11 Questions with Jan Boden

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Jan Boden:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

A friend asked me if I was interested in helping him coaching a local woman's football team. Starting from that moment on, I followed courses, coached some other minor league clubs in the area until I got a call from a coach nearby. He asked if I was interested to help him with his opponent scouting. One thing lead to another and a few years later he called me again, for a pro-league team. I introduced myself, made analysis of the next opponent and got hired.

What attracted you to coaching /data/scouting? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

A big frustration was actually what attracted me. I was following football for a long time and heard lot's of opinions that I just wasn't following, which I couldn't agree with. So I started reading about biases and how scouting and data can help you with that. That's how I tumbled into this world and what still attracts me. 

Names are cool, but everybody knows names. Numbers are just numbers. You need both, names and numbers. And lot's of numbers about lot's of names. That's when it all becomes valuable.

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

Pass... Nobody in particular.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

That there is one way you need to work in this world. There are multiple ways to work, in long term, but also on a daily basis and there is nobody that can tell you which one is the best. 

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

I would do exactly the same. Due to the fact that I've worked in practically every level in football, I've seen it all and that's worth a lot to me.

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

I would say curiosity. If you have plenty of curiosity, the domain knowledge is just a matter of time. Keep being curious, that will always pay off.

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

The sport of my heart is Football, but I'm keeping my eyes open to other sports and the development in that sport. At this moment, I watch a lot of hockey. Lot's of similarities with football, but they get a lot more done with less budget.

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

Pass, to hard to tell.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Work, and work hard. Keep being curious. Always overdeliver in whatever you do. Always give 120% of what people are expecting. And be patient. Your chance will come, all you have to do is make sure you are ready for when that moment comes.

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

I'd say Ronaldo, for his work-ethics. For always pushing himself to get better. 

What is your favorite quote or saying?

Keep focus and work hard.

11 Questions with Danish Footy

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Danish Footy:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

I was Lucky to become an intern at a football Clubs communication section. It really took off from there.

What attracted you to sports media? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

Bit like the first q. The communication department made help me with getting into this.

What player or concept you fascinates you? What caught your eye?

Mostly Danish players like Michael Laudrup and Preben Elkjær. They made Danish football.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

Age. People believe that when a player turns 30 it's already the end of the road for him and any transfer fee is too much.

What is more important player development or recruitment? Why?

Don't think you can say one is more important. Both is reasonably important side-by-side.

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

Have to say the EURO 92. Biggest sports moment in Danish history.

What coach/player/team inspires you? Why?

Rinus Michels was the first super coach. What he did for Holland was really amazing.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Patience. You cant expect to get it all right away. And hard Work will give you benefits in the long run.

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

Michael Laudrup. Best player Denmark ever produced.

What is your favorite quote or saying?

What doesn’t kill you make you stronger.

11 Questions with Sancho Quinn

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Sancho Quinn:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

I guess being proactive and a lot of luck really. I had a background in sport and had completed a Sport Science and Coaching degree and then worked as a PE/classroom teacher for 2 years. I fancied a change in career and was fortunate to have a friend who worked as a performance analyst, he was at Derby at the time and let me come in and see how the job worked. 

From there I fired out a load of emails to any analysts at clubs I could get details for and was lucky enough to get to visit Liverpool’s academy, again to get some insight/advice. I secured a place on a Performance Analysis Masters course and just started applying to any opportunities at clubs – I was incredibly lucky to get the role initially at West Ham, looking back now, I think that was one of the first ones I applied to.

What attracted you to media/data/scouting? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

Always been a big football obsessive so I’ll talk about what got me into the data side initially. I got quite heavily into basketball at uni, I’d be watching games until the early hours and checking the box scores religiously in the morning. One of the metrics in the box score is a simple +/-. Basically, it shows when x player is on the court, who many points are the team net up or down? 

Draymond Green, now a max-contract superstar, would be fairly unspectacular on the court and on the box scores at the time; 4 points, 3 rebounds, maybe a block. But he seemed to almost always be team-high when it came to +/-. Whatever it was he was doing on the court was having a big impact on team performance. I guess it made me think about how data can give you some information you might not get from your eyes, and how concepts like this could be applied to other sports. I find the data side really interesting but its no replacement for actually watching games.

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

This is hard. The beauty of sport is there are so many different styles and skillsets to enjoy. I love dribblers, I love players who can make the killer pace, I like insane athletes, I like players who do their job with minimal fuss and metronomic efficiency. I guess the joy of sport is watching someone much better than you do the things that you’d love to be able to do.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

Those that think it’s watching spreadsheets vs watching games. It’s using both well that can give you an edge.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

Programming skills definitely. Robust programming skills, a deep understanding of football (coaching concepts, tactics etc) and the ability to effectively communicate with data people and football people is hugely valuable and will become more and more sought after within clubs. Those same soft and hard skills would set you up brilliantly for a job outside of football too. I would have done coaching badges to at least UEFA B too.

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

The answer to these either-or questions is always somewhere in the middle. But I think it’s curiosity more so. We all have to start somewhere when it comes to developing domain knowledge. If you are really interested in a subject, you can get to a good level of competency with enough effort. The learning resources are out there. I’m as bad as anyone when it comes to this. I’ve been wanting to fully commit to learning Python for ages. Time to take my own advice I think!

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

I can think of a few individual goals that meant a lot to me. But I think I would have to go for Leicester winning the league for this. Just the most amazing, impossible achievement. Non-football wise, what Ben Stokes did in the World Cup final and then the Ashes last year was just astonishing. I feel sorry for the non-cricket fans who didn’t get to enjoy what was probably the most dramatic extended periods of sport I’ve ever seen!

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

Dennis Bergkamp can come back and play for Arsenal now.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

I’ll advise on getting a role at a club, as a I think that’s what a lot of people would be interested in. It’s not the only route in, but the following blueprint would put you in an amazing position to get hired, I think:

-        Sport Science degree

-        Masters degree, within some kind of data field (Sports science, data science, maths, Statistics, Performance Analysis etc)

-        Coaching badges to UEFA B or higher

-        Learn R/Python and the associated data viz skills

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

Messi. Best to ever do it.

What is your favorite quote or saying?

“If you don’t believe you can do it, then you have no chance at all.” – Arsene Wenger

11 Questions with Jordan Weimer

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Jordan Weimer:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

I was part of an agency start up in 2015, my role was to produce reports on potential clients.

What attracted you to media/data/scouting? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

I’ve always found the fundamental process of scouting interesting. Analyzing a players performance to the finest detail might sound monotonous, but I love it. Names will always be more intriguing to me, numbers are a tool to make sure they’re the right names. 

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

It’s easy to have preconceived notions of what players in certain positions should be doing at any given moment. Watching a player who can redefine a role/position is by far the most fascinating to me. 

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

The gap between aspiring amateur scouts/analysts and professionals is often overstated. Some of the work that’s shared on Twitter is exceptional, and clubs are starting to pick up on that. 

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

Broadening your horizons and watching other leagues would be a big one for me. It’s easy as a fan to focus on the league your team competes in. But having an understanding of other styles of football is so important.

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

Curiosity, professional sport is all about fine margins. Looking down a different avenue could be what gives you your break. 

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

As a Watford fan it has to be Troy Deeney’s goal vs Leicester in the Championship Play Off Semi Final. There’s no other option. 

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

His time at Watford came to an unfortunate end, but I’d go with Javi Gracia. Firstly I think he’s a very good coach. He had some bad luck, and failed to adapt what he had worked on the previous season. But he was loved by the Watford fans, and gave them a connection most hadn’t felt since Graham Taylor was in charge. 

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Put your work out there consistently. Create a portfolio of work, you never know who might end up seeing it. 

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

Tony Romo, former QB of the Dallas Cowboys. An undrafted free agent that became a starter in the NFL through a mixture of hard work, talent and becoming a student go the game. 

What is your favorite quote or saying?

When you want to win a game, you have to teach. When you lose a game, you have to learn. - Tom Landry 

11 Questions with Lukas Brandl

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Lukas Brandl:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

I don’t think I can identify a concrete first opportunity, my football journey started more fluently. I began to work on my first coaching licence when I still was more a player than a coach, and at some point, it became clear that my contribution as coach will likely be more beneficial than as a player. Then, things kind of just happened, and I like to take the role of participating in football as much as I feel helpful doing so, and watch new opportunities evolve without really enforcing them.

What attracted you to media/data/coaching? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

I started coaching and writing about football nearly at the same time, and in both cases I was attracted by thinking: „I might be able to add something valuable to this!“ – so, basically, it was probably just some kind of self-verification.

Names or numbers – in the end, it’s always names, because numbers are meaningless without a defined frame, and the frame wouldn’t exist without names who play the game of football. But still, numbers can be very innovative and change the way we see the frame – after all, I think it’s not a question about names or numbers, but rather about perceiving thoroughly and reflexively. For me, the emphasis is probably on „names“, because it gives me more thinking ressources, but I am aware that it’s just one perspective of the spectrum and currently, I try to improve my „numbers“-perspective. Anyways, one will always be forced to have a certain perspective, but the degree of reflexivity and tolerance can increase.

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

One can recognize easily the player who scored a goal or whose major mistake lead to conceding a goal, but the steps before these events are interdepending in a complex way, because decisions of 22 individuals are influencing the game in more or less conscious and more or less direct ways. I am fascinated by players that are able to contribute massively, but unobviously. 

Maybe that is because I feel good when I manage to spot something like that when I watch football, but moreover, this always remembers me how complex the game of football is, and how much freedom it gives to every player (and coach) by being so. You know it‘s impossible to play ultimately perfect football, but there always seems to be a chance to reach perfection. I admire players who accept this quandary and perform serenely and focused at the same time.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

There are misconceptions in both directions: You can either overestimate players who are performing very blatantly, but you can also think that an unremarkable player is secretly super good, just because you feel cool and hipster by having this opinion. That is, obviously, where changing your perspective and consulting numbers helps. In the end, it’s a balancing act to manage the blind spots of your own perceptions and of the models which are responsible for the numbers.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

I talked about the feeling of adding something valuable as a source of motivation – well, in retroperspective, what seemed cumulatively valuable some time ago seems pretty obvious and superficial today. This Dunning-Kruger-experience is inescapable, and after some de-motivating effect it might give you some tranquility as well. I think I reached a point where I am able to recognize how much I do not know and in which, relatively small, fields I might be something like „competent“.

Regarding these thoughts, it’s hard to define a skill I would have liked to have earlier. I sometimes think I’d liked to be more talented as a player to reach higher leagues, because this would have made me more confident probably – but also, I wouldn’t have been as much in some aspects of football as I am in now because I somehow had to compensate that I never played very high.

If I have to decide on some „skill“: I wish I would’ve stayed more into maths since I left school, because I was not too bad, and today, I am sometimes missing the opportunity of conceptualizing things with the help of math effortlessly.

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

Curiosity in a sense of being prepared to actually reflect and bring light to the spots of your knowledge that are inadequate (which can be quite uncomfortable – „it both opens our eyes wide and plunges us into the dark“, the philosopher John Llewelyn described it) – is crucial if you really want to develop and, somehow, make a difference. But – without a solid basis, without any substance, without some domain knowledge –inadequateness ca not be identified first of all! 

So, this is another balancing act here: You definitely need a lot of domain knowledge to act confidently, make decisions and to have a „difference-template“ to be able to exploit your curiosity. But then, the more your knowledge solidfies and becomes self-evident, indisputable, the chance to stay curious and deeply reflective decreases. It’s not easy at all, I think.

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

I remember watching the World Cup in Germany 2006 on TV together with my younger brother, when I just turned 8, and seeing Germany winning over Ecuador 3:0. This always comes to my mind immediately when I think about my first emotional football experience. Then, of course, some good times as a (youth) player, and then as a coach: For example when I experience players of my team dominating the game that are usually used to be rather unconfident and shy, or when I really get into reflection and discovery processes alongside the players. These are my favorite moments.

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

Obviously Christian Streich, because he has such an admirable distance to his job and football overall, he is so reflected and circumspect, but has a clear and loud opinion at the same time. He is more than football. There are definitely more coaches and players I admire, but with this question, Streich was the first to come to my mind.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Take football serious, accept its complexity, treat it like a science, because it is. But don’t say things like „football is my life“, because in the end, it’s also just a game, and everybody can play it. That’s why it fascinates the world. So: Identify your bit that you can contribute to football, and enjoy doing it. Don’t believe you will change the (football) world, but also be aware of your chance to make it better.
Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

I think you have to pay massive respect to athletes like Michael Jordan, Cristiano Ronaldo, Muhammed Ali… and they are surely role models for many, because of their discipline, effort, commitment. But I, personally, enjoy thinking about athletes like Ronaldinho or Maradona – in their prime, they also worked hard of course, but after all, they just enjoyed what they did and still were among the very best. They gave a shit about standards, I think this is another example for the freedom football gifts, and that current norms can never be ultimate.

What is your favorite quote or saying?

Very hard to pick one. Currently, I like Leonard Cohen’s „there’s a crack in everything – that’s how the light gets in“, I think it says a lot. But I enjoy reading, generally, and diving into the work of authors like Eco, Gadamer, Merleau-Ponty, Arendt, Guattari… can reliably help to readjust my thoughts.

11 Questions with Gokul Krishna

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Gokul Krishna:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

I've been a fan of the sport and I've always wanted to contribute in any way possible. I'm not a good player but I like to make sure that I back the team, control the game and bring out the best of the team I'm playing since my schooling days. 

Being a CS undergraduate student and very much involved in sports, I was eager to get into football analytics but couldn't get much into it as there was no proper guidance. Friends of Tracking by David Sumpter is a great initiative that pushed me from wanting to actually do analytics. If there is one good thing that happened during COVID-19 and lockdown, it has to be that the FootballAnalytics community is starting to develop. 

What attracted you to data/scouting? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

I'm a big fan of the eye test. I used to watch games and like to analyse the football sense that the players have. What sets apart the good player from an average player? But this was all happening intuitively and I wanted to back myself and this is where the numbers help one.

Now, names or number. Numbers can surprise everyone tbh. I feel the numbers that we analyse are still not very advanced to be just dependent on them.

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

The player that fascinates me is someone like Wijnaldum or Busquets. There are really underrated and always help the team in a way that's not really eye-catching. Picking those crucial half-spaces, holding the ball under pressure and finding simple and yet better passing options and break the lines are some of those qualities.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

Numbers are more important. I feel numbers with context is really important. Raw numbers without context don't make much sense imo.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

Get involved, do projects and learn stuff. Learn by doing is one of the important lessons that I've learnt. 

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

Domain knowledge is surely important. But it is the curiosity that enables one to gain that important domain knowledge. 

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

In recent times, Liverpool 4-0 against Barcelona in Anfield is one of the best games. The intensity of the game and passion levels were extreme. 

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

It has to be only one person for me. Jurgen Klopp. I've always been a big admirer of him. I tend to follow and support managers rather than clubs or players. First, it was Sir Alex, now it is Klopp. Klopp is a very interesting personality and I feel like there is always something that you can learn from him. Not just in football, but his thoughts on life as a whole is really lovely.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Don't hesitate to take your first steps. First steps will be small but the amount of learning will be immense. Start by doing and don't forget to learn.

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

Favourite athlete. Michael Jordan has to be on the top of the list. No one can beat that mentality monster. In football, I feel like Cristiano Ronaldo is equivalent to MJ with that winning mentality and to be the best of the lot. 

What is your favorite quote or saying?

I just read The Power of your Subconscious mind. It was an interesting read. To summarize that in a single line is my favourite quote. 

A man is what he thinks. 

11 Questions with Abdullah Abdullah

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Abdullah Abdullah:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

My first opportunity in football wasn’t something I thought was an opportunity at first. I happened to find Total Football Analysis through googling sites to write for and just asked. They took me in and I started writing for fun. At first it was a hobby, a mere pass time. I was always interested in tactics but never enough to think I’d be able to write extensively. Progressed over time and got better and with that came more and more opportunities within the organization and here we are today. It’s now a serious career option and one I think I could just about get into.

What attracted you to data/scouting? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

I think I always loved player roles and how they fitted into tactical setups. I was never a numbers guy so for me it was all about the player. In recent times I’ve become more intrigued by data and use them heavily as part of my scout reports. While data has become an extremely prevalent part of football, I still feel watching a player is as important. It’s the two in tandem that intrigues me now. You cannot complete one without the other.

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

I think this is well documented in our analysts circle but I love defensive midfielders. They are the fulcrum of the team and control so much of the build up and act as the protective line in front of the defence. Ball players who have excellent defensive awareness are my favorite type of midfielders. Naturally, being an analyst in women’s football, Julie Ertz and Amandine Henry are two of my favorites. From the men’s side Marquinhos, Marco Veratti, and Joshua Kimmich are 3 world class players in their positions that I enjoy watching.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

One of the biggest misconceptions to me has been looking at the game and taking things at face value. Lot of beginner analysts will think they’ve found everything when they’ve only scratched the surface and struggle to find more. It’s about looking at the details and always asking ‘why’. Any time I’m talking to a new analyst, it’s always ask yourself why and you’ll automatically find something else to talk about and develop your knowledge.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

Oh, good question. If I had to start again then I would definitely look to improve my eye for detail in terms of both watching footage and the data. Find those underlying details that is there and learn how to unearth them.

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

I don’t think you can choose between the two. You need to have both to succeed. Your curiosity will only Improve your domain knowledge. It’s a cycle that keeps moving and the more curious you are, the more you’ll learn to understand and appreciate the game more. The day you stop being curious is the day you lose out on learning something new. So I guess curiosity is key.

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

If we’re talking about something other than football, it’s definitely American football and the NFL. I’ve been binging the Amazon Prime documentary series All or Nothing and have become very interested in the sport. Still learning the game and choosing my team but it’s between the LA Rams, Arizona Cardinals or San Francisco 49ers.

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

I’d have to say Antonio Conte. His tactical acumen and sense of passion is riveting. Being a Chelsea fan, I loved every minute of his presence on the touch line, and he made the three at the back system his own and won the Premier League. He’s now made Lautaro Martinez one of the best strikers in the world and turned Lukaku into a menace. I’m sure he’ll lead Inter to a Serie A title. 

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Learn, soak up everything you can tactics related and immerse yourself in writing down your thoughts. Once a week give yourself a match or player to talk about and that will give you consistency. The resources for tactical work is there in abundance now, so soak in as much as you can. Also, message analysts, you never know who’ll respond back and in reality everyone’s very keen to help and give advice on Twitter. I’ve sent messages to people I didn’t think would respond and now I’m still having chats with them regularly!

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

I’d have to say Tom Brady. He’s been one of the NFL’s most consistent and best quarterbacks for over a decade and at the age of 40 is still playing at a high level. His dedication to the craft and willingness to learn and teach is something I aim to for myself.

What is your favorite quote or saying?

‘Everything comes to you at the right time. Be patient and trust the process.’ 

I’m learning to live by this saying. Things can change at any point, and you just need to get your head down and work. Every time I get a new opportunity, it comes at the right time. I don’t know it at the time but in hindsight every moment has arrived at the right time. Don’t compare yourself with someone else’s journey. They’re at a different phase of their careers, you just need to look back at yourself and see how far you’ve come.