Draws are slightly up in the English Premier League. Whereas last year 28.1 percent of matches ended tied, this year 32.7 percent have failed to crown a winner. The difference may not be statistically significant, but for a group of teams in the table's bottom half, the inability to find wins has slowed what were expected to be Europe-contending campaigns. While the likes of Newcastle and West Brom sit top-half despite four losses, all of Everton, Fulham and Birmingham City - clubs that have a combined 18 draws - are failing to meet fan expectations despite fewer defeats.
English Premier League: Collection Of Draws Holding Back Bottom Half Clubs
Any discussion of draws has to begin with Mark Hughes. The current Fulham, former Manchester City manager has drawn 15 of his last 22 matches. This is a new affliction for Hughes, whose team was only drawn five times in his first season in Manchester. The year before, at Blackburn, his team was drawn 13 times, but in the preceding campaign, Rovers had seven draws. The point: As Mark Hughes moves around the Premier League and takes his tactics with him, draws have not proven to be endemic.
That’s small consolation to Cottagers supporters, with their team having been drawn seven times in 11 matches. As a result, Fulham sits 13th, one spot lower than last year’s finish, a standing that was attributable to their focus on Europa League. Though Saturday’s draw, courtesy of Brede Hangeland’s second late equalizer, could find Fulham fans more thankful than critical, a team on pace for 24 draws is alarming. No team has finished in the top seven with more than 13 draws since Newcastle in 2003-04. Then, the Magpies went 13-17-8.
Saturday's 1-1 draw with Aston Villa keeps Fulham even (on points) with Gerard Houllier's club, though the Villa manager will be remiss his side was unable to get three on the day they snapped a long scoreless drought. Marc Albrighton's finish of a beautiful Barry Bannan ball gave Villans a glimpse of a bright future, but a single goal should not overshadow Villa's continued problems going forward, a condition as attributable to their new coach's tactics and man management as the team's ever-growing injury problems. Villa sits 14th, one spot behind Fulham, thanks to an inferior goal difference.
Like Fulham, Everton has become draw-afflicted, accumulating their fifth in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Blackpool. Also like Fulham, the Toffees' draw can be seen as a positive, given its come from behind nature. Twice Everton pulled back Blackpool leads, and although his team's dominance of the Tangerines would have left David Moyes wanting more than a point, Saturday's performance was Everton's best of the season. Though the Toffees feel from ninth to 11th place, they gave supporters reason to believe their spring form can be reclaimed.
Birmingham City, who also drew on Saturday, can't be as confident. Hosting last place West Ham United, Brum fell behind two early in the second half, a product of a discouragingly conservative approach by Alex McLeish.
Though West Ham is a similarly talented team, they were missing Mark Noble from an already thin midfield. In addition, Avram Grant's want to play four attacking players should have told led to a huge Birmingham in midfield. Should Brum have used that advantage and applied pressure to Scott Parker and Valon Behrami, West Ham could have been choked out of the match.
But that's not McLeish's style. Instead, the Blues sat back and allowed Parker and Behrami to find the team's attackers. Frederic Piquionne opened the scoring and Behrami followed, forcing McLeish's hand. Against a weakened and unbalanced opponent, Birmingham City should have controlled the match. Instead, a second half surge from the Hammers left Brum chasing.
Predictably, Birmingham City was much better once they became more aggressive. The thin West Ham midfield and suspect defense allowed Cameron Jerome and Liam Ridgewell goals, salvaging a point for Brum.
It was Brum’s sixth draw of the year, putting them 16th in league, a standing Birmingham City is unlikely to improve upon unless Alex McLeish can learn to take advantage of opportunities like Saturday’s.
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