Match Thread | Man City vs Burnley (28/12/14)

[gobby]

What. A. Hit.

 

[taconinja]

Not bad for a "one man team." Not bad at all...

 

[Blueband Brother]

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Dominant display so far.

 

[Blue Haze]

Oh shi-

That was incredible

 

[ws01]

What.A.Goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Don Karleone]

Haha. Our corner routine has gotten worse.

Didn't think that was possible but you're right!

 

[Champions2012!]

holy
shit

 

[richards30]

fucking hell what a goal!!!!!!

 

[Don Karleone]

Pick that one out

 

[aguero93:20]

Just want to point out this is what Navas does—people forget all the chances created that aren't taken. Assists statistics are sometimes one of the worst ways to evaluate a wing player.

Statistics are generally useless in evaluating a player in anything but very specific fashion.

Chances created for example is a shorthand for any pass that leads to a shot or a key pass. If Navas gave it to Zabaleta on the outside who then jinked past four players and shot then its classed as him creating a chance. If he passes it square in our six yard box to Yaya who takes a magnificient full-pitch chip shot then its classed as him creating a chance.

The problem with the CC metric is that it has no context to it. There are many times where "creating a chance" is the wrong decision and a poor pass leaves the player with no option but a hit and hoper. There are also many times where it requires no creativity as I've pointed out in the above examples.

Statistical measurements in football used as a comparative metric or even something that points to a trend is generally totally useless. Only very, very specific things the like that Opta won't release to the public such as the percentage of miscontrolled balls on the left vs right foot can be used to infer anything and even then they are pretty simplistic.

It's an American thing really. Baseball was easily gameable using statistics because baseball is a game of controlled and measurable states. There are easy and noticable "good" and "bad" things. Football is totally different - it's a game based on decisions and whether they are good or bad decisions are not immediately apparent in the flow of a game.

They even count a keeper picking the ball off the ground from a loose ball as a save.