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Guest YANKEEBLEEDSMAGPIE

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Anyone read The Numbers Game - Why Everything You Know About Football Is Wrong?

 

Sounds pretty good and definitely offers an interesting view. For example a bit someone told me about it: goal from a corner in the PL requires an average of 50 corners, and when you count the risk of being hit by a counter attack, the value of corners is practically zero. So is it really worth the time to practice corners? :shifty:

 

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/may/24/numbers-game-everything-football-wrong

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Guest Roger Kint

Anyone read Gillespies book? Thinking of ordering it this weekend, looks decent.

 

It's OK, like a "quick holiday read" kind of book.

 

What i was expecting tbh cheers. Imagine most the footballing side is old news but the gambling and stuff would be interesting

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  • 2 weeks later...

Has anybody read Ashley Cole's book? I seen some bits from it the other day and he looks like he comes across as an even bigger dickhead than normal. Might have to read it, but I'm not paying for it.

 

Wasn't there a bit where he turns down a contract offer of 50k a week because it's 'insulting'? Absolute epitome of the spoilt and mollycoddled modern footballer.

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Anyone read The Numbers Game - Why Everything You Know About Football Is Wrong?

 

Sounds pretty good and definitely offers an interesting view. For example a bit someone told me about it: goal from a corner in the PL requires an average of 50 corners, and when you count the risk of being hit by a counter attack, the value of corners is practically zero. So is it really worth the time to practice corners? :shifty:

 

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/may/24/numbers-game-everything-football-wrong

tempted but worried it'll be like freakonomics, review needed, ie buy it then tell me.
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If you can find it John Gibsons "The Newcastle United FC story" is a must for Newcastle fans. Mainly a game by game from the fairs cup run with other chapters on the Tyne Wear derbies , Players etc. I wouldn't pay more than a fiver for it but a good rwad about that era.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Clearing out my loft yesterday (to find Christmas decorations) and found a book i used to love when i was younger. Started reading it again n cant put it down still a top read imo

 

called the Far Corner by Harry Pearson basically his account of going round all the football grounds in the North East. Subject matter will be out of date now but still worth a read.

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Anyone read The Numbers Game - Why Everything You Know About Football Is Wrong?

 

Sounds pretty good and definitely offers an interesting view. For example a bit someone told me about it: goal from a corner in the PL requires an average of 50 corners, and when you count the risk of being hit by a counter attack, the value of corners is practically zero. So is it really worth the time to practice corners? :shifty:

 

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/may/24/numbers-game-everything-football-wrong

 

With most things in life, I'd want to know that kind of thing. And I would if I was a manager. But much about my love for football is irrational - I don't want that cheer for a corner - or relief of a clearance from one - taken away from me now.

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Anyone read The Numbers Game - Why Everything You Know About Football Is Wrong?

 

Sounds pretty good and definitely offers an interesting view. For example a bit someone told me about it: goal from a corner in the PL requires an average of 50 corners, and when you count the risk of being hit by a counter attack, the value of corners is practically zero. So is it really worth the time to practice corners? :shifty:

 

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/may/24/numbers-game-everything-football-wrong

 

With most things in life, I'd want to know that kind of thing. And I would if I was a manager. But much about my love for football is irrational - I don't want that cheer for a corner - or relief of a clearance from one - taken away from me now.

 

I've read it and it's excellent but I now seem to be counting how many goals I see from corners and I reckon this season their theory would be wrong as there seems to be a larger than normal amount. They also have a chapter all about how Chelsea should have signed Darren Bent instead of Torres which I thought was pretty random. Also, you get a lot of funny looks when reading this on public transport.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...

Premier League: A History in 10 Matches by Jim White is a good read, its not just 10 match reports but rather a look at a lot of the other history around a club (or clubs) at the time, for example a look at Blackburns rise to the top and decline, Leeds rise and fall the ridiculousness of everything that happened to Portsmouth.

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Anyone read The Numbers Game - Why Everything You Know About Football Is Wrong?

 

Sounds pretty good and definitely offers an interesting view. For example a bit someone told me about it: goal from a corner in the PL requires an average of 50 corners, and when you count the risk of being hit by a counter attack, the value of corners is practically zero. So is it really worth the time to practice corners? :shifty:

 

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/may/24/numbers-game-everything-football-wrong

tempted but worried it'll be like freakonomics, review needed, ie buy it then tell me.

 

It's on the Zonal Marking reading list so I had a look at it, but having read a few reviews I decided against it. Sounds pretty half-baked.

 

Edit: no it isn't. Must have been one of the "People who bought this also bought..." books that caused me to click through.

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Anyone read The Numbers Game - Why Everything You Know About Football Is Wrong?

 

Sounds pretty good and definitely offers an interesting view. For example a bit someone told me about it: goal from a corner in the PL requires an average of 50 corners, and when you count the risk of being hit by a counter attack, the value of corners is practically zero. So is it really worth the time to practice corners? :shifty:

 

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/may/24/numbers-game-everything-football-wrong

tempted but worried it'll be like freakonomics, review needed, ie buy it then tell me.

 

It's on the Zonal Marking reading list so I had a look at it, but having read a few reviews I decided against it. Sounds pretty half-baked.

 

I don't think it's a good "read" per se as it more or less just presents stats, some of them interesting, but overall it's a bit tedious.

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  • 1 month later...

Almost finished Bergkamp's autobiography that was released last year.

 

http://a.espncdn.com//design05/images/2013/1030/dennisbergkampstillnessandspeed120131029_200x300.jpg

 

Found it brilliant if I'm being honest. Bergkamp's philosophy on how football should be played and how youngsters should be coached are something that I agree with him on. If you want something that's a bit different to your traditional footballers autobiography then I'd really recommend this to anybody.

 

There's even a chapter in there when he talks about how much of a snidey cunt he was.

 

Has lots of quotes from other greats as well such as Cruijff, Rijkaard etc.

 

http://www.espnfc.com/blog/_/name/arsenal/id/2588

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  • 1 month later...

Is Soccernomics an interesting read and will it tell me anything I don't already know, or is it bog-reading like the price on Kobo suggests?

 

Also, is Inverting The Pyramid as enthralling as I want it to be? Or is it overly pretentious and dated? Does it have anecdotes and/or theories or is it purely scientific?

 

Have read the biographies of Sir Bobby, Sir Alex and Harry Redknapp recently - thoroughly enjoyed all. Think I might try Bergkamp's next, looks a good read. Not really interested in Pirlo. Wish there were more Newcastle ones.

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