Straight A’s for Wenger from the ultimate number cruncher

Billy Beane, like Arsene Wenger, knows what it’s like to be at the sharp end of fans’ short-termism. But Mr Moneyball remains a fan and a disciple of the Arsenal manager

Billy Beane’s first words are surprising. “Have they stopped building houses over there that no one would live in?” He wants to know about the ghost estates and Ireland’s recovery from the crash.

Billy Beane is a man of surprises. We all know the story by now. As General Manager and Vice-President of Major League Baseball’s the Oakland Athletics, Beane firmly established himself as a revolutionary sports figure. He quit playing in 1990, at the unheard-of age of 27, to work for Oakland as a scout. He was promoted to GM in 1997. Under his guidance, Oakland turned baseball on its head.