Mention the word ‘stats’ in a football conversation and you’re likely to divide the room.
In one corner you’ll have those who see numbers and graphs as the be all and end all, while in the other will be those fans who ignore all data because it’s all about watching the games, not looking at spreadsheets.
Of course there’s a middle ground, but it often feels as though that isn’t the case when speaking to some observers.
Fortunately, when it comes to the Premier League team of the year, the stats guys and the ‘watch-the-bloody-game’ guys have produced teams that aren’t too different.
Daily fantasy football game Oulala has put together a starting XI based on what it describes as ‘cold, hard stats’.
And those of you who don’t care for numbers on their own will be pleased to see there are seven members of the PFA selection involved.
The four exceptions come in goal, in defence and in midfield, and Arsenal fans will be pleased to see three members of their squad make the cut, compared to just one in the PFA XI.
At least everyone’s agreed on the Player of the Year. Well, except for the football writers who gave the honour to Jamie Vardy.
