Moyesieball

[LTblue]

Just saw a tweet from John Heitinga "@JohnheitingaI am watching the movie #Moneyball now! Can recommend it to everybody! #proudtobeblue". Reminded me of when I watched the film and drew comparisons with Everton and football in general when watching it. It's about a baseball manager using statistics to build a team to compete with the the likes of the Yankees and red sox in the MLB despite having funds that are nowhere near the level of the top teams. It's got Brad Pitt in it, I watched it on a plane to Orlando. watch it seriously, a good watch for any sports fan. or better yet read the synopsis to undertsand what i'm on about. Kind of gives an insight to possibly the type of process Moyes has gone through over the years to get us to a level where we can compete for the top six/seven positions without spnding the same kind of money as at least 9 other teams in the division. I know it's a stretch to relate football to baseball but it remains a fascinating concept.

 

[thomo1878]

Liverpool do it now they are under John Henry (as his character appears in Moneyball). They bought Downing on the "Moneyball" strategy...don't think that worked too well

 

[No17]

yeah and they splashed on carol a-la yankees...and that didn't work either...

and compare that to let's say Coleman, or Jelavic...

 

[davek]

Just saw a tweet from John Heitinga "@JohnheitingaI am watching the movie #Moneyball now! Can recommend it to everybody! #proudtobeblue". Reminded me of when I watched the film and drew comparisons with Everton and football in general when watching it. It's about a baseball manager using statistics to build a team to compete with the the likes of the Yankees and red sox in the MLB despite having funds that are nowhere near the level of the top teams. It's got Brad Pitt in it, I watched it on a plane to Orlando. watch it seriously, a good watch for any sports fan. or better yet read the synopsis to undertsand what i'm on about. Kind of gives an insight to possibly the type of process Moyes has gone through over the years to get us to a level where we can compete for the top six/seven positions without spnding the same kind of money as at least 9 other teams in the division. I know it's a stretch to relate football to baseball but it remains a fascinating concept.

It is a good film mate. The conclusion to draw though is that the 'mid-table' team using the system might have a great season and go close - but no cigar. It's only when the giants adopt the system with resources to make the odd big signing that the system can win out and make sense in terms of honours won. A pretty depressing punchline this film has if you're an Evertonian.

 

[Sylvain]

That is amoyesieballs.

 

[kenada_blue]

yeah and they splashed on carol a-la yankees...and that didn't work either...

and compare that to let's say Coleman, or Jelavic...

cammoli uses it, bagged most of the key players in that spurs side under yol and ramos. Berbatov, Bale, Modric etc

You get hits and misses with it as with all scouting. But it narrows things down and offers more information.

Its also a know fact clubs use the football manager stat database to help scout players, and Everton are the first club to sign a deal with it for the full database every year (I believe)

 

[Deleted member 28206]

They spent £35m on Carroll usin the £50m from Torres, no matter how you swing it that's terrible terrible business

 

[Nails]

Michael Lewis is a great author. This film is quite good, but reading the book would be a better option if you really want to know about the techniques behind it.

Using a "Moneyball" approach to signing players doesn't work for football. Statistics just aren't as sufficient as they are in baseball. And as Davek says, the bigger teams would just end up adopting it in the end (much like the Red Sox did and ended up winning and dominating).

The only comparison to the film and football that would be the overvaluing of players, Jonah Hill's character describes it as "medieval". You could apply that to the likes of Torres and Carroll.

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

Big Sam likes to play the stats.

The stat that 95% of the time his teams have been gash doesn't seem to persuade him from doing so either.

 

[davek]

Big Sam likes to play the stats.

The stat that 95% of the time his teams have been gash doesn't seem to persuade him from doing so either.

Let's Demba Ba walk on a free; thought the £2.5M Rangers were demanding upfront for Jelavic was too much of a gamble; and then goes and pays £3.5M for Kevin Nolan.

The feller knows his onions.

 

[Elong]

Let's Demba Ba walk on a free; thought the £2.5M Rangers were demanding upfront for Jelavic was too much of a gamble; and then goes and pays £3.5M for Kevin Nolan.

The feller knows his onions.

That's fantastic work from Big Sam you have to say.

Still got to give him credit for wheeling Okocha out when he was 40, and that Real Madrid defender, both of them had the skillz.

 

[Sylvain]

Let's Demba Ba walk on a free; thought the £2.5M Rangers were demanding upfront for Jelavic was too much of a gamble; and then goes and pays £3.5M for Kevin Nolan.

The feller knows his onions.

In his defence he didn't let Ba go on a free. Ba had a relegation release clause.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I would say the marginal gains approach used by British cycling would be an equally good thing for us to be imitating given that we lack the cash to make huge gains in one or two signings.

 

[davek]

In his defence he didn't let Ba go on a free. Ba had a relegation release clause.

Yeah that's true. It looks like a combination of WHU not being prepared to pay enough wages to keep him and Ba's agent wanting a big pay day.

 

[Dom1878]

Moneyball is about Everton really.

There are rich teams
There are poor teams
Then theres 50 feet of crap
And then theres us