@ExWHUemployee has recently aired criticism of West Ham United’s French striker, Sebastien Haller.
The 26-year-old forward, who is now valued at £32.4 million (as per Transfermarkt), has been been a Hammers player since last summer, having signed for the club from Eintracht Frankfurt for £45m.
While he has scored just seven league goals this season (per WhoScored), Haller has won the most aerial duels in the league this season with 206, which is far better than Burnley’s James Tarkowski, who has won the second-most with 174 (per WhoScored).
In the latest episode of The West Ham Way Podcast, @ExWHUemployee discussed the stat and how it should not be a marker of the Frenchman’s success.
He said: “It depends what way you use statistics and this is why I don’t like it at all, because first of all, you could argue that you could use that very positively that he’s winning aerial duels against centre-backs, he’s obviously able to flick it on for people.
“But then on the flip-side, that stat doesn’t tell you where the ball went. He could win that header and then it goes to the opposition or he could win it and flick it on to no one. These stats are just so [out of context].
“It doesn’t tell you where the header is, it doesn’t tell you where the ball went to. It doesn’t tell you anything other than that he can jump quite high and head a ball, which yes, is a good trait, don’t get me wrong, and if the stat was he’s won the most aerial headers that have gone to his own team, you can say that shows that he can do it, but it doesn’t tell you that.”
TIF Thoughts…
As can be seen in what the pundit had to say in the podcast, he does not believe the aerial duels stat is a marker of the ability that Haller has.
Has Sebastien Haller been a disappointment in his first season at the London Stadium?No, he's been doing well
Yes, he's not good enough
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When considering that the Frenchman has also lost the third-most aerial duels in the league with 199 (per WhoScored), @ExWHUemployee has a point with his belief that context is key.