Are we really the dirtiest team in League 2?

[Sleaford Shrimper]

Every Monday the Daily Telegraph sports section prints stats for each division. For the past several weeks Southend has topped the League 2 FOULS CONCEDED chart (currently 1st Southend 246; 2nd Bristol Rovers 236; 3rd Accrington 235; 4th Barnet 230).

We are also in 4th place in the CARDS chart (1st Plymouth 4 Red + 37 Yellow; 2nd Burton 3 Red + 37 Yellow; 3rd Gillingham 3 Red + 36 Yellow; 4th Southend 1 Red + 39 Yellow).

Are we really as dirty a team as these stats would suggest, or are we the victims of poor refereeing?

On the positive side we are second in the TOTAL SHOTS chart (1st Crawley 262; 2nd Southend 240; 3rd Bristol Rovers 232; 4th Cheltenham 230).

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

Quite surprised by these, as normally the "better" sides commit less fouls as they have the ball more, and defend less.

We do give 100% and are always chasing and trying to win the ball back though. Plus we have Mohsni

 

[Semi-Spanish Shrimper]

Watching our games we don't look like a dirty side at all, just physical.

 

[markw]

we are also the best team in league 2 :D :D

 

[OldBlueLady]

And we've had some **** refs!!! Come on, when you think about it, everything we said about Bristol Rovers for instance, was proved to be true in their FA Cup match yesterday - we've come up against several sides who have been quite thuggish in their play. Thought we'd had more than one red though?

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

According to the NPower web site we have conceded 194 fouls. http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/ClubDiscipline/0,,10794~201126,00.html

I wonder if the Telegraph stats include all cup games? We have played quite a few cup matches so far this season & some clubs will have played less. The NPower stats are League 2 matches only.

 

[Silencer]

Anthony Grant aside, our players tend to get back up when fouled. The Oldham players at the weekend were a disgrace, they rolled around as if shot at the slightest contact. That cost us with such a weak set of officials.

I have been aware of our discipline a while, don't forget we already had Grant, Mohsni (Twice) and Hall banned this season. Now Phillips and Timlin have a game ban :winking: too.

Slight worry is Hall and Mohsni are on 8 yellow's, I think it's a two game ban when you hit ten cautions. Could do without losing Hally

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

Statistics, statistics, statistics - what is the point of these figures?

I've seen many a game with yellow cards when you would walk away saying the game wasn't "dirty" - and other games where tough tackling has been allowed (and no fouls) versus games where 2 players coming into contact with each other is seen as being against the current FIFA rules ..... and then there are times when players deliberately get themselves booked (Timlin and Philips come to mind :omg:) ........... some teams have longer cup runs and therefore play more games ..... and there are a host of other reasons.

I think it is all part of the current "fad" to have figures about every single aspect of the game that allow armchair (i.e. TV) pundits to talk b__locks about games and teams that they haven't seen.

Sorry if that sounds a tad harsh but I am tired of the satellite TV, sit at home mentality taking precedence over plain old common sense.

Ooopppssss ..... I think I had better stop there ........

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

I think a lot of yellows have been harsh but there have also been some poor tackles. Hall is a fantastic player but his tackling is Paul Scholes-esque at times. Mohsni we know is a full blooded player and can be a bit over the top sometimes. With both on 8 bookings they need to rein it in with Xmas coming up, and plenty of fixtures.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Sorry if that sounds a tad harsh but I am tired of the satellite TV, sit at home mentality taking precedence over plain old common sense.

Ooopppssss ..... I think I had better stop there ........

You carry on Rat .. i make you spot on pal

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Quite surprised by these, as normally the "better" sides commit less fouls as they have the ball more, and defend less.

We do give 100% and are always chasing and trying to win the ball back though. Plus we have Mohsni

Dickinson has 28 fouls this season Mohsni is on 22 (Matt Harrold top of the tree on 42).

http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/DivisionalDiscipline/0,,10794~201126,00.html