Moyes' boys making opening noise?

David Moyes carries a reputation of being a slow starter, and question marks have been put next to Everton's pre-season preparations, but is there any reason to worry? The Brigade has taken a closer look at the numbers of the past six campaigns.

by @Nicopoleides



12/13
Man United (h) 1-0 win
Aston Villa (a) 3-1 win
West Brom (a) 0-2 loss
Newcastle (h) 2-2 draw
Swansea (a) 3-0 win

Record: W3 - D1 - L1 - 9-5 - 10 pts - 2,0pts/g  -   SAP/g 1,7

11/12
QPR (h) 0-1 loss
Blackburn (a) 1-0 win
Aston Villa (h) 2-2 draw
Wigan (h) 3-1 win
Man City (a) 0-2 loss

Record: W2 - D1 - L2 - 6-5 - 7 pts - 1,4pts/g - SAP/g 1,5


10/11
Blackburn (a) 0-1 loss
Wolverhampton (h) 1-1 draw
Aston Villa (a) 0-1 loss
Man United (h) 3-3 draw
Newcastle (h) 0-1 loss

Record: W0 - D2 - L3 - 4-7 - 2 pts - 0,4 pts/g - SAP/g 1,4


09/10
Arsenal (h) 1-6 loss
Burnley (a) 0-1 loss
Wigan (h) 2-1 win
Fulham (a) 1-2 loss
Blackburn (h) 3-0 win

Record: W2 - D0 - L3 - 7-10 - 6 pts - 1,2pts/g - SAP/g 1,6


08/09
Blackburn (h) 2-3 loss
West Brom (a) 2-1 win
Portsmouth (h) 0-3 loss
Stoke (a) 3-2 win
Hull (a) 2-2 draw

Record: W2 - D1 - L2 - 9-11 - 7 pts - 1,4pts/g - SAP/g 1,7


07/08
Wigan (h) 2-1 win
Tottenham (a) 3-1 win
Reading (a) 0-1 loss
Blackburn (h) 1-1 draw
Bolton (a) 2-1 win

Record: W3 - D1 - L1 - 8-5 - 10 pts - 2pts/g - SAP/g 1,7


(SAP/g: Seasonal Average Points per game)


The opening of the 2010/11 season is the stand-out example of a fish-on-dry-land start, with only two points from the first five encounters. However David Moyes' Toffees have clinched a massive ten points in the actual period twice, which tops their seasonal average in any period. The numbers of the remaining three campains state a points capture slightly below the seasonal overall.


Numerical view
Since 07/08 every side have played 228 league games, Everton have taken 362 points (65+63+61+54+56+63 in chronological order) from them. 32 of the points have come from the 30 games mentioned. That's barely 1,1 points a season, and a relegation average, but one can't ignore the impact of the horrendous 10/11 beginning. The 198 "non-opener" games since 07/08 have seen 330 points, which makes the quite impressive average of almost 1,7 points a game. That's 63 points a season, which in fact is Everton's tally of the last season.


Extending trend?
In other words, Everton have fueled their points income further into the seasons, and with United's opening fixtures of 13/14 in mind, that trend might extend for another year. However the title isn't won nor lost by September, and if we get a fair amount of points from the start, the numbers prove Mr Moyes' experience of pushing the pedal to the metal as the games passes by.


Small squad to peak early on?
On a side note, Everton's performance increasing is particularly interesting if you look at their squad; Shouldn't a relatively small squad, like the Toffees', mean a peak when the players are fit after the pre-season and a dropping level as fatigue and suspensions enter the dressing room further into the season? I'd think so, but the numbers state otherwise. United'd resources, in terms of a large squad, might mix very well with Moyes' tradition of peaking on a later stage.