Plymouth Argyle Daily News - Friday 7 February

Site Manager · Feb 7, 2020

The latest Argyle news and gossip

Ryan Lowe wins League Two Manager of the Month for January and striker Luke Jephcott wins Player of the Month ..... club website

Ryan Lowe says it's a team award ... club website

"A lot of credit goes to my staff - and my players first and foremost. Without them, I wouldn’t be getting it.
"Off the pitch, we have a team behind the team."

Northampton Town are not happy ...

League position progress video ... Twitter. Argyle's lowest position in League Two this season is 14th; the highest is 1st place.

Current Argyle directors:
Simon Hallett
Tony Wrathall
Richard Holliday
John Morgan
Jane Chafer
Paul Berne
Andrew Parkinson and CEO
Trevor East
In addition - Neil Dewsnip as Director of Football.

Luke Jephcott wins a second monthly award, as voted for by the fans ... club website

Remember this Ryan Lowe dressing room video at the start of the season? .... Twitter

Tickets for the away game at Bradford City on 29 February go on sale to season ticket holders on Monday 10 February at 9.15am.

Ryan Lowe talks about the injury to defender Will Aimson .... club website

“The injury he’s had is ten times worse than a hernia operation. When you have a hernia operation, it heals, but this doesn’t, so you have to make sure you heal it. It’s been a horrible injury but he put his body on the line for us and we’ll stick by him."

Pogleswoody · Feb 7, 2020

Surely being 'overlooked' would be not being nominated?? :crazy:

So, we know that the Cobblers lack class and bottle then!! .... next!! :scarf:

So, when does a dribble become a dribble?
How and when does it end successfully?
How many touches of the ball do you get before it becomes a unsuccessful dribble as opposed to a loss of control?? :think:

Adam R · Feb 7, 2020

Pogleswoody":xoqxhajj said:
Surely being 'overlooked' would be not being nominated?? :crazy:

So, we know that the Cobblers lack class and bottle then!! .... next!! :scarf:

So, when does a dribble become a dribble?
How and when does it end successfully?
How many touches of the ball do you get before it becomes a unsuccessful dribble as opposed to a loss of control?? :think:

Poor Ronnie Corbett was often overlooked

Mark58 · Feb 7, 2020

Pogleswoody":n2rtep9g said:
Surely being 'overlooked' would be not being nominated?? :crazy:

So, we know that the Cobblers lack class and bottle then!! .... next!!

So, when does a dribble become a dribble?
How and when does it end successfully?
How many touches of the ball do you get before it becomes a unsuccessful dribble as opposed to a loss of control?? :think:

I despair about the current trend for 'measurement' in our game and the seeming need to scrutinise every aspect of play in order to compile tables. You've hit the nail on the head with the 'dribbles' mullarkey, Poges. What, indeed, constitutes a dribble - and how long IS a piece of string?! There'll be a table next for the number of left-handed players, measuring exactly 6'1" who have completed consecutive passes with their right foot whilst whistling the theme to Downton Abbey.

In the good old days (confirmation of grumpy old git status) the most complicated thing we had to do stats-wise was divide the goals for by the goals against to get 'goal average'. Ah, jumpers for goalposts... :lol:

Argylegames · Feb 7, 2020

Mark58":1nugeu6s said:
I despair about the current trend for 'measurement' in our game and the seeming need to scrutinise every aspect of play in order to compile tables.

:iagree:

Lesley Somerville · Feb 7, 2020

You can't do any kind of analysis, and therefore make improvements, without data. A lot of things in the country as a whole would run better and work more efficiently if those in charge actually looked at data before making decisions that affect us all. It's probably why our productivity rates have failed to rise over the last decade. We are still a nation of amateurs (or as some say, bluffers) at heart. That's just my take. But I'm pleased to see our club taking the same professional approach to data as all successful organisations do. It 'seems' to be paying off.

Mark58 · Feb 7, 2020

Lesley Somerville":6tipqmyu said:
You can't do any kind of analysis, and therefore make improvements, without data. A lot of things in the country as a whole would run better and work more efficiently if those in charge actually looked at data before making decisions that affect us all. It's probably why our productivity rates have failed to rise over the last decade. We are still a nation of amateurs (or as some say, bluffers) at heart. That's just my take. But I'm pleased to see our club taking the same professional approach to data as all successful organisations do. It 'seems' to be paying off.

You are right, of course, Lesley. I'm just being 'old school' and reactionary. I've arrived at that stage of life where I yearn for the seeming simplicity of days gone by - 'when donkeys wore hats' as my Dad would have said.

In reality we all know that rose-tinted spectacles have made the past seem perfect - and it was far, far from that...

Argylegames · Feb 7, 2020

The question is how far do you want to go?

"Players who put on their left boot before their right one score 0.00000000001% more often than those who do the opposite."

To me statistics on 'successful dribbles' are drivel.

Green 1886 · Feb 7, 2020

Paralysis by analysis.

I’m obviously a data guy, but it has to be significant. Arguably some of the data produced nowadays has no significance on the match outcome whatsoever, and that is ultimately all that matters

JannerinCardiff · Feb 8, 2020

Pogleswoody":324i177f said:
Surely being 'overlooked' would be not being nominated?? :crazy:

So, we know that the Cobblers lack class and bottle then!! .... next!! :scarf:

So, when does a dribble become a dribble?
How and when does it end successfully?
How many touches of the ball do you get before it becomes a unsuccessful dribble as opposed to a loss of control?? :think:

Always liked the look of Bez Lubala, would love to sign him in the summer if we got promoted this season..

AdelaideGreen · Feb 8, 2020

Argylegames":18e82h1j said:
The question is how far do you want to go?

"Players who put on their left boot before their right one score 0.00000000001% more often than those who do the opposite."

To me statistics on 'successful dribbles' are drivel.

I tend to agree because I have no idea how you define an effective dribble (other than after one too many beers)

Goals are easy, effective passes are almost as clear, goalie saves, contested balls won a little less so, and then we get into some fairly nebulous areas (to me anyway). Next perhaps will be "successful intimidations" or "space created by a run". If there is a meaningful definition, and if tbat definition is clearly related to success then okay. If not we may produce a team of "Geoffrey Boycott"'s of football - all excelling in individual selective stats, but part of a losing team.

Knibbsworth · Feb 8, 2020

Lesley Somerville":2k8r6e50 said:
You can't do any kind of analysis, and therefore make improvements, without data. A lot of things in the country as a whole would run better and work more efficiently if those in charge actually looked at data before making decisions that affect us all. It's probably why our productivity rates have failed to rise over the last decade. We are still a nation of amateurs (or as some say, bluffers) at heart. That's just my take. But I'm pleased to see our club taking the same professional approach to data as all successful organisations do. It 'seems' to be paying off.

Of course you can. Brian Clough made improvements to his team without data analysis. He played John Robertson on the wing because he made numerous 'successful dribbles' followed by numerous 'successful crosses' which lead to increased 'dangerous attacks' created and boosted Nottingham Forest's 'expected goals' column. And he oversaw this using his eyes and ears and without a heat map or a sports vest in sight. The methods used were telling Robertson to stop drinking and smoking, to lose some weight and get fit otherwise he would be transferred out like the other half of the Forest side Clough inherited.

Another lad he got playing for his team was Roy Keane, 'the Irishman' from Nottingham Forest's reserves. Clough liked the look of him in a reserve match and gave him his debut as a teenager. What did he like the look of? Engine, work rate, decision making, desire, character, tackling, tenacity. He didn't need to download the data off his sports belt or pore over his heat map data to understand that Keane runs around a lot in the right areas and was going to be a very influential centre midfielder.

Lesley Somerville · Feb 8, 2020

Glad to see our Chairman, no less, agrees with me lol.
"Our goal is to introduce the systematic use of data and data analysis to Argyle. If, as we aim, we progress up the league, there will come a time when our financial resources, which enable us to compete successfully in Leagues One and Two, will no longer be adequate to compete successfully, while remaining financially sustainable. We will have to compete by being smarter about how we use our resources. We believe that the use of data analytics is one cost-effective way to do so.

This does not imply that we will be ruled by data alone. We are in a very strong position, having a management team with a large network of contacts in football throughout the country. We will use that network and our team’s experience to make judgements, but those judgements will be backed by evidence, not by gut feel alone."

I rest my case.

Knibbsworth · Feb 8, 2020

You haven't really made a case Lesley, you have just identified that the chairman/club is looking to do what you are saying, a path currently being well trodden by American sports and being implemented quite successfully at Brentford.

Ryan Lowe inherited his contracted back 3 defence of Wootton, Canavan and Sawyer. He inherited Sarcevic, Joel Grant, Mike Cooper Connor Grant and Luke Jephcott. His first signings were Will Aimson, Byron Moore, Danny Mayor, Dom Telford and Callum McFadzean.

So our currently successful team has been built half on what Derek Adams left and half on what Ryan Lowe brought with him from Bury. Is there any evidence that statistics are dominating Ryan Lowe's judgement? Add George Cooper and the trend is that Ryan Lowe predominantly likes to sign players and characters he has familiarity with, which is almost an anti-statistic approach if anything. We play the same formation and the same style that Lowe implemented at Bury, and hardly ever deviate from that.

There is no real evidence that statistics dominate Lowe's judgement in terms of new signings or adapting tactics. Far from it.

Plymouth Argyle Daily News - Friday 7 February

Site Manager

Administrator

Pogleswoody

Adam R

Mark58

Argylegames

Administrator

Lesley Somerville

Mark58

Argylegames

Administrator

Green 1886

JannerinCardiff

AdelaideGreen

Knibbsworth

Lesley Somerville

Knibbsworth