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Training Ground Guru Podcast

Training Ground Guru

Welcome to the Training Ground Guru Podcast. In every episode we bring you insights from the teams behind the teams in professional football. Thank you for listening.

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S7 · E81
August 20 · 39 min
Reed Shaffner: Football's AI moment - promise and pitfalls
Our guest on Episode #81 of the TGG Podcast is Reed Shaffner, Chief Technology Officer at Teamworks. Reed oversees the engineering, design, product and data science teams behind a platform used across professional and collegiate sport. In this Episode, Reed told us where AI is genuinely working in football and where it isn't; warned about the security and privacy risks some clubs are underestimating; and explained how Teamworks Player ID is learning to identify how good a player will become, versus how good they look today. SHOW NOTES => 0:00: Introduction 1:39: Reed's role at Teamworks, and his route in through gaming and youth sport 3:17: What AI actually is — beyond the buzzword 5:42: How widely is AI being used in football? 6:45: Where it works well, and where it doesn't 7:25: Injury prediction — why the returns are still questionable 8:24: Hallucinations, and the two athletes who didn't exist 10:20: Case study: the NFL's Digital Athlete platform 11:28: Data quality, process and the role of human expertise 12:53: Privacy and security — what should never go into a model 14:12: It's not just medical data: contracts and schedules 14:43: The questions to ask any AI vendor 15:42: Data poisoning and the fabricated eye condition 17:32: Skills as a new attack vector — and what a skill is 18:49: Build or buy: what clubs are making themselves 19:41: Scout bias detection, and Kahneman on human bias 22:00: The rise of the 'head of AI' job title 22:50: Is US sport ahead of UK football? 23:27: Tracking data, and will AI mean fewer analysts? 25:26: AI inside the Teamworks products: from reactive to proactive 28:02: Player ID — what to do when metrics disagree 29:50: Predicting how good a player will become, not how good they are now 31:11: Bespoke clubs and individualised training 34:17: The future: cameras, youth football and undiscovered talent 36:04: Worries and fears: attackers, deepfakes and social engineering 38:01: Speaking at TGG Live '26 at Old Trafford
S7 · E80
July 19 · 1 hr 9 min
Anna West: Waking football to the power of sleep
Our guest on Episode #80 of the TGG Podcast is the world-renowned sleep expert Anna West. She works with teams competing in the Premier League, Champions League and the World Cup. Her methods have helped change the way that football thinks about sleep and recovery. In this Episode, Anna told me how she came to work in football, about the work she does with clubs and players, and also debunked some of the common myths about sleep. SHOW NOTES => 0:00: Introduction 1:36: How did you first get involved in your line of work? Entry into elite sport and football 06:07: How important is sleep for athletes? 08:40: Sleep quality, not just quantity 10:45: Monitoring and sleep anxiety 12:44: The challenge of night-time kick-offs 14:06: The magic eight hours? 17:33: How do you work with a club? 26:02: Good sleep starts in the morning 27:01: Debunking sleep myths: Mouth taping 34:03: Working individually with players. Emi Marcondes case study 37:57: Universal truths: eating & sleeping before you go to bed, room temperature, napping, caffeine. 49:23: Mechanics of a night’s sleep 52:51: Looking at your phone/ social media before bed 55:38: Effects of alcohol 57:58: Advice on caffeine 59:56: Working at the World Cup 1:02:08: Sleeping tablets 1:07:14: Ambitions for the future
#79
June 16 · 1 hr 19 min
Joe Newton: From Brentford to Spurs – life as a first-team analyst
Our guest on Episode #79 of the TGG Podcast is Joe Newton. Joe was part of Thomas Frank's inner circle at both Brentford and Tottenham and is a new breed of analyst. After starting as a youth player at Tranmere and Wrexham, he got a degree and Masters in performance analysis and secured a job at the New Saints in Wales. His big break came when he was appointed first-team analyst at Brentford, where he forged a close relationship with Frank and helped the club gain promotion to the Premier League. After that came a brief and turbulent spell at Tottenham, which ended in the sack in February 2026. Joe told us about his progression in the game, about what makes Brentford special, why things went wrong at Tottenham and about his special relationship with Frank. In this episode we also have an interview with Adam Ridgewell, who worked for Southampton for five years before becoming Account Manager with Genius Sports. Adam told us how clubs like Brentford are using Genius Sports' tracking data and Performance Studio to gain an edge in the game. SHOW NOTES => 02:00: What have you been up to since leaving Tottenham in February? Break from the 24/7 nature of football. 04:47: How did you get started in football? Tranmere youth player/ unique University partnership at Wrexham. Does having been a player help your analysis? 12:41: Joining Brentford. Excellent interview process led by Luke Stopforth. 14:58. Why Brentford are experts in staff development and case study of Set Piece Analysts. 17:32: Transporting staff doesn't mean you transport a culture. Reasons why Brentford culture is so good and how they consistently punch above their weight. Alignment right from the top, with owner Matthew Benham. 23:47: Role progression at Brentford. How Genius Sports Performance Studio helped him in the job. How involved was Thomas Frank when it came to Performance Studio and data? 29:17: What does the First Team Analyst role entail, day to day and week to week? 34:31: Getting national attention when his post-match analysis session on Sky Sports went viral. 39:30: Thomas Frank taking him to Tottenham. 41:17: New title at Tottenham was Coach-Analyst. Did the role change much from Brentford? 45:20: Size and scale of Tottenham. Contrast with Brentford. 46:34: Why did things go wrong at Tottenham? Lessons and learnings. 54:06: Did the style of play change from Brentford to Tottenham? 55:57: What is Thomas Frank like to work with? Will he bounce back after Tottenham setback?
S7 · E78
May 13 · 59 min
Wilfried Nancy: Lessons from 33 dramatic days at Celtic
Wilfried Nancy speaks for the first time since his departure from Celtic in this exclusive episode of the Training Ground Guru Podcast. The Frenchman opens up on why he took the job, the intense pressures of the Old Firm, what happened in those 33 days, and key lessons he's taken for the future. SHOW NOTES => 01:46: Intro. Back in Columbus and recharging. 06:47: Reflecting on short and turbulent tenure at Celtic. 'Beautiful experience.' 18:56: Style of play was very ambitious. Too ambitious? 34:17: Playing with fear. Banning Sky Sports News at the training ground. 39:15: Football in Glasgow quite conservative? 'They hired me to change that. But the idea wasn't to change everything.' 41:25: Weren't there realistic discussions with Board before taking job? 46:13: Friendship with Russell Martin. Shared philosophies and experiences. 47:34: Moving about a lot as a child, because his father was in the French navy. Helped him develop empathy for people. 51:24: Does he have a rigid style of play? 53:35: Ridiculed for using tactics board/ putting venn diagram on his X account. 57:43: Ambitions for the future.
S7 · E77
April 21 · 57 min
Ben Ryan: From Olympic gold to powering performance at Brentford
Episode #77 of the Training Ground Guru Podcast, in association with Genius Sports, is with Ben Ryan, the Performance Director of Premier League side Brentford. Ben is responsible for making sure that the club's players are mentally and physically equipped for matchday. Before joining Brentford four years ago, Ben consulted with a number of leading organisations and was Head Coach of Fiji's rugby sevens team, leading them to Olympic glory in 2016. Ben told us how someone from a rugby background landed a top role in football, what it's like to work with Head Coach Keith Andrews and about the club's secret supremacy rating. We hope you enjoy this episode and if you do, please give us a follow via your preferred podcast provider. SHOW NOTES => 01:31: Facilities at the training ground, where the interview is taking place. 03:05: Concerns about players being pampered? 04:39: What does your role as Performance Director involve? 07:19: What have you been doing today? 11:50: Changes that took place at the end of last season, when Thomas Frank left and Keith Andrews took over as Head Coach. 15:54: How Keith Andrews confounded the critics and doubters. 20:05: Brentford's supremacy rating. Taking a strategic view and not being overtaken by the emotion of results. 23:22: Clever recruitment and importance of developing players. 26:00: Coming into football from rugby union. Importance of looking outside football networks. 31:22: Head Coach of Fiji Rugby Sevens team - chalk and cheese with Premier League football. 39:47: GPS - one of the first teams to use it (with England Rugby in 2006) but not the panacea and won't be important forever. 42:07: Risk of over-monitoring players/ 24-hour surveillance. 43:58: Power of play/ how Brentford break up routine and regimen. 46:59: Setting up guard rails. Analogy about going across Firth of Forth Bridge. 48:52: Europe on the horizon. Challenge of extra games. 52:23: Premium Member question. Lessons from rugby. Chaos and surprise. 55:51: Ambitions: personally and for the club as a whole.
S7 · E76
March 20 · 59 min
Matt Crocker: Shaping US Soccer's long-term vision
Episode #76 of the Training Ground Guru Podcast, in association with Genius Sports, is with US Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker. Matt has been in role for almost three years and is responsible for setting the Federation’s sporting vision and performance strategy across all 27 national teams. 2026 is going to be a huge year for both Matt and US Soccer, with the opening of a new national training centre in Georgia and hosting a home World Cup. Before joining US Soccer, the proud Welshman was Head of Coaching and Development for the English Football Association and Director of Football for Southampton. I spoke to him about his career, about his current role and about his ambitions for this summer and beyond. We hope you enjoy this episode and if you do, please give us a follow via your preferred podcast provider. SHOW NOTES => 01:57: Opening of the new National Training Centre. 06:48: Big year ahead, with a home men's World Cup in the summer. 08:30: Almost three years in post now - reflections so far. 13:07: Pay to play in United States/ what is being done to make football more accessible for all. 16:18: Academy system in US compared to in England. 17:37: Composition of the senior squads - mostly based in Europe or at home? 19:13: Is this summer's World Cup key to growing the game in US? 20:52: What would constitute success for US at the World Cup? 23:10: How impressed have you been by Mauricio Pochettino? 24:42: Was it hard to land Pochettino and Emma Hayes? 25:54: US Women winning the Olympics just 10 weeks after Hayes had been appointed 27:37: Do the two Head Coaches - and others within the Federation - provide challenge for you? 28:58: How Hayes keeps him "on his toes." 29:44: Will Pochettino get longer with his players than eg Thomas Tuchel in run-up to World Cup. 31:18: Personal journey - starting his career at Cardiff City. Influence of Gavin Tait. 34:26: Joining Southampton as Academy Manager in 2006. 37:41: Pochettino developing young players at Southampton. 39:20: Joining Football Association as Head of Coaching and Player Development in 2013. 41:05: Three mentors: Dan Ashworth, Dave Reddin and Kirk Vallis. 44:04: Benefits of hiring people from outside football/ having diversity of ideas and experience. 46:10: Returning to Southampton as Director of Football in 2019. 50:49: Joining US Soccer as their second ever Sporting Director in 2023. 52:23: Confidence had been "rock bottom" after Southampton. 54:16: Difficulty of sticking to a long-term plan at a club. 56:02: One of first things he did was reappoint Gregg Berhalter as Men’s Head Coach through to the 2026 World Cup. A year later he was sacked after early exit in Copa America. 57:25: Ambitions for the future - return to grassroots coaching.
S6 · E75
Nov 10, 2025 · 47 min
Merijn Zeeman: Outsmarting the opposition at AZ Alkmaar
Our guest on Episode #75 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Teamworks, is Merijn Zeeman. Merijn is the General Manager of AZ Alkmaar - a team that regularly compete at the top of the Eredivisie, despite having a budget that's dwarfed by their bigger rivals. Prior to joining AZ, Merijn was the Sporting Director at Dutch cycling outfit Team Visma, helping them create history by winning all three Grand Tours in 2023. In this episode, Merijn told us about the lessons he has taken from cycling into football, about how AZ have managed to outsmart the opposition and about their recent collaboration with Teamworks and Luke Bornn. We hope you enjoy this episode and if you do, please follow us via your preferred podcast provider. SHOW NOTES => 02:18: Big clubs in Holland have a budget 4 to 5x that of AZ. 03:30: Started at AZ in December 2024. Came in from cycling, where he was Sporting Director. Spent 10 years there. 05:08: How Team Visma were transformed from also-rans to winners of three Grand Tours in one season. Culture had been bad/ still had one of lowest budgets. 08:55: How they transformed the culture. "It is not logical to expect a group of people will work good together." 14:22: Bringing in influences from outside cycling and why. 17:51: Move into football with AZ. How it came about. 19:07: General Manager role - not one we hear about often in UK football. What does it involve? 21:54: What makes AZ special and even unique as a club? Average finish of 3.8 in the Eredivisie in last 10 years. 26:27: Was the transition from cycling to football difficult? Originally from Alkmaar, which helped. Relationship with Dave Brailsford and also Erik ten Hag, who invited him to watch training at Manchester United. 29:33: How club use data. Influence of Billy Beane and Luke Bornn. Team Visma used data to overcome one outstanding rival rider. Use of Teamworks Intelligence and how it has helped. "One of the ambitions is that in maybe five years we can win games because we understand the game better through data than any other team." 35:06: Big thing has been making data more accessible to the coaches at the club. 36:48: How AZ use Teamworks Intelligence. Big thing is merging event and tracking data. Previously the club had tried to develop their own model. 39:23: Using objective data to counter biases in decision-making. "For a lot of coaches it is about opinions or visions, not about objective information. It is very hard to progress if you don't have objective information." 42:25: How Team Visma used data to usurp a dominant rival rider. Taking this lesson into football. 45:35: What are the club's ambitions for the future?
S6 · E74
Oct 30, 2025 · 1 hr 12 min
Jamie Hamilton: Time to break free of positionism
Our guest on Episode #74 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Teamworks, is Jamie Hamilton. Jamie is a UEFA A Licence coach and has become one of the most important thinkers in football coaching, with his work on positionism and relationism. This has struck a chord with coaches, players and fans, at all levels of the game, and is influencing a change of approach. SHOW NOTES => 01:50: Jamie's background - as a coach and writer. 04:06: How he first became interested in the concept of positionism. Influence of Pep Guardiola. Desire of positionists to turn chaos into order. Inspiration of Fernando Diniz at Fluminense. 19:20: Guardiola's teams becoming more controlled and ordered in the last five years. Finding Premier League teams more formulaic and less inspirational than they could be with the players available. 20:29: Coaches putting players into slots in pre-designed systems, rather than evaluating who you have, as people and players, and making the best of them. 31:38: Head Coach as a "top-down controller", thus constraining freedom. Enzo Maresca has said that there IS freedom - by virtue of the player receiving the ball having time and not being under pressure. But this is a certain definition of freedom and very different to the definition that a relational coach like Carlo Ancelotti would use. He gives his players freedom to move where they please too. 35:30: Defences are getting more attuned in how to combat positional systems. Becoming more physical, utilising man-to-man marking more. The inherent predictability of positional systems is being countered. So where now? This is where relational football can come in. 42:12: Coaches are worried about what happens when they lose the ball if they don't use positional systems. This isn't necessarily true though. 46:55: Teams have started using man-to-man pressing systems to combat positionalism, eg Bournemouth. This has led to teams hitting long balls into space with a classic number 9 chasing. Set pieces have also come more and more to the fore. There have been some creative solutions, eg Kane dropping very deep for Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund, but the most interesting solutions have tended to be outside the Premier League. 53:50: Bayern Assistant Rene Maric has said (on this podcast) that "tactics don't exist." Need for players to think in the moment. 56:52: Definition of relationism in layman's language. Positionism is zonal, inspired by handball. Relationism is non-zonal with exponents like Diniz, Ancelotti and Scaloni. 1:05:32: Need to let players play and not over coach. Good example of Messi and Suarez. Ability to let go and to be surprised.
#73
Oct 16, 2025 · 1 hr 9 min
Rob Mackenzie: Leading Tottenham's talent hunt
Our guest on Episode #73 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Teamworks, is Rob Mackenzie. Rob is the Head of Scouting at Tottenham and has worked for the Europa League champions for two years. Prior to Spurs, he was Head of Recruitment at Aston Villa and at Leuven in Belgium, and Head of Technical Scouting at Leicester City, helping to lay the foundations for their Premier League triumph. In this episode Rob gave us the inside track on Tottenham's scouting operation and gave insights into his two decades in the game. SHOW NOTES => 02:40: What does Head of Scouting role involve? Who is in your team? 10:17: Squad building is a continual process. Importance of long-term strategy and alignment. Working to a game model. 18:47: How involved is Thomas Frank in the scouting process? 22:58: Was there a change in strategy in terms of the players you signed this summer? 26:25: How do you scout character? Example of Mohammed Kudus. 32:34: How important is athleticism and physicality when scouting/ selecting players? 37:34: How important is robustness/ availability. 42:50: Does a player's financials form part of the scouting picture (ie their wages/ what the potential transfer fee might be)? 46:06: Getting into football with Leicester City/ how Riyad Mahrez was 'discovered'. 58:07: Why it's getting harder to discover hidden gems. Example of signing Jhon Duran at Aston Villa. 1:01:04: Signing Lucas Bergvall, a "true generational talent."
S6 · E72
Sep 14, 2025 · 36 min
Tom Heaton: Leading Manchester United's new era
Our guest on Episode #72 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Teamworks, is Manchester United and England goalkeeper Tom Heaton. Tom is playing his 21st season as a professional and is a member of United's new five-man leadership team, along with Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Noussair Mozraoui. In this Episode he told us what it's like behind the scenes at United, about establishing himself at Burnley under Sean Dyche, about his experiences with England and his ambitions for the future. SHOW NOTES => 01:30: What the non-internationals do during the international break. 02:28: Thoughts on new Carrington training ground. 03:16: Can facilities be too nice and spoil players? 04:19: Being part of the new leadership team at the club. 05:11: Being inspired - but not weighed down - by the past. 06:35: What's the culture like behind the scenes? 07:49: Staying focused on the long-term plan. 08:54: First impressions of new goalkeeper Senne Lammens. 09:23: Does he coach the other keepers? 09:49: Joining United as an 11-year-old. 11:43: Influence of Sir Alex Ferguson. 12:37: His six loans as a United player. Positive experience and 'real' football. 15:21: Returning to United in 2021. Has it gone as planned? 18:12: Finding a home at Burnley (2013 to 2019). Playing under Sean Dyche. Defensive detail and organisation. Goalkeeper factory under Billy Mercer and Craig Mawson. 23:36: Evolution of role of the goalkeeper. 26:40: Which goalkeepers do you admire? 27:45: How long will you carry on playing? 28:37: What do you plan to do when you finish playing? 30:35: Going to the Euros with England as a training goalkeeper. 32:45: Thoughts on the Sporting Director role. Have done the UEFA Football Management Course. 34:01: Sean Dyche or Sir Alex Ferguson as a hybrid manager-Sporting Director. 35:06: Hopes for the rest of the season with Man Utd. Optimistic? 35:49: Looking ahead to appearance at TGG Live 2025 at Old Trafford on October 8th.
S6 · E71
Sep 10, 2025 · 56 min
Nick Montgomery: Tottenham triumph & career in coaching
Our guest on Episode #71 of the TGG Podcast is Nick Montgomery, Ange Postecoglou's Assistant at Nottingham Forest. The duo worked together at Tottenham last season, helping the North London side win their first piece of silverware in 17 years, when they claimed the Europa League. Montgomery has worked in football for almost three decades, as a player, coach and manager, and in England, Scotland and Australia. This episode was recorded a day before Montgomery joined Forest, but he talked about what it’s like to work with Postecoglou, about their struggles and triumphs last season and why some of the narratives about the Australian are incorrect. SHOW NOTES => 01:50: What he's been doing since Spurs sacking 04:44: Winning the Europa League 06:26: Why so many injuries? 09:30: Injuries gave young players an opportunity. What is was like to work with Archie Gray & Lucas Bergval. Why it's a younger game now. 14:54: Set pieces - Tottenham didn't neglect them. We're much better at them than people gave them credit for. Whether you need a dedicated Set Piece Coach or not. 24:41: Narrative about Postecoglou's style of play. Why you need a big squad to rotate. Difference between principles, philosophies and tactics. 30:16: Career as a player. Working with Neil Warnock. How he treated everyone differently. Game was more aggressive and macho when he was playing. Doesn't know why apprentices cleaning the pros' boots has gone out of the game. Dangers of social media. Example of Brennan Johnson coming off Instagram. 39:24: Moving to Australia as a player with Central Coast Mariners. Player to Academy Manager to Head Coach. Winning first league title for the club. 41:37: How he got to know Postecoglou. 43:27: Merits of taking your own staff to a club v having a new staff, as Postecoglou has. 45:08: Joining Hibernian as Manager. Why tenure only lasted one season. 49:13: Can Postecoglou achieve big things as a Manager in future? 51:47: When Postecoglou said he always wins things in his second season. How was that for the players and staff? 55:14: Ambitions for rest of his career.
S6 · E70
Aug 1, 2025 · 48 min
Simon Wilson: Driving success with strategy at Man City & Stockport
Our guest on Episode #70 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Teamworks Intelligence, is Simon Wilson. Simon is the Chief Executive of Stockport County and one of the most experienced football leaders in the UK. At Southampton, he was only the second full-time performance analyst in the country, before joining Manchester City in 2006. His time there coincided with the new ownership of Sheikh Mansour and a period of complete transformation. Simon played a key role in this, first as Head of Analysis, then Strategy and Performance Manager and finally as Director of Football Services for the entire City Football Group. In this latter role, Simon designed, built and delivered the club's global multi-club operation. After a short spell as Chief Football Officer at Sunderland, Simon joined Stockport County in 2020 and has masterminded their climb through the divisions. In February 2025, he was promoted from Director of Football to Chief Executive. In this Episode, Simon told us about his career journey, about his pivotal work at Manchester City and about Stockport's seven-year plan. SHOW NOTES => 02:27: Reflections on Stockport's summer transfer window. 03:21: Getting over last season's play-off semi-final defeat. 05:06: The club's seven-year plan. 07:45: What it's like working with Stockport owner Mark Stott. 08:53: How does the new squad compare to last season's? 09:45: The strength of this season's League One. 11:39: Simon discusses his time working at Sunderland. 16:24: How did Simon first get involved in football? 19:51: His first jobs with clubs - first at Preston and then Southampton. 21:19: Being only the second full-time Performance Analyst in the UK. 22:14: Working with Sir Clive Woodward. 23:25: Joining Manchester City. 25:27: Sheikh Mansour taking over at City. 29:08: Simon Pearce and Brian Marwood's involvement at the Etihad. 31:35: Becoming Director of Football Services for the City Football Group. 36:01: The difference between an entertainment club and a talent club in the multi-club model. 36:57: Are smaller clubs in a multi-club model servicing the bigger clubs? 39:44: Players moving between clubs in the group. 40:19: Economies of scale and sharing of data between the group's clubs. 41:47: Why Simon left Manchester City. 43:38: The current state of the game. 45:54: Moving from Sporting Director to CEO - how it's going. 47:13: What does the future hold for Simon?
S6 · E69
Jun 11, 2025 · 48 min
Luke Bornn: Toulouse, Teamworks & making a difference with data
Our guest on Episode #69 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Teamworks, is Luke Bornn. Luke has been one of the leading figures in sports analytics for more than a decade. After working as an Assistant Professor at Harvard University, he became Head of Analytics at Roma and then with the Sacramento Kings. In 2020 he co-founded Zelus Analytics, a sports intelligence platform providing data-driven insights to top teams, including Toulouse & AZ Alkmaar. In 2024, Zelus was acquired by Teamworks and became Teamworks Intelligence. Luke spoke about what he's been doing since we last spoke on the pod in 2021, about his groundbreaking work with Toulouse and about the future of sports analytics. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode and if you do, please give us a follow via your preferred podcast provider. SHOW NOTES => 02:21: What's been happening since you were last on the pod (in July 2021?) 04:36: What was your day-to-day involvement with Toulouse FC? What was the influence of data? Focusing on what matters. 11:31: Why data can help you to make better decisions. Why it's difficult to make long-term assessments in football. 15:31: Why English football overstates the importance of the Head Coach and why it's difficult to identify the coaches who genuinely make a difference. 18:55: Why Toulouse chose NOT to have a defined style of play. Benefits of 'zagging when others are zigging.' 24:50: Involvement with AZ Alkmaar. Why they are the best-run club in Europe over the course of the last decade. How they 'placed strategic bets' and won. 'Making the main thing the main thing.' How 10 to 15 decisions a season drive 95% of the value. 31:06: Role of Billy Beane, star of Moneyball and investor in Zelus Analytics. 31:52: Sale of Zelus to Teamworks and how they can add value for clubs. 36:25: Why clubs need to decide what they want from analytics. Should ultimately be about making better decisions. Importance of being aligned and why performance and analytics shouldn't be separate departments. 'If you're not improving decisions, you're not doing anything.' 40:04: Teamworks Intelligence and what it can bring to clubs/ federations. 42:30: Future of analytics - and for Luke personally.
#68
May 29, 2025 · 1 hr
The past, present and future of tracking data
Tracking data has transformed the way clubs analyse the game. This cornucopia of information is shaped and analysed by data scientists to create valuable insights for coaches, managers, Heads of Recruitment, Sporting Directors and more. But how much do you know about tracking data? Ie what it is, how it's collected, how it's analysed (and by whom), and how different departments and personnel use it? This episode of the TGG Podcast sets out to answer those questions and more. Our guests are: Michael D'Auria: The Executive Vice President of Partnerships, Sports and Technology for Genius Sports, the official tracking data provider for the Premier League. Michael has been at the cutting edge of tracking data provision for more than a decade, having previously been Chief Commercial Officer for Second Spectrum. Dominic Jordan: Chief Data Officer for Twelve Football and the former Director of Data at Manchester United. Dominic 'builds great teams to help great companies become leaner, greener and better equipped to succeed in a data-rich world.' SHOW NOTES => MICHAEL D’AURIA 02:03: Michael defines tracking data. 06:00: Relaying the data to teams and users after matches. 07:17: How tracking data revolutionised data science. 08:20: The origins of tracking data. 08:50: The first time football started to use it. 09:23: Capturing the data at Premier League & Championship matches. 11:56: Positioning tracking cameras inside a stadium. 12:40: Methods of passing data to coaching staff during a match. 14:05: A club data scientist’s job on a matchday. 14:45: The software used to present the live data. 16:00: What managers and coaches see on their tablets during a game. 18:53: Liverpool’s use of data over the years. 19:48: Tracking data’s ways of assessing a player. 22:34: Hopes for sharing data between worldwide leagues. 24:10: Mesh tracking explained. 30:05: Liverpool’s views on early tracking data. 31:24: The future of data science staff at football clubs. 32:32: Does use of data lead to success? DOMINIC JORDAN 37:13: The difference between event data and tracking data. 38:58: Rise in the number of data staff at clubs. 42:04: Different kinds of tracking. 44:55: How clubs use tracking data. 49:02: Getting tracking data to clubs during a match. 51:07: Tracking data workflows. 56:49: Managers’ views on the use of data.
S6 · E67
Apr 17, 2025 · 46 min
Andrew Nestor: Leading West Brom's new era
Our guest on Episode #67 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Genius Sports, is Andrew Nestor. Andrew is the Sporting Director of West Brom, working under new owner Shilen Patel. When the duo arrived in February 2024, the club's finances were in a "perilous" position. Since then, they have focused on rejuvenating the squad, while being mindful of profit and sustainability rules. Speaking the morning after West Brom's last-gasp 2-1 defeat at Bristol City, Nestor told us about his role as Sporting Director, his strategy at the Championship club and how he cut his teeth in football as owner, CEO and General Manager of the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the US. SHOW NOTES => 03:35: Andrew's thoughts on Baggies manager Tony Mowbray and the squad. 04:35: How he has found his role so far. 06:02: First impressions of West Brom on arriving at the club. 07:23: The Baggies were known as being innovative before Andrew's arrival - was that the situation he found? 08:16: How he worked on changing the squad, which was the oldest, based on minutes played, and fifth highest-paid in Championship. 10:00: The part the club's Academy plays in Andrew's strategy and extending the stays of younger players. 11:40: His thoughts on West Brom's style of play and how to adapt it. 15:16: Bringing in a data team to support the club's scouting process. 18:40: Planning for life in either the Championship or the Premier League at the same time. 19:25: Why Tony Mowbray was appointed as head coach. 23:57: Keeping a long-term vision for the club despite external pressure. 25:08: Carlos Corberan's departure. 26:52: Andrew's first off-the-field job in football with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. 29:05: His career outside the game before that. 29:41: Success at Tampa Bay and working with Paul Mariner and Paul Dalglish. 31:39: Meeting WBA chairman Shilen Patel for the first time. 32:23: Leaving Tampa Bay to go to Bologna. 34:44: How Andrew and Shilen ended up joining West Brom. 35:42: Shilen's involvement with the club. 36:32: Andrew's first experience of being a Sporting Director. 37:33: His wide remit at The Hawthorns. 39:06: Working closely with Ian Pearce. 39:54: The club's financial situation, largely affected by the loss of parachute payments. 41:52: What are the Baggies' short and medium-term prospects? 43:56: Reflections on the January transfer window. 46:07: Where Andrew bases himself.
S6 · E66
Mar 26, 2025 · 50 min
Vitor Matos: Elite developer
It's great to be back for Season 6 of the TGG Podcast - and with a new sponsor, Genius Sports. Our first guest of the new season is Vitor Matos, the former Head of Elite Development at Liverpool. During five seasons at Anfield, Vitor helped to nurture a new generation of talent and deliver a number of trophies. Since leaving Liverpool at the end of last season, he has been Assistant to Pep Lijnders at Red Bull Salzburg. In this episode, Vitor told us what it was like to work alongside Jurgen Klopp, the key components of development, how Curtis Jones can lead the new generation at Liverpool and how Arne Slot has made subtle changes this season. SHOW NOTES => 02:10: What he's been doing since leaving Red Bull Salzburg in December 2024. Reflections on that period now. 04:36: Jurgen Klopp coming in as Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull but periods didn't overlap. Parallels between Red Bull clubs and Liverpool. 06:33: How he started in coaching. Mourinho as an inspiration. 08:02: Meeting Pep Lijnders for the first time. 09:40: Influence of Professor Vitor Frade/ studying under him at University of Porto. 11:56: Why is Portuguese coaching so strong? Why is there a paucity of top English coaches? 16:49: How the move to Liverpool came about. 23:18: Manager and club committed to youth development and giving opportunities. 24:40: Development of Curtis Jones and Jarell Quansah. Considering whether to loan players out or not. 35:33: Who should we be looking out for in the next generation of young players at Liverpool? 36:29: What was it like working with Jurgen Klopp and what makes him so special? Could you have stayed on when he left? 39:23: Transition of Arne Slot into the club. Tactical changes. Transformation of Ryan Gravenberch. 45:25: Ambitions for the future. 48:24: Favourite training exercises.
S5 · E65
Dec 8, 2024 · 1 hr 2 min
Robbie Savage: Pundit to Manager
Our guest on Episode #65 of the TGG Podcast is Robbie Savage. As a player, Robbie made 346 Premier League appearances and captained four clubs. After retiring, he became a household name as a TV and radio pundit and appeared on Strictly in 2011. Now he's pursuing a different career, as a Manager, with Macclesfield in the Northern Premier League. Robbie told us why he'd turned to coaching, about his approach to leadership and about his lofty ambitions as a Manager. SHOW NOTES => 02:07: Wishing he'd gone into coaching earlier. How move from Director of Football came about. 06:44: Coaching badges? Starts A Licence next year and then hopefully Pro. Need your badges. Sees coaching as a vocation and ambition to reach the top. 10:58: Engaging with fans. Pitching in. Change in relationship with players when you become Manager. Treat them like he would treat his son. 13:40: Change in man management since he was a player. Becoming less visibly emotional. Calmer. Use of video analysis. Macclesfield expected to win every week. 18:43: Style of play. Preferred formation. Players win matches, not tactics. 24:40: Behaviour on the touchline? Setting the mood or calm and composed? Heart rate going high in technical area. 27:55: Change in style of play in non-league. Guardiola influence. Wants his team to get the ball forward quickly when possible. Not keen on playing out from the back. 32:36: Assistant wears a GoPro because of abuse from fans. Doesn't get paid at the moment. Could change when they go full-time. 38:15: Approach has changed on 606 phone-in. More understanding of Managers. Important to have consistency of messaging as a pundit or Manager. Has had offers as a Manager at bigger clubs. 44:15: Released at Manchester United. Make or break. Coached a team at Macclesfield made up of players who had been released and had great success. Callum West went to Burnley and now at Barnsley. 49:21: Do the Academies prepare players well enough? James Edmondson from Blackburn. Difference between Academy and senior football. Strength of the pyramid. 54:16: Different than he seemed as a player. Pantomime character. More than 350 Premier League games and captained four clubs. Keeps a book about all matches and what the Managers said.
S5 · E64
Jul 16, 2024 · 40 min
Paul Fernie: English Sporting Director making a mark in Germany
Our guest on Episode #64 of the TGG Podcast is Paul Fernie. Paul is Sporting Director of SV Darmstadt in Germany. He grew up in Hull and worked in analysis roles in England before the opportunity came to join Wiesbaden. He progressed from Head of Recruitment to Sporting Director and led the club from promotion to Bundesliga 2. Paul told us how the Sporting Director role works in Germany, what it was like to work under Graham Potter and Paul Mitchell and why more English staff should give it a go abroad.
S5 · E63
Jun 12, 2024 · 42 min
Danny Röhl: Masterminding Sheffield Wednesday's Great Escape
Our guest on Episode #63 of the TGG Podcast is Danny Röhl. Danny led Sheffield Wednesday to one of English football's great escapes last season. When he took over in October, the club were seven points adrift of safety with no wins in 10. By the end of the campaign they were three points clear of relegation. In this episode Danny told us how that remarkable metamorphosis was achieved and charted his meteoric rise as a coach, from RB Leipzig to Southampton, Bayern Munich, Germany and now Sheffield Wednesday, as a manager in his own right. SHOW NOTES => 02:11: Currently in Leipzig. Family have stayed there while he worked in Sheffield. About to work for ITV as a pundit at the Euros. 05:04: Now looking ahead to next season. Had offers from other clubs but journey not finished at Sheffield Wednesday. Need to improve the club and the squad. 08:15: Reflections on his first season in charge. Wanted an increase in intensity, while being mindful of injuries. Was always positive and believed in the players - something he learnt from Hansi Flick. 13:15: How did he win the players over so quickly? Laid out a plan for how they could be successful: pressing, counterpressing and improving ball possession. Developing players off the pitch as well as on it. "A good coach can change a game; a great coach can change a life." 19:07: Having different personalities and qualities in coaching team. He sets the plan and strategy for the week, but they get ownership of their area. 21:34: Influence of RB Leipzig on his playing philosophy. How this developed during his career. "I am not a manager to cross my fingers and wait." 27:20: Has principles and habits, but decision-making is down to the players and he builds this into his training sessions. Risk and reward in the final third. 29:17: Why did you take the Sheffield Wednesday job? Potential. 32:03: Start of coaching career at RB Leipzig as a coach-analyst. Why this dual role is important. "You cannot be just a tactical engineer on the laptop." 38:51: 6-0 defeat by Ipswich in March - took the decision to be proactive and take risks. 40:16: Ambitions for the future. 42:12: Is the owner fully behind the project? "We dream of the Premier League."
S5 · E62
Mar 25, 2024 · 52 min
Natasha Patel: Innovating in New York and Southampton
Our guest on Episode #62 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Natasha Patel. Natasha is Assistant Academy Director at Southampton and one of the most experienced women working in men's professional football. From 2011 to 2019 she was Academy Analyst and then Head of Performance Analysis at Southampton, before leaving to become Head of Performance Analysis at New York Red Bulls for the next three-and-a-half years.

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