He do Ron, Ron, Ron...

Martin Tyler on Cristiano Ronaldo and midfield hat-tricks, the managerial sack race and more...

Martin Tyler's stats and facts column is back for 2008 and will be here offering you statistical gems for the remainder of the season. 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.

Tyler's Starting Stat - Stevie... Gee!

I was at Anfield on Tuesday night to see Liverpool, and Steven Gerrard in particular, kill off Luton's brave FA Cup challenge with a second-half hat-trick. It took Gerrard's goal tally to 90 in 416 games for the club and it was his 14th goal in his last 18 appearances in all competitions. It was his second hat-trick for Liverpool as well, the other coming in the Champions League qualifying win over Total Network Solutions (now called The New Saints, of course) in July 2005. It was also the first FA Cup hat-trick by a Liverpool player since Stan Collymore netted three in the third-round 7-0 win over Rochdale some 12 years ago. CARRA CLOCKS UP 500
Martin, I see the Luton game was Jamie Carragher's 500th for Liverpool. I know this puts him 11th in the all-time list, but who are the 10 in front of him? I know Ian Callaghan is the record holder, but who are the others. I can only think of a couple. Liam Malcolm
MARTIN SAYS: You are right and wrong, Liam. It was of course Jamie Carragher's 500th game for Liverpool on Tuesday night, which was marked with a guard of honour and special presentation before kick-off. But it does in fact leave Jamie 12th on the list of all-time appearance makers at Anfield. Ian Callaghan is of course way out in front with a whopping 857 appearance in all competitions, followed by Ray Clemence and the late Emlyn Hughes on 665. Perhaps two of the players you were missing Liam are those of yesteryear, shall we say. In ninth place on the list with 549 appearances is Chris Lawler, who played right-back between 1960 and 1975 and - as regular readers will know - was particularly prolific, with 61 goals to his name. Just behind him in 10th place is Billy Liddell, a winger who racked up 534 appearances between 1939 and 1961 - although he took a break to serve King and country in the Second World War.

POSITION	PLAYER	GAMES
1	Ian Callaghan	857
2	Ray Clemence	665
2	Emlyn Hughes	665
4	Ian Rush	660
5	Phil Neal	650
6	Tommy Smith	638
7	Bruce Grobbelaar	628
8	Alan Hansen	620
9	Chris Lawler	549
10	Billy Liddell	534
11	Kenny Dalglish	515
12	Jamie Carragher	499

CRISTIANO v THE BIG FOUR
How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored against Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea to date? Wilton Dyer
MARTIN SAYS: What a good question Wilton! We have had plenty regarding the Manchester United man, but this is the only one of its kind. I can tell you that Ronaldo's record against the other members of the so-called 'big four' does not make that impressive reading, certainly compared with his recent goalscoring feats elsewhere. He has fared better against Arsenal than the other two, with three goals in 10 games in all competitions against the Gunners - as well as a penalty in the FA Cup final shoot-out in 2005. But he is yet to score against either Liverpool or Chelsea. He has played against the Reds seven times without return and 11 against the Blues of Stamford Bridge, again, without finding the back of the net. MIDFIELD MARVELS
Martin, I see Cristiano Ronaldo is now the Premier League's top scorer this season, but what I wanted to know is what is the highest number of goals in a season scored by a midfielder or winger in the Premier League? Nigel McDonald
MARTIN SAYS: We have been inundated with questions on Cristiano Ronaldo this week after he finally got that elusive hat-trick for Manchester United against Newcastle on Saturday. He is indeed the current top scorer with 16 Premier League goals and is well on course to break the Premier League record for goals by a midfielder or winger in a single season. But fear not, Ronaldo fans, because that record is already held by the Portuguese international himself! And you only have to go back to last season to find it! His 17 goals that campaign moved him ahead of Old Trafford predecessor Andrei Kanchelskis and Frank Lampard who can boast 16 in a season. Here are the leading midfield scorers in the Premier League over a season and their totals...

SEASON	PLAYER	TEAM	GOALS
2006-07	Cristiano Ronaldo	Man Utd	17
2007-08	Cristiano Ronaldo	Man Utd	16
1995-96	Andriy Kanchelskis	Everton	16
2005-06	Frank Lampard	Chelsea	16
1994-95	Andriy Kanchelskis	Man Utd	14
2002-03	Paul Scholes	Man Utd	14
2002-03	Robert Pires	Arsenal	14
2002-03	Harry Kewell	Leeds Utd	14
2003-04	Robert Pires	Arsenal	14
2004-05	Robert Pires	Arsenal	14

MIDFIELD MARVELS PT II
Martin I was wondering how many other midfielders have scored Premier League hat-tricks. There can't be too many, surely? James Sutton
MARTIN SAYS: You might be surprised to know this James, but Ronaldo's hat-trick was in fact the 23rd scored by a midfielder or a winger in Premier League history! Of course, there are a few grey areas in this because as attacking players, and with the increasing addition of the 'one-up-front-one-just-off-him' formation, some midfielders do effectively become their side's second strikers. And also, you could argue that wingers are indeed forwards playing wide - so basically the list I have compiled is for non-strikers. Pride of place goes to Paul Scholes, Andrei Kanchelskis and Darren Huckerby (who I am classing as a winger) who both have two hat-tricks to their names. Other notable mentions must go to former QPR man Andy Sinton, who was the first midfielder to take home a Premier League matchball after scoring three against Everton on December 28th 1992; Jermaine Pennant and Robert Pires who both scored three in Arsenal's 6-0 win over Southampton in May 2003 - the only time two players on the same side have done it in the same game; Steve Watson who was actually a defender playing in midfield when he scored three against Leeds in September 2003 and David Bentley of Blackburn, whose hat-trick at Ewood Park on February 1st 2006, was the only one scored against Manchester United. Interestingly Ronaldo's treble was only the second from a midfielder since September 2003! Just for the record here are those 20 midfielders and wingers: Andy Sinton (QPR) Mark Walters (Liverpool); Gordon Strachan (Leeds); Chris Bart-Williams (Sheff Wed); Steve McManaman (Liverpool); Andrei Kanchelskis (Man Utd & Everton); Gary McAllister (Leeds); Gary Speed (Everton); Patrik Berger (Liverpool); Darren Huckerby (x2 Coventry); Marc Overmars (Arsenal); Paul Scholes (x2 Man Utd); Nicky Barmby (Everton); Ray Parlour (Arsenal); Jermaine Pennant (Arsenal); Robert Pires (Arsenal); Freddie Ljungberg (Arsenal); Steve Watson (Everton); David Bentley (Blackburn); Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd).OUT OF AFRICA
Martin, I've got a good question and I wanted to know if you know it. Since it is the African Cup of Nations soon, I was wondering if you knew who is the only African player to have won the FA Cup, Premier League, Champions League and Uefa Cup? Hamza Mohamed
MARTIN SAYS: I do like being set a challenge Hamzer, particularly when I know the answer... I think! The player you are talking about is Portsmouth's Nwankwo Kanu. He did of course win both the FA Cup and Premier League twice with Arsenal, including the Double in 2002, the UEFA Cup with Inter in 1997 - one of only 12 appearances he made for the Italian club - and the Champions League with Ajax in 1995. Also Hamza, one thing you missed out was that Kanu has also won Olympic gold, with the Nigerian team at the 1996 games in Atlanta. Not only is he the only African player to achieve the clean sweep of the medals you mention, he is indeed the only player to have done it. And the Olympic gold makes him even more unique! THE SACK RACE
Hi Martin, you're great at what you do! We have seen eight Premier League managers "sacked" or leave by "mutual consent" this season and I just wondered whether this is some sort of a record? If you add Steve McClaren to that list then we have nine? Which season had the highest number of managers sacked in the top flight? Avinash (Everton Fan)
MARTIN SAYS: We have had a number of these since Sam Allardyce and Newcastle parted company, but we have to be careful here Avinash. I think we are going to have to work on managers leaving their posts, whether it be sacked, resigned, or left by mutual consent. The other problem we have here is that I need to keep it to Premier League years, simply because I don't have that much time on my hands and have a commentary to do at the weekend. And then you have to decide what constitutes the season, because more often than not managers leave at the end of a league campaign but before the next one has started. However, taking all that into consideration and using the League Managers' Association's very useful website, I can tell you that this season's eight still has some way to go before it is the highest number of managerial changes. For instance, last season no fewer than 10 Premier League managers left their posts. But the highest number came in the 1994-95 season, (between July 31 and June 25) when 12 out of the 22 clubs in the top flight endured a change of managers - and in that I include John Deehan, who left Norwich after they were relegated and Kenny Dalglish, who quit Blackburn after leading them to the title. Here's a list of the departing dozen that season...

MANAGER	CLUB
Kenny Dalglish	Blackburn
John Deehan	Norwich City
Brian Horton	Manchester City
Alan Smith	Crystal Palace
George Graham	Arsenal
Phil Neal	Coventry City
Trevor Francis	Sheffield Wednesday
Gerry Francis	Queens Park Rangers
Ron Atkinson	Aston Villa
Mike Walker	Everton
Ossie Ardiles	Tottenham Hotspur
Billy Bonds	West Ham United