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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Soccer Giants Borrow Beane’s Formula to Chase Champions League

FROM BLOOMBERG.COM:

Forget the Brazilian street kids juggling soccer balls with their bare feet. The sport’s next big star may be a mathematician…

...Soccer coaches are following the lead of Billy Beane, the general manager of Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics who was featured in the 2003 U.S. bestseller ``Moneyball.’

GREAT, JUST WHAT WE NEED, SOCCER HOOLIGANS READING E.T. JAYNES!!!

TOLAXOR Posted: May 14, 2008 at 12:02 PM | 23 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: business

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1. Dudefella Posted: May 14, 2008 at 01:59 PM (#2780235)

Ronaldinho should have never written that book.

2. AROM Posted: May 14, 2008 at 02:29 PM (#2780268)

Does it have something to do with signing really fat goalies?

3. schuey Posted: May 14, 2008 at 02:30 PM (#2780269)

Are they copying the heavy use of steroids of the Oakland A's? Will Bobby Charlton read the book or be like Joe Morgan and denounce it unread?

4. Guy LeDouche Posted: May 14, 2008 at 02:32 PM (#2780271)

Phase 1: Sign Cristiano Ronaldo

Phase 2: ???

Phase 3: Profit

Alex Ferguson knows.

5. TFTIO who can remember his past lives Posted: May 14, 2008 at 02:50 PM (#2780303)

Phase 4: Run up $667,000,000 of ever-increasing debt.

6. Danny Posted: May 14, 2008 at 02:57 PM (#2780311)

Are they copying the heavy use of steroids of the Oakland A's?

Out of total ignorance, what's the testing like in the Premier League? Do people get caught?

7. mr. man Posted: May 14, 2008 at 03:03 PM (#2780316)

there's a number of them listed at :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sportspeople_sanctioned_for_doping_offences

i get the impression that there are probably more than are caught.

8. Guy LeDouche Posted: May 14, 2008 at 06:47 PM (#2780610)

"Phase 4: Run up $667,000,000 of ever-increasing debt."

The team turns a profit. And has won the last 2 titles.

Isn't the debt mostly from the money borrowed to buy the team?

Then again, maybe we should rate teams on points per million dollars spent on payroll.

9. Dr Love Posted: May 14, 2008 at 07:00 PM (#2780630)

While match-winning formulas may be years away, Bolton's approach is already paying off. Former coach Sam Allardyce hired Forde, now with Chelsea, as the club's first performance analyst in 1999, and the team finished in the top half of the league three of the past four seasons.

Actually, it's four of the past five. They fail to mention they were horrible this year, which actually might have been a point in article's favor, both people cited for Bolton aren't there, and they were nearly relegated this season.

10. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: May 14, 2008 at 07:11 PM (#2780644)

Former coach Sam Allardyce

Haven't we had this discussion? About how it turned out Big Sam's real genius was in using his son as the bagman in a bung scheme?

11. Swedish Chef Posted: May 14, 2008 at 07:18 PM (#2780658)

Haven't we had this discussion? About how it turned out Big Sam's real genius was in using his son as the bagman in a bung scheme?

Well, there's no reason a person couldn't be both a great coach and a greedy bastard.

12. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: May 14, 2008 at 07:24 PM (#2780665)

I feel like Marge Simpson listening to John Waters gossip when you guys start up about soccer. Carry on!

13. Flynn Posted: May 14, 2008 at 07:50 PM (#2780724)

The team turns a profit. And has won the last 2 titles.

Isn't the debt mostly from the money borrowed to buy the team?

Then again, maybe we should rate teams on points per million dollars spent on payroll.

They don't turn a profit. They lost £58m last year. They haven't even paid off all their transfer fees. They're still arguably the most famous club in the world but there's a decent chance it'll all come crashing down since the interest on their debts is a whopping 14.25% and the club isn't even trying to pay back the annual amount of interest.

14. Petuniaviles Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:04 PM (#2781036)

Wait, the Premier League final is in Moscow? Is this like MLB Opening Day being in Tokyo, or what's the deal there?

I also didn't know Beane was a "part-time executive" for the 'Quakes. Cool.

15. Francoeur Sans Gages (AlouGoodbye) Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:19 PM (#2781067)

No, Russian teams participate in European competitions. It's like MLB Opening Day being in Kansas City - unglamorous, but it's their turn.

16. Crispix Attacks Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:30 PM (#2781087)

It's the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE final. It just happens that the two teams playing in it are both from the English Premier League.

17. Obi One Kenobi Nil

Posted: May 14, 2008 at 11:49 PM (#2781123)

However many statistics he used Flabberdyce was a big pile of monkey poo for Newcastle, was glad to see the back of the fat wanker. And for all that his tactics were basic and horrible to watch. Play defensively, always make the safe pass, hit the ball long to midgets and try and score from set plays.

18. Tuque

Posted: May 15, 2008 at 12:01 AM (#2781136)

Are there any technicalities saying you have to be human to play in the Champions League? I feel like a beached whale would make a pretty good goalie.

19. Designated Sitter (GGC) Posted: May 15, 2008 at 12:04 AM (#2781138)

I feel like Marge Simpson listening to John Waters gossip when you guys start up about soccer. Carry on!

Same here. I don't think that it's really a sport that you can pick up in your late 30s or early 40s.

20. Dr Love Posted: May 15, 2008 at 12:18 AM (#2781174)

Are there any technicalities saying you have to be human to play in the Champions League? I feel like a beached whale would make a pretty good goalie.

Are you saying Ronaldo should move to keeper when he returns from injury/shame?

21. Vaux, A.B.D. Posted: May 15, 2008 at 12:29 AM (#2781197)

I need to take up this sport, since it's nice and low scoring, and it's worldwide popularity means it must be good. Does anyone know of a good resource, online or otherwise, that would help me enhance my meager knowledge of the rules and game-play?

22. Tuque

Posted: May 15, 2008 at 01:56 AM (#2781430)

I think I've found the new market inefficiency for soccer: wild animals. Give me a whale and a hungry tiger and I'll give you next year's Cup winner.

23. Francoeur Sans Gages (AlouGoodbye) Posted: May 15, 2008 at 03:03 AM (#2781531)

Are there any technicalities saying you have to be human to play in the Champions League? I feel like a beached whale would make a pretty good goalie.

Wales tried this with Neville Southall. They still didn't qualify for the World Cup.

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Soccer Giants Borrow Beane’s Formula to Chase Champions League

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