Matthew Benham’s (owner of Brentford) approach is based on the ‘Moneyball’ statistical method introduced by Major League Baseball side Oakland Athletics in the 1990s and favoured by Liverpool owner John W Henry.
Key number indicators, rather than traditional scouting systems, are used to identify the right players.
Benham, boss of SmartOdds, has rolled out his number-centric project at Brentford, too, and the Bees defied the odds to reach the play-offs last season in their first campaign after winning promotion from League One.
‘What are the chances of getting promoted?’.
“When you ask that question you expect an emotional ‘yes’ or ‘no’ from a football owner.
But he just said rationally, ‘At the moment, there’s a 42.3 per cent chance we will get promoted’. I knew then he was a guy who was thinking very differently about football than I have ever experienced before.”
Dean Smith brought in from Walsall where he showed his ability to overachieve with young players and without needing to spend heavily.
Il concetto è questo:
“There are inefficiencies in the transfer market. Lots of clubs pay too much money for players that are low quality.
“We think we’ve got some tools that will make us evaluate teams and players much more accurately with data rather than the human eye is able to.
The Bees have already begun raking in staggering profits on these players, such as Andre Gray, who was signed for just £500,000 in 2014 after being identified using the statistical approach. He was sold in a package worth £9million, to promotion-chasing Burnley, while Brentford have moved to reinvest in the next wave.
THREE WALLS FREE KICK
Brentford have picked up a reputation for innovative techniques.
As Birmingham’s players lined up a wall ready for Alan Judge’s free-kick, seven Brentford players did exactly the same in front of them, in two separate walls, apparently trying to block the views of their opponents.
When Judge struck the ball, all seven Brentford players either dashed towards the Birmingham goal or into the defensive wall. All to no avail, though, as Judge’s free-kick flew well wide of Tomasz Kuszczak’s left-hand post.
The reason for having two walls of attackers between the ball and the defensive wall was not immediately apparent.
Obscure the keeper's view? Give free-kick taker Alan Judge something to aim at? Quite what the idea was, no-one is entirely sure.
So, will this new set-piece technique now be copied by teams across the land?
Will we one day look back at Brentford's attempt at Birmingham as a vital moment in footballing history?
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A parte metodi di reclutamento di giocatori, scelta dell'11 e punizioni, anche sui corner si vedono cose mai viste prima (o quantomeno piazzamenti strani in area).
Io per molte cose (calcio compreso) sono "vintage" e dirò sempre "no" al calcio moderno fatto di stranieri e di soldi però questo progetto mi affascina molto.
Non foss'altro perchè si basa sul valorizzare giovani (locali) sottovalutati dai cosiddetti "ricchi", per svilupparne le capacità.
E poi diciamocelo chiaramente, qualche novità, non può che far bene a questo calcio sempre più monotono (almeno ai piani alti).
