Excellent analysis from @robbiejdunne.bsky.social on what Xabi Alonso has already achieved in his rebuild of Real Madrid for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com theanalyst.com/articles/rea...

Crystal Palace are on the verge of equaling the longest unbeaten run in their history, but the data suggests things could get even better for them (analysis via @alitweedale.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/cry...

Over the last 38 games, only Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City have earned more points than Nottingham Forest - please read @davidsegar.bsky.social’s analysis of Nuno Espírito Santo’s Premier League record as Forest manager (for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/nun...

This is good from @markcarey93.bsky.social on the rise of individual player coaching in the Premier League (for @theathleticfc.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/656...

Pep Guardiola and Ederson revolutionized what is expected of goalkeepers in the Premier League, so is Manchester City's signing of Gianluigi Donnarumma a sign of things to come? (analysis via @alitweedale.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/gia...

This is a terrific read from @henrybushnell.bsky.social on Matt Crocker’s vision for youth development in the United States and his plan to realize that vision (for @theathleticfc.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...

Excellent analysis from @conor-oneill.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social on the impact that "squad churn" has and can have on team performance in the Premier League www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...

“Ederson changed what teams expected of their goalkeepers, and perhaps even what ’keepers expected of themselves” - analysis via @jamesgheerbrant.bsky.social for @thetimes.com www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Vitesse Arnhem have been kicked out of the Dutch league, the season rolls on without a club older than Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV - story via @dtathletic.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...

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I'm Dan, an illustrator & motion designer Here's a showreel of some recent client work danleydon.com

@grimsbytown.bsky.social are partnered with Jamestown Analytics (an offshoot of Starlizard & the hand behind Brighton’s recruitment) - Tony Bloom was impressed by Jason Stockwood and Andrew Pettit’s vision for the club (story via Gregor Robertson for @thetimes.com). www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Excellent analysis from @conor-oneill.bsky.social - because Coventry scored seven goals against QPR from a total xG value of just 1.27 does not mean that an xG model is broken (for @theathleticfc.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...

Liverpool’s research and modelling led them to Hugo Ekitike despite the Frenchman significantly under-performing his xG last season (report via @pjoyce1.bsky.social for @thetimes.com) www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Arsenal dropped points in eight of their 19 Premier League home games in 2024-25 - improvement required if Arteta hopes to get his side over the line (analysis via @orbinho.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/ars...

New season, new reminder that you can follow a bunch of smart soccer people here

Here, the @theguardian.com's Michael Roberts tells his story about how a trip to watch the Dons at Plough Lane helped him to fall back in love with the beautiful game @afcwimbledon1889.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Johnny Cardoso isn’t the kind of player you build a strategy around, but without someone like him, your options start to narrow fast - here is @robbiejdunne.bsky.social on the player Diego Simeone has been waiting for (for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/joh...

The lasting legacy of Moneyball for Billy Beane is that it has empowered brilliant minds to get involved in running sports teams (interview via @conor-oneill.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social) #sportsanalytics #performanceanalysis #moneyball www.nytimes.com/athletic/651...

Granit Xhaka is heading back to the Premier League with a move to Sunderland, but after developing and growing up at Bayer Leverkusen, this isn’t the same player we saw at Arsenal (analysis via @alitweedale.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/gra...

Best wishes to @simonkuper.bsky.social

Football is a market (analysis via @jonawils.bsky.social for @theguardian.com). www.theguardian.com/football/202...

The development of Scandinavian strikers is a counterpoint to the “Pepification” of modern coaching methods (story via @jnorthcroft.bsky.social for @thetimes.com) www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

The work of the data pioneers in football has gone mainstream (story via @jacobwhitehead.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/644...

Newcastle unveiled a new signing this week. It was not Bryan Mbeumo holding up a club scarf, nor was it Hugo Ekitike holding up a Brown Ale at The Strawberry. It was Sudarshan Gopaladesikan (story via @jameshorncastle.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/651...

At @statsperform.optajoe.com, we are always searching for ways to innovate and improve - Opta Vision has been used by pro teams for the past few seasons, but is now also available to you (story via @alitweedale.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) #sportsanalytics theanalyst.com/articles/opt...

Eintracht Frankfurt’s commitment to quick, attacking football under coach Dino Toppmoller goes some way to explaining their recent success in the transfer market (analysis via @thom-harris.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/650...

What makes a good sporting director? (story via @markcarey93.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/644...

Ekitiké looks a good option for Liverpool (analysis via @mattfurniss.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/hug...

Arsenal have signed La Liga’s best one-on-one defender in Cristhian Mosquera - of the 195 players to have attempted 50+ true tackles in La Liga last season, Mosquera had the highest success rate (76.7%) - via @alitweedale.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com theanalyst.com/articles/cri...

It’s not hard to see why Thomas Frank and Spurs are keen to add Morgan Gibbs-White to their ranks (via @davidsegar.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/mor...

PSG are the best - here is @oliverkay.bsky.social on what it means (for @theathleticfc.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/648...

This is an excellent read from @jacobwhitehead.bsky.social on why Belgium wanted to develop players who could play the “most difficult football” (for @theathleticfc.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/644...

This is an excellent piece of analysis from @mattfurniss.bsky.social on winger creativity and what Anthony Elanga is likely to bring to Newcastle United’s right flank (for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/ant...

Johan Cruyff should be remembered not just as a player and a tactician, but also for his particular vision for talent development (via @jacobwhitehead.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/644...

🔑 Key insights from #OptaForumNYC. “The #FIFAWC is 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 for fans in the U.S. to connect emotionally with the sport of soccer.” – Quentin Westberg Get more insights and ideas from the brightest minds in sports media ➡️ bit.ly/4nuEz9h

Put simply, last season Arsenal attempted fewer shots, each of a lower quality, and converted those chances at a poorer rate. Besides needing a striker, the Gunners need to address their creativity (analysis via @orbinho.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/gab...

Required reading.

There is a danger that a poor start, combined with a confusion about realistic aspirations, could undermine Thomas Frank’s reign at Spurs before it even begins (via @jonawils.bsky.social for @theguardian.com) www.theguardian.com/football/202...

At Brentford, Thomas Frank recognised he had something close to ‘the perfect football life’. Managing Tottenham is an entirely different challenge (analysis via @jamesgheerbrant.bsky.social for @thetimes.com) www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Required reading from @robbiejdunne.bsky.social - Xabi Alonso’s system, heavily associated with a back three, will solve multiple issues for Real Madrid with and without the ball (for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/xab...

Thomas Frank is reportedly on the verge of becoming the new Tottenham manager, but, asks @alitweedale.bsky.social, can he replicate the success he had at Brentford on the other side of London? (via @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/tho...

Fanzines gave football people a voice at a time when supporters were considered pariahs by wider society - fanzines revealed those on the terraces to be intelligent people who had something to say (story via @rsooty73.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/638...

Hello everyone, With the Women's Euros 2025 coming up, I'm available for any freelance (tactical or data writing) work during the tournament. You can find my work in ESPN, Opta Analyst, Managing Madrid etc. If you're looking for someone please feel free to send me a message!

Rayan Cherki is a chance-creating machine (analysis via @oliverhopkins.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/ray...

Mbeumo scored 15 non-penalty goals from 7.6 xG while Cunha converted 8.7 xG into 15 goals during the 2024-25 season. Is it sensible for Manchester United to target such statistical outliers? (analysis via @conor-oneill.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/640...

With Liverpool moving for Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, @davidsegar.bsky.social takes a look into why the Hungary international might be a perfect fit at Anfield (@optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/mil...

“The analytics piece is complementary to the hard work done by the rest of our football staff” - Las Vegas Raiders VP of football research David Christoff has made a telling contribution to this @tashanreed.bsky.social article for @theathletic.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/638...

Bryan Mbeumo reportedly wants to join Manchester United - here is @alitweedale.bsky.social’s analysis of the Brentford star; please note Mbeumo’s over-performance on xG and the under-performance of his teammates on his xA during 2024-25 (for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com) theanalyst.com/articles/bry...

Four years ago Vitinha was coming on as a late sub for Wolves in a 1-0 defeat at Everton . . . (analysis via @barneyronay.bsky.social for @theguardian.com) www.theguardian.com/football/202...