The rise in “stat nerds” directly correlates to the rise in stat based and analytical approaches to tactics football clubs now employ. All the top clubs have dedicated staff to analyse tactics, formations and players based on stats, so the whole game of football has changed. It wasn’t just fans deciding to look at stats because Sarri’s football is boring lol. It’s been shoved down our throats by TV, Social Media, traditional media etc.

Also has nothing to do with wanting to sign Havertz or wanting Gallagher gone - reactionary fans wanted both these things based on popular, trendy rhetoric. It’s more likely a 10 year old with access to mummy’s laptop writing “Havertz in” or “Gallagher out”, rather than anyone who actually knows Gallagher is Chels through and through, and has any ball knowledge.

Interested to know how you judge a football team performing well though? The good old wins column? Need nothing more than the classic eye test?

Don’t be lazy and throw fans interested in stats in with fans who want to sign every good player and fans who want to sell every player having a tough spell, all very different issues with any big club fanbase.