Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2019 / iii / Paper 218 / 3 / c / Solution

The player random intercept models stable player-to-player scoring ability and accounts for the six repeated observations on each player. The manager included it because treating those observations as conditionally independent with one common baseline would ignore both heterogeneity and within-player dependence.

The coefficient $0.4385$ says that, holding competition and player effect fixed, the expected scoring rate against S is multiplied byrelative to R. More goals are scored against S, so R appears to be the stronger rival.