My latest ESPN piece went up earlier today. I wrote about how the Billy Beane-led ownership group at Toulouse, who play Liverpool in the Europa League on Thursday, had to relinquish control of the club because they won too many games last season: The next season, they got more of the little decisions right, won Ligue 2 outright, and produced a better goal differential (plus-49) than the second- and third-place teams combined. The following year was supposed to be a consolidation campaign: figure out which players to move on without weakening the team too much and establish Toulouse as a Ligue 1-quality team that was only at risk of relegation if a bunch of things went seriously wrong.
What Happens When Moneyball Works Too Well?
What Happens When Moneyball Works Too Well?
What Happens When Moneyball Works Too Well?
My latest ESPN piece went up earlier today. I wrote about how the Billy Beane-led ownership group at Toulouse, who play Liverpool in the Europa League on Thursday, had to relinquish control of the club because they won too many games last season: The next season, they got more of the little decisions right, won Ligue 2 outright, and produced a better goal differential (plus-49) than the second- and third-place teams combined. The following year was supposed to be a consolidation campaign: figure out which players to move on without weakening the team too much and establish Toulouse as a Ligue 1-quality team that was only at risk of relegation if a bunch of things went seriously wrong.