Common sense, creating the next Kante, and the great untapped goldmine of Europe.
Common sense
There have been a few really good articles on those "laptop nerds who have never kicked a football" who seem to be rebuilding clubs. Norwich and Liverpool (unfortunately) fit this bill.
Steve Clarke also seems to be following a similar template with Kilmarnock albeit in a more old school way.
That template seems to be common sense. I keep reading these articles expecting to find some holy grail breakthrough but it all seems to come down to:
Picking a style.
Finding a coach who can coach in that style and agrees with your direction of travel.
Creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and professionalism.
When recruiting buy players who fit the style you want to play in.
Use your youth system and trust in the younger players.
Don't chop and change when things get rough, look at the direction of travel not the short term results (Klopp was 7th in his first season and Farke bottom half).
Yes all these steps sound easy when written down, and finding a coach who is both a good bloke and has an effective tactical mind isn't easy.
But it does make you wonder why so many clubs are so bad at it?
Why don't players change position?
I love data but all the basic overview stats can show us is how involved a player is in that particular role, in that particular system.
What I want to know is can we use data to identify the right skills for a positional change?
There have always been versatile players, from Alan Harper to James Milner, and who amongst us cannot remember those glorious few months in 1992 when Paul Warhurst was turned into a makeshift striker and scored 12 in 12 winning an England call up? Well probably anyone not aged 37+ but still.
There is a trend towards people wanting "line breaking" midfielders who can do a defensive job but still contribute to the attack by surging forwards. Think Ndombele, Sangare, Kante or any other French midfielder of your choice.
This is an increasingly valued role but these players seem hard to find. The skillset is good football intelligence and spatial awareness, dribbling ability but coupled with defensive solidity and stamina.
That doesn't seem that different to an attacking full back to me. As Kante has proven spectacularly you don't need to be 6ft 5" to play the role either, 5ft 6" is just fine.
Is it that changing a position is not that easy?
That players ultimately find their level regardless?
Perhaps but I remember Tony Hibbert changing from a centre midfielder to a right back and Ross Barkley playing centre back, centre midfielder, number 10 or striker for various Everton teams over the years (incidentally for all the perceived lack of footballing nous I have never seen a player change their game as much as Ross did as a youth, went from a Bryan Robson to a Gascoigne style player either side of a triple leg break).
Given that, I wonder if there is a potential Kante currently playing as a wing back?
Delving into the data (by which I mean looking at Whoscored) to pick one player out I think Jay Dasilva has the skillset to make the move.
Excellent dribbler
Good tackling and interception numbers
Very good passing and pace to surge forwards
Young enough to learn the new position
As much as I can tell from video seems to spot and cover danger well
Maybe it isn't worth the risk, he'll make a VERY good living from the game as it is, but with that switch could he improve?
Scouting French 3rd division
Talking of Kante, he along with a third of the World Cup winning squad have spend part of their career in the French 3rd division.
France has a weird structure, from the various google translated articles (my A-level French from 20 years ago seems to have worn off) it seems the 3rd tier of football operates on a hybrid semi-pro model with the French Football Federation operating a contract system.
Seemingly the average salary is £1500-2500 a month for a player. Given the talent France are producing this seems like a relatively untapped market by English clubs.
There are reasons for this obviously but I can't help but think a smart club could be partnering with one of these semi-professional teams and using it as a European development hub.
I'm going to attempt to do some data/video scouting of the division via Wyscout and will put my neck on the line by picking out some players.
There have been a few really good articles on those "laptop nerds who have never kicked a football" who seem to be rebuilding clubs. Norwich and Liverpool (unfortunately) fit this bill.
Steve Clarke also seems to be following a similar template with Kilmarnock albeit in a more old school way.
That template seems to be common sense. I keep reading these articles expecting to find some holy grail breakthrough but it all seems to come down to:
Picking a style.
Finding a coach who can coach in that style and agrees with your direction of travel.
Creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and professionalism.
When recruiting buy players who fit the style you want to play in.
Use your youth system and trust in the younger players.
Don't chop and change when things get rough, look at the direction of travel not the short term results (Klopp was 7th in his first season and Farke bottom half).
 |
| You mean calling players useless f'ing c**£s doesn't create a positive environment? |
Yes all these steps sound easy when written down, and finding a coach who is both a good bloke and has an effective tactical mind isn't easy.
But it does make you wonder why so many clubs are so bad at it?
Why don't players change position?
I love data but all the basic overview stats can show us is how involved a player is in that particular role, in that particular system.
What I want to know is can we use data to identify the right skills for a positional change?
There have always been versatile players, from Alan Harper to James Milner, and who amongst us cannot remember those glorious few months in 1992 when Paul Warhurst was turned into a makeshift striker and scored 12 in 12 winning an England call up? Well probably anyone not aged 37+ but still.
 |
| "I got 12 in 12 once you know. " Yes Paul, you've mentioned it a few times. |
There is a trend towards people wanting "line breaking" midfielders who can do a defensive job but still contribute to the attack by surging forwards. Think Ndombele, Sangare, Kante or any other French midfielder of your choice.
This is an increasingly valued role but these players seem hard to find. The skillset is good football intelligence and spatial awareness, dribbling ability but coupled with defensive solidity and stamina.
That doesn't seem that different to an attacking full back to me. As Kante has proven spectacularly you don't need to be 6ft 5" to play the role either, 5ft 6" is just fine.
Is it that changing a position is not that easy?
That players ultimately find their level regardless?
Perhaps but I remember Tony Hibbert changing from a centre midfielder to a right back and Ross Barkley playing centre back, centre midfielder, number 10 or striker for various Everton teams over the years (incidentally for all the perceived lack of footballing nous I have never seen a player change their game as much as Ross did as a youth, went from a Bryan Robson to a Gascoigne style player either side of a triple leg break).
Given that, I wonder if there is a potential Kante currently playing as a wing back?
Delving into the data (by which I mean looking at Whoscored) to pick one player out I think Jay Dasilva has the skillset to make the move.
Excellent dribbler
Good tackling and interception numbers
Very good passing and pace to surge forwards
Young enough to learn the new position
As much as I can tell from video seems to spot and cover danger well
Maybe it isn't worth the risk, he'll make a VERY good living from the game as it is, but with that switch could he improve?
 |
| Could a positional switch turn Jay from Championship left back to the new Kante? |
Scouting French 3rd division
Talking of Kante, he along with a third of the World Cup winning squad have spend part of their career in the French 3rd division.
France has a weird structure, from the various google translated articles (my A-level French from 20 years ago seems to have worn off) it seems the 3rd tier of football operates on a hybrid semi-pro model with the French Football Federation operating a contract system.
Seemingly the average salary is £1500-2500 a month for a player. Given the talent France are producing this seems like a relatively untapped market by English clubs.
There are reasons for this obviously but I can't help but think a smart club could be partnering with one of these semi-professional teams and using it as a European development hub.
I'm going to attempt to do some data/video scouting of the division via Wyscout and will put my neck on the line by picking out some players.
 |
| Famous for all these things but also relatively cheap footballers |
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