Fulham, clearly,have the playing
and financial power to remain in the top flight for some time
and only Liverpool have attempted more than the 910 tackles
that Fulham have got stuck into this season. Manager Jean Tigana
clearly believes in hard work as the basis of their style of
play and that could mean a few problems for Tottenham.
Once in possession, the Cottagers have completed 77% of their
passes which makes them the third-most accurate passing team
in the top flight and means that they have found a team-mate
with two percentage points more of their passes than Spurs.
With mid-table looking like the final resting places for these two teams
at the end of the season you would be forgiven for thinking that this game
is of low importance in the great scheme of things. Wrong - both sides have
a lot to do between now and the end of the campaign.
|
Craven Cottage
24th March, 2002 |
Fulham |
Spurs |
Div
Avg |
| Games |
30 |
30 |
30 |
| ATTACKING |
| Goals scored |
30 |
39 |
39 |
| Ave goals per game |
1.00 |
1.30 |
1.30 |
| Shots(ex blocked
shots) |
321 |
337 |
323 |
| Shooting Accuracy |
41% |
37% |
44% |
| Goals to shots % |
9.3% |
11.6% |
12.01% |
| PASSING |
| Short passes |
10226 |
9672 |
8607 |
| Long passes |
3380 |
3571 |
3251 |
| Passes |
13606 |
13243 |
11858 |
| Pass completion % |
77% |
75% |
74% |
| CROSSING |
| Crosses |
771 |
728 |
733 |
| Crosses completion % |
23% |
27% |
25% |
| DEFENDING |
| Tackles |
910 |
772 |
802 |
| Tackle success rate % |
74% |
73% |
74% |
| Clearances |
1297 |
1453 |
1411 |
| Goals conceded |
36 |
45 |
39 |
| Ave goals conceded per game |
1.20 |
1.50 |
1.30 |
| DISCIPLINE |
| Fouls |
438 |
408 |
456 |
| Yellow cards |
43 |
44 |
47 |
| Red cards |
1 |
5 |
3 |
| stats
from opta |
|
|
 Tottenham
have lost their last four games with an aggregate scored of 13-0 and will
be looking to get back on track against Fulham. The Cottagers themselves
have impressed this season without really threatening the top end of the
table and the work that is done between now and the end of the season will
be the foundation of next year.
Matchday
Referee:
Paul Durkin from Portland,
Dorset
Paul Durkin is the grand old man of the Premiership as he has
been a Premier League referee since its inception back in 1992.
So far in other Premiership games Ref Durkin has shown to be
a homer with 60% of his cautions going to the visitors. He gives
out slightly more yellows than the average and although he has
decided on only 5 penalties in his 15 Premiership games that
rate is twice as many as the average.
Mr Durkin's busiest game this season was the 1-0 West Ham win
at Man U when he dished out 8 yellows, 5 to Man U players and
3 to Hammer players.
Ref Durkin has reffed just one Fulham game this season the 2-0
defeat at Aston Villa back in October when he booked Sean Davis
for a foul.
|
Mr. Durkin's
score sheet |
Average
Premiership Referee score sheet |
|
Total |
Match
Avg |
Total |
Match
Avg |
| Games |
15 |
|
13 |
|
| Fouls |
436 |
29.07 |
385 |
25.65 |
| Penalties |
5 |
0.33 |
2.54 |
0.17 |
| Yellow
cards |
39 |
2.60 |
40 |
2.64 |
| Red
Cards |
3 |
0.20 |
3 |
0.18 |
|
|
If Tottenham are going to avoid yet another
defeat, they are going to have to fire off shots with a greater degree of
accuracy. Under the management of
Glenn Hoddle this season they have tried to play like Holland but have been
shooting like they are wearing clogs. Just 37% of their efforts have hit
the target making Spurs the most inaccurate side in that respect in the
Premiership.
One player who might be able to help
them in front of goal is Daren Anderton. 'Sicknote' might spend more time
getting prodded and poked on a treatment table than Jamie Theakston, but
once Anderton is on the pitch, he is a superb player and
this season he has swung in 65 accurate crosses - the fifth most in the
Premiership. On the other side, one player that Tottenham will have to mark
closely is Steed Malbranque. The Frenchman has put in just one accurate
cross fewer than Anderton and one of these two stars could well have the
final say in this match.
|
Source Planet football by Matt Pomroy