Weird things about football that are true but don't sound it

Arsene Wenger has won more FA Cups than Alex Ferguson.
 
Fulham and Middlesbrough have both been in European finals in the 21st century.
 
Dont know if posted already but Notts Forest have won the European cup more times than they've won the league.
 
Chelsea have had at least one shot on target in every game for almost ten years.

That run ended today :cool: - the last time was Sept 2007 ... when they played Man United, at OT :cool:
I remember the game! Tevez scored his first goal for United and Mouriniho had just been sacked the first time round.
 
Everton have won 1 Merseyside Derby this decade (and that was during Roy Hodgson's tenure)

Everton have won 1 out of 21 Merserside Derbies

Everton haven't won at Anfield in the 21st Century

Rivalry?
 
Juventus have played in 8 european cup/champions league finals, tied for 4th highest, and won only 2 of them

In the 62 years of the EC/CL existence, only 15 finals out of 61 did not involve one of real madrid, milan, bayern munich, barcelona and juventus
 
Everton have won 1 Merseyside Derby this decade (and that was during Roy Hodgson's tenure)

Everton have won 1 out of 21 Merserside Derbies

Everton haven't won at Anfield in the 21st Century

Rivalry?

I knew it was a bad record, but not that bad. They're awful against Liverpool.

Hodgson managing Liverpool in it's own right is probably worthy of this thread. I had forgotten it happened.
 
Neither has Arjen Robben.



Memphis scored 7 goals for us in his first season. Ashley Young is on 6 goals for us since the start of the 2012-2013 season.
Didn't Young score in the final game of last season against Bournemouth?
 
That surely can't be true

It isn't.

Firstly, because Wayne Rooney has scored more Premier League goals than Andy Cole, and secondly, because even without penalties, Alan Shearer would still have 7 goals more than Rooney and 15 more than Cole.
 
Didn't Young score in the final game of last season against Bournemouth?

He did, but that statement is still true.

More interestingly, Jonny Evans has scored the same number of goals for Manchester United as Ashley Young since the beginning of the 2012/13 season, with 6, and has actually scored more goals since then as he's netted twice for West Brom.

Other players to have score as many or more for United than Young in a period of 5 seasons or fewer:

Phil Neville (6 goals between 2000/01 and 2003/04)
Rio Ferdinand (7 goals between 2005/06 and 2007/08)
David Bellion (7 goals between 2003/04 and 2004/05)
Anderson (9 goals between 2009/10 and 2012/13)
Patrice Evra (7 goals between 2012/13 and 2013/14)
Mikael Silvestre (7 goals between 2001/02 and 2004/05, and from 2003/04 to 2006/07)
Darron Gibson (10 goals between 2008/09 and 2010/11)
Kieran Richardson (10 goals between 2004/05 and 2006/07)
Jesse Lingard (11 goals between 2015/16 and 2016/17)
Chris Smalling (10 goals between 2013/14 and 2016/17)
Marouane Fellaini (14 goals between 2014/15 and 2016/17)
John O'Shea (12 goals between 2003/04 and 2006/07)
Nemanja Vidic (18 goals between 2006/07 and 2010/11)
 
It isn't.

Firstly, because Wayne Rooney has scored more Premier League goals than Andy Cole, and secondly, because even without penalties, Alan Shearer would still have 7 goals more than Rooney and 15 more than Cole.
Does that include Ronney's pens?
 
Does that include Ronney's pens?

Yes. The quoted stat was "take away Shearer's pens and Cole is the top scorer." I took this to mean leaving everyone else's tallies untouched.

If you take away penalties the all-time top goal scorers list looks like this (some of this might be a bit out because the data seems a bit dodgy for some of the players):

  1. Alan Shearer - 208 goals (down from 260 goals - remains 1st)
  2. Andy Cole - 186 goals (down from 187 goals - up 1 rank from 3rd)
  3. Wayne Rooney - 176 goals (down from 195 goals - down 1 rank from 2nd)
  4. Thierry Henry - 153 goals (down from 175 goals - up 1 rank from 5th)
  5. Les Ferdinand - 149 goals (remains the same - up 4 ranks from 9th)
  6. Robbie Fowler - 146 goals (down from 163 goals - remains 6th)
  7. Jermain Defoe - 143 goals (down from 157 goals - remains 7th)
  8. Michael Owen - 137 goals (down from 150 goals - remains 8th)
  9. Frank Lampard - 134 goals (down from 177 - down 5 ranks from 4th)
  10. Robin van Persie - 129 goals (down from 144 - up 1 rank from 11th)
  11. Teddy Sheringham - 125 goals (down from 146 - down 1 rank from 10th)
 
United have just 2 games left at Old Trafford in the league all season. (and have about 9 away games)
 
Miki Rapaić injured his eye while scratching it with a plane ticket. He missed a few weeks.

Santiago Canizares missed 2002 world cup after an aftershave bottle fell on his foot.
 
The winner of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup was none of Australia, Japan, South Korea, or Saudi Arabia.

The winner was Iraq.
 
Thomas gravesen completed passes to Ronaldo, Zidane, Roberto Carlos and Raul in the same game.
 
Before his move to Leeds both Graeme Souness at Liverpool and Trevor Francis at Sheffield Wednesday turned down the chance to sign Eric Cantona.

Souness because he was trying to get players that were 30 or older out and didn't want a 'Problem player' Francis because the weather was poor and he wanted Cantona to stay an extra week so he could see him play on grass.

Arsene Wenger could have signed Messi, Ronaldo, Di Maria, Ronaldinho, Pogba, Suarez..........and its too long a list to write them all out
 
Lucas Leiva has more Premier League assists this season than Mkhitaryan, Willian, Sane, Dembele and Ramsey.
 
Ronaldo has score fewer than 40 goals at this stage of the season.
 
Everton have won 1 Merseyside Derby this decade (and that was during Roy Hodgson's tenure)

Everton have won 1 out of 21 Merserside Derbies

Everton haven't won at Anfield in the 21st Century

Rivalry?
Relegating Everton would really hurt the dippers.
 
Andreas Iniesta has only scored 9 goals in the La Liga since 2011.

Pretty sure you can find some pretty average midfielders out there with more than his career total of 55 goals in all competitions, too, given he's been playing for about 10 seasons.
 
Ian bishop and Trevor Morley (ex city players) used to do a naked two man conga , in the dressing room after every game.
 
Decided to flick on the Estudiantes vs Atletico Nacional game in the Copa Libertadores (South American Champions League)...

A certain Juan Sebastian Veron is still strolling around!
42 years old and still going strong. To be fair, he hasn't changed since his Lazio and United days - still bald, the same moustache and a perfect right foot.