by Owzat » Sun Dec 07, 2008 9:56 am
As for stats, this now our best Premiership start by three clear points.
Best Premiership Starts - Game 16
08/09 37 points
05/06 34 points
01/02 33 points
96/97 31 points
02/03 31 points
2005/06 was our best Premiership points tally and we're three points better off than that season. We'd lost to Chelsea at home and Fulham away by this stage that season and drawn with the mancs at home - the only other time we've not lost to them under Rafa in the league. 2005/06 season's start was pretty bad, just two wins in the first seven games. But by game 16 we were in the tail end of 10 wins in a row - to win 10 in a row from yesterday may be a dream, but it sure would put us in a dominant position
Someone put forward the suggestion we finish stronger in the second half of the season than any other top four side. I think that's pretty unlikely even without checking rivals' records.
Second Half Premiership Points Tally Better Than First Half
01/02 6 points (43 v 37)
92/93 3 points (31 v 28)
95/96 3 points (37 v 34)
00/01 3 points (36 v 33)
Overall we break about even. 1996/97 was a good start to the season, followed up by a very poor finish - we picked up eight less points in the second half than in the first half. Under Rafa the split is :
04/05 31 v 27
05/06 41 v 41
06/07 34 v 34
07/08 37 v 39
Only once have we had a stronger second half of the season under Rafa, I'd find it hard to believe teams notching up 27+ wins a season would have picked up 15 first half and 12 second half which is more or less what they'd have to for us to have had stronger run-ins (13x3=39 being the reason - we've only managed 39+ in three Premiership seasons)
Never buy from PC World, product quality is poor and their 'customer service' is even poorer