James McCarthy

[AJC5]

Because Math explains everything.

That's not true though is it. Can you explain love mathematically or why The Godfather Part 1 is a better film than The Godfather Part 3? The reason football is the beautiful game is because it can't be reduced to statistics. They can be helpful but they don't explain everything not matter what the maths geeks tell us.

 

[RaleighBlue]

That's not true though is it. Can you explain love mathematically or why The Godfather Part 1 is a better film than The Godfather Part 3? The reason football is the beautiful game is because it can't be reduced to statistics. They can be helpful but they don't explain everything not matter what the maths geeks tell us.

Yes.
You can. Just because it hasn't been done, doesn't mean it cannot be done. Math actually does explain everything. I would bet a very large sum of money that there is a specific formula that explains why Godfather Part 1 is the superior film.

 

[thirdmantackle]

Stats are useful in individual player analysis, but once it comes to team interaction and effectiveness then it becomes irrelevant

 

[RaleighBlue]

Yes.
You can. Just because it hasn't been done, doesn't mean it cannot be done. Math actually does explain everything. I would bet a very large sum of money that there is a specific formula that explains why Godfather Part 1 is the superior film.

Actually, I've gone and been dumb here. The correct answer is that what you believe to be the superior film is subjective. The quality of a footballer in regards to the results of a football match is objective. One can be measured, the other cannot.

Now if Godfather Part 1 made significantly more money, there should be formula to explain why.

 

[bluemangroup]

That's not true though is it. Can you explain love mathematically or why The Godfather Part 1 is a better film than The Godfather Part 3? The reason football is the beautiful game is because it can't be reduced to statistics. They can be helpful but they don't explain everything not matter what the maths geeks tell us.

Love =time(attraction+fondness) or in shorthand L=t(a+f)
Spend enough time with someone you like and fancy and you will love them.

 

[RaleighBlue]

Stats are useful in individual player analysis, but once it comes to team interaction and effectiveness then it becomes irrelevant

I would argue that this is mostly true do to lack of proper measurement. If we plotted the location of every player on the pitch for every minute of a season, you would be able to see how the players interact vs how a particular new player may fit in.

Things like goals and (especially) assists are pretty terrible stats, because they only tell the end of the story. Which is why people consider stats useless in football. the stats that matter are more likely to relate to position in regards to the location of the defense and the ball, which is a far more complicated formula, but would explain who gets in space the most in the final third, and therefore, who represents a consistent threat when controlled for quality of teammates and defenses.

 

[Jxg]

That's not true though is it. Can you explain love mathematically or why The Godfather Part 1 is a better film than The Godfather Part 3? The reason football is the beautiful game is because it can't be reduced to statistics. They can be helpful but they don't explain everything not matter what the maths geeks tell us.

Let The Godfather Part 1 be X;
Let The Godfather Part 3 be Y;

X > Y

 

[AJC5]

I would argue that this is mostly true do to lack of proper measurement. If we plotted the location of every player on the pitch for every minute of a season, you would be able to see how the players interact vs how a particular new player may fit in.

Things like goals and (especially) assists are pretty terrible stats, because they only tell the end of the story. Which is why people consider stats useless in football. the stats that matter are more likely to relate to position in regards to the location of the defense and the ball, which is a far more complicated formula, but would explain who gets in space the most in the final third, and therefore, who represents a consistent threat when controlled for quality of teammates and defenses.

Yeah, you could even work out how likely that players will fit in in the dressing room and how they will adapt to a new culture/area all based on maths formulae. Actually if we has enough data and the right equations we could just predict the results of all of the games without having to play them. It will certainly save on wages.

 

[Socrates]

Goals and assists eh?

They are not important regarding James McCarthy.

His role is to allow the other 9 outfield players the freedom to express themselves and take chances safe in the knowledge that if anything braks down, he is there to pick up the pieces.

As one of the resident arlarses, Paul Bracewell was the glue that held the 80's team together and I'm sure others will back me up who witnessed his contributions.

He didn't score many or provide many direct assists but what a player. fearless and fearsome.
We were never quite the same after he had that serious injury.

The best player we had since then was Joe Parkinson. Pity his career was cut short too.

That's the type of player James is, a destroyer, a disruptor, a baby faced Bracewell and I for one am glad he's ours.

 

[Duncanmac]

Totally agree with Socrates on this.
We won the cup in 84, But the man who turned us into League Champions in 85 was Bracewell.
He sat in next to Reidy and allowed all the flair players to flourish

 

[bluestevon]

Goals and assists eh?

They are not important regarding James McCarthy.

His role is to allow the other 9 outfield players the freedom to express themselves and take chances safe in the knowledge that if anything braks down, he is there to pick up the pieces.

As one of the resident arlarses, Paul Bracewell was the glue that held the 80's team together and I'm sure others will back me up who witnessed his contributions.

He didn't score many or provide many direct assists but what a player. fearless and fearsome.
We were never quite the same after he had that serious injury.

The best player we had since then was Joe Parkinson. Pity his career was cut short too.

That's the type of player James is, a destroyer, a disruptor, a baby faced Bracewell and I for one am glad he's ours.

Loved Bracewell right up until the moment he nearly ran me over in Huyton like...

 

[FTY]

Loved Bracewell right up until the moment he nearly ran me over in Huyton like...

Hahaha

 

[bluestevon]

Hahaha

True story mate, he had a boss motor like, was fuming with my mate then saw who it was driving and never been happier about nearly being roadkill, must have thought we where a right pair of tits shouting stuff and waving our arms around at the car, he just put his foot down and sped off sharpish like

Nearly got hit by Amokachi as well just by goodison, he was sound though, mate was nearly on his bonnet and then started chanting his name like, he waved at us buzzing off his head lol

 

[Royal Blue Jersey]

Stats are useful in individual player analysis, but once it comes to team interaction and effectiveness then it becomes irrelevant

I don't disagree with the usefulness of statistics in principle, because they are merely a measurement on whatever scale you wish to judge a player's contribution, and in that respect can only provide you with more information, which is never a bad thing.

But treating each stat as a discrete, singular entity is where I think you're bound to go wrong. You just can't do it with a player's contributions over 90 minutes or even over 4 or 5 games and get an accurate picture. Pienaar may, say, have 2 assists in 10 games. That stat alone, that measurement of 'final pass' productivity, suggests he hasn't contributed much. You have to augment it with, say, how many 'key passes' did he manage in the final third? How many through balls behind the defence did he accurately play? How many chances did he set up for his teammates? You start putting those stats in and you see well, he may have got only 2 assists but he played the pass before that 4 or 5 times; he managed to set up 6 or 7 shooting opportunities which teammates missed; he played 4 or 5 through balls that set someone in behind the defence. How about when he draws the fullback and winger in on him and manages to squeeze it through to Baines (somehow!) who is then completely umarked? How do you measure that contribution if Baines messes up the cross? None of our other players can create so much space, so cleverly, for their teammates. It's the kind of inventiveness that in the grand scale of statistical judgement - goals & assists - just gets lost. But watch it with your own eyes, and look a little deeper into the stats available, and you know it's a far too simplistic evaluation of his contributions.


In short: Pienaar is ace.

 

[chicoazul]

We don't need him now we have John Stones. Johno is capable of fulfilling both his defensive duties and stepping out into midfield to control the play and urge the whole team on forward.

I would put McCarthy up for sale. He's a ginger.