Football is far from predictable, but there are a lot of things you can anticipate and plan for. For example, certain players are likely to score goals and big games are usually tight affairs. Even with this in mind, though, there can be results that just cause absolute chaos. It happened recently when Liverpool went…
Bournemouth lost their star player and replaced their manager this summer. For some clubs, this would’ve resulted in something of a transitional season, but the Cherries find themselves five points clear at the summit of the Championship and are unbeaten in 14 outings. Scott Parker swapped the dugout at Craven Cottage for the one at…
Over recent years, we’ve witnessed a data explosion in the world of football. A number of new metrics, tools and ideas have been introduced. As a result, a lot can change over the course of a season and it is difficult – bordering on impossible – to stay abreast of everything. Particularly if you’re a…
Mohamed Salah is arguably the most in-form player in the world right now. The Liverpool forwarded netted a stunning individual goal and provided an assist in the 2-2 draw with Manchester City to take his goal involvement tally to 12 in nine matches this season. The prolific Egyptian – who has 134 goals in 212…
There are only two teams across Europe’s top five leagues with a 100% record this season. Fresh from arguably the best summer transfer window ever, Paris Saint-Germain have racked up eight wins from eight in Ligue 1. The other team is Napoli. The Partenopei appointed Luciano Spalletti in the summer following Gennaro Gattuso’s departure. Napoli…
These days, if you’re involved in creating football content, you have to be familiar with data. It is an unwritten rule and given there’s a demand for insight and a thirst for knowledge, you can understand why. As a result, there’s an expectation that writers, presenters and, well, everyone, has some level of familiarity and…
Andrew Cox, former Managing Director of Opta, is back for a final time – for now, at least. Having already given us his thoughts on the sports media’s relationship with data in part one and how this data can be monetised in part two, in the final edition of the series Andrew shares his thoughts…
Time. A lot of people want it, a greater number need it, but the majority of us simply don’t have it. It is an even more pressing issue in the world of football. The focus is inevitably on the players. But those behind the scenes – the coaches and analysts – are arguably even more…
When Liverpool racked up 196 points across two Premier League campaigns, they did so by controlling, well, everything. They dictated play when in possession and bossed the opposition when out of it. They replaced the heavy metal football – that chaotic, basketball-style approach they utilised during Jürgen Klopp’s earlier years at Anfield – with something…
It’s always a good thing, from time to time, to check that your perceptions are backed up by something meaningful. Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United are a team whose reputation precedes them by a Yorkshire mile (like a Lancashire mile, but better), particularly the intensity and relentlessness of their pressing. However, just how intense is it…