Once again I will point out how I use stats.

I look at the numbers and present them. For instance the number I used for how many shots we take can be found here

http://www.footstats.co.uk/

That also has the number of goals. To get success rate shooting I divided goals by shots. The whole calculation took perhaps two minutes for every team in the league.

There's not manipulation of the numbers they say what they say.

Now - you make an argument and I may check a stat or two to see if it stands up. If it does, I publish the stat and show how it stands up.

If it doesn't stand up, I'll publish the stat and show how it doesn't stand up. Manipulation - NEVER!

If folks get peed with me disproving their arguments with stats - perhaps their arguments are wrong? I'll tell you something for nothing. My stats aren't (not arrogance - they are either published elsewhere or its simple arithmetic like in the example explained above).

Well Yankee, I can take my bit of blame, but I really love confrontation, I am afraid that the reasons are not for here but up to being 18yrs, Bally here was made fore a kicking, then a night in history changed that and since that night the world was altered for ever. I may not be right in what I do but if people do or say something I do not like, then the baloon goes up. You have witnessed it and long ago so did hound, I cannot help it, it just happens. I am crackers. But being unnafraid puts another face on things. My apolgies at this time to Fuzzy - You - Hound and Alex. I either go away cos I cannot be bottomed to go along with things so not to get easily wound OR I go and smash something.

SIMPLES - I am not afraid to admit it. I fall out with The Rovers at least once every week. I detest defeat (not the ones on my ankles). I hate things that do not comply with my life and my beliefs, sadly sometimes I cannot shut gob and engage brain, I am not alone in this problem. But there we have it. I shoot my mouth because I believe that I am right, but afraid of nothing .

Rovers - believe it or not were second to my wife and rugby

Bally,
There is no need to apologise to me I think I made a number of comments supporting your view today.

I maintain it is healthy to disagree its what the site is all about. It is probably a different case with Fuzzy though I think he took some abuse.

Well he is from Hatfield (Thick skinned ha ha) HE DID GIVE IT OUT AS WELL

First of all Bally - that is the most eloquent thing I've seen you post. My hat is doffed and you get the my respect....( you had it all along but I give it again - I write the rules on this post). This is a typically hair-splitting point, but when I give it out, its normally in response. But I'm not going to argue if you see otherwise.

Insults - Well it's my opinion that we should avoid insulting each other. I have been bloody tempted these last few days to break my personal insult rules but (I hope) i haven't. I'll argue black's white (you know that) but I won't deliberately insult. If anyone feels insulted by what I say you can 100% take it that I didn't mean it. If you want to be sure just tell me what offends and why - you'll get an apology.

With arguments - you've probably noticed I'm like a dog with a bone. I can absolutely understand people get peed off with me not letting things go. It's me! Sorry if you don't like it - I'm not sure I'm capable of sorting that.

At the end of the day, there is nobody who posts on here who I do not consider a friend. Has anything that has been said peed me off over the last few days...yep! Has anything said altered the friend status - HUH?

If you think that your missing a fundamental point of friendship. We're allowed to pee each other off - its in the contract. Just as long as we don't lose respect for each other.

Anyway - enough of being deep. Bally - with my two handbags and your lipstick - did you pull tonight?

Fuzzy,
Now you are getting personal.

Well here i am this morning.
I have read all of last nights posts.
Let me make something clear to Alex first of all.
The apology was intended to be genuine as i felt that after your "why are you being so bitter" post that you were upset that i was having a pop at you.
Not because i am backing down from my point of view.

Fuzzy - yesterday you belittled a comment that i had made when you put a symbol and ridiculed my 54% possesion stat on our game yesterday.
Well i had to laugh after listening to Match of the Day last night.
Linekar was talking about Swansea against Arsenal and said that Swanseas had had a high possesion count in the game of 56%.
Now i guess you will tell me that Linekar knows nothing as well.

This is not personal of course.
Oh Alex - by the way - from your comment i think i now know who your brother is.
Was he a colleague of Bally's some years ago and i think he was deployed on a motorbike for a while.
Am i right?
Fuzzy - you say you find it difficult to let go when something gets under your skin well ditto that for me.
What abuse did i give you by the way?

No Hound,
He wasn't in the Bill he was a fireman in Thorne. You have probably seen him as I am fairly sure he sits a few rows in front you in the South Stand. He used to do a lot of refereeing locally and I think I am right in saying officiating with Stuart Highfield the director who resigned recently.
You could say that we have debated strong and hard since we were kids. I can remember years ago spending ages arguing where the ref should stand at corners. But thats where the disagreements end and there is nobody I would rather sit with at a football match. Its just a pity that our OLD MAN is not sitting in between us as he would probably have a totally different point of view to both of us.

Well it is Sunday and we have made our Peace, it is also the season of Advent and it is the first Sunday of Advent. It is done and dusted as far as I am concerned. Hound - as far as Alex's brother is concerned, you would immediately recognise him if you saw him from your playing days. Good Luck to you all. Yankee as well when he wakes up. Message to him is the package has eventually been posted. And as for Last Night Alex.

That is my secret.

Saddo here

First I'll be fair - there was an unnecessary "go figure" comment on the end of something I said. Sarcastic and unnecessary. My apologies to anyone it angered.

Secondly, I'll say LISTEN AT US. I'm off to take some pills that will help me grow up a bit. Anyone else want any?

On Lineker there's quite a bit to say (you really shouldn't throw challenges like that) . I realise some are going to be banging their heads against walls reading this but I hope others might find something of interest.

The difference between 56% possession and 54% possession doesn't sound much. But actually it's quite a lot.

As I said before - based on average "ball in play" time 54% possession means in the course of the whole game, one team had the ball for 5 minutes longer than the other. With 56% possession it's 7.5 minutes more. It's half as much again.

Now put it in contexts of the teams we are talking about. Swansea are renowned for playing good, possession football. For their game to work, they need the ball.

But Arsenal are also a footballing side. They want the ball too! So, this was a match between two sides renowned for possession football. And one of them gained 12% more possession than the other (56-44). I genuinely haven't seen the score but Swansea won right?

Donny do not play possession football. For their game to work, they don't need the ball so much. Having the ball more than your opponents doesn't necessarily mean you're playing a possession game.

I haven't seen yesterday's match but I have watched Tuesday's. I also didn't even listen yesterday but I'll take a guess now as to what happened.

Oldham would have allowed us possession in non-dangerous areas knowing we're not going to pass through them. Allowing us the ball in those areas ups our possession. On the evidence of Tuesday night's game,I'd doubt very much that our tactics resulted in that possession. Their's did.

Lineker not knowing what he's talking about? Not at all. It's quite refreshing to see he definitely does!

Just looked at the draw, thank God we lost as we would hve had 4 weeks of who's better SoD or Dean, I honestly think I could not have taken that.

What a blessing indeed, Bad Feelings there boys - Lots of personal issues between players and clubs. Oh am I now feeling a lot better. Afto Yankee

Actually NY it isnt possible to say who is the best of the two managers anyway.
SoD's Rovers were good and then they weren't.
Deano's Rovers weren't good and then they were.
Different times, different teams.
However, statisically..........................................

Just on my way home from St Gallen. Great fun. Standing in -7C with snow coming down by the bucket load watching Winti lose 4 : 0.

I think all you guys should chip in to pay me to go away on holiday again. Whilst I was away Rovers played 4 won 4 . Back yesterday and what happens! Enjoyed football USA style especially when the sprinklers came on during the game and stopped the action.