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Future Aspirations
Following the performance analysis lectures, and the Bayern Munich performance analysis package I completed, I feel like I have developed a basic understanding of what is required from a performance analyst on a daily basis. I know feel competent at using the analysis software used for coding, as well as creating post-game reports, live coding, motivational videos, scouting reports, opposition analysis and the development of key performance indicators.
In the near future, I will be embarking on my performance analysis career journey as I will be starting my placement with Bolton Wanderers academy. This is crucial for me as it will be my first role in performance analysis and I am excited to be expanding my current knowledge in the field by gaining experience working in a live sporting environment. This will hopefully provide me with improvement on aspects of the skills audit I didn't manage to improve whilst doing the Bayern Munich package i.e., setting equipment up, filming, GPS, feedback, dependability, teamwork and flexibility. Whilst improving the current skills I managed to achieve during the package.
Further down the line, I am looking to be progressing my career in performance analysis. This may be working in a sporting environment in England or abroad. I will also be using social media as a platform to promote my content of findings I completed for fun during EPL & Champions league matches. My dream is to become the lead analyst at an elite football club.
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Post-placement skills audit
Table 1. Post-placement skills audit of skills and qualities required to be part of a successful multidisciplinary team as a performance analyst.
Equipment & Software
During the lectures I participated in as well as conducting a Bayern Munich performance analyst package I believe I have progressed my performance analysis ability through out the last 12 months. I have had access to Nacsport and Wycout which are advanced performance analysis softwares that enabled me to complete the coding process to get the data for post-match reports, live analysis, scouting reports, opposition analysis etc... I believe this has further helped my development completing basic performance analysis tasks. However, there are some equipment & software sub-skills (table 1) I didn't get the opportunity to work on as my placement at Bolton Wanderers was canceled. Therefore no improvement in GPS, setting up cameras and equipment, and filming didn't see an improvement which is understandable. I will hopefully get the opportunity to complete these tasks when I get the opportunity to start my placement.
Presentation skills
While I didn't complete a placement, my presentation skills saw a slight improvement post-placement. This can be attributed to the lecture on live analysis where I analysed Leipzig attacking outcomes. This was then presented back to the other students at the University of Salford. This was a tough task for me as I have never presented something like this in a similar format over a computer class. I believe greater improvements in my presentation skills will be visible once I get the opportunity to start my placement as I will hopefully get the chance to present my data to the coach or players in person.
Interpersonal skills
I also set weekly objectives to complete a blog entry each Wednesday. This was a successful objective as I managed to complete the blog without rushing on the final day which I previously wouldn't have done therefore improvements in my time management was visible (Table 1).
Of course, I didn't get the opportunity to use more advanced equipment including GPS devices and video cameras to capture live video therefore I can complete a skills audit when I start my placement with Bolton Wanderers F.C when I am get the opportunity. Moreover, the interpersonal skills in (table 1) shows little progression over the course of the year. This was mainly due to the fact I didn't complete a placement due to COVID-19 so once again I will attribute back to these once I am working at my future summer placement.
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Scouting Report - Paul Pogba
As part of my performance analysis package, i had the task to complete a scouting analysis on a player i would sign for Bayern Munich during the 2020 transfer window.
Due to the fact I haven’t had the input from the coach or manager telling me the position or type of player they want me to look at, I had to work on my own self initiative on the current weaknesses within the squad and where a player could strengthen and created a needs analysis. The main issue was Central midfielder Thiago, who played a crucial role in the Champions’ league final, is leaving on a free to join UCL rival Liverpool.
As FC Bayern need a box-to-box playmaking midfielder as a replacement, I thought Paul Pogba of Manchester United would be a perfect fit as he will fit the system in replacement of Thiago. There are rumours he is unsettled and wants a new challenge and I believe he could fit perfectly into our ambitions of retaining the Champions’ league. He is a world cup winner and regarded as one of the best central midfielders in the world.
Scouting video on Paul Pogba:
I found the task relatively simple as Wyscout provided me the clips of Paul Pogba’s highlights from all competitions. As Pogba is a world class player, it was not difficult to find the clips required to include in the video. In the future, I would include more text in the video to add professionalism if I was delivering it to a coach or manager. This task maybe more difficult dependant on budget as teams with smaller budget need to focus more on un discovered gems, whereas Pogba has all the clips available as he plays at the top level, and Bayern are an elite club who can afford ready made talent.
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Key Performance Indicators
Prior to my package with Bayern Munich, i need an understanding on the development of key performance indicators.
Within performance analysis, there is an emergence of resources which coaches can use to help during a coaching process Groom et al., (2011). This includes key performance indicators (KPI's) which are developed in line with a clubs playing philosophy and what the coaches specifically desire. These can potentially identify transfer targets as well as developing the football team.
KPI examples
Figure 1. KPI examples taken from my dissertation.
Table 1. Operational definitions for KPI's.
KPI's are often used within a coding window which analysts can use during training sessions or matches. The KPI's are totally dependant on what the coach demands. Figure 1 shows the KPI's used for my dissertation where i focused on analysing successful corner kick methods and defensive strategies during the 19/20 UEFA Champions' league group stage. On this occasion, the implementation of key performance indicators was simple, as there is a lot of literature that i can build an analysis from. However, the development of key performance indicators may be confusing as a lot of KPI's cover broad areas. An example of this is strengths of the defensive team. This area could include positioning, body shape, defensive line, headers, clearance. But not every action the analyst comes up with, the coach agrees with. Therefore there is always going to be discussion surrounding these areas.
Williams (2009) suggests the creation of operational definitions helps reduce confusion in this area. This was the case for my corner kick analysis (Table 1), where i created operational definitions for each KPI. This can be time consuming and not every performance indicator has its own operational definition. These may need to be agreed by a coach alike. However are very helpful during the coding process.
Reliability
KPI's can be tested for observer reliability. Intra-rater reliability involves the same person scoring data again with a pre-agreed level of acceptance. Inter-rater reliability involves a different person scoring the data again with a pre-agreed level of acceptance. If the observer records the same points as the analyst then the assumption is the analysis is reliable, Hughes & Franks, (2002). This allows confidence within the coding system. The process is completed by the user notating and recording their results on excel. This is done a few weeks apart to assert reliability of data. A percentage is calculated to determine the level of reliability. This was done during my dissertation (table 2).
Table 2. KPI Reliability Intra/Inter-Observer.
As the operational definitions were clear from literature, it wasn’t difficult to formate these into tables. The observer was quite time consuming as you need to do it twice, with a few weeks interval to avoid any learning defects O’Donogue (2009). However, this would not be necessary for most day to day work as a performance analyst at a football club. But it did enable me with good learning experiences on how to properly set up, define and test key performance indicators for reliability.
References
Hughes, M. D., & Bartlett, R. M. (2002). The use of performance indicators in performance analysis. / Utilisation des indicateurs de performance pour l ’ analyse de cette performance. Journal of Sports Sciences, 20(10), 739–754.
Groom, R., Cushion, C. and Nelson, L., 2011. The delivery of video-based performance analysis by England youth soccer coaches: towards a grounded theory. Journal of applied sport psychology, 23(1), pp.16-32.
O'donoghue, P. (2009). Research methods for sports performance analysis. Routledge.
Williams, A. (2009). 4 Definitions and Typologies. Disappearing destinations: Climate change and future challenges for coastal tourism, 47.
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Motivational videos
As part of my performance analysis package with FC Bayern, I created a motivational video in preparation for the UEFA Champions’ league final against PSG.
Motivational videos are successful because they make people feel a certain way. Brackenridge and Anderson (1985) consider motivational videos to have significant psychological value whilst having the ability to motivate players more than tables or charts of quantitative performance information. Groom and cushion (2005) state the best time to show a motivational team video is during training sessions in preparation to a match. Jenkins et al (2007) further reiterates around half an hour before the game starts would bring optimal value of a motivational video. Benefits of motivational videos include:
Motivates athletes for the game
Improve self-confidence
Improve team confidence
Improves team spirit.
FC Bayern motivational video
I decided to create a motivational video for FC Bayern which would be shown during training in preparation to the game and half an hour before the game itself. The only experience I have had creating similar videos is during a performance analysis lecture at the University of Salford. This game me a base idea of what equipment and packages were necessary to create a motivational video.
The motivational video I created is linked below:
https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/b254291d-231b-4f84-8267-f2b58bbd628b
For the video, I decided to recreate past success FC Bayern have accomplished during the 2001 Champions league victory and the 2013 Champions league victory. This would hopefully provide players with added ambition to recreate success for the German side in the most coveted tournament in European football. The video also includes background music and match commentary. Background music has been found to enhance motivation, task engagement, emotional arousal, and enjoyment, particularly in sport and exercise contexts Karageorghis (2017). Emphasis on the trophy lifting clips have been placed at the end of the video to promote the victorious ambition.
Overall, I found the task challenging due to not much experience creating videos and adding music to the video. This allowed me to improve my skills in this area and gave me an understanding of how to create motivational videos which I can put to practice when I become a performance analyst at a professional sporting environment. I did gain feedback from social media and many commented saying they got goose bumps from the video which means I did a good job. However, next time, I would add lyrical music as this could increase the effect placed on the video to improve motivation. I wanted to keep the commentary which is why i used an intense beat in the background.
References
Groom, R., & Cushion, C. (2005). Using of video based coaching with players: A case study. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 5, 40-46.
Jenkins, E. R., Morgan, L., & O’Donoghue, P. (2007). A case study into the effectiveness of computerised match analysis and motivational videos within the coaching of a league netball team. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 7, 59–80. https://doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2007.11868397
Karageorghis, C. I., Ekkekakis, P., Bird, J. M., & Bigliassi, M. (2017). Conceptual Approaches and Underlying Mechanisms. The Routledge companion to embodied music interaction, 284.
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Opposition analysis
As part of my performance analysis package on FC Bayern, I decided to create an opposition analysis on the upcoming opponent in the UEFA Champions league final, PSG. This consisted of downloading PSG’s previous game in the UEFA Champions league semi-final against Lyon on Wyscout and further analysing the game using Nacsport to create an opposition analysis on the opponent. This analysis included notational analysis of the previous 5 UEFA Champions’ league games PSG played before the final, making the sample fair due to similar opposition level.
Mackenzie & Cushion (2013) explains opposition conducting analysis pre-game in football to be a crucial aspect during the preparation phase of a football event. This meta-analysis found 81% of the 34 articles reviewed in the study did not take the opposition into account, of those teams who did not take opposition into account suffered more losses and draws as a result. Which demonstrates opposition analysis is an integral part of the preparation phase of a football game.
Due to this, I have created a report on PSG, who will be the UEFA Champions’ league opponent for FC Bayern.
PSG Analysis
Figure 1. PSG Formation/tactics
Figure 2. PSG Key palyers
Figure 3. Bayern Munich game plan v PSG
As you can see from the opposition analysis (figure 1,2,3), I found PSG stick with the same formation and tactics for big games. 4-3-3 in attack and 4-2-3-1 in defence. They prefer the counter-attack due to their key players being their very skill full, technical, fast and direct attackers (Mbappe & Neymar). Therefore, In the opposition analysis, I identified tactical performance of PSG, strengths and weaknesses of key players, and how FC Bayern can beat PSG from the weaknesses I found from PSG and the strengths of FC Bayern. This can ultimately help FC Bayern get the tactical edge as gain more knowledge about opposition and give them the best chance of winning the cup final.
Overall, I found the process challenging mostly due to time consuming nature of the task. I learned performance analysts have to put in long hours studying opposition (5 games in this case) but will be worth it as it benefits the team’s chances of winning. I didn’t have a coach or manager telling me exactly what they were looking for, which increases difficulty of task as I was looking at broad aspects of PSG performance. As I imagine at a massive club like FC Bayern with multiple performance analysts, each PA is directed a different task to the other. For example, one individual may be asked to look at certain players strengths and weakness, whereas one may look solely at how they build up the play. In a professional environment focusing on opposition analysis will be much more in depth but creating an opposition analysis of PSG made me work with my own initiative creating an opposition analysis in presentation format. The next task would be to present it to the players.
References
Mackenzie, R., & Cushion, C. (2013). Performance analysis in football: A critical review and implications for future research. Journal of sports sciences, 31, 639-676.
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Post Match report
Post-match reports are often used to evaluate relevant information that occurred during a game. This can include formations, statistics, starting line-ups, player positions, cards and goals. This type of match report is often showcased online and on social media as it is easy to read. Other type of match reports may be more detailed to provide feedback to coaching staff for example the inclusion of GPS data showing distance covered or average positions on the pitch. An overall summary of the game showing strengths/weaknesses of performance is not uncommon.
When producing a report, It is important to establish a number of things including agreement (intra and inter observer), reliability of KPI’s and variability of data in matches. Lames & Mcgarry (2007). This is because, from a practical point of view, there can be a variance in consistency between each weekly report within performance analysis and in particular, the accuracy in which KPI’s are presented. 0’Donoghue (2006) discussed KPI reliability issues that are common within performance analysis. Issues included operational definitions for KPI’s and whether the definitions lead to good reliability. The finding was just operational definitions didn’t lead to good reliability there has to be a good understanding of the behaviours and actions of the individual or team observed. Meaning being able to easily understand the data in match reports is vital and therefore important to make the match report clear and easy to understand for the reader.
Figure 1. Match report team lineup
Figure 2. Match report stats & Attacking sides
Bayern Munich Post match report
During the time I spent working at Bayern Munich, I have created match reports for the first team that have been posted on social media for the public to see (Figure 1 & 2). This report did not include any qualitative analysis as it was not used for analysis however the data can be technically interpreted (i.e., the attacking sides of Lyon & Bayern Munich are present as well as in game statistics, substitutions and line-ups). I thought the task would be very straight forward at the start as when reading previous post match reports, it looks very simple. However, this was not the case. This is because sourcing the stats and information needs to be done, as well as designing the template to be very professional so viewers, coaches and players take it seriously which requires great consistency. I found this out as when I posted my first match report, viewers gave feedback that although the information was sufficient, it wasn’t designed professionally, which diverts viewers attention away from the information.
This was a good lesson as it taught me that in a future performance analyst role at a professional club, post-game reports need to be professionally laid out with all the correct information included before sending it off.
References
Lames, M. and McGarry, T., 2007. On the search for reliable performance indicators in game sports. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 7, pp.62-79.
O’Donoghue, P., 2007. Reliability issues in performance analysis. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 7, pp.35-48.
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Bayern Munich Needs analysis
Scenario - Performance analyst at Bayern Munich preparing for the 19/20 UEFA Champions’ league final.
During this blog, i will be working as part of the Bayern Munich performance analyst team who play in the German Bundesliga and are in a Champions’ league final.
The ambitions of this huge club are to solidify its appearance as the biggest club in the world. Winning the Bundesliga title is a necessity, they have won the title a record 29 times and 8 times over the past 8 years. The club are looking for a 6th UEFA Champions’ league title as they are preparing to face PSG in the final.
Philosophy
The clubs philosophy is based around scoring goals and attacking whilst maintaining a solid base at the back. The German side scored 100 goals during the 19/20 Bundesliga season, second between clubs over Europeans top leagues behind Manchester City (Whoscored.com). Bayern's centre forward (Robert Lewandowski) netted 51 finishing as Europeans top goal scorer. I quickly realised the style of play is based around producing chances for their main man. Typical performance indicators i.e., crossing, passing, corners and shooting will be critical in determining success during a match.
Bayern Munich are an elite level club, therefore have many analysts focusing on various performance indicators of performance. They will have the best technology and facilities available to give them a cutting edge over their opponents. Including GPS, high quality cameras, scouts all across the world to enable success.
Needs analysis
Football is categorised as an intense sport with many challenges. In the champions league, players typically cover 10-12km per game Hoff (2005) and are required to change direction at least 60 times Wisloff et al., (2004). Players commonly sprint 5-30m 100-200 times per match Wisloff et al., (2004), showing there is a high level of intensity while required to maintain good technical ability especially at the highest level. As a performance analyst, we are required to calculate and interpret these values which is beneficial for coaches.
Understanding Bayern Munich's philosophy as well as the requirements of the game has provided me with good knowledge that will benefit me during the course of this blog.
References
Hoff, J. (2005). Training and testing physical capacities for elite soccer players. Journal of sports sciences, 23, 573-582.
Wisløff, U., Castagna, C., Helgerud, J., Jones, R., & Hoff, J. (2004). Strong correlation of maximal squat strength with sprint performance and vertical jump height in elite soccer players. British journal of sports medicine, 38, 285-288.
https://www.whoscored.com. Accessed 22/04/21.
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Live Analysis
Prior to starting my package with Bayern Munich, I first needed to lean the basics of performance analysis in sport. During a lecture on 08/12/20, I gained vital knowledge explaining the benefits of live analysis during a football game. Live analysis is the process of coding and evaluating a performance in real time as this game is in process. This analysis can vary from notating live training sessions or during game days.
Live analysis can be a vital factor in determining success during a game as the information provided by the analyst via live coding can be used as feedback to coaches and players at half time during a game, or post game enabling the team to work on aspects of performance which wasn't as good as they would like.
Live analysis begins with a laptop, the analyst, access to the game, and a performance analyst software specifically adapted towards live analysis (Nacsport Plus). Once the basic equipment has been acquired, a code window is vital for the analyst during the notation process. Key performance indicators are decided prior to the event and setup in a code window. As you can see from (Figure 3), during the lecture, I focus on PSG v Leipzig match in the Champions league. The key performance indicators I decided on notating was the attacking outcomes of Leipzig in the first half i.e., crosses, shots, corners, and where on the pitch they were located.
Figure 1. Live analysis on Nacsport
During the live analysis notation, I learned how to setup a coding window (figure 1), with key performance indicators whilst implementing hot keys to make the coding process easier for me as an analyst. I found the coding process quite difficult at first as this was the first time I attempt live analysis. I believe the results from my notational analysis could be useful to opposition teams playing against Leipzig in the future as I found Leipzig attack predominantly down the left hand side.
The finished analysis (figure 1), also shows the data matrix of the findings as well as the timeline of notational analysis. I gained some feedback on my analysis which included altering the led times pre/post notation which enables all of the clip I found to be visible i.e., set the times specific so the corner is included as well as the outcome. This makes it more acceptable to view back and present when you click on each notation from the timeline and something I will take not of when coding in the future.
Ultimately, I was very happy with the live analysis session and my attempt at live coding. This also helped me complete my dissertation which was a corner kick analysis in the Champions' league. Moreover, I know have the technology to practice over past games and will look forward to putting practice into action during a live game from my Bayern Munich package. If I am able to go to Bolton Wanderers in the future, I will have experience in live analysis and maybe take the next step giving feedback at half time or full time to players/coaches on the information I found.
My findings were similar to that of Flashscores.com who found Leipzig had 7 shots compared to my 6, but both found they completed 2 corner kicks.
References
www.flashscores.com. Accessed on 10/2/21.
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Skills Audit
As a performance analyst, you are working as part of a multidisciplinary team, this requires you to possess numerous skills and qualities to be able to work together and hit the end goal or target. The role of my placement working at Bolton Wanderers was to improve and develop academy players to enhance their chances of succeeding in the first team. However due to the fact I cannot complete my placement, my knew role is to work virtually for Bayern Munich on components of what we learned during the performance analysis module at the University of Salford.
An initial self-evaluation was carried out to see what aspects of performance analysis I am most comfortable with, and which areas I wish to improve over the course of my placement. A lower score on the skills audit would describe this areas as weak. Alternatively, a higher score selected by myself would indicate I am currently strong in this specific area.
Table 1. Pre placements skills audit.
Firstly, as an analyst, equipment and software are two of the most important aspects of the job. Various cameras are used for the filming process, then the video is dowloaded for analysis on a computerised laptop which requires performance analysis software to complete coding processes. Software such as Wyscout and Nacsport are crucial for this. This information can then be used to create match-reports or motivational videos which are made via other computerised software. Other equipment such as ladders and monkey towers are what matches are filmed on therefore it is important to become familiar with with them throughout the course of my placement as they are used on a daily basis.
Presentations are common as a performance analyst. They will be used on a daily basis for pre-match, post-match and opposition analysis. I have little experience delivering presentations as the only time i have done so was at University presenting my work. This is an area i need to improve over the course of the year.
Working as a team requires various interpersonal skills. Some of the most important interpersonal skills are; being trustworthy and therefore trusted to be able to complete the work and give the correct information to coaches, can they rely on me? Flexibility is another important sub skill as performance analysis requires you to work when the team needs you. Match days are sometimes mid week therefore you need to put the team first. Teamwork is a crucial skill for performance analysts. I will be constantly working with large groups with managers, players, performance analysts, nutritionists, coaches and many more. It is imperative i am able to work closely with them to provide the club with the best chance of getting a result. Finally, communication is another significant skill required, similair to teamwork, i am required to speak to various people on a daily basis to get my thoughts across so we can reach our goals. It is also important to communicate as a new member of the team to get to know others so i feel comfortable communicating with all the different sub groups. I feel during my experience playing football, working, and at University, i have demonstrated at least basic knowledge of these skills as im a confident person. However, i believe the placement will enhance my skills in these areas.
Finally, time management is the final skill i feel is crucial for an analyst to have. Mainly due to the fact there are many roles and responsibilities i have to attend on time to avoid falling behind on work. For example, it is important i am there to set up the filming equipment which allows me to record the game and then do live analysis. I can then report my findings back to coaches. Every step is critical i am on time with so i can complete the next step. It is important i manage time correctly so i am on time with my work.
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What is performance analysis?
Performance analysis is the investigation of actual sports performance, with the time of developing clear understandings of sports that can inform decision-making, enhance performance and improve coaching processes, O'Donoghue (2010). Examples of performance analysis in football could include which method of corner kick enables a higher chance of scoring a goal, or which player gives the ball away the most during a game.
Reflective Blog
Due to ongoing government guidelines over the last 12 months to stay at home, I have unfortunately not been able to start my placement which was pre agreed before COVID-19 with Bolton wanderers for the 20/21 season. Therefore, I have selected to complete a scenario working as a virtual performance analyst for FC Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga/ UEFA Champions League.
Going forward for performance analysts new to the industry like myself, I believe it will be much more challenging than previous years to progress and attain a job in a professional sporting environment. This is due to clubs financial situations worsening from a loss of income during COVID-19. Therefore less jobs available for knew analysts like myself and less opportunity. Once government guidelines soften, I will attempt to regain the placement position at Bolton Wanderers I was supposed to complete over the past few months. This will give me hand on experience fundamental to enable the progression of my career.
During the course of this blog, I will be formatting my Bayern Munich scenario using Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle (Figure 1). This cycle will be of best use when reflecting on my work due to popularity and effectiveness from previous literature as it provides the reflector with clear sections to direct specific occurrences from each scenario. The sections include; description, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan. The definitions are underneath each heading (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Gibbs (1988) reflective model.
This reflection cycle allows identification of a specific event. For example, what you did, who was there and what they did whilst expressing any thoughts and feelings you had at the time. Evaluation is also a key part of the reflective process as this allows you to express the good, and the bad experiences of an activity and ultimately what you will do next time to improve. The analysis section of the cycle may include referencing academic literature to give more context to why you did certain actions. After this, it’s important to conclude what you have done to bring sense to the situation and how you can develop in this area. Finally, an action plan allows you to come up with a plan for what to do if this event comes up again for example, what would you do differently or the same?
References
Chamberlain, J. S., Gibbs, R. A., Rainer, J. E., Nguyen, P. N., & Thomas, C. (1988). Deletion screening of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy locus via multiplex DNA amplification. Nucleic acids research, 16, 11141-11156.
O’Donoghue, P. (2009). Research methods for sports performance analysis. In Research Methods for Sports Performance Analysis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203878309
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Welcome to my performance analysis blog!
Throughout this blog I will be sharing the experience I gained from my performance analysis placement during the 20/21 academic year studying at the University of Salford.
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