Now I know many hate xG but it is just a statistical model based on actual chance conversion data built up over thousands of top tier games. It is not perfect and has a margin for error. For any given chance it can never exactly capture the game situation (eg score line, league table situational pressures).
Having acknowledged all of that it definitely provide a more realistic baseline taking into account the range of abilities of strikers operating in the league. It is a better place to start any evaluation than our naturally unrealistic fan opinions.
So, we have a team/style issue failing to create enough high probability chances, particularly from open play, more than we have a striker issue. That is not to say either DCL or Beto are performing as well as we would hope.
I suspect if someone continues to refine and segment the data driving xG it will not be unusual for strikers in teams creating fewer chances and playing with more relegation pressure to underperform the statistical norm. That would be my null hypothesis but maybe I’d be wrong. It would not be the first time!
At the end we all have our opinions. Sometimes we just have to remind ourselves that our opinions might not be right.
nt
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