NFR Brilliant article about the first analyst in Football

[sunburywhite]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61648608

[BarryP]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61648608

Enjoyed the read, thanks!

[Lyle from Hangeland]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61648608

He messed up English football for a good while. Direct, long-ball football all based on his incomplete math.

[sunburywhite]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61648608

He messed up English football for a good while. Direct, long-ball football all based on his incomplete math.

Well, he certainly had success. I read it more that he analysed where the opportunities existed such as the wingmen coming into the box to pick up scraps

Strange though that they don't mention him sort out defences

[Andy S]

Football is ever changing. It always have and it always will. Coaches model themselves on successful teams. Nothing wrong with that

[Logicalman]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61648608

He messed up English football for a good while. Direct, long-ball football all based on his incomplete math.

If success is based on results, then he was highly successful, whether you feel the Math was complete or not. As for 'messing up English football' what we see now with  all the mistakes at the back in giving away goals, is a complete shambles in all too many matches. It would seem that the genius is by taking something from one, a little of another, and tailoring it towards the opponents weaknesses, I would imagine.

[Logicalman]

Here is the second part of the story, with the success of Pollard taking Reeps data & analysis into the computer age: VHS tapes sent to the South Pacific - how football's data boom began

[toshes mate]

There is something about how we see things when we first open our eyes.  Some contemporary science suggests we instantly see and think logarithmically as infants and that formal teaching of numbers and arithmetic mucks us up. 

It has been suggested that sports players from poorer countries (with less formal teaching) may have an advantage in many things because they retain logarithmic sight and thought.  It is believed thinking logarithmically improves judgement of distance and better tactical awareness of closer dangers.   Our data and analysis may (possibly) be barking up the wrong tree - either completely or in many, many different ways ...

 

[I Ronic]

Interesting article. Thank you for that Sunbury.