IT will both horrify and baffle the number crunchers that Russell Slade has managed to halve Albion’s turnover in five months.

How can that be, considering the feelgood factor created by Slade with last season’s escape from relegation?

Before those with their hands on the purse strings have a coronary, I should explain Slade is talking football, not finances or the apple pastry consumption of his keen-on-cuisine assistant Dean White.

Post-match statistical analysis is all the rage in the modern game and Slade is no exception.

He said: “When I first came to the club I asked for the turnover figures – when we give the ball away. It was 161 in the first game, then it was about 157 and 155. We got it down to about 130 and by the end of the season we were just over 100.

“Obviously, if you are not turning the ball over so much, particularly in the wrong areas which we also look at, then chances are you are not conceding goals.

“On Saturday (against Walsall) we only turned it over 75 times. That is a good sign for me.

“If you are turning the ball over less and less as the season goes on then you are more likely to be winning matches.”

Chuckling sceptics might point out it made no difference to the result but that misses the point.

Possession, as they say, is nine tenths of the law. Treating the ball with care, not like a hot potato, will give Albion a better chance of getting the right result.

So too will getting more crosses into the opposition penalty area, which was certainly the case after the break against Walsall.

“The stats were much better for the second half,” Slade said. “You know we didn’t get any crosses in from the left-hand side during the first period and then in the second period I think we got 15 in.

“We also kept the ball very well on the whole in the second half but just didn't get that goal.”