Opta Stats-Is It Relevant?

[chunky jag]

Have noticed a lot of managers lending a lot of importance to these stats now, been creeping in over last 6-7 years, Allardyce was first manager I was aware of at Bolton that used it, all the analysis, stats that I personally don't think mean much in the grand scheme of what can happen in 90 minutes.

 

I was listening to talksport phone-in yesterday, and the guy who used to be on Skysports was presenting it, Sam Matterface. He was raving about Leon Britton's stats for Swansea yesterday, "x amount of passes" "x% of pass completion".

 

I don't think it's relevant when all those passes were made in his own half with next to no pressure on him.

 

Much the same as Barcelona. I have a lot of respect and admiration for the way Barca and Swansea try to play, pass on the deck, patient, a lot of movement off the ball, but comparing say Leon Britton to another midfielder, and deeming Britton the better player based on "pass completion" is the wrong way to look at it I think.

 

They are trying to make football a science, and no doubt an influence from the US with trying to tie everything down to stats like they do with American Football and Baseball.

 

There are far too many variables in a game of football to look at stats and lend them any significance I think?

 

Pardew is another one that raves about the system.

 

 

How many assists, goals, and clean sheets does a player have, thats what matters. If they are going to do pass completion and make it relevant, how about, "pass completion - based on the fact the pass is forward, and in the opposition half". That would maybe tell us more about a player. Otherwise you'd have diddies like Neil Lennon looking like midfield maestro with their daft 5 yard passes under no pressure.

 

To conclude, I think it's all baws!

Thoughts please?

[twinny]

It is true that American Football and Baseball use stats like this, however these sports depend more on players using raw skills. American footballers use just one or two of throwing, catching, tackling and sprinting. Baseballers are either batting or pitching. In football decision-making is just as important and there is no way to quantify that as each situation is different. On top of this you expect players to use a range of skills. However I do think you can use these stats if you play a particular style where each player will have very specific roles.

[P-R]

Always feels like overkill to me - it's the sort of stuff that comes up in Championship / Football Manager computer games.

[ChiThistle]

Unfortunately, you can expect it to continue. As of late, the business side to sport has been exposed more than any time I can recall. And businesses always demand measurable, quantifiable statistics.

 

Instead of this kind of data going away, it's only going to continue to be more refined and "perfected." That Leon Britton statistic will eventually turn into a "passes completed under pressure" where "pressure" is defined as any instance where an opponent is within 5 yards of the passer.

 

One example in American football is that we've had a stat called "QB Rating" that has been around for years. It's a numerical value that is supposed to explain how well a quarterback performs, but it's come under fire for being incomplete and having awkward scoring (a "perfect" score is 158.3).

 

Instead of scrapping it, it's still being used while another new statistic, "Total QB Rating", is starting to take hold. So these statisticians aren't going to give up trying to quantify what goes on in the human brain.

[chunky jag]

There's no way of accounting for conciousness or decision making in a formula, why one person does one thing and another does it different. Another thing that could change the results - team mates. If they don't make themselves available for a pass, the man in possesion will give it away more often, when it's not his fault if his team mates are statues.