Kinnear we go

How will Joe go? The stats say quite well...

Last updated: 1st October 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Kinnear we go

Kinnear: impressive starts

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Martin Tyler's stats and facts column is back for the new season and will be here offering you statistical gems for the remainder of the campaign.

Sky Sports' voice of football and his back-up team of experts are here to answer your questions and queries on all things statistical and historical from the beautiful game.

It could be on a side in the Premier League or Football League, international scene or European competitions - or it could be about an individual player or manager.

If you have spotted something from a game or have been stumped by a pub quiz question, simply email here and Martin will do his best to answer.

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Tyler's Starting Stat - City no Wigan peers

I was at the JJB Stadium with the rest of the Super Sunday team for an entertaining game which kept Wigan's fine run against Manchester City - trillionaire owners or not - going. The 2-1 win means City are yet to win at the JJB Stadium in four Premier League visits, losing three and drawing one, and moreover, they have not beaten the Latics in seven attempts, losing five and drawing two. Man of the moment and match was of course Amr Zaki, who is now the Premier League's top scorer outright with five goals. He is also the fifth Egyptian to play in the league following Mido, Hossam Ghaly, Mohamed Shawky and Ahmed Fathi, who you may remember from his brief spell with Sheffield United. Wigan's other goalscorer, Antonio Valencia, also has an impressive stat of his own in as much as that he has now played EVERY minute of the Latics' last 30 Premier League games and indeed every minute of his last 32 league games. Coincidentally he opened his Wigan account in October 2006 against, yes you've guessed it, Manchester City...

KINNEAR WE GO AGAIN?
Joe Kinnear... explain! Seriously Martin, our new "manager" says he has six games at most in charge, so what I was wondering is, how has the man done in the first six games in charge at his other clubs, which I presume is just Luton, Forest and Wimbledon? Wayne
MARTIN SAYS: Wayne, while it can't have been much fun following Newcastle this season, the stats on Joe Kinnear's starts at different clubs might just cheer you up a little. As you rightly point out, he has previously managed Wimbledon, Luton and Nottingham Forest, and the first six games in charge don't make that bad reading - certainly compared to the five straight defeats Newcastle are coming off! At Wimbledon, in the old First Division, the season before the Premier League began, Joe guided Wimbledon to four wins and two draws from his first six games, picking up 14 points and remaining unbeaten. I am sure you would not be asking 'Joe who?' if he does the same at St James' Park! While we're on the subject, Joe will be in the stands for the Super Sunday game with Everton as he serves the last match of a touchline ban help over from those Forest days, although he will no doubt pick the side. Despite being appointed on Friday he admitted that it was Chris Hughton who picked the side for the home defeat by Blackburn because he had only arrived a day before.

THE ALL-ENGLAND CLUB
Dear Martin, nice to see Pompey getting back to winning ways on Sunday, especially with two goals from former Spurs players. However, as much as Harry has been up to his usual wheeling and dealing and brought players in from all over the world again, am I right in thinking that all our Premier League goals have been scored by Englishmen this season? If so, are we the only club that can boast this? Jane Erris
MARTIN SAYS: It's perhaps a little early in the season for this to carry any great weight, but on the other hand, it is easier to do the research after just six games! And Jane, your hunch is right... sort of. You are correct in pointing out that ALL Portsmouth's Premier League season have been scored by Englishmen, with Jermain Defoe (four), Peter Crouch (two) and Glen Johnson (one) have netted Pompey's seven goals to date. The only other side who can come close to a similar claim is Sunday's opponents, Tottenham - although they have only four goals to their name, and one of those came from an opposing player. Darren Bent (two) and Jermaine Jenas (one) are Spurs' scorers so far this season, but the own goal came from Middlesbrough's Robert Huth, of Germany. So technically not all of their goals have come from Englishmen, although not all of them have come from their own players either! This also gives me the chance - before you start mailing in - to point out that Defoe does have FOUR goals following the decision to award the goal against Everton that crashed down off the crossbar to Crouch, who followed up with a header. It is a decision that Portsmouth, Jermain, and of course, Peter have all accepted.

GUNNED DOWN AGAIN
When was the last time a promoted club won away at one of the so-called big four in their first Premier League season. I say that as a delirious Hull fan who has just got back from the Emirates! Bryan Goode
MARTIN SAYS: Well Bryan, thanks for taking time out from your understandable celebrations to mail in a question - and a very good one at that! Victories from the newly-promoted sides at the homes of either Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool are few and far between down the years, which makes Hull's win at the Emirates - only the second time an away side has won there in the Premier League - even more special. You have to go back to February 2006 when West Ham won 3-2 at Highbury - and coincidentally, the Hammers were the only other side to win a league game at The Emirates before Phil Brown's men. You might recall it as being the game when Sol Campbell left Highbury after being replaced at half-time as goals from Nigel Reo-Coker and Bobby Zamora gave the Hammers a 2-1 lead. The Hammers had come up the previous season via the play-offs, of course.

FERNANDO'S FLOODGATES OPEN
Martin, good to see Fernando Torres scoring at the weekend because it seemed like he hadn't scored for ages... I was just wondering what has been the longest he has gone without a goal since joining Liverpool? Sam O'Callaghan
MARTIN SAYS: Fernando Torres is, of course, starting only his second season at Anfield, but it's not a bad question to ask, Sam, because he has been prolific since joining Liverpool. He has scored an impressive 36 goals in 54 games (six as a substitute) in all competitions, so you can imagine, they have come fairly thick and fast, not least in the Premier League where he has 27 from 34 starts. But the goals against Everton did end a comparitive drout because he had not scored since the opening day of the season at Sunderland - that was three Premier League games and six in total. Before that, the Spaniard had endured two three-game barren spells last season when in September he failed to score against Portsmouth, Porto and Birmingham and then again in January against Luton in the FA Cup, Aston Villa and West Ham. Six games is hardly anything to worry about, Sam, but it does underline the impressive start he has made to life in England.

ALL CHANGE AT THE LANE
Martin, we all know it's Spurs' worst start to a league season for more than 50 years and of course there is already talk about Juande Ramos losing his job. I can see why, but I for one think that is the last thing we need. Spurs always seem to be changing their manager, unlike Man Utd and that other mob down the road. Just how many managers have we had since Arsene Wenger took over at Arsenal please? Danny Lee
MARTIN SAYS: I am not sure about Juande Ramos being ready to go just yet Danny, but perhaps the speculation is based on the fact that Martin Jol (October 26), Glenn Hoddle (September 21) and Christian Gross (September 5) all left White Hart Lane relatively early in the season. But, to answer your question, the managerial merry-go-round has certainly been spinning quicker at one end of the Seven Sisters Road in the last 12 years. Arsene Wenger took over as Arsenal boss at the end of September 1996, in which time there have been no fewer than 12 different names in charge of the Tottenham side - albeit one of them three times. I say 'taken charge' because there have been a number of caretaker appointments during that time. But by my reckoning, Spurs have had seven managers or coaches plus four spells under temporary charge during Arsene Wenger's tenure. Gerry Francis was in charge when he took over, followed by Christian Gross. His departure saw Chris Hughton and David Pleat take charge until George Graham was appointed Spurs boss. When he left Pleat came back for three weeks before Glenn Hoddle came back to the club in April 2001 for a 29-month spell. When Hoddle left in September 2003, Pleat then took charge for a third time until the end of the season, before Jacques Santini was given the permanent job. He lasted just 13 games before Martin Jol came in and when he went just shy of three years later, Clive Allen took charge for one game, the 2-1 home defeat by Blackburn in October 2007, which Juande Ramos watched from the stands. That brings us up to date Danny - I hope you were able to follow.

WAY TO GO, STEVIE
Hi Martin, I want to know that Gerrard has scored 99 goals in all competitions for the Reds. How many Liverpool players have scored more goals than Gerrard in the league? Zohaib, Karachi, Pakistan
MARTIN SAYS: Steven Gerrard has scored 99 goals for Liverpool, Zohaib, in all competitions. But his league total is just 56, so rather than list all the Reds players down the years who have bettered that, I thought I would give you a list of the club's players to have scored 100 or more league goals - as you will see, Gerrard has a long, long way to go before he catches up with this lot....

PLAYERGOALS
Roger Hunt245
Gordon Hodgson232
Ian Rush229
Billy Liddell216
Harry Chambers135
Robbie Fowler128
Jack Parkinson123
Sam Rabould119
Kenny Dalglish118
Michael Owen118
Dick Forshaw117

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Comments (1)

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Roy Fletcher (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

Bolton as a newly promoted team in 2001 won at Old Trafford coming from a goal down to beat Man Utd 2-1. They also drew at Arsenal 1-1, beat Liverpool 2-1at the Reebok and won their opening match 5-0 away at Leicester. The number 2 at Bolton was none other than Phil Brown but if you're looking for omens, beware. Bolton still only just managed to avoid rlegation that first season.

Posted 14:28 30th September 2008
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