The Beautiful Game goes Scientific

The beautiful game, football (soccer), has been undergoing a quiet revolution in the land of its birth – England.

English clubs have always sent football talent scouts the length and breadth of the country and further afield too. Decisions on footballing matters and transfers were once based on nothing more than a hunch, a gut feel, and an ‘eye’ for talent. Admittedly there have been numerous success stories from these unsophisticated methods – I think of the late George Best being plucked from Belfast at the age of 15 by Manchester United scout Bob Bishop. Best went on to become a successful player winning several team and individual honors and was notably the European Footballer of the Year in 1968.

As for today, across England a data revolution is taking place as various top Premier League clubs are starting to realize the benefit of data and statistical analytics. You could say that football has finally embraced the premise of Moneyball (now a movie with Brad Pitt, which is set to be released in September). English football has become scientific.

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, written by Michael Lewis, proved that data does matter in sports and can often be the difference between winning and losing.  Lewis’ book focuses on the Oakland Athletics baseball team of the early 2000s, who, under General Manager Billy Beane, assembled a winning team by focusing on an analytical approach to evaluating player performances. Beane concentrated on statistics like on-base percentage as an indicator of offensive success, going against the conventional thinking and trusted player performance measurements of the time.

Much like at the Oakland A’s, number crunchers at various English Premier League (EPL) clubs are now playing a vital role in footballing strategy. Player statistics that truly matter have been isolated. Presentations you’d expect to be given by a “quant” at an investment bank are becoming the norm. Nearly every minute aspect of a football match can be recorded and analysed. The ‘nerds’ are ‘over the moon’, as pundits and players like to say in England. Numbers are beginning to give clubs an edge.

There are numerous advocates of the data revolution.

Arsene Wenger, manager of Arsenal FC, an Economics graduate and keen mathematician, was an early pioneer of using data to make decisions on player transfers. Even at Monaco in the late 1980s, before his success at Arsenal, he had realized the importance of data and was collating and using factual evidence on players. Manchester City now has a performance analytics division, while Chelsea has a performance director – Mike Forde.  The role of a performance director, like Forde, is to support the coaching team by looking at all facets of performance outside of coaching and bring structure, policy and procedures to it.

In a recent Financial Times article, Forde, who studied Psychology in Beane’s hometown of San Diego and has studied American sports, illustrated the staggering amount of data at his disposal:

“We’ve somewhere around 32 million data points over 12,000, 13,000 games now”.

Other clubs, such as Bolton, have also adopted the more scientific approach. Former manager Sam Allardyce is an old school football man and is somebody you’d probably expect to favor the more traditional methods – like intuition –but he too is a disciple of data. The approach certainly worked for him at Bolton. Not a historically fashionable or wealthy club, Bolton enjoyed a period of unprecedented success under his management with the team never finishing outside the Premiership top ten from 2002/2003 – 2006/2007, as well as qualifying for the UEFA cup in 2005/2006 and 2007/2008. This was an extraordinary achievement for a club of its size and limited financial resources.

Allardyce’s signing of Welsh international Gary Speed, aged 34, for Bolton is a prime example of how he used data to evaluate a transfer decision. Many would have expected Speed to have been a dud at an age when most players have hung up the boots. However, Speed’s physical data compared favorably with younger, more celebrated and, more importantly, more expensive players such as Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard. Allardyce had no hesitation in signing Speed, a relative bargain, who went on to play until he was 38 at Bolton. Speed incidentally is still playing today for Sheffield United. It is little surprise too that Mike Forde, now at Chelsea, was at Bolton with Allardyce.

So what are the numbers and statistics that really matter for football success?

There is probably no holy grail and if there is, it hasn’t been found. Possession doesn’t necessarily win matches in football (unlike in, say, rugby) and finding a relationship between distances covered by midfielders and winning has not been proven either. Most of the key statistics now being used by top clubs have not been shared, which isn’t surprising. We do at least know that clubs are focusing on the distances covered by players at high speeds which they term ‘high-intensity output’.  Another approach is to measure a host of data on a player, including the number of passes, tackles and distances covered, and then monitor those data sets over a number of years. This at least reveals when a player regresses and is comparable to a risk management methodology by clubs. Another challenge for the number crunchers is comparability. Can you realistically compare a striker scoring a heap of goals at the top of the Championship with a striker plying his trade in the  basement of the Premier League?

Is data really making a difference?

It is probably too early to conclude whether or not the number crunchers in English football are holding the keys to the unlocking of sustained success. At times talent is so obvious that you don’t need data analytics to support a decision in football. I doubt whether Barcelona FC needed any statistics to support their decision to sign a young Argentine  by the name of Lionel Messi when he was just 13. You might also argue that statistical analytics has hardly been working at Arsenal recently as the North London club last lifted a trophy in 2005.

However, surely anything that gives you an edge in football – a multi-million dollar industry where the margins between success and failure are so slim – is worthy of embracing. It is for that reason that data analytics in football is here to stay.

Chris Conway

The Zen of Football-USA Today

Headline news in USA Today: "The Zen of Football"

Front page of the Sports Section- Rodgers: "Foreseeing is Believing".

In this article, Green Bay Packers Quarterback, Aaron Rodgers talks about the power of visualization. He credits his daily mental practice in helping the Packers reach the post season - and for pounding the Atlanta Falcons, the #1 seed, 48-21 last weekend.

Rodgers says he learned how to visualize from a coach, which he was in 6th grade. He also says most of the big plays he made in the upset victory over Atlanta, he pictured in his imagination first.

It’s amazing to me that this story is headline news in today’s world. You would think with all the information available on the power of your creative imagination that this would not be in the news. After all, how many great athletes don't visualize in one form or another. Some use self-hypnosis. Some visualize while lying down. Some while sitting. I even teach people to do it while standing still or moving.

No matter how you visualize though, it won’t work unless your practice creates what Dr. Maxwell Maltz called "The Winning Feeling."

Many people visualize but don’t feel anything. This is a red flag that something they are doing is wrong. Visualization without a change of emotion isn’t the proper use of your creative imagination.

I believe the more powerful approach to mind training is to change the feelings before you visualize. This can be accomplished thru deep breathing alone - or through stillness or through movements that integrate the breath.

E-motion stands for energy movement. It's great to sit or lie still and picture what you want. But it's much more effective to train your mind like a fighter who shadow boxes an imaginary foe.

Shadow boxing is just a term to describe a practice used by top salespeople, speakers, golfers as well as surgeons.

Don't just picture yourself doing the thing. Go through the motions as you picture it - and FEEL it.

Matt Furley

The Ball Represents Your Dream

In the old days of football, receivers used a substance called Stick-Em, a sappy concoction that would make the ball stick to their hands, allowing them to make one-handed catches easily. These days, possession receivers will sometimes wear gloves that have sticky palms so when a leather ball on a dry day hits them, the ball sticks on the glove, making it easier to catch.


Coaches are always admonishing players to protect the ball by any means necessary. We’ve all seen the horrifying plays when a great pass is intercepted by the opposing team. Or maybe when a running back is not protecting the ball well and it’s stripped away from him in an instant.


It’s the same thing with your dreams. The ball represents your dreams and when you watch a football game, it should remind you to protect your dreams by any means necessary because you see what can happen when you lose the ball.


Let’s face it. It’s exciting to birth a new vision or dream and by nurturing it and feeding it, we watch it grow and develop, just as we would a child. It’s ours and it’s special.
I have found that not everyone is worthy of sharing my dream with.


People with small minds, content to live a life of mediocrity, will scoff at your dream. Others will remind you of mistakes you’ve made in the past and admonish you to forget your dream and play it safe. Still others will attempt to rip that dream out of your hands with relentless pursuit.  Maybe it’s because it reminds them of their own lost dreams or because of insecure jealousy or a cynical outlook at life.


It’s important to have teammates in your life who will aid and defend you as you move your dream forward. Share your dreams with people who truly value you and who will help protect your dream with unflinching devotion.


When I think of moving a dream toward the goal line, I think of Barry Sanders who played with the Detroit Lions. Swivel hips himself, Barry went every direction on the compass but he always ended up going toward the goal line. With his ballet-type moves, Barry was a delight to watch in replays over and over in slow motion.


You may have to move in different directions in pursuit of your dreams but as long as you’re moving toward your goal line, you’re doing well and you will win your game.


So, protect your dream by any means necessary. It’s YOUR dream and you deserve to see it fulfilled.


Michelle Hill

Jose Mourinho -SELF BELIEFS - Who's Your Boss?

CNN) -- The success achieved by Portuguese soccer coach Jose Mourinho suggests that his players would not just run through a brick wall for him; they'd happily march through an obstacle course full of them to earn his respect.

The self-proclaimed "Special One" is the flamboyant manager of Italian champions Inter Milan who are currently on course to take the Serie A title for the fifth consecutive year.

But if his current Inter squad love him, then his former Chelsea players adore him, after his successful stint at the club between 2004 and 2007 delivered their first English Premier League triumphs in over 50 years.

England international and Chelsea stalwart Frank Lampard says of Mourinho: "I love him as a man and as a manager."

The two sets of players collide in Europe's most prestigious club competition -- the Champions League -- on Wednesday, when all eyes will be on the game's ultimate touchline showman in his first competitive match against his old club.

But how does Mourinho arouse such complete loyalty from his employees? And is he everything a good boss should be? He does and he is, according to sports psychologist Andy Barton.

Respect
.It's no fluke that after a defeat, Inter gets straight back on its feet. That's all thanks to Mourinho.
--Diego Milito, Inter Milan

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"Mourinho's role with his players is the same as it should be in any office," Barton told CNN. "He is very, very supportive of them and treats them as equals. He knows he needs to focus people on what they do well, and then on what they need to do to improve.

"Sometimes in the workplace managers think it is all about being ruthless when that is the least effective way of doing things. Appraisals can turn into a long list of what employees do wrong. That doesn't help at all; it puts them in a negative mind set.

"But Mourinho will always look to turn a positive into a negative. If a team is 3-0 down at half time and the manager starts screaming about all the mistakes they've made it isn't going to help. Instead he'll focus on some of the things they are doing right, and then tell them how they can turn the game around.

"You have to be specific about what is required; that way, the player or employee starts to build up a mental image of what is needed. A good manager is committed to trying to get the best out of an individual, and knowing how each member of staff ticks. Mourinho is a master at that."

Protection
Barton says Mourinho is desperate to alleviate as much pressure as possible from his players, and is quite prepared to do something outrageous to shield them from criticism.

Mourinho was hit with a three-game ban following a gesture he made during Saturday's controversial 0-0 draw against Sampdoria. After two of his players were sent off Mourinho crossed his arms in the manner of being handcuffed -- a suggestion that Inter were being victimized by match officials.

Previously this season, after another poor Inter performance, Mourinho leapt off the team coach to physically confront a journalist who he said had invaded his players' space. The media uproar after the confrontation deflected attention from the bad result, and made sure he was the story instead.

One of his players, Diego Milito, confirmed the success of this tactic in an interview with newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport: "There is no coach like him when it comes to sticking his neck out and defending everyone, that way reducing the tension within the team when things aren't going well. It's no fluke that after a defeat, Inter gets straight back on its feet. That's all thanks to Mourinho."

Self belief
Underpinning Mourinho's approach is an unwavering self belief that he transmits to his players, as Barton explained: "Mourinho's self belief is palpable and you can read it in everything -- his body language and how he speaks -- you know he has complete trust in his abilities and that gives his players confidence.

"He's like a general on the touchline, commanding his troops and he explodes sometimes. He may do it heighten the opposition players arousal levels, to inspire in them an intense desire to beat him, and that can throw them off their game and affect their decision making. He very much makes it us against the world."

There is another intriguing subplot to the Inter versus Chelsea clash. The English side are now managed by Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, who left Inter's bitter rivals AC Milan this summer.

A running battle between the pair erupted during their stint in opposite dugouts and it continued even after Ancelotti left for London. Mourinho has been quoted as saying: "Ancelotti is no friend of mine." The Italian replied by referring to his rival as "His Mourinhity" in his autobiography.

Mourinho often says inflammatory things about opposition players and managers before a big game but Barton says Mourinho may take a different approach in the build up to Wednesday's crucial match. He told CNN: "I don't think he will be confrontational about his return clash against Chelsea because he has always professed his love for the club and the players he used to coach but he will make a few jibes about Ancelotti, and could try to undermine his position by talking about his own success at the club.

"The thing about Mourinho is that you don't know what he's going to do next but whatever it is it will be because he thinks it is beneficial to the team. Mourinho will definitely be looking forward to going back. He will thrive on the attention and will be happy to keep the pressure from his team."


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Shadows Play in Sport

Shadow Play in Sports

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini, whose players have found a keenness for shadow play without a football one of the most unexpected changes to their training regime, insist that they must adapt to his new philosophies if they are to prosper. Mancini finds his approach to match preparation under scrutiny but responds to doubters by saying “I understand that maybe they are not happy working on tactics but this is my method. I work because if you want to win the Champions League and Premier League you must be prepared very well for every situation: tactics, power, running,” he said. If these things are not good, it is impossible to win. I don’t know if they don’t like that. They are all working very well.”

Shadow Play – in which two full sides go on to the training pitch with-out a ball, with one of the sides running into areas of the field where threats are anticipated in the next match and the other side is responding to them-is relatively uncommon in English training regimes. The continual focus is on the shape of the team as they move around the pitch.

Even the contingent of England Players at City are understood to be unfamiliar with shadow play, which does not tend to form part of Fabio Capello’s training sessions, though those who have trained under Capello do talk of similarities between the two Italian coaches in the work demanded in chasing back the to defend the numbers.

The City player best acquainted with the new approach – which is far different to predecessor Mark Hughes’ preference for quick, high tempo games training is goalkeeper Shay Given, who has experienced it under Giovvani Trapattoni in the Republic of Ireland set up. “Sometimes it can be a bit boring, walking through things and doing shape and shadow play in practice matches, ‘Given said of Trapattoni’s methods recently. “But you do BENEFIT from it as a team, knowing what the manager wants is crucial.

In my work as an Optimal Performance coach I work to ensure the logical levels in an individual are aligned. The result is congruency in the individual.  This means that the individuals on a team can actually come together as a team and match the coach and managers values which means there is no conflict which leads to winning.

Next: Logical Level alignment