Brentford’s brave new world

http://www.theguardian.com/football/...elling-denmark

interesting read

Very good read that.

Interesting idea though.

Mick Quinn A stupid fat scouser. nft.

FFS getting players fit would make a huge difference in Denmark the football is hardly CL standard.
Whilst I hate Quinn he has a point, if football was about "mathematical modeling" then all results would be predictable and we would all be top of the prediction league!
To use an old phrase football is played on grass not on mathematical modeling. He makes Ed Woodward look like a genius this @#%&!.

Moneyball basically.

Originally Posted by macawber

FFS getting players fit would make a huge difference in Denmark the football is hardly CL standard.
Whilst I hate Quinn he has a point, if football was about "mathematical modeling" then all results would be predictable and we would all be top of the prediction league!
To use an old phrase football is played on grass not on mathematical modeling. He makes Ed Woodward look like a genius this @#%&!.

There are obviously uncontrollable variables.

But what this and Moneyball is about is stacking the odds in your favour and going against conventional ideas of what makes a successful football team.

The general outcome tends to be safety first football and a reliance on set pieces. You can set a team up to do this for very little money. It's boring as £#%&! but it works. Just look at Atletico.

Originally Posted by macawber

if football was about "mathematical modeling" then all results would be predictable and we would all be top of the prediction league!

Yes because everyone on here is more than capable of developing mathmatical models

Is this a philosophy?

Originally Posted by Lok

There are obviously uncontrollable variables.

But what this and Moneyball is about is stacking the odds in your favour and going against conventional ideas of what makes a successful football team.

The general outcome tends to be safety first football and a reliance on set pieces. You can set a team up to do this for very little money. It's boring as £#%&! but it works. Just look at Atletico.

Sounded like us until you added "it works".

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

Sounded like us until you added "it works".

Van Gaal is a massive fan of all this statistical stuff.

But you're right, it's not working for us. So you've got to question whether it's because we don't have the players to make it work, or because the players don't want to make it work.

Originally Posted by Lok

Van Gaal is a massive fan of all this statistical stuff.

But you're right, it's not working for us. So you've got to question whether it's because we don't have the players to make it work, or because the players don't want to make it work.

I think it's cultural. We've traditionally been associated with attractive attacking football - 4-4-2 with attacking wingers. We're a destination for players where money isn't the ultimate master; we attract players who "settle" for 100k/week rather than going to the Emptihad for 120k/week. Players who want to play in front of 76000 fans, who understand and appreciate footballing tradition, who know that success at United will bring more reward than the basic 120k at city. Whether the current philosophy will work when set against that ethos, I don't know. I hope it will. I'd stick Rooney on the right wing now, go 4-4-2 with Blind and Herrera in the middle, Di Maria and Rooney on the wing and Falcao and Wilson up front. Why? It's something different. Rooney wants to get forward and we also have two wingers who can get forward and usually deliver a good ball. It also keeps Rooney away from the centre of midfield and allows Van Gaal to persist with whichever strikers he wants while putting proper midfielders in the middle. Crouch in a wig is a plan C that can come on and shake things up a bit but let's not sacrifice our footballing principles. We're boring and predictable and that needs to change asap.

Originally Posted by Ginners

Yes because everyone on here is more than capable of developing mathmatical models

Made me spit my tea out

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

I think it's cultural. We've traditionally been associated with attractive attacking football - 4-4-2 with attacking wingers. We're a destination for players where money isn't the ultimate master; we attract players who "settle" for 100k/week rather than going to the Emptihad for 120k/week. Players who want to play in front of 76000 fans, who understand and appreciate footballing tradition, who know that success at United will bring more reward than the basic 120k at city. Whether the current philosophy will work when set against that ethos, I don't know. I hope it will. I'd stick Rooney on the right wing now, go 4-4-2 with Blind and Herrera in the middle, Di Maria and Rooney on the wing and Falcao and Wilson up front. Why? It's something different. Rooney wants to get forward and we also have two wingers who can get forward and usually deliver a good ball. It also keeps Rooney away from the centre of midfield and allows Van Gaal to persist with whichever strikers he wants while putting proper midfielders in the middle. Crouch in a wig is a plan C that can come on and shake things up a bit but let's not sacrifice our footballing principles. We're boring and predictable and that needs to change asap.

City have played football a billion times more 'attractive' than ours for half a decade, and we've had to pay Falcao and Batfink well over the going rate.

All the character has been sapped out of football by this shit.

“But he just looked at me and said: ‘There is a 42.3% chance that we will go up.’

Originally Posted by Knockers

City have played football a billion times more 'attractive' than ours for half a decade, and we've had to pay Falcao and Batfink well over the going rate.

Not disputing that. You're clearly struggling with the word "traditionally". I'm talking about over more than half a century.

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

Not disputing that. You're clearly struggling with the word "traditionally". I'm talking about over more than half a century.

Fair enough. Find all the talk of tradition a tidgy bit scouse. Agree with you that we're boring as £#%&! mind.

How to suck the fun out of sport.

Data driven (especially design). Words that make sigh and hate the world

Originally Posted by Knockers

City have played football a billion times more 'attractive' than ours for half a decade, and we've had to pay Falcao and Batfink well over the going rate.

Word. Hopefully, people are finally waking up.

Originally Posted by Zorg

All the character has been sapped out of football by this shit.

Can't believe that everyone is laying into serenity like this whilst he's not here to defend himself.

Could he be the hedge man behind all this?

I am 83.94% certain we wont finish top 4