Book Review: Net Gains

A review of the book from Ryan O'Hanlon on how analytics of changed soccer

It is hard to imagine a book that is more up my alley than Net Gains, by Ryan O'Hanlon on the history of analytics in soccer.

This is a book that doesn’t require an advanced degree to be able to enjoy, there are no equations or fancy math in the book, rather it is an exploration of the people that have brought soccer into the modern analytics world.

If you have a passing familiarity with analytics (and if you read me you probably do) many of the names will be familiar but the stories and struggles to have their ideas gain a foothold will be new. There are also new names I was unfamiliar with like Richard Pollard, a statistician who worked with the much-maligned Charles Reep (one of the people I have changed my opinion on based on this book) on ideas that were ahead of their time (he came up with something very similar to expected threat or possession value).

One of the main themes is about how analytics is still trying to find its place in the wider world of soccer. Essentially every large team has someone with an analytics or an analytics adjacent tile working within the club but true influence in decision-making is still hit or miss.

You will find xG (expected goals) has entered the mainstream but it is still something that is not properly understood of valued by clubs. This is to say nothing of potential gains to be made in relatively simple methods like spending more time working on set plays or looking to use the analytics departments to try and minimize mistakes in the transfer market.

The sport is changing but slowly and is long way from optimized, ultimately this book is about the people that are trying to find answers to a game that is reluctant to give up it’s secrets easily. O'Hanlon does an excellent job making this a compelling and worthwhile journey to come along on.

The get a sense of the book, ESPN has posted an excerpt from the chapter on midfield play (one of my favorites in the book).

The book is available starting October 18th, through all the regular places or through the publisher.

I was sent a review copy of this book for free but otherwise did not receive any compensation for this, even if you click a link to buy the book I do not get any reward besides feeling good about telling people a book I enjoyed.