O'Neill exceeds expectations with Villa

The Villa supremo, who has guided his side into the top four, is proof positive that top-class managers can make a difference

Premier League relegation goes to wire

Any three of 11 clubs could still go down, according to Fink Tank research, but Middlesbrough are not one of them

How to make the most of football data

Factor analysis can help to reveal everything you need to know about what makes a successful team by explaining the statistics

Notion of raising game for big clubs is a myth

Underdogs do not play any better when facing one of the Premier League's big four, according to Fink Tank research

The science of sacking managers

Does a new man at the helm really have an immediately positive impact on the fortunes of a football team?

Respect: referees are doing a good job

They earn few plaudits and their every mistake is highlighted, but officials are good and are not 'homers' says Fink Tank

Table tells truth for Tottenham Hotspur

Perron-Frobenius theorem sheds light on Premier League positions by taking into account the difficulty of schedules

Capello can escape turnip treatment

England manager's squad is much closer to Fink Tank's than was Steve McClaren's - surely a good sign for the Italian

Reading a team without equal ... but only just

Owen Coyle, the Burnley manager is right: the Championship is the most competitive league in Europe

Calculations of Tévez effect misses points

The arbitration panel’s judgment that the former West Ham forward was worth ‘at least three points’ is flawed and ludicrous

Tyne is money with no reward for Ashley

Players must take some responsibility for the culture of failure that has become synonymous with Newcastle

Double Chelsea’s money and City are in business

Fink Tank experts explain how increased turnover — and last season’s showing — could help a team to crack the 'big four'

United for the title - but Newcastle beware

The laws of probability indicate another successful season at Old Trafford, but Kevin Keegan could get greyer still