Mayor's Scouting Report

[Iffy Onuora's Shiny Head]

I enjoyed reading this. The difficulty is then stripping this back to ensure a fair comparison given the team they found themselves in.

For example a CM playing for Plymouth vs one for Cardiff, will have to influence the game so differently. One might have better players around them (both defensively and offensively) which could improve their individual stats.

As someone that touches data in thier work, I'm curious how you would go about giving fair comparisons because of the above?

 

[MayorOJC]

I enjoyed reading this. The difficulty is then stripping this back to ensure a fair comparison given the team they found themselves in.

For example a CM playing for Plymouth vs one for Cardiff, will have to influence the game so differently. One might have better players around them (both defensively and offensively) which could improve their individual stats.

As someone that touches data in thier work, I'm curious how you would go about giving fair comparisons because of the above?

Yeah it's a good point! Isolating individual performance from the influence of the team is always a challenge.

IMO, the key is to use metrics that reflect a player's individual actions, not the actions of those around them. I would always try to use 'chances created' than 'assists'. An assist relies on a teammate's finishing ability. My boy Alfie Doughty recorded a huge number of chances created, but few actual assists. When you look into it, Elijah Adebayo underperformed his XG massively, scoring 5 from an xG of around 12.

Defensively, it's pretty common to use possession-adjusted stats. It's unfair to say a Man City defender is underperforming compared to a Southampton defender because they touch the ball less or make fewer clearances. It's about how they perform when the opposition team has possession in their defensive third.

Ultimately, the goal is to segment the data to get an accurate picture of a player's individual performance within the specific context of their role.

 

[MayorOJC]

Ball-Winning Midfielders​

I really really hope Vini Souza stays, he's bloody hard to replace. His stats are at an elite level, even for higher leagues than the Championship.

• The Benchmark - Vinicius Souza: We all know what Vini is about. The data shows he's a superb passer, completing 87% of his attempts, and he's a very active defender with 3.52 tackles per 90. The downside is his discipline, as he commits a high number of fouls (2.06 p90), and he can be caught on the ball, getting dispossessed 1.13 times per game.
  
  
• The Like-for-Like - Steven Alzate (Hull City): If we're looking for a similar profile to Souza, Alzate is the closest match. He’s a tidy and reliable passer (83.7% completion) and rarely commits a foul (0.93 p90). He’s a solid, well-rounded midfielder who offers a bit of everything without excelling in one specific area.
  
  
• The High-Potential Youths - David Ozoh (Crystal Palace) & Alex Matos (Chelsea): Here are two exciting prospects. Ozoh is a tackling machine, winning an incredible 4.62 tackles p90 and boasting the best success rate against dribblers in the group (71.4%). Matos is even more aggressive, with 4.71 tackles and 2.50 blocks per 90, but this comes with a lot of fouls (2.69 p90). A loan for Ozoh seems possible, while Chelsea might also be open to selling Matos.
  
  
• The Continental Option - Stije Resink (Groningen): An interesting one from the Eredivisie. Resink is a very active defensive mid, making 3.77 tackles per 90, and he's strong in the air (63.5% win rate). His passing isn't as reliable as others on the list (78.5%), and he's prone to miscontrolling the ball, but he has the engine and good defensive instincts.

Alex Matos 1 out of 18 isn't bad!