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Pliable statistics that point to undervalued Gers star

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“Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are pliable.”

I couldn’t tell you who said this or even where it come from but it’s very much a statement that rings true in the case of Fashion Sakala.

On one half of the Rangers support you will find an opinion that is based on how often he gives the ball away or makes the wrong decision, then, on the other, you will have fans who look at what he is capable of producing and point to that as a means to justify claims for him getting more regular game time.

In 15 starts – in and out of the team, not a consistent run – he had 12 goals and seven assists.

“Ahh, but he’s played 50 games” – I hear you say.

Well, he has made 50 appearances but those only add up to 23 games in terms of complete 90 minutes which gives him a goal or an assist roughly once every 105 minutes, give or take.

Not every player has to be technically brilliant or make the right decision every time, or even be consistent. This is an especially valid point  in the Scottish Premiership where a willingness to be direct, a desire to get shots off or to get into the box on the end of crosses is infinitely more useful for a team that dominates possession than playing five-yard lateral passes outside the penalty area or passing the buck onto someone else.

The facts are that Sakala had a very respectable first season at Rangers and have seen him linked with a move to Auxerre, one that saw a struggling team undergo a tactical change as he adapted to a new country, but if you are one of those fans pining after Andreas Skov Olsen because he made a good start to his Brugge career maybe you should appreciate what you have in front of you first, however you want to twist the statistics.

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