Money ball

[kempkong]

I just watched money ball and whilst I know premier league football is very different to baseball not only in play but in the way players are signed etc i still think everyone should watch it as it seems to provide an explanation as to. why jol/Mac have brought/resigned certain players.

[westcliff white]

I've seen the film and cant see where there is any comparison to football players or explanations to how a club is run. The stats are completely different and whilst it worked in baseball (film is based on true events) it would not work for football.

[Lighthouse]

I have watched The Master and can see that talking nonesense can convince people of anything. I can see how that film can be compared to Jol. Not seen Moneyball.

[westcliff white]

in fairness Lighthouse that can be applied to anyone in any profession. It is something I have seen a lot of people taken in by over the years

[N_O_W_S]

I play Baseball. I can tell you we are completely obcessed with stats.

Baseball is a game with limited outcomes and suits stats (100's and 100's of different stats) perfectly.

I feel the nature of football doesnt allow for as many stats and certainly picking up players on pass % or shots on target % would be madness.

[Jack Fulham]

I did enjoy Moneyball despite knowing very little about Baseball. Don't think you can really compare the two though. Our job is to try and stay in the prem every year on a limited budget. Billy Beane trys to win the world series every year on a limited budget. Football has seen a massive increase in statisticians in the last decade but still players are scouted intensively before being signed.

I think in sports like Baseball, you can get away with playing at the top of the sport without being a extremely good athlete. In cricket, you get world class players like Graeme Swann. If you look at football, you get quite though players in the lower league who are very good players but lack something that puts them at the top level like pace or strength. Prime examples being Andy Reid, Lee Tomlin, Kris Boyd or David Healy.

[farfouille]

Well, Bent was bought based on his pace and his statistics. Not sure about the rest of the transfers though.
Maybe Jol's concept "buy them when they are bad" has something to do with the movie as Brad Pitt did not go for expensive players either.

Although, sometimes I think that Jol's concept is rather "we should buy an international that does not cost much".

[King_Crud]

I have watched The Master and can see that talking nonesense can convince people of anything. I can see how that film can be compared to Jol. Not seen Moneyball.

I saw Star Wars and now feel comfortable in what to do if I need to destroy the Empire

[FancyPantsil]

I've seen the film and cant see where there is any comparison to football players or explanations to how a club is run. The stats are completely different and whilst it worked in baseball (film is based on true events) it would not work for football.

I can promise you that nearly every team in the major football leagues utilize advanced football analytics to some extent.  This is a growing field and will continue to grow in importance as more data becomes available.

The common thinking in the US used to be that it worked for baseball, but wouldn't work for other sports.  Now it's becoming a massive part of scouting and analysis in the NBA and NFL.  To the point in the NBA where stat geeks are replacing former players as general managers (executives in charge of personnel decisions) on many of the teams, and there are hardly any former players left in the position.

And I can guarantee that Kahn will invest heavily in analytics.  The Jaguars have wholeheartedly embraced advanced analytics since he took over.  And who is in charge of advanced analytics for the Jags?  Kahn's son, Tony.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9581177/new-jacksonville-jaguars-coach-gus-bradley-relies-analytics-espn-magazine

[Lighthouse]

I have watched The Master and can see that talking nonesense can convince people of anything. I can see how that film can be compared to Jol. Not seen Moneyball.

I saw Star Wars and now feel comfortable in what to do if I need to destroy the Empire

I think on The Empire Strikes Back - We play 442 - The Empire is saved and all the rotten rebals are killed. Or I may have that wrong.

[jmh]

I just watched money ball and whilst I know premier league football is very different to baseball not only in play but in the way players are signed etc i still think everyone should watch it as it seems to provide an explanation as to. why jol/Mac have brought/resigned certain players.

Read the book.  It's way more about the process and less about the characters.

[Wingnut]

Read the book.  It's way more about the process and less about the characters.

Agree. It is a very good read. It is very interesting to see how Beane approached the task of achieving the goals of the A's. It was pretty much a mathematical problem.

[westcliff white]

Read the book.  It's way more about the process and less about the characters.

Agree. It is a very good read. It is very interesting to see how Beane approached the task of achieving the goals of the A's. It was pretty much a mathematical problem.

Read the boom before watching the film a very good read and ur right more about  the task than the characters. I still find it hard how to relate that to football.  But c'est la vie. It's one thing analysing stats but its another getting them to work for every sport. If hat was the case no one would ever have signed bobby when he was leaving west ham as he was probably averaging be goal every 30 odd shots, or no one would sign senderos as he averages on good game every 30 odd, it's totally different set of stats. Anyway as I say money ball good book not a bad film.