Joey Barton claimed that Sunderland played 'hoofball' against Fleetwood Town - but what does the data say?Joey Barton claimed that Sunderland played 'hoofball' against Fleetwood Town - but what does the data say?
Joey Barton claimed that Sunderland played 'hoofball' against Fleetwood Town - but what does the data say?

Why Joey Barton was wrong about Sunderland as long ball stats reveal truth - and where Fleetwood rank

Joey Barton accused Sunderland of playing ‘hoof ball’ during their 1-1 draw with Fleetwood Town on Tuesday evening – but do the stats suggest Phil Parkinson’s men are a ‘route one’ team?

Using data from WyScout, we’ve examined which League One sides play the most long balls on average per game.

So where do the Black Cats rank? Scroll down and see which teams play the most – and least – long balls in League One, ranked from lowest to highest: