What's New On Stats Bomb?

Here at Stats Bomb we remain committed to sourcing and providing high quality statistical and analytical work.  So much time can go into this that occasionally you can't see the wood for the trees when it comes to how the site looks.  Thankfully there are smart visually inclined people on hand to nudge you in the right direction and as a result we now have a sparkling new theme. Around the site As it stands, the site's offerings are categorised in the top menu. "Articles" holds a grid of the site's articles with the most recent at the top and is also the landing page if you arrive fresh on the site. "Authors" holds a list of all the authors that have contributed to the site since its inception and by clicking on that author's name, you will find a tiled display of their work.  So if you're looking for the work of Colin Trainor, Ted Knutson or Benjamin Pugsley who all contributed enormously to the early iterations of the site, there is a huge archive in there.  More recently, Dustin Ward, Ben Torvaney, myself and now Mohamed Mohamed have contributed regularly and throughout a rotating cast of guest writers have put work up here too.  It's a treasure trove, and all exists in an easily accessible format. "Podcasts" contains er... pages linking to podcasts. And the "Glossary" contains information about terms used within the site and though ripe for a rewrite (on the list!) has been a useful check point for people new to the site. But so what? The interesting part-- the NEW part-- is contained within the blue writing in the top right hand corner.  Aided by the groundwork of @ChelseaStats, Paul Riley has worked extremely hard in building his Expected Goals (xG) Dashboard and Chance Creation Maps and we're only too happy to provide a permanent link to his work.  The intention is that these charts will be updated throughout the season and will provide an accessible location for information that had previously been tricky to view- information that will benefit analysis. Expected Goals Dashboard Is Ross Barkley getting smart shots on goal? Take a look: Are West Ham converting an unsustainable rate of their shots on target? It sure looks like it. These charts can be separated for and against, by player, by shot type and more. It is also hoped that bloggers who want to write on these subjects should see this as a resource that they can use.   Chance Creation Maps How are teams creating their chances? That sounds like a pretty useful thing to know, right?  Styles vary as we can see when contrasting Palace and Man Utd.   Man Utd Very little from wide, lots of horizontal shuttle passes and only one chance from a corner? Louis van Gaal's ideas show through clearly.     Crystal Palace Direct, work to the flanks, few passes to the centre until you reach the box. A huge contrast to Man Utd's style. Defense Tottenham's full back areas. Crosses coming from Kyle Walker's area, Ben Davies' side vulnerable to the vertical pass? We have multiple ways to categorise the search, something that will become ever more powerful as the season continues. What is actually happening on the pitch?  Here we can see. Again, it is hoped that bloggers intending to write on subjects covered by these maps should consider them a resource to use. ___________________________________________________________ Going forward, Paul is hoping to contribute analysis with reference to these tools as and when stories emerge. For the rest of the site we have a core of contributors that will continue to provide work on all the major leagues, from player to manager to team analysis and we actively monitor the wider blog community in order to try to give a platform and outlet for the best work out there. Nearly everyone starts on a personal blog so if you have an idea, grab some data, learn some analytical techniques and put your work out there. We have a distinct interest in increasing the wider understanding and acceptance of statistical and analytical concepts around football- from fan to club to media- and in order to grow we need more people doing more and better work. There is much to do. Enjoy the site!