Ryan O'Hanlon
@rwohan.bsky.social
I wrote a book, which you can buy: https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/net-gains_9781419758911/
Also, I write for ESPN. Everything's in here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kFcLd4yoHj_D4V5ODeutiy5DxWkDSOAtgvZ7xqr5Gfk/edit?tab=t.0
Also, I write for ESPN. Everything's in here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kFcLd4yoHj_D4V5ODeutiy5DxWkDSOAtgvZ7xqr5Gfk/edit?tab=t.0
Reposted by Ryan O'Hanlon
We examined which goalkeeper metrics are the most stable for evaluating performance.
Using Spearman correlations, we found that avoiding negative actions is far more stable than save percentage or PSxG. 📊⬇️
www.gradientsports.com/blog/why-sta...
Using Spearman correlations, we found that avoiding negative actions is far more stable than save percentage or PSxG. 📊⬇️
www.gradientsports.com/blog/why-sta...
Why Stability Matters When Evaluating Goalkeeper Performance
www.gradientsports.com
December 19, 2025 at 2:02 PM
We examined which goalkeeper metrics are the most stable for evaluating performance.
Using Spearman correlations, we found that avoiding negative actions is far more stable than save percentage or PSxG. 📊⬇️
www.gradientsports.com/blog/why-sta...
Using Spearman correlations, we found that avoiding negative actions is far more stable than save percentage or PSxG. 📊⬇️
www.gradientsports.com/blog/why-sta...
Reposted by Ryan O'Hanlon
🧵 Thread: I recently looked into the concept of escaping pressure 👇
1️⃣ 3rd player, up-back combos are the most efficient at escaping pressure
🔷 I defined a press-escaping situation as a pass that found a free player (not pressured in 3 seconds), after 2 consecutive ball carriers were pressurized
1️⃣ 3rd player, up-back combos are the most efficient at escaping pressure
🔷 I defined a press-escaping situation as a pass that found a free player (not pressured in 3 seconds), after 2 consecutive ball carriers were pressurized
December 17, 2025 at 3:18 PM
🧵 Thread: I recently looked into the concept of escaping pressure 👇
1️⃣ 3rd player, up-back combos are the most efficient at escaping pressure
🔷 I defined a press-escaping situation as a pass that found a free player (not pressured in 3 seconds), after 2 consecutive ball carriers were pressurized
1️⃣ 3rd player, up-back combos are the most efficient at escaping pressure
🔷 I defined a press-escaping situation as a pass that found a free player (not pressured in 3 seconds), after 2 consecutive ball carriers were pressurized
Reposted by Ryan O'Hanlon
Check out @americansocceranalysis.com
for this year's edition of my MLS Superdraft Big Board. This year, there's more depth and more room for discovery. Also, for college soccer fans it includes ALL Division 1 players regardless of draft eligibility.
There's some exciting players coming in 👀
for this year's edition of my MLS Superdraft Big Board. This year, there's more depth and more room for discovery. Also, for college soccer fans it includes ALL Division 1 players regardless of draft eligibility.
There's some exciting players coming in 👀
The 2026 MLS SuperDraft ASA Big (Dash)Board — American Soccer Analysis
By Paul Harvey The MLS Superdraft in many ways kicks off the offseason, as most teams have yet to make any real signings. Even though many of the draft picks will never play for their respective fi...
www.americansocceranalysis.com
December 16, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Check out @americansocceranalysis.com
for this year's edition of my MLS Superdraft Big Board. This year, there's more depth and more room for discovery. Also, for college soccer fans it includes ALL Division 1 players regardless of draft eligibility.
There's some exciting players coming in 👀
for this year's edition of my MLS Superdraft Big Board. This year, there's more depth and more room for discovery. Also, for college soccer fans it includes ALL Division 1 players regardless of draft eligibility.
There's some exciting players coming in 👀
If you enjoy checking this document, then I have good news. I have updated this document to include everything I've written, including a piece about who's to blame for Liverpool's struggles. Hint: it's not Salah or Slot. docs.google.com/document/d/1...
OHanlon-ESPN-2025
Ryan O’Hanlon, ESPN Archive: 2025 There’s no great way to see everything I’ve written (or said (publicly)) over the past few weeks, let alone the whole year. So, I’ve decided to copy my buddy Bill Co...
docs.google.com
December 16, 2025 at 2:03 PM
If you enjoy checking this document, then I have good news. I have updated this document to include everything I've written, including a piece about who's to blame for Liverpool's struggles. Hint: it's not Salah or Slot. docs.google.com/document/d/1...
I wrote about the birth and the death of the Group of Death: www.espn.com/soccer/story...
How the 2026 World Cup already killed the 'group of death'
Everyone wants to know: which teams are in the group of death for the 2026 World Cup? Well, the "group of death" may be officially dead.
www.espn.com
December 9, 2025 at 2:08 PM
I wrote about the birth and the death of the Group of Death: www.espn.com/soccer/story...
Reposted by Ryan O'Hanlon
⚽️ Just launched xstandings.com
Inspired by FiveThirtyEight, xStandings simulates the rest of the season to forecast final standings:
✅ Title, playoff, relegation odds
✅ Match-by-match win/draw/loss predictions
✅ “What if” explorer for upcoming games
Inspired by FiveThirtyEight, xStandings simulates the rest of the season to forecast final standings:
✅ Title, playoff, relegation odds
✅ Match-by-match win/draw/loss predictions
✅ “What if” explorer for upcoming games
xStandings — Predict Soccer Standings
xStandings simulates every match to forecast league standings. Explore your team’s chances for top 4, title, or relegation — updated weekly.
xStandings.com
September 12, 2025 at 4:00 PM
⚽️ Just launched xstandings.com
Inspired by FiveThirtyEight, xStandings simulates the rest of the season to forecast final standings:
✅ Title, playoff, relegation odds
✅ Match-by-match win/draw/loss predictions
✅ “What if” explorer for upcoming games
Inspired by FiveThirtyEight, xStandings simulates the rest of the season to forecast final standings:
✅ Title, playoff, relegation odds
✅ Match-by-match win/draw/loss predictions
✅ “What if” explorer for upcoming games
Seven Total Shots, Six Total Cards: The 2025-26 Premier League season
November 30, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Seven Total Shots, Six Total Cards: The 2025-26 Premier League season
Really tough result for Liverpool. You just can’t afford to lose a relegation six-pointer at home.
November 22, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Really tough result for Liverpool. You just can’t afford to lose a relegation six-pointer at home.
Reposted by Ryan O'Hanlon
Cristiano Ronaldo is so desperate to enter a US market that he has been kept out of for nearly a decade that he's now shilling for not one but two of the worst autocrats in the world newrepublic.com/article/2033...
November 19, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Cristiano Ronaldo is so desperate to enter a US market that he has been kept out of for nearly a decade that he's now shilling for not one but two of the worst autocrats in the world newrepublic.com/article/2033...
Outside of one or two seasons, pretty much every Liverpool-City game since 2018 has been the same: City control the game, both teams create a similar amount of chances, and whoever kicks/heads the ball better wins.
November 9, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Outside of one or two seasons, pretty much every Liverpool-City game since 2018 has been the same: City control the game, both teams create a similar amount of chances, and whoever kicks/heads the ball better wins.
A cagey, tactically complex first half where both teams played pretty well? Back in my day, every Liverpool-Real Madrid game ended up with Liverpool outshooting Real Madrid, 45-1, and Madrid winning, 2-0.
November 4, 2025 at 8:53 PM
A cagey, tactically complex first half where both teams played pretty well? Back in my day, every Liverpool-Real Madrid game ended up with Liverpool outshooting Real Madrid, 45-1, and Madrid winning, 2-0.
I temporarily revived No Grass in the Clouds to write about the strangers on the Internet who are getting mad at the person I'm going to marry about an article I wrote six years ago: nograssintheclouds.substack.com/p/on-set-pie...
On set pieces and staying sane
Last week, I wrote an article about the one slippery-slope of using data in soccer that I’d always worried about: the path where everyone gets good at set pieces at the expense of everything else.
nograssintheclouds.substack.com
October 30, 2025 at 7:10 PM
I temporarily revived No Grass in the Clouds to write about the strangers on the Internet who are getting mad at the person I'm going to marry about an article I wrote six years ago: nograssintheclouds.substack.com/p/on-set-pie...
Write about the broader implications of data-driven decision-making on the aesthetics of a sport, and Arsenal fans post comments on an Instagram picture of your fiancée.
Write an article about how Arsenal are easily the best team in the Premier League, and Arsenal fans … barely say anything.
Write an article about how Arsenal are easily the best team in the Premier League, and Arsenal fans … barely say anything.
October 28, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Write about the broader implications of data-driven decision-making on the aesthetics of a sport, and Arsenal fans post comments on an Instagram picture of your fiancée.
Write an article about how Arsenal are easily the best team in the Premier League, and Arsenal fans … barely say anything.
Write an article about how Arsenal are easily the best team in the Premier League, and Arsenal fans … barely say anything.
I wrote about the best team in the Premier League, maybe the best defense we've ever seen, and whether those five open-play goals really even matter: www.espn.com/soccer/story...
Why we know Arsenal will win the Premier League (and how they could still be stopped)
We're not even a quarter of the way through the Premier League season, but we're ready to call it: Arsenal are winning it all. Well, unless ...
www.espn.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:10 PM
I wrote about the best team in the Premier League, maybe the best defense we've ever seen, and whether those five open-play goals really even matter: www.espn.com/soccer/story...
Broke out the ol' WHO YA GOT for El Clasico: Kylian Mbappe or Lamine Yamal? www.espn.com/soccer/story...
Move over Ronaldo and Messi, Spain's Clasico has a new star battle: Mbappé vs. Yamal
Not since Messi vs. Ronaldo has the Barcelona-Real Madrid rivalry given us a matchup like Yamal vs. Mbappe. So, which superstar would you rather have?
www.espn.com
October 26, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Broke out the ol' WHO YA GOT for El Clasico: Kylian Mbappe or Lamine Yamal? www.espn.com/soccer/story...
It was fun while it lasted.
Nick Pope has more assists than Florian Wirtz.
October 22, 2025 at 8:32 PM
It was fun while it lasted.
I've always wondered (and feared) what might happen if everyone started taking set pieces seriously. The first eight weeks of the Premier League season might be giving us a glimpse into the future, where soccer no longer features much, well, soccer: www.espn.com/soccer/story...
Are set plays ruining the Premier League? How throw-ins are boosting Arsenal, but adding boredom
As Premier League teams learn set pieces are a more efficient way to score, open play goals become rarer. Can the game withstand such a shift?
www.espn.com
October 21, 2025 at 1:16 PM
I've always wondered (and feared) what might happen if everyone started taking set pieces seriously. The first eight weeks of the Premier League season might be giving us a glimpse into the future, where soccer no longer features much, well, soccer: www.espn.com/soccer/story...
Reposted by Ryan O'Hanlon
Two months into the season, @rwohan.bsky.social and I did our first PREMIER LEAGUE RE-RANK.
📉 Liverpool, Brighton, Villa, Forest (duh)
📈 Bournemouth, Palace, Man Utd???, Everton!, the idea of promoted teams surviving (a couple, anyway)
www.espn.com/soccer/story...
📉 Liverpool, Brighton, Villa, Forest (duh)
📈 Bournemouth, Palace, Man Utd???, Everton!, the idea of promoted teams surviving (a couple, anyway)
www.espn.com/soccer/story...
Every Premier League team reranked: Man United find footing; Spurs on unsustainable path
It's time to rank all 20 teams in the Premier League again: Man United might be on the right track, Spurs should worry, and Arsenal are easily the best.
www.espn.com
October 17, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Two months into the season, @rwohan.bsky.social and I did our first PREMIER LEAGUE RE-RANK.
📉 Liverpool, Brighton, Villa, Forest (duh)
📈 Bournemouth, Palace, Man Utd???, Everton!, the idea of promoted teams surviving (a couple, anyway)
www.espn.com/soccer/story...
📉 Liverpool, Brighton, Villa, Forest (duh)
📈 Bournemouth, Palace, Man Utd???, Everton!, the idea of promoted teams surviving (a couple, anyway)
www.espn.com/soccer/story...
Follow This Simple, Four-Step Guide and I Promise That Your Terrible, Disappointing, Incredibly Wealthy Soccer Club Will See Results: www.espn.com/soccer/story...
How to fix Man United in four steps (with some help from Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City)
Man United haven't had sustained Premier League success in more than a decade. Here's what they need to do, by following the playbooks of Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City.
www.espn.com
October 10, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Follow This Simple, Four-Step Guide and I Promise That Your Terrible, Disappointing, Incredibly Wealthy Soccer Club Will See Results: www.espn.com/soccer/story...
This has been updated! docs.google.com/document/d/1...
October 7, 2025 at 8:24 PM
This has been updated! docs.google.com/document/d/1...
I wrote about Liverpool's biggest problem so far this season: the guy who led the Premier League in goals and assists last season. www.espn.com/soccer/story...
Is it time to worry about Mohamed Salah at Liverpool?
There is a lot of uncertainty around this new-look Liverpool side right now, but one thing we know for sure: if Salah doesn't play like himself soon, nothing else matters.
www.espn.com
October 7, 2025 at 12:51 PM
I wrote about Liverpool's biggest problem so far this season: the guy who led the Premier League in goals and assists last season. www.espn.com/soccer/story...
The Cubarsi Zone is soccer's version of the corner three.
October 5, 2025 at 4:34 PM
The Cubarsi Zone is soccer's version of the corner three.
Here is a list of midfielders I would rather have on my team than Declan Rice:
October 4, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Here is a list of midfielders I would rather have on my team than Declan Rice:
Story of their season so far: Liverpool are incredible when the other team isn't trying to attack and bad whenever the other team has a reason to punch back. www.espn.com/soccer/story...
Liverpool can't keep winning games like this -- or can they?
Liverpool are undefeated so far this season, but they keep leaving it late when it comes to big wins. How long can this continue?
www.espn.com
September 27, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Story of their season so far: Liverpool are incredible when the other team isn't trying to attack and bad whenever the other team has a reason to punch back. www.espn.com/soccer/story...
Can we predict who will win the Ballon d'Or in 10 years? I tried to do it: www.espn.com/soccer/story...
Dowman? Ngumoha? Yamal? Predicting the 2035 Men's Ballon d'Or
What were players doing 10 years before they won soccer's greatest individual prize? Ryan O'Hanlon gets his crystal ball out to see which current rising star will lift the Ballon d'Or in 2035.
www.espn.com
September 22, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Can we predict who will win the Ballon d'Or in 10 years? I tried to do it: www.espn.com/soccer/story...