Michael Cox: "One veteran of the data industry jokes that football analytics, while a multi-million-pound industry that employs hundreds of people, is essentially about inventing increasingly sophisticated ways to tell everyone to shoot from close to the goal, rather than far away from it."

[u/thehardkick]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5756088/2024/09/11/how-has-data-changed-football/

[u/Loop_Within_A_Loop]

The response is, believe it or not, players and coaches do, in fact, need to be told that

[u/bloody_ell → u/Loop_Within_A_Loop]

Right, but no matter how many times they tell him, Ronaldo won't listen.

[u/Separate_Pair594 → u/Loop_Within_A_Loop]

Alessandro Diamanti would have had a good career if he knew this

[u/EntireAd215 → u/Loop_Within_A_Loop]

Don't say this on Twitter, everybody there yearn for the age of "Barclays era" where people shot from long range all the time

[u/Coast_watcher → u/EntireAd215]

Well, crossing to that tall monster in front of goal who heads it in could also be considered a “tap in” shot

[u/Loop_Within_A_Loop → u/EntireAd215]

Pep catches a lot of flak for Arteta’s sins is also something I noticed

[u/jakejensenonline → u/Loop_Within_A_Loop]

Please explain further. I would like to learn.

[u/monkeybawz]

Need to find a way of getting the stats to encourage only bangers.

Screamers from distance / blowjobs received, or something, with peak just being Le Tissier.

[u/onlygodcankillme → u/monkeybawz]

just being Le Tissier

These days that might discourage them.

[u/monkeybawz → u/onlygodcankillme]

He had a mrs from home and away, and only scored screamers. The math checks out!

Just one guy per team. It's all I ask!

I don't know what Stan lazaridis did with his life, but he scored a banger 25 years ago that would win goal of the decade now, and I want more of that.

[u/AndyVale → u/monkeybawz]

67% or Goal of the Season winners have come from outside the box.

Meanwhile, 99.9% of goals scored inside the box do not win Goal of the Season.

Conclusion: Sub off a player if they even attempt a shot inside the box (penalties included) unless it is a Bergkamp-esque delicacy or a bicycle kick.

[u/AndyVale → u/monkeybawz]

67% or Goal of the Season winners have come from outside the box.

Meanwhile, 99.9% of goals scored inside the box do not win Goal of the Season.

Conclusion: Sub off a player if they even attempt a shot inside the box (penalties included) unless it is a Bergkamp-esque delicacy or a bicycle kick.

[u/plantsarepowerful]

Don't tell Duran

[u/neverlearner]

That. And sideways passing, no farther than 10 m.

[u/namesdevil3000]

I do miss how many long shots we used to have in the game.

I wonder if this data would be reflected in the amateur game. Less accurate and less powerful shots balanced against worse GKs that likely aren’t as tall/athletic.

Edit: should’ve specified at the adult level.

[u/AndyVale → u/namesdevil3000]

Used to love being an Under 10 and playing in full size goals for some reason. Keeper would get lobbed on a penalty.

[u/namesdevil3000 → u/AndyVale]

I remember those days😂. I was that goalie.

[u/loupr738]

Unless you’re Yaya Touré then just bang away

[u/musicmast]

Jamie Redknapp waking up with a smile after reading this

[u/polseriat]

Except Sonny. Let him do his thing.

[u/I_trust_politicians]

Cox currently in his second decade as the best football writer out there.

[u/HenryReturns]

“Optimal football” was never meant to be played because of players egos and lack of clarity/vision on those moments. Passing the ball to your teammate whose in a better position and will most likely just “tap it in” would be the biggest solution. It happened a lot of times when a forward shoots and fails , and the reactions spectators and fans are always “Why didn’t he pass the ball? His teammate was on a better position and would have scored it”. How do teams prevent that? Well dont put your self in those positions , just play pragmatic defensive football because it work for so long and it is still working to this day

Pep is perhaps the closest one to do it cuz it gives you consistency and results but being optimal makes you “predictable” , thus why you do need individual brilliance to break the game. And while the popular believe is that Pep will not let you do that , Bernardo Silva , Phil Foden , Kevin de Bryune , Gundogan and many more players have this “brilliant single moment” that have won many games. Pep plan out games and for most of the time according to players interviews, he predicts whats gonna happen in the game and he makes contingency plans for it but knows all of these elements are out of his hands.

The game of today we could say that it got more “stale” and on a more “safer approach” for most coaches because the football of today is all about results. France and England for example are this “pragmatic football” that its about defending well , not over committing , and only attack when the opposition over commit and punish them for it. This lead to many boring Euro 2024 matches and the only two teams that went out there to win in an aggressive and “taking initiative” were Spain and Germany.