Football clubs are now leaning on data to hire managers in just the same way they use it to guide player recruitment. I spoke to 3 companies — @analyticsfc.bsky.social, @hudliq.bsky.social, @mrktinsights.bsky.social — at the heart of this evolution

Scotland just copying the National League storyline.

Penalty to Celtic! Ridiculous

I feel sorry for the intern, I don't think it is their fault and publishing photos of him isn't really fair.

Wow. That was ridiculous. 3 years of progress and we just, just make it. What a club and what a team Jim has put together. Up the Dale

Stupid goal in the Stockport game! Stevenage won't concede a worse goal.

Commentator on the Arsenal game continues to talk up a crisis in confidence. They did the same to Man City in the Burnley win. Is 1-0 not a perfectly normal and acceptable winning margin?

Not a penalty for me

Hoped that I would have a nice relaxed sleep to minimise my nerves about today's fixtures and just ended up fretfully dreaming about the games.

Good thing Gabriel didn't ruffle his ponytail or that could have been a red

More drama in the National League than any title race I've ever seen.

Some volley

I wonder how much the commentators cringe when they have to plug Series 3 of Euphoria during a thrilling Champions League Quarter Final.

Red card for dislodging a pony tail. Games gone

Currently working on both the best title race, and the most epic relegation battle I've ever seen. Both are horrificly stressful. There is no joy in points, only relief and every point dropped is pain.

Sad to report that in Cambridge we have entered the world of the £9 pint.

I just looked at a forum of a football club who are having an incredible season beyond the wildest dreams of anyone. They are finding ways to win with half the starting XI unavailable. The first comment I read is that the manager has "no plan B".

Not used AI for a few months and now it seems to be writing like click bait "If you like I can also show you two tweaks that would make this dramatically more effective and to avoid the number one issue that catches people out....."

Might actually take 40 points to stay up this year

I want Arsenal to win the league but I want them to suffer for it. No pleasant stroll to the title but constant anxiety so they limp over the line too mentally exhausted to take any pleasure from it.

Snowboard cross - the best Winter Olympic Sport - and a Gold for GB.

Ice skating dude having his own voice narrating his routine makes me feel less bad for him for messing up.

Luge relays....now that is the weirdest sport I've ever seen.

I have now reached full capacity for player names. There are just too many players I've seen over the last 40 years to be expected to retain them all. Any new player I have to look forces out a mid-90s Italian midfielder or a defender Birmingham City played in 2010.

Speeches at opening ceremonies. Nobody wants to hear it.

Potential is an easy word to use in football scouting. An easy out for scouts to say they predicted that he could be good in case he thrives elsewhere. What is needed is accurately predicting if a player will fulfill that potential at your club in a reasonable time frame relative to his cost.

I walked 23km in my own house today whilst talking about football. A lap of my house is approximately 40 steps. That means I circled my house 750 times. I guess it is probably better than sitting at a desk but it seems odd.

McNeil was a good, reliable player for Everton in a really difficult period. Don't get why we have to trash players.

Last days of the transfer window. Impact on phone use and activity (I walk around when on the phone)

Why does there always have to be a scapegoat? Barry was "literally a non league player" and now he is good. McNeil was good and now he is "terrible" Now Dibling is "the worst signing in our history" Form fluctuations are normal. Some players suit some systems better.

Nine years ago today: Everton 4-0 Manchester City. 🔵

4 hour VAR check

An agency that clearly delivers for their clients

Hard to choose whether to watch The Traitors at 8pm tonight or that Claudia Winkleman thing on Bbc1.

You'll never sing that

On choosing new Head Coaches at biggest clubs: Personality match to club leadership is by far the most important thing. For big clubs - can they handle the media scrutiny. Easier for big name ex pros used to 24/7 surveillance. Can they lead a group? Hiring a front man - the band matters too.

The (player) wage disparities between England and mainland Europe are insane. League One players earn more than quite a lot of Europa League level starters. As for signing fringe players from Premier League 2 teams....some PL youth players are on 3x the salary of star players at decent sized teams

Sackings during transfer windows are always the sign of well managed clubs.

Luckily there are lots of available Head Coaches out there with the personality to manage huge clubs under intense pressure.

Simultaneous "what was the keeper doing" situations in the Old Firm and Premier League games.

Gyokeres discourse intensifying. Sesko was seen as the alternative and he is another player where people just aren't sure if he is worth the hype. Scoring goals is hard.

Merry Christmas, may all your presents be as exciting as a 36 year old Everton jigsaw.

Morocco overhead kick for the ages there.

So many football data jobs descriptions are: "Reinvent the wheel" Most of the the things they want people to do have either been done publicly, are available commercially, or tried by many and don't really give any useful output.

That was going wide

I know Liverpool are playing badly and have done so for a good few months but I'm surprised by the amount of seemingly genuine Slot out shouts. Did last season not buy him more than a few months of grace?

3 points off 3rd.

This player is a lot of fun. Suspect he will end up at a big Spanish club as soon as he is allowed to leave Peru.

Interesting BBC article on Tony Pulis and data in football. Quotes include "my database was in my head" Halfway through the article Tony talks about buying the Rothman's Football Yearbook. That was a printed database. Data = information

With the grumbling about Everton's summer recruitment there is quite a good debate about the strategy. There was a clear need to buy younger, they did. Are they starters? You can't get world class 20 year olds at Everton's level. Right positions? Right skillsets?