McKenna: Our Data System a Work-in-Progress

Blues manager Kieran McKenna says Town’s data system has a long way to go before it matches those of Saturday’s opponents Brentford and Brighton.

The Bees and Seagulls are understood to have among the best data analytics operations in the Premier League, while McKenna admits the Blues are very much playing catch-up following promotion to the Premier League.

“It’s something that is still very much a work-in-progress, to be honest,” he said. “There’s certain data aspects that we have and we utilise well from a sports science point of view and a physical point of view.

“There’s certain data aspects that we’ve utilised from a recruitment point of view, but it’s very, very early days for us.

“I don’t know the ins and outs of Brentford’s system or Brighton’s system, but I get the gist of it and people who have done it for a very, very large number of years as their job and have probably got a competitive market advantage in that.

“You look at some of the recruitment that they’ve done from international markets and some of the value that they’ve found in the market, I think they’ve done a fantastic job.

“For us, we’re on our own journey with that, we’re trying to develop our data system, especially from a recruitment point of view. I think it is so important and can be a big advantage.

“Of course, there are other people and those clubs are way ahead in the market, but it’s for us to build a system up, but that takes time and is something we’re in the process of.”

It has been reported that Town had been using Brighton owner Tony Bloom’s Jamestown Analytics prior to promotion when the Seagulls brought the arrangement to an end with the teams now Premier League rivals.

“That’s something not at my level, to be honest, it’s club discussions,” McKenna said when asked whether that was the case.

“I’m not sure what is public or not public. That’s a level above my pay grade that one.”

victorysquad added 18:35 – Oct 24 I am 100% certain we have the skills needed in our support base to build something that can rival their systems. What we need is to poach someone from their team to bring us up to date quicker, as they will also keep progressing their own platforms. Not sure why ORG / Brett etc are not investing in this area more, could be a new startup and held outside FFP
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Cakeman added 19:59 – Oct 24 Being a chap stuck in the 70’s I find it difficult to understand how running a professional football club has become so complicated. Data systems,Sports Science and the vast volume of back room staff to name a few areas that back up my views. I’m too old to move with the times (although I don’t want to anyway) but a simple game of kicking a ball into a net has changed beyond belief. I will close by asking an open question……with all these varying support methods why are we getting so many players injured? a lot of which happens during training sessions.

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NorthStandOracle added 21:39 – Oct 24 @cakeman because the game has moved on inexplicably from 10 years ago, never mind 30. Everything about the game is so complex now, from signing, training and keeping talented 15 year olds to signing internationals from Europe / Africa / Middle East. Clubs have to buy houses, get kids into local schools etc before a player even thinks about coming, never mind letting him assimilate and actually adjust to the playing style / league / customs etc. You are right that’s it’s almost hard to fathom but football in 2024 at the top level is unbelievably complicated. I personally like the route we have gone down over the last few years of signing young players who have been in the top academies and had the grounding at that level with a point to prove. (Davis, Hirst, Broadhead, Omari, both Clarke’s.) These guys supplemented by some shrewd experience (SS, Phillips) will hopefully bed us in well but the prem is simply a larger pond with bigger fish than we are used to fishing in. We need to survive this year in the big pond, strengthen the squad again, whilst in the background improving the infrastructure, stadium, scouting and everything else that goes alongside it. Huge journey to be on but my god what a change from 5 years ago.

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