Player Recruitment

• Player Identification – Player roles, Shortlisting
• Player Evaluation – Performance evaluation, Player adjustment, Future development
• Transfer Negotiation – Expected transfer fee, Expected salary, Future value
• Tool – Player Explorer

ANALYZING PLAYERS – FUNDAMENTALS

Player Explorer allows us to evaluate player performances with data. We developed an industry-leading methodology which consists of:

• • Self-defined unique metrics with predictive power that measure different aspects of the game (passing, receiving, dribbling, shooting, 1v1 defending, space defending, aerial ability, goalkeeping)
  • A distinction between style metrics & ability metrics
  • Player roles customizable to the team’s style of play

Style metrics allow us to describe the “type” or “role” of the player. When looking at a winger, are we looking for someone who likes to play as a traditional wide winger? Or is it someone that plays the inverted winger role?

Ability metrics tell us how good a player performs within the selected style of play (role). How does the player perform when he plays as a classic wide winger compared to when he plays as an inverted winger?

Based on the game model of the club and the requirements on every position, we can create custom player roles that accurately describe what a player within the club’s context is expected to do (e.g. striker that drops deep, wingers who come inside, overlapping fullbacks, etc.).

Then we can use these customized player roles to generate scouting lists: we look in the data for players that fit the club’s style on a certain position and make a list of players that could be interesting to scout by the scouting department. Next to style and ability, we can filter the data on age, contract duration, value, footedness, league experience and more.

The squad profile section allows us look at our own squad and to determine where our squad might need reinforcements. If we like to play out from the back with center backs who are comfortable on the ball, we can see how many defenders we have that actually play that style and how good they are at it. If we see that we lack something, it can be a trigger to start looking in the data for potential reinforcements or replacements for our current players.

ANALYZING PLAYERS – THE NEXT LEVEL

The most important aspect of evaluating player performance, is to be able to assess how a player will adapt to a different team and a different league. Our player adjustment model uses historical transfer data to predict how the player’s performance is expected to change after a transfer. The model accounts for difference in league strength, difference in playing style between leagues & teams, age, cultural context and many other relevant variables. Moreover, the model will also generate information about why it expects certain metrics to change in a certain way.

Another key aspect is how we expect a player to develop after moving to another club. With the same player adjustment model, we can study long term trends in player performance with age curves. How does a player that makes a certain move, tend to develop over time? How long is a 26-28 years old player expected to continue performing at the highest level? When will a youngster reach the required level for the first team?

Using the same historical transfer data mentioned before, we can develop models that give us insights in expected transfer fees and expected salaries.

If we are trying to bring in a right back from a certain country, of a certain age and with a certain data profile, what is the transfer fee and salary that we should expect and be willing to pay, based on what teams spent in similar cases in the past?

Based on how we expect a player to develop, what can be a future market value for a player? What countries & leagues could we aim to sell this player to, given the projected development and future value?