Arsene Wenger has said that although scouting a player and seeing him play remains the most important part of the decision making process, Arsenal use data provided by the analytics company the club bought in 2012 as part of the process.
Specific qualities in certain players can be found via the StatDNA database, and the Frenchman revealed that a combination of this process and regular scouting helped him make up his mind about the 24 year old Brazilian.
“We look at interceptions, defensive errors, winning tackles,” he said, “and what we call tackles is committing to win the ball.
“Set piece receptions, these kind of things, but the most important thing is through the eye.
“Does this system find players for us? That is what we look for, of course, because it is difficult to watch all the games. But what I mean is that if the numbers confirm the eye, it gives you more.
“We have our own system with qualities we think are important. After that, you have the attitude of the player. Because you can have good stats for a while but if you go out every night until six o’clock in the morning, it won’t last.”
Wenger’s comments are interesting, especially as just last month Gilles Grimandi raised questions about the use of stats when it came to scouting potential recruits.
He also spoke about his defensive qualities, playing down any comparisons with the somewhat flaky David Luiz.
“Gabriel is a more typical defender. He is a real defender, who wants to defend. He’s from São Paulo. He’s a Paulista. You have Rio players and you have São Paulo players. One is a beach area and the other is more hard-working.”
With a language barrier to overcome – although after 18 months in Spain his Spanish is surely not bad – Wenger talked about how that was a priority to help the former Villarreal man adapt more quickly.
“He does not speak a word of English and that can cost you goals,” Wenger said.
“If you mix going forwards with backwards, it can cost you. It is a position where you need to know your partners and you need to communicate as well.
“We try to teach him the important words. Like ‘Offside.’ And ‘Look at the linesman!’”
Great to know. Logic being used…
Logic and …
is just me or did he sort of insult all of Rio in gentlemanly manner?
To be fair, 87% of statistics are made up on the spot
Huh, I thought Barney had it at 83%.
Stats are like mini skirts; they can give you a good idea but they hide what’s really essential
Ha…i thought the analogy was more potent and visual when applied to bikinis
“We try to teach him the important words. Like ‘Offside.’ And ‘Look at the linesman!’”
and “Wojciech is coming out!!!”
But wojcicech wont be playing!!!
But he will play for the Fa cup tie with Boro, and i’m sure in that game Gabi will play for us from the start.
Win !
Nowadays you can prove anything with stats, 50% of people know that.
The other 60% aren’t good enough at maths to realise where they are going wrong.
Most importantly they need to teach him “John Terry is a cunt”
99.9% cunt at that.
You left off several 9s.
No one needs to be taught that. He’ll know it the moment he sees him, it’s natural instinct for 99.99% of the population!
Our transfers since we use these datas: Gabriel, Bielik, Welbeck, Alexis, Chambers, Debuchy, Ospina, Ozil, Monreal, Podolski, Cazorla, Giroud. I have no Problem with this database at all.
I have a slight problem with Chambers, Debuchy, Podolski and Giroud to be fair. This system should have got us much better players for a bargain.
I think, to be fair to Chambers, his time will come. This was a fella who started only 25 times before coming in and doing a more than solid job starting at the beginning of the season, oh and he’s only 20. Expense for a young defender, but it wasn’t long ago that some people we throwing around Mr. Arsenal around when talking about him. Debuchy, while unfortunately hurt often this season, has looked a more than apt replacement for Sagna, the most consistent player we have had in the prior 5 years. Podolski was like 10mil and providing some… Read more »
The most important words against Chelsea – clatter him
No. He needs to knpw the “F” word….when it is used, what it can be used for and when to actually say it to the faces of the cunts lile terry &,the likes….at corners &,other setpieces!!!
What?! There is a situation which the “F” word CAN’T be used for?
Afternoon tea with Grandma?
Surely, that is a fuckin shock to more people than just me?
I’ve never seen him play, but he looks mean af… Hope he adds some steel to the back line as Per isn’t getting any younger.
People are dicks (not from this post) i am strangely watching highlights of arsenal beating this year against newcastle at home. We played well but only won as szszeny was in goal. He made some brilliant saves. Ok he smoked on the shower. SO FUCKING WHAT? The keeper who shared the golden glove last season is fucking awesome. I know he is our number one and wish the cunts (that were probably slagging off Ramsey would kindly FUCK OFF thats alright
I don’t undestand the hatred/giving up on Szczesny ,yes he’s crazy but so was Mad Jens , Arsenal keepers are required to be crazy . I remember Almunia wasn’t crazy he stayed in line and was shit right there.
Not that I have any issue with Chesney, but our greatest keeper, Seaman, was about as sane and calm as one could get.
Also szczesny has had more clean sheets than Lloris for the past 2 seasons . It could be because his defence is shit but still he’s supposed to be a top top top keeper .
Personally I feel much safer with Ospina. It shouldn’t feel a relief when you barely notice your keeper in a game. But it does because it’s not uncommon for Szczesny to cost us a totally avoidable goal due to some rush of blood to the head. You just feel Ospina has the experience and personality not to make silly mistakes.
Szczesny to cost us a totally avoidable goal due to some rush of nicotine to the head.
Her played fuckin well against Liverpool and West Ham too mate. Totally agree with you
@thenicolau15…….perez hilton?
I think you’ve got to make the distinction between people supporting Ospina and people slating Szczesny.
I don’t think Ospina has done anything in the games he’s played so far to suggest he should be dropped. That doesn’t mean I think Szcz is a bad keeper at all, just that Ospina is also very good…
Perhaps you need to stop refering to the Golden Glove so much as the other recipient is not the first team choice for this year either.
Telling people to fuck off and using cunt is tiresome also. Sounding like a shouty prick doesn’t advance any argument.
Grobelaar could be half decent at times but overall (you read that in arsene’s voice admit it) he was a clown. Chesney could still be great but he is a long way from it. The team look more assured with Ospina in goal. As for Ramsey, if he doesn’t stop bombing ahead of play he will begin to find his opportunities limited. He needs to realise last seasons goals were welcome but we have forwards to get us goals now and his job is to keep play moving when we attack and break it up when we lose the ball.… Read more »
I like this system, but the biggest players turn up on the biggest stage, it’s great unearthing hidden gems, but we have the money not to gamble on whether or not potential signing can cope with the pressure at the highest level, I really hope we compete for Mats Hummels signature this summer.
Getting any player is a gamble. More so if he hasn’t played in the PL before.
We could do a big list of world or european cup winners that haven’t taken to the PL.
I wonder if Wenger will pair him up with Nacho in defence at the beginning so can he give instructions to him in Spanish?
With Bellerin at right back, Ospina in goal and Arteta as the deepest lying midfielder, Koscielny and Mertesacker will have to learn Spanish.
Along with Cazorla, Sanchez and Ozil (who presumably speaks Spanish from his Real Madrid days) are we El Arsenal now?
as long as he doesn’t instruct him to run down the left wing and cross it!
Had to double-check Wenger’s quotes on that Rio-São Paulo thing. Thought it’d be another blogs gag. But it’s actually another AW gag, I suppose.
And as I type this Brazilian pundits just ridiculed AW for saying that.
So I guess you could say that Gabriel has Arsenal in his (stat) DNA. I’m sorry, I’ll see myself out.
That was brilliant.
Stat-u Gabby?
Oh, wait its Thierry.
I commented it once here, will always say it one more time, I got my job offer for a data analysis/ decision sciences firm after in an interview I told them about using statistics in sports and the problem that Grimaldi mentioned, it was a very interesting problem and they said that the problem was there becuase by observing we change the behaviour of the system, like if we observe a thief then that person won’t steal, he/she will conceal his/her original traits, a similar thing happens with the scout reports as Grimaldi mentions, the players game the system, so… Read more »
Yeah, and it wouldn’t be obvious to all that player ‘A’ was making tackles and player ‘B’ was avoiding them.
Tens of thousands would miss the fact one player was shirking his duties (you know defender making tackles) so he could game his stats, all in the middle of a fast paced game.
I think even the Tea Lady could spot that.
Not really, even the tea lady would miss it if the daily fail had an article titled “worlds best defender” and some randomer in it who ticked all the correct boxes but actually was poo.
Any relations with my Michael Reiziger gab??
finally we feel that we don’t need any more players don’t we?
We started the season thinking Sczesny, Gibbs, Debuchy, Mertesacker and Arteta would be in first 11, and now we have Ospina, Monreal, Bellerin, Coq and hopefully Gabriel….
Good times
Honestly, the Rio/Sao Paulo comparison is one I’ve never heard mentioned before. Typical insight from the great man.
Well….Arsene, we have been telling you for years to play Football Manager. Does it all for you. I literally could have told you about Aguero, Neymar and a few others like 6 years ago. ;’ (
Does it tell you how to earn the money to pay for guys like Aguero and Neymar?
Straight up, FM10(??) Even let me know Robinho and Neymar are related. Or hes his godfather. I mean what else do you need…..
‘Look at the linesman’ seems the play to the whistle idea we were taught as kids is void for professionals were games are won and lost in split second decisions. Things like that shouldn’t be left to chance!
I thought it as more look to linesman to play the offside trap not to see if his flags up
Did any body listen to talk sport drive and get those two puppets when Wenger that Paulista can not speak English and that can cost goal and see the way they turn it upside down and the disrespect that Wenger does not have an idea about anything I can remember an English manager winning anything in this country for a long time beside the Harry and see where Portmouth end up what a chick
Adrian Durham is a prick!
yes he is, well observed
Also teach him spurs are SCUM!!! and he must not become on in the future
Adrian Durham is a prick but he is also a nobody. Don’t feed the troll!
Ps John Terry is a cunt.