Modern Football Is a Game Driven By Data

The game of modern football is increasingly being influenced by data. Statistics aren't just driving the odds in betting; they are shaping how managers build teams, design strategies, and make decisions on the field.

The beautiful game is increasingly becoming the beautiful numbers game for many people. You could argue that football, at its heart, has always been a game that thrives on numbers and data. Tracking goals, assists, possession percentage and how squads are performing in league tables are all metrics that have existed for decades or longer, but modern football is taking the love of numbers a little further. For modern football, data and numbers drive just about every aspect of the game, from which players are recruited by which sides, to how they are developed, to the tactics that are used on the field.

Just about every club that has any aspirations to achieve victory and climb its league table is engaging in data analysis in order to do so. Data has even begun to shape how casual fans shape and talk about the game. If you'd mentioned xG in the pub even 10 years ago you'd have gotten funny looks. Now, you've got dedicated "tacticos" using platforms like FBref or Premier League betting odds on platforms like NetBet Sport to shape their understanding of the game.

While instinct and experience are still important pieces of the puzzle for how top teams take big wins, modern football is equally in love with information, and the ways that it can be used to gain an advantage. Let's take a closer look at how data is shaping the future of modern football.

Player Recruitment By The Numbers

One of the most obvious ways that data has changed the face of modern football is by altering how clubs scout and recruit new players.

It used to be that recruitment was all about observing. Scouts would travel around the world and watch players in person, and if that player put on a great show on that lucky day, it was highly likely they'd be approached with an offer. While this does still happen, numbers are now at the root of it.

Recruiting is now about sifting through the databases of player performances and identifying key characteristics and metrics, long before any of that player's matches are visited by a scout. Often, the metrics that are of concern can differ from club to club, depending on the rest of the squad and what sort of vision the manager might have. Metrics such as the following are often important:

Passing efficiency.
Assists.
Progressive passes.
Recoveries.
Intensity.
Defensive movements.
Distance travelled.

Metrics like these can help clubs to identify players who could be useful, but who might not yet be in high demand. Especially when combined with specific managers' visions, certain characteristics could fit like a glove for the planned future of a team. In short, data allows clubs to scout players much earlier in their careers than previously.

Data Around Expected Goals Has Changed The Game

After recruitment, probably the most dramatic way that data and statistics have changed the game is through expected goals, which is often referred to as xG. Expected goals is a statistic whereby the probability of a shot on goal being successful is measured, influenced by factors such as the following:

Distance.
Angle.
Assists.
Body part used.
Pressure from defence.

By playing with the numbers, it is much easier to determine when shots on goal are more likely to succeed. These statistics have altered how analysts think about both players and teams.

Situations can arise with xG, where even when a team has lost, it can be seen through statistics that they might have created much better opportunities than their opponents. In such a case, a lack of tactics is not the issue.

The idea is that xG can give teams, players and analysts a representation, beyond simply goals scored, of how effective their play and tactics are on the field. It is one of the most commonly used analytical devices in modern football.

Tactics Through Analysis of the Numbers

While most managers are likely to state that they base much of their decision-making on experience and acquired knowledge, data is increasingly finding a home in how many teams make tactical decisions on the field. Information like the following is commonly analysed to help influence tactical decisions:

Heat maps of opponent movement.
Common set-piece tendencies.
Passing patterns amongst the opposition.
Pressing triggers.
How fast the enemy transitions.

Many coaches plan out specific game plans based on who the opposition is. Some teams have weaknesses that can be exploited, or strengths that need to be protected against. Data can tell coaches what these are, and how best to work against them.

Player Development is Driven By Data

Beyond what occurs on the field, the way that players are developed is increasingly science- and data-based. Many clubs get their players to train and play with wearable technology that allows them to track a number of important data points. Things like heart rate, muscle fatigue, training intensity and sprint speed are all rich sources of data that can help tailor individual player development programs.

Every player's body is different, and the more specific the training regime can be, the more effectively that player can be trained for their role.