Mingley: League One Scoring Stats

Where does the season go? It only seems like yesterday that it was the height of summer and we were sitting in front of the television watching the World Cup in Germany. Already the summer is over, autumn has arrived and the first quarter of the 2006/2007 has been completed. But what has the season taught us already? Do you have to the best attacking side to win the league; do you have to be the most creative team?

As many predicted Nottingham Forest are the early pace setters this season with many confident that they will make their return to the Championship this season. Yeovil currently sit second, a surprise package this year but show that you do not have to be a big club to succeed. Though is the reason for their early success due to creating a lot of chances and playing attacking football. Let's take a look….

Scoring Statistics

In the opening 12 games Nottingham Forest have scored 16 goals from 51 shots on target, scoring a goal every 3.18 attempts they have on target.

Yeovil have also scored 16 goals in 12 games; having had 50 shots on target, scoring a goal every 3.12 attempts on goal

To look at comparatively, the two most prolific scoring teams so far this season are Crewe (helped with the 5-1 win last Saturday) and Bradford who both have scored 21 goals this season. Crewe is currently sitting 10^th and Bradford 4^th, but have they just been taking their chances or creating a lot of chances.

Crewe have had 64 shots on target this season, scoring on an average of a goal every 3.04 chances whilst Bradford have had a massive 84 attempts but only scoring from every 4 chances.

However, if you look at it from another view point, who has struggled to hit the net this year? Doncaster and Millwall have only scored 10 goals a piece this season, but is this from the lack of trying? Millwall have had 59 attempts on goal, scoring on an average of every 5.9 attempts in comparison to Doncaster's 54 attempts and subsequent scoring in every 5.4 chances.

So what about the Gills? Despite the lack of a 20-goals-a-season striker, we have the fourth best scoring record in the league. Netting 18 goals in the opening 12 games, having 66 attempts on goal (5.5 attempts per game scoring every 3.66 chances). So who really are the most prolific in front of goal, the most dangerous when attacking.

Top three:

1^st Place – Crewe – 21 Goals from 64 Chances – Goal every 3.04 Chances

2^nd Place – Huddersfield – 18 Goals from 55 Chances – Goal every 3.05 Chances

3^rd Place – Yeovil – 16 Goals from only 50 Chance – Goals every 3.12 Chances

Gills sit in 6^th Spot – 18 Goals from 66 Chances (Scoring every 3.67 chances)

Bottom three:

22^nd Place – Millwall – Only 10 Goals from 59 Shots

23^rd Place – Cheltenham – 12 Goals from 75 Shots

24^th Place – Northampton – 12 Goals from 79 Shots

Cheltenham being in 23^rd Place would not surprise many Gills fans that were at Priestfield on Saturday. Cheltenham had many a chance in the second half to punish our poor defending but failed when it came to target practice.

Summary

So what does it take to escape from League One this season? Do you have to be the most creative team or do you play defensive and take your chances. Well.. Nottingham Forest has only conceded 6 goals this season and Yeovil 10. They have not created the most chances this season, in fact in total shots on and off target the current top 2 teams are bottom of the creative stats.

Crewe (whilst the 5-1 win on Saturday will help their statistics) currently sit 10^th in the table but take more of the chances then anyone else. Huddersfield, currently 17^th in League One doesn't have many chances in front of goal, but when they get them they punish you, but have conceded 18 goals so far.

For the Gills, we have no problem creating chances and taking them, but this yet learns more evidence that defensive problems are costing us points this season. Many a fan has posted that we should be concentrating on working on the defence before adding more squad numbers to the attack.

So what is the answer to winning this league? Tighten the defence, become a fortress and you will soon find your way to climbing the table.

Just remember the 1995/1996 season. We didn't need a prolific scorer, in fact it was one of our lowest scoring seasons ever, but we still finished 2^nd.

In conclusion, this league requires back to basics thinking. If you do not concede you will not lose, you will not drop points and you will soon find yourself in a decent league position.