Many people say David Frew looks like Brad Pitt so it only seems apt that he uses ‘Moneyball’ analysis to prove that Liverpool are not a one man team based around Luis Suarez but goes on to say he wishes they were!

1. Liverpool are not a one man team

The below table shows the current top scorers for the top 7 EPL teams as at 17:30 3/12/2011. They are ordered by their One Man Team Ratio or OMTR as I have snazzily called it (trademark pending so hands off). OMTR is a simple calculation to get the percentage of a team’s goals their top scorer has got.

As you can see Suarez comes in a lowly 6^th out of 7. By their own logic the pundits who lazily tag Liverpool as a one man team must also give anybody having a bigger impact on their team the same tag. I think few would disagree with Ba and Van Persie being called a one man team but then it starts to get a bit murky. I don’t think anyone in their right minds could really say that Man United, Man City & Spurs are a one man team. Looking at these facts just emphasises how some pundits / journalists pick up a theme and run with it without doing any kind of analysis of what they are implying.

Also, as an aside, Liverpool’s chief and saviour, Mr John W. Henry is a big believer in the computer generated sport analysis that the new ‘Moneyball’ film is based on. Looking at the table above the ‘Moneyball’ conclusion would be that a one man team is created when a team’s top scorer scores more than a third of its team’s goals.

2. One man teams are the way forward!

Think of Dutch from Predator. Sure he had a highly competent team of commandos but it was Dutch who ultimately took out the Predator and left that Jungle alive. Think of Will’s basketball team in the ‘Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ and the Coaches match tactics, “Just give the ball to Will.” The result? They sweep away all before them in the Los Angeles Westside District Championship!

Looking back at the OMTR table again and the number one spot being held by Demba Ba. Do you think there are any Newcastle fans out there who are bemoaning the fact their season has been built on Demba’s goals? Of course not – they’re absolutely loving it!

I think teams that exceed performance relative to their means are those that embrace and actively encourage OMT status. If you look at the number 2 spot Arsenal and RVP are a great case in point. After a weak start I firmly believe the dispensing of the wannabe OMT makers of Fabregas and Nasri has revitalised what was a team in serious decline.  A OMT allows simple game plans and let’s be honest the simpler the plan the more they’re likely footballers are going to be able to execute them. Also, history is littered with teams whose finest hour has come as OMT: Maradona’s Napoli, Le Tissier’s Southampton, Gerrard’s Liverpool, Shearer’s Newcastle, Keane’s Man United to name but a few.

So come on Suarez – get scoring and make Liverpool a one man team!

 @forcefrewgood