The Brentford FC experiment

JOGAMIGMOG

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As I'm sure you're aware, Brentford are entering a brave new world where statistics govern how they operate. It's tried and tested in Denmark at FC MidgetLand who we played in the Uefa Cup a few years ago.

Will be interesting to see how they get on this season, hence this thread. So how did they start off yesterday? They drew 2-2 v Ipswich. Brentford's two goals were scored in the 92nd and 96th minutes. Mmmmm *strokes chin*

Here's some info on what they're doing. https://decorrespondent.nl/2607/How...is-Danish-football-club/230219386155-d2948861
 
Just Googled Sabermetrics which is a name given to the statistical analysis of baseball which, if adopted, would allow for team management to make decisions based on figures and not on emotions. So I guess it kind of is. Not sure if anyone is actually using it in baseball though.
 
We are gong big on this kind of thing ourselves, but as a backup to human beings doing the thinking.

I really believe in this kind of shit for set pieces etc though. There is a big advantage to be gained on set pieces & no excuse for us to be so poor at them, especially when we have proved at times that we can be amongst the best.
 
We are gong big on this kind of thing ourselves, but as a backup to human beings doing the thinking.

I really believe in this kind of shit for set pieces etc though. There is a big advantage to be gained on set pieces & no excuse for us to be so poor at them, especially when we have proved at times that we can be amongst the best.

I agree. The set piece conundrum is a tough one. Our corners are notoriously awful and we should be looking at whatever method it takes to improve them. I hope we are anyway.
 
Jogamigmog,

You can't really say it's tested in FC Midtjylland, yes they are also trying it out, but certainly not tested.

Benham bought FC Midtjylland, who already had a great team (If i remember correctly, they were number 1 when he bought the majority of the stakes), and were already one of the best set piece specialists in the world, because of a brilliant guy called Brian Priske.
 
Is this the football version of that baseball thingumabob?
Yep, as shown in the brilliant film 'Moneyball'. Oakland Athletics have done it since 2000 when they realised they couldn't afford to be successful in more traditional terms, i.e. spending shit loads of money. Boston Red Sox copied them and won the world series a few years later but in reality both teams haven't been successful in a long time.

This is also where people like myself and others have said that Liverpool are and will be a selling club. They will buy low and sell high like they do at Boston and Oakland but the chances of this method being successful at premier league level is extremely doubtful. For a club like Brentford it's worth having a go.
 
Just Googled Sabermetrics which is a name given to the statistical analysis of baseball which, if adopted, would allow for team management to make decisions based on figures and not on emotions. So I guess it kind of is. Not sure if anyone is actually using it in baseball though.

More or less 100% of the clubs are using it in baseball. To such an extent that the original innovators are trying to widen the net and find some new angles that everyone else isn't following.

I've always thought this approach has some application to football. But far more difficult to draw meaningful conclusions. Baseball has 162 regular-season fixtures each consisting of dozens of individual matchups that are all statistically-measurable. So apples and oranges, obviously.

I am interested to see how this plays out, though. A club like Brentford is where you could conceivably slice out a little extra margin here and there. Difference between them and someone like Boro or Burnley isn't a lot (as the article more or less points out.)

A PL club like the dippers trying to beat out 5 clubs above them who have vastly superior resources? Not so much, I think.
 
Didn't Liverpool attempt this a few years back and it cost them a fortune.

They spent big money on Downing as he was the most successful crosser in the league and spent an inexcusable amount on Andy Carroll as he scored the most headers.

Look what happened to them.

I believe that statistics can help but alongside/to aid human judgement rather than instead of.

It's far more beneficial to develop a way of playing and sign players who suit the system (statistics can help with this) rather than letting the statistics dictate the team.

IMO its why certain players excel under certain managers. Nolan under Allardyce and Crouch under Pulis for example.
 

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