Robbie Dunne

Madrid

Writer at Into the Calderón

Data Visualisation Editor at Stats Perform

Irish lad in Madrid. Front end web development and all sorts of data viz for @optaanalystus. One half of @lapausa_pod.

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Articles

Academy Products, Long-Term Planning, and Stability: Inside Deportivo La Coruña’s Plan for La Liga Comeback

1 week ago | theanalyst.com | Robbie Dunne

Since Deportivo La Coruña’s last relegation from La Liga in 2018, they’ve spent longer in the third tier than the second. But now back in the Segunda, they’re building sustainably with the aim of getting back to the top flight – and staying there. Deportivo La Coruña occupy that uneasy overlap in the Venn diagram where fading giants and hungry upstarts meet.
2025 NFL Draft: Which Prospects Compare Most Closely to NFL Players?

2 weeks ago | theanalyst.com | Tyler Greenawalt |Ana Gonzalez |Ana González |Robbie Dunne

We’re using our model to discover which NFL players most resembled this current batch of prospects at the time they were coming out of college. It may not be the cleanest way to do it, but it gives a glimpse of a possible future for a player. Or, at least, a goal for a player to reach and/or surpass. Comparing draft prospects to NFL players is a natural part of the evaluation process. And at no position is this more prevalent than quarterback.
Top MLB Rookies 2025: Players Who Will Come of Age

1 month ago | theanalyst.com | Craig Haley |Ana Gonzalez |Ana González |Robbie Dunne

Major League Baseball franchises can get a boost from free agent signings and trades, but time is on their side when prospects turn into proven players. Here’s a breakdown of rookie candidates who seek to make an impact in the 2025 season. Spring training puts a spotlight on MLB rookies. Quite simply, baseball fans want to see who’s going to advance from the Arizona Fall League to the majors’ breakout prospect of the year.
Corbins Hold Key to Arizona Diamondbacks' Success | Opta Analyst

1 month ago | theanalyst.com | Ryan Fagan |Ana Gonzalez |Ana González |Robbie Dunne

“Snakes Alive” was the rally cry of the D-backs’ march to the 2023 World Series. Now a big offseason has them thinking big again in one of the toughest divisions in baseball. In the history of our great sport, only three players with the first name Corbin have ever donned a Major League Baseball uniform. Out in the Arizona desert, the Diamondbacks are counting on two of them – Burnes and Carroll – to help lead the franchise back to October’s promised land in 2025.
Ranking the Most- and Least-Improved NFL Teams

1 month ago | theanalyst.com | Tyler Greenawalt |Matt Sisneros |Robbie Dunne

The NFL free agency frenzy is slowing down, and 2025 rosters are starting to take shape. Some teams look better, some look worse. Our team ratings reveal the biggest movers. The NFL offseason brings a lot of hope for teams looking to improve the following year. Big signings, blockbuster trades and other major moves can change the trajectory of a franchise in one spring. But after the biggest waves of the free agency period, team rosters become ever clearer in the receding tides.
Carlos Corberán's Quiet Revolution is Giving Valencia a Fighting Chance

1 month ago | theanalyst.com | Robbie Dunne

Years of decline had left Valencia staring into the abyss. Now, thanks to a managerial change and a quiet tactical evolution, they’re showing signs of life. And maybe a future. By any reasonable measure, Valencia CF should be one of Spain’s great football clubs. They have all the ingredients – the history, a fervent fanbase, a stadium that feels less like a venue and more like the home of a powerful institution.
Thomas Tuchel’s Tactical Revolution: How Will New-Look England Play?

1 month ago | theanalyst.com | RYAN BENSON |Matt Sisneros |Jonathan Manuel |Robbie Dunne

Thomas Tuchel takes charge of his first England game on Friday. Ahead of that match, we assess how the German wants his new team to play. A new era begins for England on Friday as the Three Lions host Albania at Wembley in their opening World Cup 2026 qualifier, and what will also be Thomas Tuchel’s first match as head coach more than five months after he was officially appointed.
NFL Free Agency: How Teams Have Gone All in With Linemen

1 month ago | theanalyst.com | Tyler Greenawalt |Ana Gonzalez |Ana González |Robbie Dunne

The theme during NFL free agency has been to go big. Teams have put focus on the offensive and defensive lines, and the spending has added up. Would it surprise you to learn that four of the top five biggest contracts during this 2025 NFL free agency period were given to linemen? Teams have pushed a lot of their chips into fortifying the trenches this offseason to shore up their offensive and defensive lines.
Intentional Walks: The Hidden Cost to Motivating the Next Batter

1 month ago | theanalyst.com | Ethan Kruger |Robbie Dunne

A walk often sets up a team to score a run. An intentional walk? Well, that can either be a smart strategic move or lead to a big inning. We take a look at what the data tells us about hitting performance following a free pass. Many events in sports offer motivation for an opponent. Criticism of a player, team or fanbase in the media before a key matchup can “pour gasoline on the fire,” increasing a team’s desire to win.
Raphinha's Case for the Ballon d'Or

1 month ago | theanalyst.com | Robbie Dunne

The 2025 Ballon d’Or debate is wide open. As Barcelona chase a historic treble, we analyse how Raphinha is making a statistical case for himself. There’s a power vacuum at the top of world football. Between 2011 and 2017, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo finished first and second in Ballon d’Or voting. After Luka Modric’s win in 2018, Messi then won three of the next four. The dominance between the pair made the Ballon d’Or feel less like an award and more like an inevitability.