charlie Adam 11 (12th in PL)
Most distance covered – Jordan Henderson 184km (45th in PL)
Just some statistics for the more methodically minded nerds amongst us .
