Three At The Back

OptaPro Forum judge (and previous presenter at the event) Will Gürpinar--Morgan and OptaPro data analyst Tom Worville are the two guests who join host Ryan Bahia to discuss the upcoming OptaPro Analytics Forum, sharing highlights from previous presentations, advice for future presenters and key areas of interest within this industry.

Further information on the OptaPro Forum can be found here: https://www.optasportspro.com/news-analysis/news-optapro-launches-call-for-proposals-for-2020-optapro-analytics-forum/

Host Ryan Bahia is joined by AI scientist Paul Power (@counterattack9), and Bradford Griffiths, who leads innovation and product development at OptaPro, having initially been part of the staff at Scout7.

In this episode, Paul and Bradford provide a clear insight into what AI actually is, and crucially, how it can impact and be applied within the world of professional football.

Luke Stopforth (head of performance analysis, Brentford FC) joins host Ryan Bahia for an in-depth chat on his role at Brentford and the wider culture that has been developed at the Championship club, along with further insight on the evolution and progression of the analysis industry.

Miguel Rios, newly appointed Head of Football Intelligence at OptaPro, joins Ben Mackriell (Head of OptaPro) and host Ryan Bahia to share insight on his scouting career, identifying talent in different cultures and developing young players.

Recorded at the 2019 OptaPro Analytics Forum, SL Benfica youth technical director Pedro Marques shares detailed insight on his role as well as his previous position at City Football Group, the evolution of the football analytics industry and the impact of data on a football club.

This Q&A discussion with Tim Crawford took place in January 2019, when OptaPro hosted its second #OptaProSoccer analytics conference in North America.

In this episode, Tim discusses his seven years at the club, their processes along with the role of data and analytics in informing on-field decision-making.

Hosted by Ryan Bahia, Arsenal lead academy analyst James Krause joins the podcast alongside a returning Donald Barron, now at the University of Suffolk.

Broken down into two parts, the first half focuses on James’ role at Arsenal and the wider topic of innovation within performance analysis.

A common discussion point within this space is how people can break into the sports analysis industry. As well as sharing their own experiences, Donald draws on his thoughts as an employer (from his time at Norwich City) and how his life in the academic world has given a new perspective on this question.

James also draws on his experiences, along with sharing what he looks for when bringing in new staff to the club.

Manchester City Women’s Manager Nick Cushing joins host Ryan Bahia and OptaPro Data Scientist Tom Worville for this episode of Three At The Back.

In an in-depth discussion, Nick shares detailed insight on his football philosophy and how this is implemented with the team, his relationship with his analysis team and how City approach recruitment.

Recorded in the lead-up to the 2018 World Cup finals, host Ryan Bahia is joined by Head of OptaPro Ben Mackriell to discuss how international federations are using data and technology to inform and support performance.

In a conversation that explores how federations are using data from first-team through to talent pathways and early identification, the pod finishes by touching on how the presence of technology on the touchline could influence the role of the analyst this summer.

Wolverhampton Wanderers Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell joins OptaPro for this latest episode of Three At The Back.

Also featuring Ben Mackriell (Head of OptaPro) and hosted by Ryan Bahia (OptaPro Marketing Manager), this episode focuses on an in-depth discussion on the role of a sporting director.

Alongside the implementation of a club philosophy, Kevin also draws on his background in academy football; with conversation revolving around player pathways and the integration of an academy culture alongside the first-team.