How Manchester United Utilise Data Analytics to Improve Player Performance – Man United News And Transfer News

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Individual player analytics
Manchester United is one of the most famous football clubs in the world, renowned for its achievements and unique playing philosophy. Over the years, the club has seen many managers, each contributing to the development and success of the team. Sir Matt Busby, who took charge of Manchester United just after World War II, left an indelible mark on the club’s history. His approach and philosophy formed the basis of many of the team’s future successes.

Early in his career, Sir Matt began analysing each young talent for speed and stamina. He set the philosophy of the club, which was to progress and apply innovation. The key player metrics the manager was interested in were speed, technique and teamwork.

There was an emphasis on individual skills possessed by the players and attacking football. Nowadays United has a team of dedicated data analystw who maintain overall statistics and report information to the coaching staff but back then, Busby and his assistants had to do it all for themselves.

When Sir Alex Ferguson came to manage the club in 1986, while Sir Matt’s principles were very much maintained, there was more emphasis on strict discipline and high standards throughout. New young talents who possessed remarkable technique were constantly sought out. Ferguson used different formations, and experimented with team compositions. He was able to recognise the strengths of each player, and motivate them individually and as a group to create a unique team spirit. Again, analytics was still a developing science in Sir Alex’s time, so much of the data needed for developing strategies had to be gleaned by the manager and his assistants, particularly in the early years.

Strategies and tools for analytics
Thanks to modern tools and the Internet, nowadays the coaching staff of Manchester United can conveniently view the profile of players on special websites. Indicators such as playing position, height, weight, and performance statistics are available. The club’s data analysts watch video footage of matches and create statistics from them for individual players and the team as a whole so that patterns, strengths and weaknesses can be easily identified.

Nowadays, fans themselves have access to sites providing the team’s statistics and what are the odds of them winning upcoming matches.

Influence of club decisions on player development
United’s data analysts also have a heavy involvement in match tactics, nutrition, fitness, recruitment and training. Crucial data provided by these insights can be the difference between a player reaching his full potential and plateauing, and can tip the balance between the team’s success and failure overall.

Ultimately it is the manager’s decision where to deploy players on the pitch and what tactics to adopt, but data analytics will provide objective facts that can inform his subjective decision.

United have been struggling this season to find a quality holding midfielder with a good first pass. Erik Ten Hag and his coaching staff may have discussed whether to take a risk and try to move Victor Lindelöf, when fit, into the role. The Swede has a great first pass, sees the pitch well and is capable of producing defence-splitting passes (a prime example is his goal-producing pass to Rashford in the match against Leicester City, when he coolly cut off all the Foxes’ defensive lines to put Rashford in on goal). Data produced by analytics, supporting or undermining Ten Hag in making a decision such as this, is crucial.

Manchester United’s influence on the future of football
What United do influences not only young football players in England, but also those around the world. Premier League matches are broadcast in almost every country in the world. Young talents watch and try to replicate the techniques of their favourite players. Coaches memorise the strategies they see, and try to put them into practice in their own teams. Thanks to the current trends in the world of football, and technological solutions, it is not only coaches and top officials who can know data analytics in football and information about players. The same information that shapes Manchester United can also now shape millions across the globe.