la liga thread

[Archie Mitchell]

If there is so many things wrong with them, why don't you start listing them?

[ludermor]

Trap must pick his team based on them ranking, Both Whelan and Andrews way ahead of Andy Reid, though he has closed the gap this month.

[TheGreatRambo]

If there is so many things wrong with them, why don't you start listing them?

Just got back in mrs dragged me off shopping there , i'll list them when i get into work in a couple of hours...

Can I ask ya one question though, that list says Henry was the best performing player in the world in the last 12 months do you think thats right??

[Archie Mitchell]

It's all based on stats so they are hardly lying. In my opinion he isn't, but that's my opinion and not stats based.

[TheGreatRambo]

Finally into work for a bit of peace

I'd think that stats like these are suitable for individual sports like golf rather than team sports like football. It's easy to rank someone on their driving distance, putts per round or scoring average; it's not so easy to say one player is better than another because he passed the ball more than him or covered more ground or made more tackles. I can understand how these stats would be useful to managers and coaches on the training ground, how many times did so and so get the ball? What did he do with it? What positions did he get himself into? How much ground did he cover? But they can't be the sole judgement of a player's ability.

That list definitely includes some of top players in the World over the last 12 months Messi, Ronaldo, Torres but there are others who are on it simply because they fitted into some mathematical equation that somebody dreamt up. Take Gerard Pique for instance, he and Johnny Evans were at reasonably the same level at United, if Evans had been transferred to Barca rather than Pique would Barca still have won the Champions League and La Liga? Probably, and Evans would be in Piques place at No 4 and Pique would reside where Evans does at 88 not based on either players abilities, rather the position they found themselves in.

Having a glance through ranking I found a couple of things I found very strange, Iniesta and Xavi 2 players a lot of observers felt rivalled Messi for European footballer of the year are in 36th and 40th places. Kaka is in 88th place, equal with Jonny Evans (hmmmmm!!!!) presumably because he was playing for AC Milan who were a bit crap. A did have a bit of a chuckle when I saw Nani in 999th (up from 1028).

Incidentally they also rank International players and ranked Rooney as No1 in World Cup qualifying does this make him best International player in Europe?

[AFS]

Those rankings are definitely very questionable. They seem to be overly dependant on naked statistics, which have little concern for circumstance. The way they attribute points for passing into zones is a perfect example. Presumably there'd be no difference in the points awarded for playing a 15 yard pass while unchallenged to to an unmarked teammate, as there would for playing a 15 yard pass with the outside of the foot to a heavily marked teammate with 2 men hanging out of you.

[TheGreatRambo]

On a slightly related topic, the Premierships official stats suggest Stephen Hunt is the 4th best midfielder in the Prem

[Minder]

Anyone watching Deportivo v Barcelona. It's like watching backs and forwards, Deportivo have hardly been out of their own half. Messi just scored a cracker to make it 1-0.

[The Real Laoislad]

Anyone watching Deportivo v Barcelona. It's like watching backs and forwards, Deportivo have hardly been out of their own half. Messi just scored a cracker to make it 1-0.

Aye was class alright..

[The Real Laoislad]

1-1

[AFS]

Nice that RTE are giving us a look at Barca tonight instead of showing Liverpool's nothing game.

[Minder]

Nice that RTE are giving us a look at Barca tonight instead of showing Liverpool's nothing game.

Did you not see enough of them last May ?

[AFS]

Nice that RTE are giving us a look at Barca tonight instead of showing Liverpool's nothing game.

Did you not see enough of them last May ?

No.

[AFS]

How much do Kiev have to win by tonight to overtake Barcelona? The RTE lads are going with 3 goals, but it wouldn't be unlike them to talk shite (Dunphy has already stated that Pique was at United on loan). Looking at the table, a 2 goal win for Kiev would leave both teams with a goal difference of +1 and with the same head to head, but Kiev would have more goals scored.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Nice that RTE are giving us a look at Barca tonight instead of showing Liverpool's nothing game.

Did you not see enough of them last May ?

A Champions League jibe Minder?

Really?