IMPROVING GRASSROOTS PLAYERS WITH ANALYTICS

Tom Reynolds, the First Team Manager of English Step 7 club, Shrewsbury Up and Comers FC, spoke to Veo about how the club uses data and analytics to evaluate player performance and identify areas for improvement.

LEARNING THE BASICS:

“We need to get players doing the basics well. The 2D map is great for player positioning and pitch geography. Possession is an important aspect of the game, so we use the possession stat data to make sure we keep the ball in the right areas of the pitch."

INFORMING TRAINING:

“If the analytics show that we are not getting enough shots in a game, we work on the attacking and finishing phase of the game in training. If possession is not where it needs to be, we increase ball protection and passing/ receiving skills in sessions."

WINNING GAMES:

"In a certain game, we wanted to make sure we played longer passes to play in the opposition's final third more and utilize our pace in attacking areas by hitting space behind the opposition's back line. The pass location stat after the game proved that the team listened, and it helped us get a win." Tom Reynolds ends.