One thing we need to take advantage of over here at Stretford-end.com is the amount of statistics that we have at our disposal. After every game, Yolkie and I update our records so that you have the most up to date Manchester United statistics possible. As we are now in the final third of the season (or squeaky bum time – whatever you’d like to call it) I thought we’d run off some statistics regarding when we are at our most dangerous in terms of scoring.
Would you be surprised to know that we are a second half side? Not really – its been that way for a long time, however would you be surprised if I told you that an enormous 67% of our goals came in the second half (55 out of 82 so far)? Or that United are at their most lethal between 51 minutes and 70 minutes, scoring 23 goals? United are least likely to score right after half time, where only three goals were scored compared to 7 just before half time?
Tell you what, graphs explain statistics better than I can, 87% of people know that:
Chart showing which half United are likely to score in:
Chart showing breakdown of minutes:
i dont think you have made your analysis fairly. 51-70 minutes is a 20-minute duration, of course we would get a lot of goals in 20 minutes, compared to 45-50 minutes – only 5 mintues duration. I would like to see the stats if you divide it into 46-60, 60-70, 71-80 and 81-90.
I agree with cantona7…
you pretty much made the stats meaningless by presenting them like that.
Thank you for contributing but I disagree immensely with you. Firstly, if you are so concerned with adding ‘equal weight’ to a time frame then why don’t you add the pre half time tally to that of the last slot and likewise for post half time?
This exercise wasn’t meant to be a ‘comparison’ – far from it. It is merely a breakdown in when United score goals. The time before half time and just after half time should be considered vital time periods at any level of football, right down to the shite that we play on a Saturday/Sunday. A goal before half time can make a vast amount of difference, i’m sure you’ll both agree? I can always do this with the time periods you suggest, but what would you get from it?? Like I said, its not a comparison – its a breakdown.
Have to agree; statistics are statistics regardless of the way they’re presented, we’re surely not going to start asking people to THINK for us are we?!
Why not just observe them as they’re broken down, by half, and injury time?
Anyway, regarding the stats. I knew we’d scored more in the second half but I didn’t expect the difference to be so much. A lot of that is probably down to visitors resistence but it’s good to see how many injury time goals we’ve got. Not specifically because they’re injury time goals but it gives you that cause for belief when the game hits the 85 minute mark instead of givng up hope.