Data Analytics

A Warning about Stats...

Statistics such as line breaks & possession in last third are important for City but probably irrelevant to team with different style: football analytics is a discipline in which the way a team plays dictates which statistics are significant. he challenge is to find out which !"nstead of looking at a list of #$ variables we want to find # that really matter for our style of play%& says 'edro (ar)ues% match analyst at (C*C

*actors Correlated with Winning at (C*C+,W*C

-ine breaks 'ossession .pass completion/ in final third Scoring first gives 0$1 chance of winning 2$1 chance of not losing if players outworked opposition at speeds above #.#m+s

*ree 3icks
4$5$+55 season 6' 771 of 5.8 goals per game from open play 4.21 from direct free kicks9 Average team had 5 goal per game from open play% but took :# direct free kicks to score

Crosses: ;uality vs ;uantity .depends on players+style of play</

"nswingers more effective at (C*C = implications for playing inverted wingers & practising defending against them< >igh percentage of goals come from crosses ,? low percentage of crosses leads to goals therefore very inefficient way to score 4$5$+55 season: -*C .worst/ @ 845 crosses per goal .4 in season from crosses A 2.:1 of total/B (?*C .best/ @ 88.# crosses per goalB Corwich .most efficient/ @ 8#.5 crosses per goal & #:.:1 of total goals Average number of crosses per goal was 0D in openAplay & 42.: from setA piece. Crossing accuracy higher for setApieces .::.D1/ than openAplay .4$.#1/: crossing more effective from setApieces than in open play

6fficiency<
4$5$A55 season: 401 of all goals from crosses Seems E3% but: EC-F 5.71 E* A-- CGESS6S -6AD E HEA-S999 Hareth ,ale was highest I c.4.$81 ".6 5 goal from every 8D crosses

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nxFibNqTPE

Corners
StatDCA 5:8 6'- matches in 4$5$+55 58:8 corners had no impact on amount of goals scored 4$.#1 .5 in #/ corners leads to a shot on goal Ef those shots only 551 .5 in D/ end in goals 5 corner @ c.$.$44 goals or 5 goal from corners in every 5$ games9 !Corners are neJt to worthlessB given the risk of being caught on the counterAattack% with your central defenders marooned in the oppositionKs boJ... "t may be better to play it short% to retain possession& >EW6L6G% analysts at (C*C found that 0#1 of the goals that were scored from corners .8$$ goals analysed/ were from inswingers "('-"CA "ECS: inswinging corners EG play it short

'ossession: Attacking & Defending

Data from 558$ matches over : 6'- seasons teams outpassing opponents score 5.88 compared to 5.5D goals & similar in conceding !Whatever possession stat you look at = having more% rather than less possession of the ball increases offensive output& !>aving the ball generates between 0.01 & 55.01 more wins... decreases losses by around 0.71&

urnovers
?GCEL6GS @ percentage of recoveries given away in match relative to opponent ,all changes teams c.8$$ times in average game .(ike *orde% Chelsea/ eams turning ball over .losing possession/ less outscored opponents by c.5.# goals to 5.5 & similarly defensively

!Avoiding turnovers is the most potent weapon of all. eams that had less than half the turnovers in any given match won around 881 of the time... hose who gave the ball away more won about 401 of the games. >aving the ball is good but not giving it back is better&

Gecommended Geading...
he alent Code by Daniel Coyle (indset by Carol Dweck WhatKs the 'oint of School< ,y Huy ClaJton "nverting the 'yramid by Monathan Wilson eambuilding by Ginus (ichels *ootball for the ,rave by Mohn Cartwright Conditioning for Soccer by Gaymond LerheiNen *itness raining in Soccer: A Scientific Approach by Mens ,angsbo Developing Fouth Soccer 'layers by >orst Wein http:++www.richardbailey.net+'articipant14$Development14$-it14$Geview.pdf http:++www.youtube.com+watch<v@88O4cN:mv$( = he 6ngland 'atient 'art 5 = follow links for other parts http:++elitesportconsulting.wordpress.com+ he Cumbers Hame by Anderson & Sally he Holdmine 6ffect by Gasmus Ankersen