So the really interesting question from that graph might be what happened in the 21st century to make away games easier? Given that the first anomaly is Mourinho’s Chelsea I wonder whether, apart from the spending, his ceaseless moaning is part of what’s made this paradigm shift possible? There were a few developments around that time - quieter stadiums, homogenised pitches, international breaks, the end of the Easter weekend - that removes randomness and hence all served to make forbidding away games that bit less difficult.
I think the games against Shrewsbury give the biggest clue...
Technical superiority is limited significantly by poor pitch quality. It is a big reason why direct football was so successful (for many) for so long in this country.
There are other changes of course, like the use of analysts is far more refined now and all seater stadia has led to a reduction in the number of away matches that can intimidate even the best players. But I'd definitely put the biggest share of the shift onto the increased consistency in pitch quality.
Quite interesting.
<![CDATA[<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/YNBBuNAA9oU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/YNBBuNAA9oU</a>]]>Summary (ignoring advantages like having a home stadium at altitude): -
Home players have higher testosterone levels
Referees are significantly influenced by the crowd
Crowd noise has an influence on players - stadium designs that reflect noise get a better home result
Stadia with a running track have worse home records
This is declining because: -
Traveling to away games has become more luxurious
Differences in pitch conditions have narrowed
VAR
