Monthly Archives: May 2010

Monotheism & Defensive Midfielders

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Dr Ted

The notion of progress as an incontrovertible good pervades the cultural fabric of England. Monotheistic religions such as Christianity assert that God is a transcendental being that is separate from the immanent universe; as humanity was created in his image, … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and Law | 3 Comments

England 3 Mexico 1

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Dr Ted

England were comprehensively outplayed by Mexico in the first period, yet somehow the Three Lions led 2-1 at half-time. Mexico played an assertive 4-3-3 formation, pressing England high up the pitch. James Milner and Michael Carrick were overrun in central-midfield, … Continue reading →

Posted in Centre for Match Analysis | 8 Comments

Total Football

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Dr Ted

WCC asked two top footballing minds to select the most appropriate geometric representation of totaalvoetball (total football), which was most famously expressed by Dutch teams in the 1970s. World Cup mascot from 1990, Ciao and Allied Forces’ captain John Colby … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and Law | 2 Comments

England: Plan C

Posted on May 23, 2010 by Dr Ted

WCC recently explored England’s Plan D, and will look at plan A and B before the tournament – but what of Plan C? A popular approach would be a 4-2-3-1, but with Wayne Rooney leading the line and Steven Gerrard … Continue reading →

Posted in Physical Sciences | 1 Comment

Fantasy Football Statistics (Weighted)

Posted on May 23, 2010 by Dr Ted

WCC recently analysed fantasy football data to explore an England XI based on performance statistics. We utilized Fantasy Premier League stats, and focused on average points per game from the 09/10 season. One potential issue with analyzing player performance is … Continue reading →

Posted in Physical Sciences | Comments Off

Capello’s a clown!

Posted on May 22, 2010 by Dr Ted

WCC has explored how history is swayed by contingent events. The question posed by a counterfactual historian is what if? Below is a recent newspaper article – obtained from a parallel universe where Robert Kovac only received a yellow card … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and Law | Comments Off

Peter Crouch’s Cat

Posted on May 21, 2010 by Dr Ted

WCC convened a special meeting between Frank Lampard and Peter Crouch* so that they could explore the latter’s surprising source of inspiration. Their discussion is detailed below. Frank Lampard: Hi Peter. I understand that your approach to the art of … Continue reading →

Posted in Physical Sciences | 5 Comments

England team v Mexico

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Dr Ted

With two friendly fixtures before World Cup 2010, Fabio Capello has the tricky task of optimising the collective playing time of his favoured personnel whilst fielding as many of his squad as reasonably practicable. Even with Gareth Barry missing, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Vice Chancellor's Memo | 1 Comment