Stats the truth: Liverpool more Swansea than Barcelona

Against Stoke, Liverpool had 18 shots on goal, but no goal.

Brendan Rodgers is beginning to not make sense.

His refusal to play a 'horses for courses' team in the Premier League is threatening to de-rail the tiki-taka revolution, or rather, put it in the basement.

It is not clear if the Kop faithful have agreed to the Liverpool revolution starting from rock bottom – in a worst-case scenario, demotion to the Championship.

However, Rodgers is adamant.

Consider his case for not altering his playing style against Stoke - a team even the likes of Manchester United handle differently.

Rodgers trotted out the statistics in his defence after the 0-0 draw at home to the Potters.

Against Udinese, Liverpool had 74 per cent of the possession. The Italians had 4 shots, scored 3. Liverpool lost.

At Norwich, Liverpool had 67 per cent of the possession. They won that one, but, Norwich had 3 shots, scored 2.

Do these stats bolster Rodgers’ insistence on “defending with the ball” or expose him as risking one of England’s greatest club’s heritage and record?

Most dangerous is Rodgers trotting out his stats at Swansea to further underscore his point (or undermine it).

Swansea kept 14 clean sheets last season to stay up in the Premier League, in their first year after promotion from the Championship where they had kept 22 clean sheets in 46.

All he claimed, defending with the ball.

Perhaps Rodgers has not realised the extent to which Liverpool is not Swansea.

One of the first things he reportedly did on joining Liverpool from Swansea was to have the ‘This is Anfield’ hung above the player’s tunnel – like it was in the days of Bill Shankly.

Twenty-two clean sheets and Swansea finished 11th in the Premier League last season.

That sign is as much for Rodgers as for Luis Suarez, and all who come to play there.

Because this here is the key stat: 32 per cent of shots by Liverpool players on target in the Premier League. The lowest. Of all 20 teams.

Keep the ball for what? 

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