Ahead of this season media made a big thing on Liverpool’s American owners, Fenway Sports Group, regarding their focus on statistics when targeting potential transfers. The Fenway Sports Group has previous experience from this philosophy with the ownership of the American baseball team The Boston Red Sox. Back then they gained a competitive advantage by being among the first in the Major League to take benefit of extensive statistic data for their player-personnel policy.
Liverpool FCs current director of football, Damien Comolli, have stated that statistics guide his decisions, which he said also was inspired by Arsene Wenger. In recent times the Arsenal manager might not be the best man to look up to in terms of transfer policy.
One decision based on this philosophy, claims Comoli, was the signing of Luis Suarez where they took account of i.e. the number of decisive passes, performances against the big teams and the difference between his goals scored away and at home. Liverpool’s previous injury problems are also something this is hoped to decrease by statistically accounting for them in transfer policy.
Liverpool spent about £56,5 million on player investments ahead of this season. Ahead of last weekend, with 42 points in the Premiership, their investments have given them about 1,45 millon /point. For the leaders at that time, Manchester City, they’ve in comparison paid 1,26 million/point. This despite having spent a breathtaking amount of £76 million ahead of the season.
So what does that tell us? Probably nothing. Or as William W. Watt once said: “Do not put your faith in what statistics say until you have carefully considered what they do not say”.
/ Alexander
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