Plenty has been written about the role of cognitive bias in sports. Much of it, however, is theoretical. Having worked in soccer for six years now, I’ve experienced the effect of several biases – and other mental errors – directly in my daily interactions. I thought it might be helpful for other decision-makers in soccer to hear about some of these errors in a real-world setting. Here is a short and doubtlessly incomplete list. I’ve coined some of the terms myself, so expert readers may know some of these phenomena by other names. Prejudice. Simple, old-fashioned prejudice is alive and well…
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Managers
Who are the most skillful coaches in Europe?
It’s been a while since I posted anything here about coaches. I have a lot of love for coaches, even those with whom I haven’t always agreed. Their job is tough, especially when they have to deal with recruiting, tactics, man-management, the media, and even renting the training pitch. Some coaches get paid a ton, but most of them don’t. They all endure crushing pressure and huge emotional swings. The only “bad” coaches are the ones who are cruel, prejudiced, or lazy. But there are still discernible differences in skill. There’s an adage in soccer that only a small number of coaches can make a…
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When is it time for the manager to go?
After yesterday’s loss to FC Midtjylland, Louis van Gaal is again under pressure at Manchester United. Earlier this season, I wrote that he was doing fairly well given the players at his disposal, and he certainly didn’t have his first-choice team in Denmark. But after some embarrassing losses, it’s natural that fans – and maybe even executives at the club – are calling for the sack. In truth, it’s far from an easy decision. The market for managers is full of informational asymmetries. In plain English, clubs can’t always tell how skilled a manager is or how good the match…
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