man marking is dead, zonal is the only way to go in midfield zones

its where apart from individual errors that lovren tend to mess up by stepping up to create an adhoc 2-on-1 that ozil/hazard types can beat pretty easily and thus create dangerous situations with attackers against scrambling defenders

In a front 3 with Firmino and Sturridge either side of Benteke.

When asked about that statistic, Mourinho said: "If I was superstitious I'd say that when I start the season 2-2 I go on to win the treble. It was 2-2 Porto v Belenenses, 2-2 Inter v Bari and 2-2 v Swansea this season."


Also loooooool 'masters', pretty sure this is going to be the season of masters and models

I think raw eyetest gets a bad press from lots in here. watching a game is better than simply looking at an xG chart in terms of determining which team "deserved" to win a game. an observer, provided they are semi-educated (master degree +) and unbiased, can actually do an ok job of internalising the ev of those dangerous crosses and 1v1 dribbles that xG doesn't pick up on.

yeah but we're basically talking FBIP's eyetest instead of mega-elite constant analytical scientific-method-incorporated eyetests like mine and since having understood what is variance from 1st year uni quantitative methods and then go on to enrol if not actually study in game theory type subjects and then practiced the theory playing a ton of various poker forms, i would never just dismiss a statistical model for doing what it says on the tin, i.e., they never claimed to have solved constantly dynamic infinite-node luck-infested sporting events and its participants.

the only really, really, really laffably horrible model is Wages of Wins (where its smug tardness is the blazing sun to elrazor's iPhone on 4% battery) for NBA

If someone makes personal insults suggesting I'm stupid just because I'm not sold on a graph, then I'm entitled to provide evidence to the contrary.

It really shouldn't be that hard to have a debate about football without name calling when someone doesn't share your opinion.

Plus, watching a game is surprisingly more enjoyable.

el,

you shouldn't bring yourself down to debate with people without master's imo

Stating that you have a masters isn't evidence to the contrary, it's just an appeal to authority which has the opposite effect of the one you've intended.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/h...ckiest-player/

"People that dry-hump stats to make a point probably prefer reading sheet music to hearing the song."

.

Bastian starting today apparently with Carrick dropped

elrazor

LvG hinted at this earlier in the week. Glad to see Bastian fit

Hector Bellerin has an interesting cockney Spanish accent

Reasonable given Tuesday. I expect to see him come off at ~65 for Carrick. It looks clear to me the goal is to use the two of them to cover the one position with equal status.

Each will get runs when the other is injured/out of form or the rest of the midfield is messed up for whatever reason. A great idea IMO

Is schweini more AM than CM?

HH I think you misunderstood, my comment was about the Elrazors of this thread, replying to the below.

Second game of the season for me today, we really shouldn't lose at home to Blackpool but we've won every game I haven't been to and got smashed in every one I have so idk

Romero, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Shaw, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Mata, Januzai, Memphis & Rooney.

Krul, Mbemba, Taylor, Coloccini, Haidara, Anita, Colback, Perez, Wijnaldum, Obertan, Mitrovic.

Mitrovic gonna own United's soul

Aleksandar Mitrovic @ 4.50
Anytime Goalscorer

and a tenner on TOON!

TOON TOON TOON

obertan hat trick.

How are Newcastle 10/1?

It's Newcastle