Ryan O'Hanlon
American soccer writer at ESPN and author of Net Gains (2022), on soccer analytics and how the game is changing. Writes No Grass in the Clouds, a newsletter that now mostly gathers his ESPN pieces, with earlier long essays on European football.
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What they believe
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The Premier League has become a version of the NFL.
Since then, the Premier League has become its own version of the NFL - a glittering weekly chaos-driver.
nograssintheclouds.substack.comSaid 9 Nov 2021This on korrents
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Mohamed Salah may be the best player in the world right now.
Yeah, he really might just be the best player in the world right now
nograssintheclouds.substack.comSaid 26 Oct 2021This on korrents
The bold line is korrents’ wording; the quote is theirs. These 2: what they wrote before what they said aloud, one per source, newest first.
Beliefs
Korrents What they believe 11 beliefs — each backed by an exact quote.
Each is a — compiled by korrents.com, not by them: the one-line wordings are korrents', the quotes are theirs.
Recent
The Premier League has become a version of the NFL.
Since then, the Premier League has become its own version of the NFL - a glittering weekly chaos-driver.
No Grass in the Clouds Said 9 Nov 2021
Mohamed Salah may be the best player in the world right now.
Yeah, he really might just be the best player in the world right now
No Grass in the Clouds Said 26 Oct 2021
The fact that Lionel Messi only had one season with a better rate suggests that Salah won't be able to keep this up for a full season.
The fact that Messi only did it once suggests that Salah won't be able to keep this up for a full season, and so, too, do his underlying numbers.
No Grass in the Clouds Said 26 Oct 2021
Show 8 more
Chelsea's current performance is largely due to good luck and goalkeeping rather than being the best team in the league.
Mostly a combo of good goalkeeping, bad goalkeeping, and good luck.
No Grass in the Clouds Said 19 Oct 2021
Chelsea's current goal-scoring rate is unlikely to continue at its present level.
In other words, against Chelsea this season, opposing keepers have made saves at a below average rate and opposing attackers have finished at a below-average rate -- less signs of a great team, and more something that's unlikely to continue.
No Grass in the Clouds Said 19 Oct 2021
It is not possible for a team to maintain the specific level of dominance Chelsea displayed last season for a full year.
As for the second way to look at it, there's a reason we've never really seen a team do what Chelsea did last season for a full year: it's not possible.
No Grass in the Clouds Said 19 Oct 2021
European soccer clubs are increasingly making decisions based on semi-objective information rather than tradition.
Clubs across Europe are very slowly getting smarter, basing their decisions on semi-objective information rather than the institutional legends of "that's just how things have always been done".
No Grass in the Clouds Said 30 Jul 2021
The average shot distance from goal will drop again this season.
I'd bet that the average shot distance from goal drops again this season
No Grass in the Clouds Said 30 Jul 2021
Top-tier resources will increasingly be directed toward players in their early 20s over the next five years.
I'd bet that more and more of the top-tier resources get directed toward players in their early 20s over the next half-decade.
No Grass in the Clouds Said 30 Jul 2021
Slower soccer can create more space and time for midfielders to influence match outcomes.
Slower and worse soccer might not sound like fun, but it's created all kinds of new space and time for midfielders to influence the outcomes of matches.
No Grass in the Clouds Said 22 Jun 2021
At the Euros, it is easier for midfielders to escape the 'Valley of Meh' and directly affect goal-scoring because opponents are not as good.
At the Euros, it's a lot easier for a midfielder to escape the Valley of Meh and directly affect goal-scoring because, well, the teams they're playing against just aren't as good.
No Grass in the Clouds Said 22 Jun 2021
What is a korrent?
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Where they publish
Newsletter No Grass in the Clouds Weekly round-ups of his ESPN pieces; 2021-2024 essays on the Premier League and European football
Open nograssintheclouds.substack.com
Link verified 24 Oct 2026.
x.com @rwohan His X account
Link verified 24 Oct 2026.
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