The shame game: Bolton, Blackburn - and the disgrace of Diouf's spitting image

Statistical analysis is the science of collecting, classifying and interpreting information based on numbers and occurrences over a period of time. Therefore statistics of certain things cannot lie.

At the conclusion of a statistically-motivated competition, such as the Premier League season, the outcome becomes fact as, STATISTICALLY, the best team wins. We can argue that perhaps the best FOOTBALLING team did not win, but that is an opinion based on our view of events. Opinion cannot change the statistics.

To attempt to find the dirtiest or most overly aggressive footballer in the league is statistically easy. In terms of yellow cards, at this stage, El-Hadji Diouf (Bolton ) is the prime offender with 11 , closely followed by Michael Brown (Wigan ), Nicky Butt (Newcastle) and Christopher Samba (Blackburn) all sitting on 10.

Can it go deeper than that? Well, yes it can. To define what exactly contributes to racking up points on the disciplinary charts needs closer scrutinising and analysis.

The position of a player in the team can dictate where the action is more constant and more physical. Midfield is the main battleground where there is more frequent physical contact and tackling. Indeed, defenders have to use (at times) controlled aggression to protect their own area and stifle opposing attacks.

It would be fair to say that midfield and defensive situations are the areas that produce the most red and yellow cards. Equally, one has to take into account the actions and reactions of players in certain situations when they are faced with the rapid movement and outstanding skills of opposing players.

This can cause defenders to lunge in with and mistimed tackles which are not meant deliberately or with intent. The attitude of certain players in response to taunting by the opposition team and fans must also be taken into consideration.

The men with the most red cards so far are Sulley Muntari (Portsmouth) and Ryan Nelson (Blackburn), but the top fouler is Kevin Davies (Bolton) with 75 and eight yellow cards to his name.

Bolton have three players in the top 15 for yellow cards but none of them can be called really dirty players. The majority of offenders are, of course, midfielders are these are the players that every Premier League manager are looking for in the engine room.

Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas is recognised as the complete midfielder, credited with scoring goals and creating for others, yet he has been shown nine yellow cards this season. Forwards aren’t expected to pick up cards yet Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney has collected six, and Fernando Torres at Liverpool FC has five. In Rooney’s case some will undoubtedly be for mouthing off at the ref.

Blackburn and Bolton each have three players in the top 20 list of yellow-card offenders, but we all know that both teams base their game on a more aggressive approach.

I don’t hesitate in naming him, but Bolton’s El-Hadji Diouf is a loathsome character who is not afraid to admit to his Behaviour. Diouf hardly endeared himself to Bolton and Liverpool fans by admitting: "I have got myself sent off playing for my club in order that I could go off and play for the Senegal national side."

The most despicable act of all was his spitting in the face of then Portsmouth captain Arjen de Zeeuw. This came after he was more or less kicked out at Liverpool. What for? Spitting at a fan in Glasgow during a Celtic v Liverpool UEFA Cup semi-final.

Promising to mend his ways is one thing. He still sits shamefully at the top of the yellow-card count for this season.

The majority of the players are good honest professionals who pick up cards as a consequence of the nature of the game, but spitting is not really the way to release frustration.