Game today

Fair enough Kimchibaka, however repeatedly inisting that I find stats is very confrontational - what makes you think i'd do anything you ask of me? Regardless, where are your stats? They won't prove anything either way - as you say - games can be won and lost in spite of a single player or because of them. You could just as easily put our new year form down to players leaving, new ones joining, and speculation surrounding Harry.

I am not especially a fan of Bale moving in off the left but the reasoning is sound. He was being marked out of games and he has got goals from different positions this season - as I illustrated. I also would bring to mind the game against Everton in January where he repeatedly pulled Baines out of position leaving big holes in their defence.

Bale stuck almost (save for a short period) exclusively on the left against Stoke and was nullified - the opposition know how to deal with him now. As i said in my earlier post - this tactic makes sense IF we still have some pace down the wings in the form of Lennon. Who has also missed more games than he's played this year.

So neither of us can hope to be "right" about this - unless you have some highly detailed statistics combining Bale's touches of the ball, completed passes, crosses, assists, goals and results. And some kind of algorithm that incorporates the team as a whole. Not forgetting the relative stats of each team we were playing against. Impossible.

So for now we will have to agree to disagree. You seem certain that it never has and never will work. I propose that it can, and has worked - but only if we have a winger that will stay wide when Bale doesn't.

i thought it was interesting seeing adebayor picking the ball up on the left today. he seemed a bit frustrated that there was nobody out there in that role. unfortunately he hasnt got the cross on him that bale's got.

Indeed JPB, I thought it was interesting how he kept carrying the ball inside from that position as if to encourage the overlap. He must want some crosses coming in

Fair enough mate, we will have to agree to disagree (but I am right ).

I asked just for simple results with Bale in that role and without it (the results, statistically, are black and white btw), but you avoided that and now you're asking for algorithms and all sorts, which is going a bit far for me. I just watch every game and see what I think works and what doesn't, it's not rocket science. Bale's free role doesn't work for me, rarely has. I posted some questions (e.g. about him and Modric getting tangled up four or five times in the centre today, presumably because neither knew what the other was doing etc) which you've avoided answering. I never said it 'will never work' but what it has done so far, in my opinion, is cost us (so far) what should have been a nailed-on third place.

Thing is kimchibaka - the reason I went off on one about the stats - is that it's pretty impossible to definitively say which position he was in for each game

I missed those questions because you wrote quite a lot and my post was long enough already. Yes, you're right - Benny does seem lost with the ball when Bale's not in front of him. I can't say i particularly noticed him and Modric getting in each other's way today, more that Modric got frustrated with him shooting from the edge of the box all the time.

I think it's a bit harsh to blame Bale's positioning for our poor run of form but your opinion is yours and i'm not going to change it

Laters

@Sandros kung fu kick

As people have mentioned it was all about the second half. I dont think there was a shot from either side first half!

We had the better chances and with the last 10 minutes there was only gonna be one winner...us.

Despite all that Lampard should of had a penalty in the first half so a draw was a fair result.

Kaboul was awful, Sandro invisible but Adebayor put in a real shift and showed he is not always lazy.

Think that covers it all.........

Hope your enjoying yourself mate....go for the bridesmaids!

Sandro invisible
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@jpb

do you not agree buddy?

I was at the game and have not watched it on tv yet (so might be wrong!) but i cant remember him touching the ball apart from two fouls where he went through the player.

he went through the player.
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Looks like- what was the Chelsea reception to Mosric like?