The issue of fitness for a number of key players at various clubs in the Premier League has been a large reason for their inconsistency, and while nobody likes to use injuries as an excuse for a loss or poor performance... Injuries are often used as an excuse for poor performances and losses.
Even in the aftermath of Manchester United's loss to West Ham in the final game at Upton Park, the dozen or so Van Gaal sympathisers left have been pointing to the fact that the Dutchman has had to battle a daunting amount of injuries this season, resulting in some very unintimidating lineups and often, some disastrous results.
But does it really add up? Have Manchester United really been given an impossible task by the players that have been unfit to play? Perhaps, as - unlike in the table that actually matters - Van Gaal's men have made the top four of total injuries over the course of the season.
The table, however, is topped by Man City, which is understandable considering seasons of Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Yaya Toure, and Kevin De Bruyne, all key players who have missed large chunks of the season.
If injuries really are the main thing that can impact a team's season, it should reflect it in the table, as the teams at the top should be the underperformers, with the teams at the bottom playing to their best with everyone available.
So let's have a look and see what we find.
So what does this tell us?
The top six teams in terms of injuries have all had underwhelming seasons, but in the case of Man City, you really do feel that injuries have been the main reason that team have struggled so badly, particularly in defence with the absence of their big Belgian.
Interestingly, City fans have not been cursing their luck in that department, as if they had been then Manuel Pellegrini's farewell would have been far less embarrassing, but instead the likes of Man United and Arsenal are the ones were hear about so regularly.
Arsenal, certainly, haven't a leg to stand on when it comes to using injuries as an excuse, as despite losing Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere for long spells, the rest of the group have been ready and willing throughout.
While Leicester City's luck, and it certainly is luck, has clearly had a massive influence on their standing in the actual table, the fact that they are surrounded by the likes of Norwich, Swansea, and West Brom suggests that the players need to actually perform when fit. Shocking really.
The most injured players again suggest that City should feel hard done by, Stoke too have had a terrible time, but their season appears to have tailed off not due to the loss of Arnautovic and Cameron on numerous occasions, but on not having a proper goalscoring centre-forward and to a lesser extent Jack Butland.
So how big a difference can your place on the injury chart have on your season? Well, looking at Leicester and Man City you could suggest that it makes all the difference, but Spurs and Arsenal would suggest that it's not a big deal.
In the end, it's just another statistic that some fans will use as a crutch for their delusion, while in reality it can simply reflect the strength of depth that in a given squad.
[via The Stats Zone]
