Confirmed Signing Jack Grealish

Rehnman said:
You don’t need stats to see those things, but the stats will show you whether what you’re watching is representative of the player’s general performance - turning a tiny sample size into an enormous one. If your sample size isn’t big enough, you can end up signing a centre back who can’t head, as Moyesy once did.
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Nonsense. Stats do my head in.

I’m not talking about out watching a player for 1 game mate, you would follow it up with a few viewings to see if they are consistent and their performance is consistent over time. You don’t need stats for that. Good old fashioned scouting.

You could look at general stats for distance covered, successful passes/dribbles, but you can’t fool the eye/gut.

Doucure has good stats for distance covered etc but anyone with eyes could see he was an horrendous footballer.

I can tell from watching a few games that Grealish, KDH, Alcaraz and Ndiaye are good footballers.
 

Kevsleftpeg said:
😂😂😂 That's ridiculous. Do you think stats would show he wasn't good in the air. They are a completely blunt instrument.
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It’s not difficult or controversial - they would show that he played in a team whose style over the long term meant he rarely headed the ball and which in turn meant he’d be a crazily risky signing for the Premier League, which turned out to be the case.

I’d say it’s not rocket science, but the reds have literally employed rocket scientists to process their data. I really really wish they’d been the ones dismissing it as a blunt instrument!
 
NathDogg said:
Nonsense. Stats do my head in.

I’m not talking about out watching a player for 1 game mate, you would follow it up with a few viewings to see if they are consistent and their performance is consistent over time. You don’t need stats for that. Good old fashioned scouting.

You could look at general stats for distance covered, successful passes/dribbles, but you can’t fool the eye/gut.

Doucure has good stats for distance covered etc but anyone with eyes could see he was an horrendous footballer.

I can tell from watching a few games that Grealish, KDH, Alcaraz and Ndiaye are good footballers.
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At the risk of us going wildly off topic, you can 100% fool the eye and it happens all day every day in life every bit as much as football!
 

If we do get Grealish over the line then that sends out a message to other young aspiring players who may not have been wholly convinced by Everton's 'project' that, just maybe, this is not a bad place to be at the next stage of their careers. Reckon Dibling may now push for a transfer and hand in a request.
 
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balggy said:
Kind of hope Grealish is a one off signing. Feel like Moyes has got his target, but going forward, I want players who will develop

I don’t think Everton can compete bringing in players for the “hear and now”. We need to be better at identifying talent, whose stock is rising.

I can understand why the Friedkin's want a statement signing to show we mean business, especially with the move to the new statement. But we can’t act like the Moshiri era didn’t happen. Spending big money on players with no resale value nearly killed us.

So happy to get Grealish in as a “one off” but going forward we need to build for the long term.
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Think we've got plenty that will develop from an age - Alcaraz, Barry, Chermiti, Ndiaye, Garner, Branthwaite, JOB - and we'll always get youth in.

But you need quality and impact too. Its never about the age for me, its about the type and quality.
 
Rehnman said:
It’s not difficult or controversial - they would show that he played in a team whose style over the long term meant he rarely headed the ball and which in turn meant he’d be a crazily risky signing for the Premier League, which turned out to be the case.

I’d say it’s not rocket science, but the reds have literally employed rocket scientists to process their data. I really really wish they’d been the ones dismissing it as a blunt instrument!
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You're assuming there would be a stat that would show that though aren't? Which stat would show this and did it show it in this case? I think stats are a blunt instrument. They need someone with a brain to interpret them and someone with actual knowledge of football to watch the player and see if the stats are important or relevant. A player with superior stats isn't necessarily better than another player with worse stats. They don't take into account positioning/reading of the game, quality and choice of pass, quality of opposition, when things happen in games (i.e. some players are more clutch than others and score goals when they really matter). Stats are helpful to sift players but the final decision should always be based on the eye test. This isn't baseball.
 

I have a feeling Dan Friedkin was pivotal in the negotiation process. If he was then I owe him an apology for doubting him on the transfer front.

Mind you, what does that say about our recruitment team !
 

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