There are instruments that measure how the ground is deforming. They are called strainmeters; tensor strain meters, dilatometers, and laser-strain meters. They tell us directly how the ground is being strained. The precursory deformations you claim are not being observed.

Rather, the ground deformation matches well the predictions of calculations for the solid Earth and ocean tides. And the deformation is not correlating well with the times of earthquakes.

I don't think I can explain it more simply than that.

John