OptaJoe's Football Yearbook 2016: That thing you thought? Think the opposite.

Description

The football annual reinvented for the 21st Century - a myth-busting, entertaining guide full of cutting-edge analysis. Kane or Vardy? Pep or Jose? Pulis or ... anybody else? Football is a game of opinions. A world where received wisdom and the law of the hunch reign supreme. But football is becoming more intelligent. The history books may say that Leicester City winning the premier league 'defied logic', but if you looked more closely, they were always going to win . . . From distances run to pass success rate, shots on target to corners won, counter-attacks to tackles made, Opta, the world's leading sports data company, records everything. But what does it all mean? And how can it add to our love of the game? From the author and statistician behind the popular OptaJoe Twitter account, what follows is a hugely entertaining and insightful guide to football in 2016, analysing data from the world's greatest teams, players, leagues and tournaments. Stats can never tell us everything, but combining cutting-edge analysis with wry humour, this book debunks countless myths peddled by pundits, managers, and even players. The ideas that follow are both surprising and satisfying, but may also leave you with the feeling that 'yes, that's what I was thinking all along'.

Duncan Alexander is the co-founder of the OptaJoe Twitter account, one of Britain's top football statisticians and commentators who has almost 1m followers. He live tweets during games with his trademark blend of incisive analysis and droll humour. He works for Perform, one of the world's leading digital sports content and media companies. His first book, OptaJoe's Football Yearbook was published in 2016. Follow Duncan on Twitter @OptaJoe and @oilysailor.

For anybody interested in football this is pure nectar. * Evening Standard * The wealth of information Opta have at their fingertips makes them the finest resource in football * Guardian * You'll love this if you love football trivia. * BBC 5 Live * Thankfully, readers of OJFY should ensure that the calibre of football opinion improves. * News North Wales *