The Summer 2018 Transfer Thread

[White Wolf]

Benik's always known how to sell himself, I'll give him that. I remember when he signed for Bournemouth and scored his first goal against Norwich, he was on MOTD later and started quoting off all these stats about how poor Bournemouth's attack and had been and some about his own performance to show in a positive light and Gary Lineker said he had basically handled the interview for him. He did the same at us when he was on loan, kept mentioning his goals in how many starts he had which he does in this interview too. Afobe's certainly not thick, but I always get the feeling he is a shyster whenever he speaks, there's always an angle he is pushing whenever he opens his mouth.

There's a few holes in the story and to be honest I suspect he was happy to go along with it as he has certainly made a bit of money from it. I don't mind if his feelings are hurt though, and if we did say to him that he was wanted only to quickly change our minds and then tell him to sod off which we made a profit from... I'd be quite happy if we did. No worse than saying you want to lay down roots and bigging up how committed you are while secretly working towards a move away from the get-go.

 

[Johnny75]

Saw this on a different forum - analysis of Traore vs Costa/Cav/jota

https://footballfootball.football/n...nderers/adama-traore-wolves-tactical-analysis

It's just an opinion from one guy. And he compares Bonatini to Traore coming off the bench late in games and knows which one he prefers. Clearly the man has absolutely no clue.

But keep going PQ, the more you keep posting the more you will conv.............nope, you really won't.

 

[Premier Quality]

I’m not trying to convince anyone - seems views are pretty set and no one will change their minds - but stats are interesting to me, and probably some other people so I thought I’d share...

Feel free to criticise though, it’s water off a ducks back

 

[Johnny75]

This is why stats in isolation mean nothing in football. There needs to be correlation and the stats produced in that article (and many others) don't do that. Wolves play a different style to Boro under Pulis and Traore played in a completely different role to Costa, Jota or Cav.

We play with inside forwards for a start not wingers. We have 3 outlets for the ball going forward and the wing backs provide the width. Boro played with out and out wingers and a direct style of play that forced the ball forward. Wolves played a patient build up and used possession in large parts so the opposition didn't have the ball. Pulis likes his wide men to get on the ball from knock downs and run at full backs. Traore was their one outlet. Should Traore's stats be used in comparison to all 3 of Costa, Cav and Jota? Should it be based on end product, should it be a percentage of goals, when those goals were scored or who against? What about the opposition tactics and ability of the opposition, should we statistically factor that in too?

Stats mean nothing in isolation and are used to back up an entrenched position, a false position in most cases that mean nothing but to say on the internet 'I'm right and this is why'.

 

[Norman Deeley]

I’m not trying to convince anyone - seems views are pretty set and no one will change their minds - but stats are interesting to me, and probably some other people so I thought I’d share...

Feel free to criticise though, it’s water off a ducks back

Thanks, thought it was an interesting article

 

[YoungWolf]

Though I am on board with us signing Traore, it was a pretty crap article by the person and not because they used stats, just thought it was quite sloppy.

I am of the opinion that Traore will be far better suited to our system then he was when used as an out and out winger. People see pace and think that is their position, out wide, but that is where he is probably least effective and why people say his end product isn't good enough, because he ends up having to cross the ball from there (we don't do that).

The positioning of our wide forwards in and out of possession (and in transition) is what makes him a very exciting prospect to me. His ability to dribble at speed and take players out of the game could be invaluable to us, and he is a creative player. He needs work defensively in terms of his positioning and concentration but that can be improved no doubt.

 

[big mean bunny]

Strangely too when considering stats people dont actually look at what is an average but we tend to use arbitary ideas, hence the 20 goal a season striker myth.

Kevin De Bruyne had 16 assists in the Prem which was a league high, but also had the highest amount of crosses at 248 and also the highest amount of through balls at 41. So if say all 16 of his assists were from crosses alone, that would be 15.5 crosses per goal! Obviously it won't and his cross to assist ratio will be even higher, however if most football fans were offered a player whose crosses resulted in goals every 1 in 20 they think that player was useless.

 

[t3ch]

To be clear up top, I don't believe stats are everything. However I'm also getting a bit of a "stats don't matter why bother mentioning them" vibe. There are a lot of times in (american) football or baseball where scouts will talk about "the eye test". A friend of mine runs a baseball blog where you'll find a lot of in depth analysis on controversial CY Young, MVP, or HoF winners where he breaks down the stats to compare players by their performance and not your impression of performance.

I for one appreciate the article share, thanks mate.

Didn't his Dad play for us? Steve Bu Lei?

what a gem.

I cannot wait for this window to be over. The “linked with this guy” vs “no it’s a made up rumour” is doing my nut. The bickering about the quality of our business in general, the hyperbole on linked players abilities.

Thank fuck it closes early this year. Just get on with the football and be done with all this bullshit

Yes absolutely. I was very excited for the window to start, we've made some exciting moves, but I kinda just want to see the final roster already.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

To be clear up top, I don't believe stats are everything. However I'm also getting a bit of a "stats don't matter why bother mentioning them" vibe. There are a lot of times in (american) football or baseball where scouts will talk about "the eye test". A friend of mine runs a baseball blog where you'll find a lot of in depth analysis on controversial CY Young, MVP, or HoF winners where he breaks down the stats to compare players by their performance and not your impression of performance.

I for one appreciate the article share, thanks mate.



what a gem.



Yes absolutely. I was very excited for the window to start, we've made some exciting moves, but I kinda just want to see the final roster already.

Eww.

 

[t3ch]

ah sorry it's probably a more british word

the final listy wisty?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

squad

 

[t3ch]

like a firing squad? no thanks I'm not that morbid

at least now you've given an excuse to edit the 'ol signature, thanks chap

 

[Johnny75]

Strangely too when considering stats people dont actually look at what is an average but we tend to use arbitary ideas, hence the 20 goal a season striker myth.

Kevin De Bruyne had 16 assists in the Prem which was a league high, but also had the highest amount of crosses at 248 and also the highest amount of through balls at 41. So if say all 16 of his assists were from crosses alone, that would be 15.5 crosses per goal! Obviously it won't and his cross to assist ratio will be even higher, however if most football fans were offered a player whose crosses resulted in goals every 1 in 20 they think that player was useless.

Absolutely this.

 

[Johnny75]

To be clear up top, I don't believe stats are everything. However I'm also getting a bit of a "stats don't matter why bother mentioning them" vibe. There are a lot of times in (american) football or baseball where scouts will talk about "the eye test". A friend of mine runs a baseball blog where you'll find a lot of in depth analysis on controversial CY Young, MVP, or HoF winners where he breaks down the stats to compare players by their performance and not your impression of performance.

Nothing wrong with Baseball stats but then if you read Bill James and Michael Lewis you soon realise why the same practices aren't applicable to either forms of football.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Nothing wrong with Baseball stats but then if you read Bill James and Michael Lewis you soon realise why the same practices aren't applicable to either forms of football.

Or indeed any game that is essentially a series of set plays.

 

[t3ch]

baseball definitely has more relevance, I won't argue that point. I just found the reaction to someone sharing an article a bit odd.

 

[lemonjelly]

like a firing squad? no thanks I'm not that morbid

at least now you've given an excuse to edit the 'ol signature, thanks chap

I do love posts by t3ch. But you've got the apostrophe at the wrong end of the word matey... :icon_lol:

 

[Johnny75]

baseball definitely has more relevance, I won't argue that point. I just found the reaction to someone sharing an article a bit odd.

Context. PQ has been banging on how Troare is better then Costa and how anybody that can't see it has shit in their eyes (I may have used a little hyperbole in there) and is using that article to back his argument up.

 

[Premier Quality]

Context. PQ has been banging on how Troare is better then Costa and how anybody that can't see it has $#@! in their eyes (I may have used a little hyperbole in there) and is using that article to back his argument up.

Show me where I’ve saud anything negative about anyone else’s views please Jonny?

I think he’s good, Deutsch thinks he’s bad - that’s football, people have different perspectives.

Have I somehow offended your sensitive soul?

 

[Johnny75]

Show me where I’ve saud anything negative about anyone else’s views please Jonny?

I think he’s good, Deutsch thinks he’s bad - that’s football, people have different perspectives.

Have I somehow offended your sensitive soul?

Here you go, the first post is where you were asked who Traore would replace:

Costa. Traore was much better last season, as shown in the goals and assists stats.

I’m not dissing Helder - his first season especially under Lambert, he was grade A fantastic. Didn’t get anywhere near those heights last year though.

I guess my humour was lost on your sensitive soul. Seems to be the effect I have on people who voted Brexit.