How much does assessing potential replacements for any player looking solely at their numbers take in to consideration the coaching element of football?
Seems to me as a layman on the subject that this methodology sacrifices if not entirely throws away a significant element of the sport.
How much in the data is it drawn out if a player is playing in especially unfavourable conditions? Poor coaching, playing out of position, being used in ways which don't benefit their skills, team has had an especially bad run of injuries which is affecting output, team sold its most creative player and never replaced them etc.
Seems like looking at output, even underlying output, doesn't take these things in to consideration much if at all?
Is it not a great recipe for overlooking talent that's being wasted if you're approaching recruitment *only* from looking at their numbers?
Unless I'm mistaken.
Not Darwin related especially I don't think he'll be moved on, nor do I want him to be, just trying to understand this 'look at the numbers across Europe who could possibly replace him? ' stance.