“They’re coming home, they’re coming home, England are coming home…” Well, it seems, that is what most people think, with the UEFA Euros down to the last 16, our boys will have to put in a much better performance on Sunday if we are to avoid yet another humiliating exit.
Although, to be fair, I don’t really mind either way as I find myself studying the players far more than the way they are performing on the pitch, and it seems I am not alone.
You see, while us girls don’t mind a bit of footie now and again, many of us are much more interested in who is hot and who is not when it comes to the beautiful game.
And, just in time, here comes some help from AI – where else you may ask? – with a study from SeatPick (no, I have never heard of them either) ranking which England players are vying for the Champions League and which are in a relegation battle. (No easy task I admit.)
Now, apparently, way out in front is Manchester City defender Kyle Walker, who has a “golden ratio” of 88.95%, defined as a mathematical symmetry which influences perceived attractiveness.
He is followed by striker Harry Kane on 84.51% (well at least he’s scoring on this index if not on the pitch), and then keeper Jordan Pickford, and defenders John Stones and Harry Maguire completing the top five.
If, like me, you are wondering what the hell is attractive about any of that lot you might be surprised to find that Jack Grealish, who some claim is a man with flair and good looks, is languishing in 13th place, well below the likes of Phil Foden, Aaron Ramsdale and Bukayo Saka.
In fact, he is actually sandwiched between Kieran Trippier and Declan Rice, and, while no doubt some would be happy to be the extra filing in that sarnie, it does make you wonder whether the AI tool which they used for this particular study has got its wires crossed.
But, what, as ever, I hear you ask, has all this got to do with marketing? Well, as an industry which appears to be jumping into bed with AI with gusto (lucky old gusto) would you trust a tool that had any of this lot as easy on the eye, let alone masters of the beautiful game?
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