Europe's top Goalkeepers - by the numbers

Although the quality of a goalkeeper cannot solely be judged by statistics, they can provide an insight into how well they perform. They need to perform sweeping duties much more than their NHL counterparts and often are left horribly out of position by lapses in skill or concentration by the defenders they are attempting to organise.

Amongst numerous possibilities, the two major statistical categories that NHL goalkeepers are measured by are GAA (goals allowed average) and Save percentage. These stats, though accessible aren't kept as a matter of course by football leagues throughout Europe simply because they don't really provide an accurate representation of a goalkeeper's duties - for example, Ben Foster was by most accounts Birmingham City's best player last season yet the club was relegated. They do, however, allow some analysis as clankers (like Rob Green's worst nightmare) as even the occasional mishap can affect a player's numbers.

The following numbers were compiled using raw data from ESPN Soccernet. For full details, you can visit our Goalkeeper Stats page.

Europe's top ten goalkeepers by Save percentage:

League	Team	Player	Games	Save %	GAA
Serie A	AC Milan	Christian Abbiati	35	0.853	0.54
La Liga	Barcelona	Victor Valdes	32	0.826	0.50
Serie A	Inter Milan	Julio Cesar	25	0.806	0.84
Bundesliga	Hannover	Ron-Robert Zieler	15	0.804	0.73
Serie A	Chievo Verona	Stefano Sorrentino	37	0.795	1.05
La Liga	Valencia	Cesar	15	0.781	0.93
La Liga	Malaga	Wilfredo Caballero	15	0.774	1.27
EPL	Man City	Joe Hart	38	0.771	0.87
EPL	Birmingham City	Ben Foster	38	0.765	1.45
Bundesliga	B. Dortmund	Roman Weidenfeller	33	0.764	0.64
Average	Cagliari's	Michael Agazzi		0.712

And the top ten by GAA:

League	Team	Player	Games	Save %	GAA
La Liga	Barcelona	Victor Valdes	32	0.826	0.50
Serie A	AC Milan	Christian Abbiati	35	0.853	0.54
Bundesliga	Borussia Dortmund	Roman Weidenfeller	33	0.764	0.64
Bundesliga	Hannover	Ron-Robert Zieler	15	0.804	0.73
Bundesliga	Mainz	Christian Wetklo	24	0.762	0.83
Serie A	Inter Milan	Julio Cesar	25	0.806	0.84
EPL	Manchester City	Joe Hart	38	0.771	0.87
EPL	Chelsea	Petr Cech	38	0.750	0.87
La Liga	Real Madrid	Iker Casillas	35	0.717	0.91
La Liga	Valencia	Cesar	15	0.781	0.93
Average	Levante's	Gustavo Munua			1.35

There's significant overlap between the two lists - 'keepers in teams like Manchester City played a staid, solid brand of football limiting opponents' scoring chances before counterstriking themselves leading - with his considerable skill - to Joe Hart's desirable numbers.

What this overlap suggests is either down years or the early signs of the demise for two of the best custodians in recent memory, Iker Casillas and Petr Cech. Though both had above-average Save Percentages (in Casillas' case, only barely), those numbers don't correlate well with their GAA.

GKs such as Valdes and Abbiati have excellent GAA and Save Percentage numbers. To have a great GAA could reflect on team's possession statistics (ie. Valdes), a team's defensive solidity and finally, the ability of the goalkeeper. A low save percentage means either a defense prone to playing their keeper out of position, or that keeper not stopping as many shots.

The opposite was Ben Foster, who made a million and one saves - actually, 179, fifteen more than the next most called-upon 'keeper, the aforementioned Green - yet let through slightly more than average goals per game. His save percentage is high despite his facing heaps of shots, rather than perhaps youngster (and Football Manager stud) Ron-Robert Zieler of Hannover, who only faced three shots per game.

Jack Warner resigns from FIFA, "hung out to dry"

The President of the CONCACAF and Vice President of FIFA Jack Warner has stepped down from his role at FIFA three weeks after threatening to "unleash a tsunami" on football's governing body. Trinidadian Warner was implicated in allegations of facilitating bribery within the ranks of the World's most powerful sporting organisation. In response to his resignation, FIFA dropped all charges against him: their statutes allow them to investigate only affiliated members.

Ostensibly, Warner has resigned to concentrate on his political career in his homeland. In reality, he escapes shame, censure and possible criminal charges, hightailing it away from Geneva with his tail between his legs - a man suspended by his own organisation since May 30th and covered in the scorn of the footballing masses. His name is associated with allegations of corruption and vote-buying both in FIFA Presidential elections and World Cup hosting elections.

He has not gone quietly. He has suggested he's been "Hung out to dry" by FIFA, with Presidential challenger Mohamed Bin Hammam made the highly visible scapegoat for the obvious ills of world football administration. His words are revealing, if for no other reason than they exemplify his lack of perspective - he seems unaware of the stigma that he has become to FIFA and the disdain in which he is held by the general population outside the Caribbean.

Though his words may contain some elements of truth - that FIFA are laying him on a sacrificial altar to give the appearance of regime change - they also, reflect the very heart of Jack Warner. Had he just added "My actions", his words would perhaps be more accurate and unquestionably more well-received. In the past, his actions, alleged and proven, have spoken far louder than his plaintive bleats now: his quote "I've been hung out to dry continually and I'm not prepared to take that" sounds extremely lonesome - as if he feels he were a cancerous appendage that's outlived it's usefulness and now must be excised for the good of the whole. It's not an enviable position but his words carry only a modicum of his former trademark feistiness.

Whether he is in fact guilty of many of the charges levelled at him is now, while not inconsequential, unlikely will matter. Most probably, he and his alleged misdeeds will be lost in the sands of time. His rap sheet is lengthy, but like Senator Clay Davis (of The Wire) he's been powerful, relatively disconnected and safe from impeachment. That is until now - when nearing the end he finally understood the gravity of the situation he faced by backing Bin Hammam (also suspended) against Sepp Blatter in the FIFA Presidential election. Like any henchman Warner, though for so long a company man, was backed by the powers-that-be only while he remained functional.

Henchman may well be the word that best describes Warner: badass enough but never the Boss, a man mostly made formidable by his allies. When he became more a nuisance than a help, it was time for his superiors to let him take the fall. If I've learned anything from watching The Wire it's often you must climb the ladder of iniquity to reach the ultimate villains, taking small victories along the way. Rarely do big-time dominoes topple first.

While Jack Warner may not by the letter of the law done things which are illegal, he certainly has not endeared himself to the mob. He was (and still is, in Trinidad & Tobago) in a position of authority. Those entrusted with much must not just do right, but must also be seen to be doing right. Above all else, this is where Jack Warner failed both himself and FIFA. Though he would entreat himself purer than snow, he is not perceived that way and thus has failed in his role both as CONCACAF President and FIFA Vice President. By failing, he should relinquish his right to be a member of such exalted company.

We can hope this begins a new phase in FIFA's existence and hopefully, the start of a great purge which removes indelicate, corrupt elements of the Executive and replaces them with honest alternates. With luck, any cleanout will go right to the top. Parochial Australian hopes for some kind of vindication of the money spent on a World Cup bid they had no chance of winning? Perhaps. But no doubt indicative of a football supporter hoping for the best for a game he loves. Wishful thinking maybe, but we can all dream. Football fans everywhere share the same dream.

Jack Warner wasn't hung out to dry by FIFA, but by himself.

Image courtesy: rulehibernia.com

Goalkeeping Stats across Europe - an analysis

101 goalkeepers made over ten starts in Europe's four major leagues during season 2010-12. Another fifty-six made at least one start in either the English Premiership, La Liga, the Bundesliga or Serie A. So after thirty eight games (thirty-four in Germany), which goalkeeper is best?

Of course evaluating custodians purely by stats is a fraught and inaccurate business. Goalkeepers, by their demeanour and wits bring more to a team than simply stopping shots, as per NHL netminders. They also command and organise their defence as well as arrange their players in best positions to defend set pieces. Also, they are often not at fault for the goals conceded, being beaten by lackadaisical or poor defending.

That's not to say that quantification of a goalkeeper's performance is useless. For one thing, we can evaluate definitively the differences across leagues.

LEAGUE	Total Starts	Conceded	Saves	Saves/Start	Save %	GAA
Serie A	760	953	2560	3.36	0.729	1.25
La Liga	760	1042	2645	3.48	0.717	1.37
EPL	760	1057	2403	3.17	0.695	1.39
Bundesliga	612	890	1925	3.13	0.684	1.45

GAA = Goals Allowed Average. Note the term "Start" has been used rather than "Games". Due to the data available, we weren't able to evaluate when goalkeepers conceded after coming on as a substitute. This also means that all the goals scored in a league throughout the course of the season may not be included in this table.

Perhaps as a result of a slower game tempo, of a reliance on a star individual, miserly defence or even plain and simple goalkeeping ability, Serie A produced consistently the best goalkeeper metrics across the board. That is, Goalkeepers in Italy conceded less goals per game, had a higher save percentage and produced a high level of saves per start.

Italian football is notorious for it's slower pace - unless you're Napoli or Udinese this season - and infamous for low goalscoring. That isn't necessarily borne out here - while the GAA was lower than in the other three major leagues, the increased Save Percentage counteracts that. This could also be a tactical measure, where Italian defenders are more "pigeon-holed" as defensive stoppers, eschewing forward play in favour of stolid defence.

Most surprising was the relative decrease in saves across the water in England. The Premiership produced the second-lowest save percentage and the second-highest GAA. Again, tactical considerations could be keeping these averages low or simply that the offensive play is superior. This could both back up and dispel the popular preconception that the Premier League is the most exciting and balanced in Europe, so while it's interesting data it's hardly definitive. While this table takes into account goalkeeper performance, it is we have said, impossible to divorce that totally from a defence's (in)ability.

How would these numbers look then, if we removed the backups? Most clubs have one primary goalkeeper and at least one creditable custodian in reserve - take for example Italian Champions AC Milan who fielded Christian Abbiati thirty-five times during 2010-11 and Marco Amelia during the remaining three matches. The following table has removed all the players with less than ten league starts. The numbers don't change much at all:

LEAGUE	Total Starts	Conceded	Saves	Saves/Start	Save %	GAA
Serie A	732	912	2469	3.37	0.730	1.25
La Liga	698	938	2432	3.48	0.722	1.34
EPL	714	988	2283	3.20	0.698	1.38
Bundesliga	553	795	1758	3.18	0.689	1.44

The greatest difference between the two is a minor increase in German Saves per Start and Save Percentage, while Spanish Save Percentage increased mildly as well. The GAAs, though changed in all leagues except Serie A, were minor adjustments. While it was a nice thought that a league's overall goalkeeping quality could indicate how crucial defences were to the numbers, it is unproveable with the above results.

It's perhaps telling that the greatest difference in the table above comes from Germany & La Liga's goalkeeping starts: during the course of the Spanish season, forty-three players got a start between the sticks. Thirty-eight Goalkeepers got starts in the Bundesliga (forty-two, if adjusted for a twenty-team league), thirty-nine Italian league players and thirty-seven in the EPL. While the vast majority of each team's matches were played by the starting GK (over 90% in all leagues), Germany had the most trust in their backups.

This means that backup keepers, whether for reasons of injury, form or rotation claimed 9.93% of the available starts in Germany while in Italy, starters accounted for an enormous 96.3% of the available starts.

In part two, we'll go through Europe's best and brightest goalkeepers by save percentage, Goals Allowed average and by league. In the meantime, you can find all the raw data here at Balanced Sports' Goalkeeper Stats page.

Trading Fashion Cities: Leonardo swaps Inter Milan for PSG

In French, Brazilian coach Leonardo would be called Un chat à la mode. And a lucky one. Talk about landing on one's feet! The former AC Milan and Inter Milan coach signed on Thursday to coach French Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint-Germain.

Leonardo, whose brilliant playing career made him a rossoneri icon is, at best, a hesitant coach. He was persuaded to take the AC Milan managerial reins after Carlo Ancelotti's 2009 sacking and was replaced at the end of that season as his relationship with club owner Silvio Berlusconi became progressively more unworkable. After six months out of the game he resurfaced as Inter Milan's boss replacing the remarkably unpopular Rafael Benitez. Inter, fourteen points behind league-leading red-half rivals AC, promptly went on a tremendous run to the point where April's Fashion City Derby became the season's deciding game.

Under new coach Massimiliano Allegri, AC Milan were triumphant and Inter Milan settled uncomfortably into second place in Serie A. The nerazzuri's title streak died at five. Leonardo, whose coaching philosophy could be best described as rolling the ball out and saying "Go play", empowered that turnaround either by shrewd assessments of his players' moods or by sheer good fortune. However it was accomplished, large questions remain as to his coaching prowess and even his suitability to such an everyday, hand-on role. Rumours persist that he has no great love for the role of manager and even in the mid term would prefer a boardroom position.

Perhaps this is the rare occasion where nice guys actually do finish first. Leonardo presents exceedingly well: dapper, articulate and friendly. The move to PSG presents the opportunity to hone his skills, revisit past glories or maybe just an escape from the relentless baking heat of the Italian media kitchen. Perhaps he felt club expectations were too high in the wake of opponents strengthening. Having said that, however, PSG's new Qatari owners should be very aware of what they will be getting: style with little proven substance.

For someone who has shown no great affinity for the work, reportedly has designs on higher and less stressful offices and isn't a relentless self-promoter, Leonardo has the happy ability of falling on his feet; his skills on the training track overshadowed by his incredible talent for dealing with almost despotic club owners Berlusconi and Moratti. PSG, one of France's most storied clubs - and where he played for two years from 1996 - can only speculate as to what they are getting beyond an urbane, handsome spokesman.

Whether Leonardo's attacking football - which promotes player enjoyment - last season was a reaction to Benitez's staid gameplan or the first manifestations of an easygoing coaching style is amusingly unanswerable. Whether it was genius or luck, his mindset and tactical nous still need proving.

Moratti's satisfaction with his former sideline boss is unknown. Whether this is a blow to his plans for the side really comes down to his opinions as to Leonardo's ability, a situation where has more information with which to judge than we in the public. What is, however, apparent, is the search for a replacement, which given the dearth of quality candidates could become one of summer's football tiresome constants.

Harry Kewell the answer to A-League's Marquee question?

The Hyundai A-League - and by extension, the Football Federation of Australia - reels from one crisis to another. If it's not declining crowd numbers, owners threatening to close stands rather than see empty seats, franchises folding, disastrous World Cup bids (corruption or not) or even stars entering fan forums, then it's clubs failing to take advantage of the league's generous marquee player policy.

Of course most of these problems can be traced back to one thing - A-League clubs are struggling to make ends meet. Football ranks a clear fourth on the Australian football consciousness behind Australian Rules, Rugby League and Rugby Union. Therefore the sport tends to pick up hard core fans, bandwagon supporters leftover from World Cups and the occasional family based around a growing number of Soccer Mums. This is to be expected however, having remained unchanged for five yeras - and the sport, though not making quantum leaps in popularity, forms a much greater part in the nation's sporting psyche.

The A-League now allows each club three marquee players, ostensibly top-end guys whose wages are not counted towards a team's salary cap: an International Marquee player, a Marquee Australian and a Marquee Youth player. These rules exist in theory to both lure top end talent and protect young assets. While this is a generous format, the FFA (who administer the A-League) does not contribute to the players' salaries, the result of this being A-League clubs draw five to ten-thousand fans per match are forced to pay players like Sergio Van Dijk, Robbie Fowler and his Perth Glory replacement Liam Miller serious dollars.

In business, organisations almost always must spend money to make it. It's the way the world works - wise investment brings about fiscal rewards and peace of mind. It was thus when Dwight Yorke signed for Sydney FC for the A-League's first campaign - he signed for the lifestyle, found the football to his liking, led Sydney to the A-League title and secured a move back to the English Premier League with Sunderland. It was coincidence that he (along with the Victory's Archie Thompson) was the first big name to join, but he is now the A-League's definitive Marquee Player and the benchmark - for better or worse - by which all subsequent imports are judged.

Yorke's situation was the perfect combination of circumstance: famously involved in a big club (Manchester United), with a sparkling, eloquent public profile and due to Trinidad & Tobago's 2006 World Cup campaign, still with reasons to perform other than personal pride. That Manchester United connection created a 10% increase in crowds across the league - Yorke was a man the crowds came to watch. Subsequent marquee signings like Robbie Fowler haven't had the same impact either on the pitch or as a league ambassador.

Approaching the A-League's seventh season, the ten clubs employ a grand total of Three Junior Marquee players, four Australian Marquee players and two (!) international "stars" - New Zealand striker Shane Smeltz and former Dutch U21 International Van Dijk. The Australian Marquee players are Archie Thompson, Mile Sterjovski, Nicky Carle and Jason Culina. Culina perhaps aside, it's difficult - impossible, even - to see any of those six transferring to a high-level club abroad.

The marquee player must in future be modeled on Dwight Yorke. He shouldn't be the only prototype as South Americans also could well check the requisite boxes, but it must be remembered antipodean crowds have a far greater knowledge of European football than the Samba style (no, not Christopher). Not only must such a player sparkle on the pitch, but he must be able to provide a lift to the league in the media.

Some players linked to out-of-cap positions - like Harry Kewell - could perform those functions; others however, most notably Serb striker Mateja Kežman, are a risky proposition. Melbourne in particular has a large Slavic population and could provide a slight bump in local crowds but club executives must ask themselves if a player such as serial-mover Kežman could warrant such spendthrift expenditure - does his one season at Chelsea, four at PSV and cups of coffee at Fenerbahce, PSG and Atletico really provide the league-wide PR lift the A-League so desperately needs? While his age and skills could well justify the salary slot he'd take up, would his name inspire the Rugby League fan to join? Or the AFL nut?

Australian soccer consciousness, so far increased since the magical 2006 World Cup, is still really in its infancy. It is so far behind that, for better or worse, it takes big names, not just quality footballers, to get the alert sporting landscape to attend. And with the local clubs haemmorhaging money, is it in fact prudent to spend $40,000AUD a week on a player not a "sure thing"?

The FFA must step in and contribute. Perhaps it could facilitate local teams signing the fading superstars of the game, if only on one-season deals. Though the game's governing body is skint from a highly unsuccessful World Cup hosting bid, contributing a small percentage of an international marquee player's salary to each team strictly for that purpose could be an option.

While Australian "marquee" players aid the competition, the league now understands it is names who will grow the sport. Of Australians, only Kewell could fit that bill. It takes money to make money and as abhorrent as spending more money sounds to leaky propositions such as Central Coast and the Gold Coast, prudent investment may be the best way forward.

Would Roberto Carlos, Alessandro Del Piero, Shunsuke Nakamura or even Theofanis Gekas be interested in a final payday? Even though Clarence Seedorf and Florent Malouda have suggested a desire to play in Brazil, both have the requisite stature and ability for them to be attractive targets for Aussie clubs. Perhaps with all six the answer would be negative, but certainly they would be players of whom League chiefs should be aware.

The A-League is a good league. By inspiring the masses - and cashing in on their attendance - it can become very good.

Book review: Bradman's Invincibles by Roland Perry

A re-post from our Book Review affiliate site, Books With Balls.

A number of cricket teams will live long in history, having books written about them and having their relative merits forever debated. The most recent of those, the Australians who dominated cricket for fifteen years to 2008 developed a storied reputation perhaps tarnished by a lack of quality lasting opposition. The West Indian team preceding them did the same for nearly twenty years.

Perhaps the most revered cricket team of all was the 1948 Invincibles, who completed an arduous six month tour of England without a loss. The tour was a perfect fusion of circumstances: Bradman's final First Class matches, a cricket-starved world following the Second World War needing non-combatant heroes and finally, a collation of talent probably unrivalled to that time.

In his work Bradman's Invincibles Roland Perry has created a work which, while perfunctory and informative, is also quite swayed by his own opinions. Perry, a renowned cricket writer who spent a number of years in conversation with Sir Donald Bradman and collaborated with him on several works, appears to think that Bradman's word on matters of cricket is absolute and completely true. He has taken every word he could trawl from The Don and turned it into a misguided four-hundred page tome with little point. What should have been a celebration has been turned into a trudging day-by-day commentary..

Bradman was undoubtedly the greatest cricketer of all time and even during the 1948 Invincibles tour where he turned forty, was Australia's best batsman. He has also suffered somewhat from revisionism, where posthumous revelations as to his character have begun to unfairly detract from his cricketing legacy. These "revelations" should only add to that legacy - of a genius batsman and excellent captain who wanted - and mostly got - his own way, often at others' expense. Any negative character traits are nonexistent on paper.

Relying on one source for the vast majority of one's sources is a mistake, both for one's credibility and entertainment. He has taken The Don's word as gospel in book which would have been much richer for an Old Testament, Letters and Apocrypha. Perry has little affinity for beautiful prose, writing economically, occasionally repetitively and with no flair for either detail or accuracy. His style expects the reader to be in constant wonderment at the achievements of that squad rather than providing the full picture demanded by such an seminal tour.

Neither has the skill of analogy, often comparing players across generations in a hackneyed and awkward style - even using the same comparison twice in three pages. There are several factual errors and those who opposed Sir Don Bradman's absolute rule are portrayed in an unflattering light. Though the book stretches to 430 pages, the last one-hundred and seventy of those is given over to potted biographies of the tourists and their vanquished opponents, which, while providing some interesting details is more an annoyance than enjoyable. This follows a passage where the author says it would be pointless to compare "Greatest Ever" teams and then proceeds to do so.

That's not to say that it is scarce of redeeming features. Bradman's Invincibles provides an interesting peek into some aspects of cricket in the late 1940s, where towels shoved under shirts and trousers became makeshift thigh and chest guards and breakfast in ration-enforced England consisted of half a piece of toast and a mushroom. The lack of "nets" was mildly surprising, but understandable given the amount of cricket played. Most surprising of all, perhaps, was that both Bill Johnston and Keith Miller often resorted to spin depending on the circumstances of the game; though this in itself is questionable given Perry's unfortunate failure to grasp the difference between leg- and off-cutters.

Bradman's Invincibles is hardly a revolutionary work. It holds interest - perhaps because it's the first cricket book I've read in months (years?) - but is disappointingly perfunctory and poorly rounded.

Golf balls - two stars - (hit repeatedly against a tank stand with a cricket stump).

Image courtesy the sadly departed borders.com.au

Oak Hill Academy: Basketball's Production Line

Recently I fell victim to the whims of Basketball Reference. Not that I'm new to the site - I've used it as a valuable reference tool since I discovered it several years ago. But this one was different, not necessarily information for a particular purpose, just the sheer pleasure of getting lost surfing basketball. And I happened upon a list of all the McDonalds High School All-Americans, a showcase game where the best High School basketballers in the land are matched against each other. This game has run for thirty-four years and has featured such luminaries as Michael Jordan, Danny Manning, Shaq, Derrick Coleman and Shawn Kemp.

One thing struck me even though I was subconsciously aware of its importance: Oak Hill Academy, in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, is America's College Hoops production facility. Going back to their first All-American in 1980 (the immortal and never since heard from Glen Mayers), they've churned out an astonishing twenty-six representatives in the McDonalds' game, including some of the most notable names in the sport. And that's not the best part. The best part is their best players often either transferred or didn't make the cut for the game.

The list is certainly impressive: Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Rod Strickland, Michael Beasley, Ty Lawson, Brandon Jennings, Jerry Stackhouse, Rajon Rondo, Josh "J-Smoove" Smith, Ron Mercer and Steven Jackson. Those twenty-six Oak Hill All-Americans include three NBA All-Stars (Melo, Rondo and Stackhouse). And that's just the NBA stars emanating from the school near the VA/NC border. Plenty more pro starters, role players and Collegiate champs refined their craft in Mouth of Wilson, a place best described as the middle of nowhere.

11 current NBA players attended Oak Hill Academy at one time or another; 2.5% of the NBA population. Their total of 26 McDonalds' representatives comprises 3.2% of that game's total ever players. Never have Oak Hill sent more than two to any one All-America game. They've graduated twenty-one players to the NBA - 23% of all NBA players who graduated from High School in VA. Oak Hill's dominance in High School circles has long been acknowledged - but it is only really now that we have a complete picture of what the school has achieved.

While they sit atop the pile, a few schools chase them but without ever really hoping to overtake such numbers. Wilt Chamberlain's alma mater (Overbrook) has twelve alumni who made it to the League while Oak Hill rivals Hargrave Military (and Washington High in Indianapolis) have sent nine. The nearest comparison comes from legendary coach Morgan Wootten's DeMatha Catholic High School with fourteen.

Is this healthy? If a student with basketball talent receives an education as a result of their involvement with Oak Hill - and you can almost bet every player on their basketball team is scouted for college and perhaps most even attend - is only a positive and schools must find ways to differentiate themselves in what has sadly, become a crowded and competitive marketplace. Education as a side effect is preferable to no education at all.

Images courtesy SI.com and trentonian.com

Scoring Stats - European Goalscoring Trends

When we first examined the most important marksmen in the Big Four leagues, we looked at which players in Europe were the most crucial to their teams. This was done according to Scoring Stats, a measure of a player's combined Goals and Assists, measured as a percentage of their team's total league goals for the season. Then, Serie A stars Marco Di Vaio and Edinson Cavani topped the European Scoring Stats tables, each contributing to over 63% of their club's goals.

Clubs in Italy and Germany - as well as the big two Spanish teams, Real Madrid and Barcelona - were much more likely to focus their offense around one player, as of the top twenty players by Percentage contribution to their team's goals, eight came from Italy and seven from Germany. In early April in Serie A, an average of 38.5% of all a team's goals came from that one focal player; in the Bundesliga it dropped to 36.77%. The English Premier League was by far least reliant on star men, their average contribution by a team leader (32.4%) propped up by Carlos Tevez's remarkable 50% contribution to Manchester City's cause.

Obviously this measure is highly swung in favour of forwards. Although some midfielders - such as Hoffenheim's Gylfi Sigurdsson - or defenders like Leighton Baines led their club, often that was the result of their free-kick taking duties (Baines recording sixteen total Scoring Stats, eleven of which were assists, either from crosses or set pieces).

English Premier League: A balanced attack triumphs

At the end of the Season, numbers didn't change much:

LEAGUE	Average Goals Per Team		Average Goals per Game		Avg %
Timeframe	April	Season End	April	Season End	April	Season End
Premiership	42.6	53.15	1.38	1.4	32.41	31.89
La Liga	40.4	52.1	1.35	1.37	35.38	37.33
Serie A	36.05	47.75	1.16	1.26	38.58	35.92
Bundesliga	40.17	49.67	1.43	1.46	36.77	35.01

Where Avg % is the average contribution to a team's total goals by the player with the most total goals + assists. Please note the Bundesliga is an eighteen team league (34 games), not a twenty-team league.

While most clubs decreased their reliance on their star men - in general - over the last six weeks of the season, only La Liga increased. This is in part due to the number of injuries suffered - these figures are always likely to be high at the start of a season and lower towards the end as more players get on the scoresheet and others either fall out rotations or receive injuries. England's total decreased as Carlos Tevez who, with only six weeks remaining in the season, had scored or delivered the assist for half of the Citizens' goals. His importance to league numbers is exemplified with the English percentage dropping by half a percent - because he missed just a month.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo: A cut above

Once again, European football was dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While Ronaldo managed to better his opponent's total, having fifty Scoring Stats in the league to Messi's forty-nine, his breakdown was typical of a centre-forward rather than the all-purpose forward into which he has morphed. He registered a 4:1 goals-to-assists ratio, while creative maestro Messi averaged slightly under three assists for every five goals. That he contributed 51.6% of Barca's stats is remarkable and due to their scoring 95 goals for the BBVA season; Ronaldo's Madrid scored 105 goals, meaning his percentage is slightly decreased (49.0%).

To remove those two (and replace them with "average" replacements) is telling:

LEAGUE	Average Goals Per Team		Average Goals per Game		Avg %
Timeframe	April	Season End	April	Season End	April	Season End
Premiership	42.6	53.15	1.38	1.4	32.41	31.89
La Liga	40.4	52.1	1.35	1.37	35.38	37.33
La Liga - 2	36.5	48.9	1.22	1.29	33.59	32.92
Serie A	36.05	47.75	1.16	1.26	38.58	35.92
Bundesliga	40.17	49.67	1.43	1.46	36.77	35.01

This can only be considered while keeping several factors in mind. Firstly, should Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi be injured, while the best players in the world, they would undoubtedly be replaced by someone above replacement level. (As a matter of interest "replacement level" is approximately twelve goals and four assists. The player with Scoring Stats most closely resembling those numbers is in-demand Espanyol striker Pablo Osvaldo). That is, this probably incorrectly assumes that Messi and Ronaldo are solely responsible for those goals, which may be true in part but definitely not 100% true. Secondly, it emphasises simply how great Cristiano Ronaldo was during the run-in as he chased Hugo Sanchez's Los Merengues scoring record.

You can, however, see how much Barcelona and Real Madrid inflate Spanish averages. Should they (heaven forbid) undergo financial meltdown, the tenor of the entire Spanish League will be changed forever.

In Part Two, we'll examine which players are the most crucial to their individual teams.

For full details, visit Balanced Sports' Scoring Stats page. There, you'll find totals for each team in Europe as well as for all four English divisions.

Australian Cricket: Pay selectors, Pay the Devil

Simon Katich is right: Australian selection policy has been remarkably inconsistent during his tenure at the top of the order. He may, however, be overstepping the mark somewhat as he campaigns for paid, full-time selectors. While the sentiment behind his recent outburst is justified - everyone in the country aside from the selection panel thought him worthy of at least a further year around the Australian side - and his forthright media conference was admirable, it's worth noting that there are several flaws in his argument.

When Defence Minister Stephen Smith entered the fray, the saga turned from interesting to ludicrous, especially when Smith lambasted the selectors for bias against Western Australians. Katich has played in New South Wales for nearly a decade. A Labour "powerbroker" very pleased with such a reputation, by speaking out of turn here he has plunged Australian cricket perilously close to the credibility line and gave those of us who still care wholeheartedly for the sport horrible visions of Ijaz Butt.

Employing selectors in a full-time role is perhaps an workable idea. Though much more cricket is played now than, say, even twenty years ago, offering a selector a full-time role would be a lavish expense - for men of the game such as David Boon, The Unspeakable One (Andrew Hilditch) and Jamie Cox would command far greater than a "living wage". Employing full-time selectors could cost Cricket Australia anywhere between (very conservatively) of a quarter or half a million dollars per annum, money the board simply doesn't have.

Also, while employing selectors on a full-time basis demands their accountability, it should by no means ensure it. Cricket Australia has every right to dismiss the selection panel as it stands, yet has chosen not to. The selectors are at fault for many of Australian Cricket's ills, but by no means all of them. Had Michael Beer been selected earlier in the Ashes series or Xavier Doherty not appeared at all, Australia likely would not have triumphed over the Old Enemy. Selection inconsistency (or is it Consistent backing of the selectors) has hurt the Australians badly, but not nearly as much as the current dearth of top-tier talent.

The third flaw in Simon Katich's notion is a simple one: Would he (or indeed anyone) wish to reward the current Australian selectors - probably handsomely - for the quality of work they've been performing? The thought of Andrew Hilditch walking home with $100,000+ per year from Cricket Australia brings me out in a frigid perspiration: he - nor David Boon or Jamie Cox - deserve that kind of money. It would be tantamount to throwing fistfuls of cash out the window of a skyscraper. Such an act would probably be a more efficient waste of money than pay the current panel.

The Argus review currently underway may suggest ways in which full-time selectors could be employed. One suggestion (this one's free, James Sutherland) would be to add further tasks to certain key roles: perhaps increase the responsibility and remuneration of the head of the Australian Cricket Academy, Bowling and Batting coaches? Neither Troy Cooley nor Justin Langer are employed full-time - use the cricket analysts already working within the system as they have done by bringing in Greg Chappell (for better or worse). Or, in a relatively even First Class Competition, expand the panel to seven and include one representative from each state, paid a bonus on top of their State salary. Perhaps both options are unworkable. It may even be that the best alternative is the one already employed.

Paying the selection panel more money would certainly command their attention and entice the best-qualified cricket judges into a position with Cricket Australia. But by doing so, the central board would be required to give them time to settle, develop a policy and then see rewards. Should this period be one year, suddenly there's a sizeable hole in CA's revenues, unlikely to be made up through attendances or prize money through improved performance.

It could simply be that the selectors have judged that Australia should no longer field their best XI, preferring more to develop players with a long term future, guided by Ponting, Clarke and Mike Hussey. Foolish, perhaps, but understandable given the age of recent Australian outfits. Katich would then not be seen as a leader and his position handed to Phil Hughes, a side effect of moving from "transition" to "full scale rebuilding". Make no mistake, that is what Australia now faces and the prospects of mid-term success are not welcoming. Messrs Hilditch, Boon, Cox and Chappell would be best served by simply declaring their policy to the nation, allowing everyone to understand; this would both enlighten the nation and allow for accountability.

While Simon Katich's record suggested he warranted a new deal (as did his partner in this media session, Stuart Clark), in order to make wholesale changes, unpopular decisions must be made and by dint of age - and availability of suitable replacements, for Shaun Marsh and Hughes await - they were amongst the first to be cut. Both have every right to be insulted by their treatment by Hilditch, Greg Chappell, Boon and Cox - and by extension, Cricket Australia. Katich, particularly, had both the form and runs to back up his claim.

Once a board run by domineering fools (c.f. the reasons behind World Series Cricket, among many other examples), Cricket Australia has regained such a a stature by becoming unwieldy and awash with self-interest. By paying large fees to selectors, that self-interest would become more than an exercise in conceit and begin to include large financial components. The way forward for Australian selection is unclear - but please, let's not pay for incompetence.

Image courtesy: livecricketmag.blogspot.com

My Favourite Cricketer: Douglas Jardine by David Green

Throughout this summer of cricket and beyond, Balanced Sports and World Cricket Watch are inviting cricket writers from around the globe to wax lyrical on who they consider their “favourite cricketer”. Today is the turn of David Green of The Reverse Sweep who picks arguably England’s greatest - and definitely most combative - captain.

Despite strong competition from the likes of Jack Hobbs, David Gower, Viv Richards and Hedley Verity, my all-time cricketing hero has to be Douglas Robert Jardine, England’s greatest ever captain and winner of the most controversial test series of them all – the Bodyline rubber of 1932-33.

Despite being born in the 1970’s and having never seen him play, the image of DRJ, resplendent in his Harlequin cap was one that I was drawn to from an early age. And when I read about how he tamed the great Bradman and regained the Ashes in the face of a barrage of unfair criticism, I was hooked for life.

Here is why Jardine is one of our heroes:

England’s greatest captain

“If ever there was a cricket match between England and the rest of the world, and the fate of England depended upon the result, I would pick Jardine as England captain every time” Pelham Warner

First and foremost, Jardine was a brilliant captain. Ruthless and uncompromising, yes; but he was also a brilliant strategist and leader of men. DRJ knew that to regain the Ashes in 1932-33, he needed a plan to nullify Bradman. Leg theory had been tried with varying success for some time, but DRJ perfected it and believed that the extreme pace of Notts pair Harold Larwood and Bill Voce and the bouncy Australian wickets would be a potent mixture and the basis for victory.

And it worked with devastating effect. Even though Bradman still averaged a tick over 50, England dominated the series and easily won 4-1. A combination of the fallout from the ‘Bodyline’ series and Jardine’s status as an amateur meant that he only captained England 15 times (won 9, lost 1, drew 5), but he should be revered as England’s finest captain and certainly its first with a fully professional attitude.

Despite the Australians harping at the time about the unfairness of it all, I expect that most of them secretly respect the ruthlessness and win at all costs attitude of DRJ. Those attributes certainly shone through in some of their finest skippers: Ian Chappell, Richie Benaud and Steve Waugh.

And how was Jardine respected by his men? Perhaps the best epitaph came from the Yorkshire and England bowler W.E.Bowes

“To me and every member of the 1932-33 MCC side in Australia, Douglas Jardine was the greatest captain England ever had. A great fighter, a grand friend and an unforgiving enemy”

A man of Empire and a bygone age

Just like British giants such as Churchill and Wellington, Jardine always struck me as a true hero of the Empire – an era when people were proud to be British, even if at times they could maybe be a little over arrogant to the Dominions. As a firm believer in the British Empire, as a Wykehamist and Oxford Blue, plus his haughty demeanour and Harlequin cap, Jardine was always going to get up the noses of Australians.

He made two trips there for the MCC (as a batsman in 1928-29, he played a crucial role in the 4-1 success of APF Chapman’s team), and he certainly played his part as the pantomime villain.

There are many quotes attributed to him about his dislike of all things Australian, but my favourite two have to be the rather splendid “All Australians are an unruly and uneducated mob”, and also after being told that “They don’t seem to like you very much over here Mr Jardine”, DRJ responded bluntly “The feeling is fucking mutual”.

As a ten year old boy, I found that very funny. And indeed, as a thirty-something year old man, I still find it amusing. I should at this point make it clear that I have spent some of my happiest times in Australia and have many antipodean friends!

“Leave our flies alone, Jardine! They’re the only flamin’ friends you’ve got here!” Australian spectator

I tend to think that Jardine exaggerated his supposed dislike of Australians and accepted the role of villain of the peace in order to take the pressure off his side. If that was the case, it worked handsomely.

Stubbornness and sticking to his guns

In his book about the series “In Quest of the Ashes”, DRJ showed no remorse and no regret. And I love that. In this day and age, people are always apologising for things that they are not really sorry for (that means you, Michael Clarke). Is it not better to stand up for what you believe and stick by it? DRJ felt he had done nothing wrong, not broken any rules and had done exactly what he had been asked to do by the MCC – namely bring back the Ashes. Why should he apologise?

Thankfully, his legacy and stature seems to grow as time goes by especially as winning the Ashes in Australia is not something England have done with regularity before or since Jardine’s triumph. Unfortunately, the man himself died in 1958 without the knighthood and reverence his exploits deserved.

And he was a fine player to boot…

“He was a great batsman – how great I do not think we quite appreciated at the time” Sir Jack Hobbs

It tends to get overlooked how great a batsman Jardine was. Although he only scored one test century, he averaged a healthy 48 from his 22 tests. Again his amateur status and the fact that unlike some of his contemporaries he couldn’t afford not to work; meant that he didn’t play as many tests as his talent justified.

His one test century truly really showed the mettle of the man. It rather ironically came against a West Indian side bowling bodyline against him. This reinforced Jardine’s belief that a strong and resolute batsman could play and prosper against this type of bowling.

A final dig at his nemesis Bradman, perhaps?