Tag: Introduction to Football Analysis

The simple vs. complex language debate in football tactics writing & analysis

Featured by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Most Recent

On the one hand, it's nice that those in the community are continuously challenging each other to improve. On the other hand, I wish there was more of a recognition toward the simple fact that there is no right or wrong way to conducting analysis in football. This week the debates stemmed around the notion that simple language is obviously, unequivocally, the best approach when it comes to writing and analyzing football. I'm not sure which one of us wrote the article that tipped the scale and confused everyone, but I'm here to say that complex language can be incredibly useful if used correctly.

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Final Project – Introduction to Analysis Course

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Masterclasses

We are finally here! We have arrived to the penultimate moment of this course. The ninetieth minute, if you will. But before we come to a final curtain close, we're going into extra time to have you work on a real life application of your learnings in this course. Here's how it works...

How to take notes when watching football

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Most Recent

Trying to capture everything imaginable when watching a football match remains an impossible endeavour. But simultaneously, trying to capture absolutely nothing beyond the first glance won't necessarily yield great results in your task to remember important information and events. So as part of our Introduction to Football Analysis course, I'm going to be teaching you my entire process of taking notes from start to finish.

Copyright and intellectual property rights in football writing & analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Most Recent

Let's be clear. Educational / 'fair use' is not copying someone's words and claiming them as your own. What is the point in being a content creator if you're not going to create content? What is the point in being a content creator if you're not going to have original ideas? We are all biased by our experiences, and we are all welcome to echo others and use the work of others as inspiration for our own ideas. But there is line that must not be crossed, and as soon as it's crossed, the wolves are welcome to come out.

Find me a player for…

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Recruitment & Scouting

One of the most commonly used scouting tools today is to find a similar comparison to an already existing professional player. This is used as a useful way of sizing up a player, and identifying their strengths, weaknesses, skillsets, and style of play in relation to a known quantity. But we must remember that a range of topics go into any recruitment scenario, in our quest to find the best fit. In this article, as part of our Introduction to Football Analysis course, we detail how to 'Find a player for ___'.

Social media management in football analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Masterclasses

Where would I be without sharing my work on Twitter? Absolutely nowhere. I wouldn't be helping anyone, and I wouldn't have the strong following that I've developed across the site. Twitter is responsible for approximately 1,000 views on my site per day, and where I've had some of the best football conversations I've ever had. So today, I'm going to be sharing my best tips and tricks to managing a social media account in football analysis, and how to get the most out of your experience.

Finding your fit as a player

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Masterclasses, Player Education

Even if a coach has not clearly communicated how they see the player fitting into the grander scheme, any footballer can come to a realization about the type of role they fulfill for their team and how they work as part of the team to achieve success on a grander scale, beyond just the individual facets of their game.

Performance Analysis 101

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Most Recent

What's this new fancy word you've been hearing floating around the football industry, you ask? A 'performance analyst' is someone who lives and breathes the tactical and analytical side of the game, who may not even ever enter the football pitch itself. They are interested in analyzing anything that has to do with performance, whether that be through quantitative (such as data, statistics, numbers, etc.) or qualitative means (opinion-based insights).

Microsoft Excel: Inputting data + creating graphs and charts

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Data Analysis, Masterclasses

Microsoft Excel is one of the most commonly used platforms in businesses around the world, particularly for inputting and analyzing data. As an analyst, it will become a useful tool for you to keep information in one place, and create stunning graphs and charts on the data you find. It's used so much so that most platforms you will find (FBRef, Wyscout, etc.) even have the ability for you to download their statistics for your own purposes on Excel. Let's jump into how to use this well-known platform to your benefit when conducting football analysis.

How to create football graphics with Microsoft Powerpoint

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Match Analysis

I've relied almost entirely on my ability to create stunning graphics through one of the most basic tools in existence - Microsoft Powerpoint. With the tips I'm about to present, you could do the same on the well-known platform, or similar tools such as Keynote or Google Slides, without detracting from your analysis.

Football analysis with FBRef

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Data Analysis, Masterclasses

In the past year of football analysis, FBRef has become my favourite platform for collecting data, comparing players, and identifying hidden success stories. The website, powered by StatsBomb, is an awesomely free open-source platform for football statistics. In this article, as part of our Introduction to Football Analysis course, I'm going to be taking you through how to get the most out of FBRef, and how to use the well-known platform as a tool to strengthen your analysis. Let's dive in!

How to use Wyscout for successful football analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Most Recent

As football analysis has risen to prominence in the past decade, platforms like Wyscout, InStat, StatsBomb and smarterscout have become commonplace for clubs, analysts, scouts, coaches and even players around the world. In today's article, as part of our Introduction to Football Analysis course, we detail how to successfully use Wyscout to enhance your analytical mind and football analysis frame.