Football Giants

"I'm curious, Dr. Satoy, there is a question."

While walking with Marcus Du Satoy on the way back to the training building, Yang Huan asked his doubts.

"Why is the football community so uninterested in data?"

I believe this is also everyone's doubts.

Since big data can solve so many problems, why does no one do it?

Marcus Du Satoy shook his head and smiled, "You are wrong, Master Huan. It's not that no one did it, but that many, many people did it. It's just that the level of data analysis is still too far behind compared to other industries. ."

"Talk about it." Yang Huan was very interested.

He is aware of his shortcomings and shortcomings, and he has always been self-aware.

Since it's something you don't know or understand, let the people who understand and understand it do it.

Or, simply work hard to figure out what it is all about.

Marcus Du Satoy organized the answer to this question in his mind, because he found it difficult to answer.

"Football circles have introduced data analysis and high-tech gadgets. In fact, they have already been doing it. After Wenger took over Arsenal, he paid great attention to data. Give an example I know."

"Flamini, you should know this player, Master Huan?"

Yang Huan nodded, the French midfielder had just hit a bit of level at Arsenal, and went away from Milan in Italy.

"When Wenger decided to bring in this player, it was because he heard that Flamini could run 14,000 meters in a game. This number is too staggering, so he went to investigate and determined Flammy Arsenal brought in this player after Ni’s large-scale running was not a mess."

Yang Huan had never heard of this, and found it quite interesting.

"In addition, as we all know, Milan has a world-famous Milan laboratory. They were able to win the Champions League. This laboratory made great contributions. Even earlier, the Brazilian national team and Nike of the United States had a cooperative research institution in this area. "

Having said that, Marcus Du Satoy's conclusion is very clear.

The introduction of data into football was actually done a long time ago, and it has even developed to a certain extent.

"Master Huan, do you know how many relevant data are collected in one OPTA game?"

Yang Huan shook his head this time because he had not had any contact with OPTA.

"More than 1,500, and getting more and more detailed. In the past, everyone only cared about some relatively superficial things, such as possession rate, number of shots, running distance, number of passes and so on."

Having said that, Marcus Du Satoyi couldn't help but laugh.

"I still remember that in the earliest days, OPTA data was calculated by observers sitting in the stands or sitting in front of live TV. It was calculated using the most primitive and inefficient manual methods, and there were many errors. ."

Yang Huan couldn't help but smile, the OPTA data company, which sounds very tall, still has this kind of history?

"After they were acquired by Sky TV, they got ample funds to develop, and then constantly improved their software and hardware, and developed specialized analysis software, which allowed them to obtain more and more refined data."

"So, there are moving heat maps, passing road maps and the like."

Interlaced like a mountain, Yang Huan doesn't know everything.

Regarding the data field of the football industry, he really doesn't dabble in much, or even knows nothing.

The data that ordinary fans can see in the past is only a few items at best, but OPTA has to collect more than 1,500 data in a game, which shows how deep the water is inside.

As long as you pay, you can get those advanced data from OPTA.

"Dr. Satoy, according to what you said, data has been rooted in professional football for so many years, and several data service companies like OPTA have been developed, but why do you still feel so out of date?"

Marcus Du Satoy nodded and smiled: "Because these are just data."

Now, Yang Huan started to understand a little bit.

"The data provided by a company like OPTA is indeed very detailed. It gives us a lot of data, but what can these data show? This requires us to analyze."

"Data is dead, but analysis is alive."

"For the simplest example, there is a striker who is very good at scoring goals. He is far ahead of the league's scorer list, but his team's results are very bad."

"If you only look at this player's data, you will find that he is a top scorer, because he can win many shots in every game, and then how many shots can be converted into a goal. and many more."

"But if you analyze the entire team in more depth, you will find that this player makes crazy shots in pursuit of his own goals, which in turn leads to a lack of threat to the team's overall offense and cannot run smoothly."

"Also, there is a defensive midfielder who intercepts and steals data is very eye-catching, and the running coverage of each game is also very large, but his team has done a bad defensive job. The media and fans have criticized the defense. But in fact?"

"If we analyze in depth, will there be another one? This player's personal ability is indeed very strong, but the team and tactical awareness is very weak. He dashes all over the court, has no sense of position, and cannot be when the team needs. Appear in front of the line of defense to provide a strong protective barrier, freely exposing the back line of defense to the opponent's gunfire."

Yang Huan really understood thoroughly now.

Marcus Du Sartoy's meaning is very clear, data is not important, because these things can be bought.

What is really important, or the key to determining whether data is useful is analysis.

"According to the two examples I just gave, if you only take the first step and analyze only the superficial data, you will definitely find that the players are too good and the team is too bad, so many teams will pay a lot of money. After introducing this player, it was found that it was wrong and the player did not use it properly. It became the so-called parallel import."

"If you analyze it more deeply, you will find that the problem is not so simple, and the closer it can be to the truth."

"So in my opinion, the reason why many people say that the data will lie is because the data they obtain is too one-sided."

"This is a lack of data!"

Yang Huan listened, nodding her head, this statement is indeed very convincing.

Especially in the United States, NBA, rugby, golf, baseball, tennis, etc., a lot of professional competitive sports are increasing their investment in data analysis, which is enough to explain the prospects of data application.

Professional competitive sports have a common pursuit, and that is the result!

All aspects of football always revolve around goals.

Goal-oriented, everything is quantifiable.

And as long as it is quantifiable, there is room for big data to play.

"Then why do many football clubs ignore the data?"

Marcus Du Satoy was about to answer the question raised by Yang Huan just now.

"There are two situations. One is that they don’t think the data is credible, and the other is that they lack the courage to invest. They think that investing so much is not as cost-effective as introducing stars. So we see that almost every ball in the Premier League The team is buying data from OPTA, but it's just buying."

"Milan tasted the sweetness and won the Champions League, but in the second year, he immediately attacked the Milan laboratory and suspended all scientific research projects. The reason is simple. Their management thinks that the current level is sufficient and they continue to invest in scientific research. A waste."

"These people just want to get a rough idea of ​​the data they are interested in, and they never thought about establishing a system engineering to scientifically analyze the entire team and the entire football field, because the latter invested too much. Up!"

"Football rejects data and high technology, not because of closedness and conservativeness, but because of money!"

"In the United States, the NBA, Major League Football, and baseball clubs have higher incomes than football, so they have enough financial resources to invest in research and development in this area."

Yang Huan even understood it all at once.

Still the same sentence, no one is stupid in this world.

Just like when the founders of OPTA saw that the Americans began to introduce data into the NBA and NFL, they immediately started in the Premier League, and it didn't take long in between.

But now, the difference between the data analysis ability of European football and the data analysis ability of several major professional sports leagues in the United States is really not that big.

In the final analysis, it is still money.

The two of them talked and walked all the way, unknowingly, came to the downstairs of the training building.

Because the new training building is still being renovated, the office of the data analysis center is currently on the first floor of the old training building.

Yang Huan plans to rebuild a separate building for them to work.

From there, it will be the data heart of Southampton.

"Master Huan." Marcus Du Satoy stopped. "When Charlene told me that you were very interested in data, I didn't believe it at first because Southampton was just a League One ball. Team, I understand you, I believe it."

"I believe that no one in the entire football circle can know the future of data better than you."

Yang Huan couldn't help but nodded. Both WeChat and game companies attach great importance to data collection and analysis.

He knows the magic of big data better than anyone else.

Before, he ignored football, but now, he is determined to catch up.

"But I still want to remind you, Young Master Huan, football and Internet companies have different data, because it involves people, and people are the most complicated, so we need anthropology, physiology, nutrition, etc., very Experts in multiple fields collaborate and analyze together."

This means that the more manpower is invested, the more R&D funding is required.

"OK, I understand!" Yang Huan clapped his hands vigorously.

"Don't worry, Dr. Satoy, I have explained how much your data center will be funded in the future. As long as you think you need it, you can apply for funding for research and I will support it!"

"Thank you, Master Huan!" Marcus Du Satoy immediately smiled and thanked him.

But Yang Huan waved his hand and shook his head, "Don't say thank you yet, I haven't finished yet."

Marcus Du Satoy immediately listened carefully.

"Although I will give strong support in terms of funds and all aspects, I want to see the results. We in Southampton will not be like Milan. We just start a good start and then stagnate. As long as I am here, I will Do your best to support your research and development."

"But I must see the results!"

"I understand, UU Reading www.uukanshu.com Huan Master!" Marcus Du Satoy nodded immediately.

"Please rest assured, we will not let you down."

This is the case for all scientific research projects in the world. There is no hope, or those scientific research projects that will never produce results, no one is interested.

Or to put it simply, scientific research is also an investment.

Marcus Du Satoy seemed to be afraid that Yang Huan would not believe it, and immediately smiled and pointed to the office of the data center.

"I think, Master Huan, you should come in and see, Dr. Howard Hamilton has something good!"

It looked like a mischievous kid offering treasures.

Yang Huan couldn't help smiling, "Good stuff? What is it?"

"A very wonderful product, which is also very helpful to us!"

With that said, Yang Huan was really interested. ()