Attackers win you matches, defences win you THE CHAMPIONSHIP

[Pavilionaire]

The original stat is misleading because the Championship champions of 4 years ago (Wolves) only had the 6th best defensive record, and the year before them it was West Brom with the 7th best defensive record.

A more telling stat seems to be that you either have to have the No. 1 ranked defence OR the No. 1 ranked attack.

In the last 8 seasons in both the Prem and the Championship the Champions have either had the best defence or attack. The only exception to this - perversely - is Sunderland who on both occasions they won the Championship had the 3rd best attack and 4th best defence.

I'd wager there's little chance of us finishing top scorers in this division, so if Gus is remotely guided by statistics he's likely to stick with a mean defence and tweak his attack. I reckon his penchant for picking the industrious Barnes over the flair players like Lua Lua is partly guided by stats. Barnes, to use a cricket analogy, is like an all-rounder who can bat a bit and bowl but lacks flair - a bit like a Samit Patel - whereas Lua Lua is like an Eoin Morgan who may have a good day or may be out for a duck.

 

[Mellotron]

All sounds dandy but as others have rightly pointed out, the previous champions had more attacking and match winning players and for me were still at least 2 short on that front, maybe even 3!

It's a long season and those pre mentioned teams had strikers & attacking match winners in abundance & that's what makes this situation even more frustrating.

If you look at the teams at the top like Cardiff, how many attacking match winners in their team, noone, whittingham, helguson, Joe mason, Craig bellemy & Nicky Maynard.

Versus, barnes, CMS & Will Buckley!!

And Dobbie
And Lopez
And Orlandi
And Hoskins
And Vicente (if comes back)
And Lua Lua (if finds form)

 

[hola gus]

I think it's fair to include Dobbie as a potential match winner.

And Vicenti and lua lua and Hoskins!