Well, since you show some enthusiasm....... In 1744 two Scottish presbytarian ministers wanted to set up an insurance scheme to provide for the widows and orphans of deceased Scottish Presbytarian ministers (obviously their faith did not lead them to expect God to provide). They enlisted some help from a maths bloke at Edinburgh University and got their hands on some death records from various places. Armed with this they worked out what the premiums should be and how much they expected to be paying out etc, all based on statistical likelihood. They estimated (if memory serves) that they would have a fund, based on projected income and payments, of something like £65,248 by 1775. In real life they were wrong - by £1 (the fund had £65,247). The fund became Scottish Widows and Orphans, which now has about £30bn ferreted away, and the discipline of statistics was born. Powerful stuff statistics, though they tell you virtually nothing about individuals (too many variables, and hence some vague hope for QPR) but can be very accurate on big numbers. I had never paid much interest (even though my business is driven by statistical analysis) which also shows you the way to hook people like me is tell a good story.
Come on Chelsea boy. Let's see you get into a debate over tactics. 4-4-2 and playing hoof ball up to Bobby can obviously work and has helped Charlie to get some of his goals. However we can't play it with any lasting success with two holding midfield players, which is what we have been doing. Now, any idea why that is?
Good stuff. I suppose it should have been obvious that statistical analysis would have been driven by the insurance industry. The Premier League provides only a small sample though, so let's not abandon hope yet.
Of course there is still hope, but our defence is simply not good enough to stop teams scoring against us, CR saying got to cut out these mistakes but it's happening week after week, you can play any formation but it won't stop us conceding, I sincerely hope it changes.
You're right, it can obviously work but there can't be any lasting success with this team no matter what way you play them. So its damage limitation. Going direct at least gives us a slim chance of getting summat in games. Given the players we're left with, I don't think there's another system that's likely to yield any more points. Your mathematical formulas might sound good in your head, COLster, but in your head they must remain.
Col all joking aside because I know you are in your tactics, but I was just wondering if you have read or are aware of the book 'inverting the pyramid' by Jonathan Wilson? It is sub titled the history of football tactics.
Nope. I fully understand that the game is about more than just tactics and formations. I just don't agree that players can just be sent out and told to run around a lot and everything will be ok. When I played 4-4-2 was the universal formation in this country. But it was played with a lot of planning. The back four would shuffle across from side to side depending on which side the ball was on and the midfield would do the same. The two in central midfield would be one holding and one box to box. The wide midfield players would be expected to get up in support with the ball and get back to defend without it. The two forwards played as a pair. It was formulated and planned. I hate this and prefer much less rigid and fluid formations. But from my old non league club to Barcelona, they all have a tactical plan.
The 4-4-2 as described is standard and understood by all; most of us have been brought up on this. My point is that if a team cannot get 4-4-2 right you can chuck the rest out of the window. The difference between a manager of an international team and a club manager is that the former can choose his tactics and pick from a large pool to suit; the latter who in our case is CR has to work with what he has. He has a pool of 25 at most and cannot bring anyone in. I take your point about 2 holding players in midfield and not having a box to box player; but the fact is that Sandro was our goalscorer against spurs and did get himself deep into their area despite being a holding midfielder. I find it frustrating that the impetus gained by decent performances against arsenal and spurs was wasted by dumb selections and dumb tactics at palace. We are now in huge trouble.
