Somehow, we have gone more than 50 episodes without breaking down the art and science of a free-kick. There have been so many weird and wonderful goals scored from free-kicks, so we unpack the process behind it, look into the numbers on goal probability, and read out some of your messages of your favourite free-kicks of all time! The optimal distance to score from a free-kick? Wall or no wall? A well-placed curler or a blast at goal? We’ve got it all covered! Bio links: Twitter thread:...

When you kick a football, which foot do you use? What percentage of players are ‘right-footed’ vs ‘left-footed’? Which players do you think of as ‘two-footed’? These are all questions we are exploring in this weeks episode, as we discuss the concept of being ‘ambipedal’. We take a look at how you would define being ‘two-footed’, the idea that players can be a certain percentage dominant when using one foot, and much more! Bio...

At last, the Football Fanalytics Podcast has reached its half-century! In Episode 50, we delve into a tactics-based topic where we break down the advantages and disadvantages of different defensive structures. What are the differences between a low vs mid vs high block? How can each of them be effective and what does it force the opposition to do? What is the risk vs reward of each defensive block? We cover all the above and more, before diving back into the Fanalytics mailbag and...

We’re back for 2022 and just one away from our half-century of episodes for the podcast! With a whole host of high-profile players seeing their contracts expire in the upcoming summer, January is a time to discuss pre-contract agreements with a new club. But who might be putting in that extra bit of effort to land themselves a new deal? In Episode 49, we discuss the “Contract Year Phenomenon”, taking inspiration from American sports to unpick how players statistically overperform in the...

As we draw 2021 to a close, we thought it would be a great opportunity to look back at some of the key things that we’ve learned or discussed on The Football Fanalytics Podcast this year. We introduced some more analytics terms, discussed some interesting tactical concepts and had some fantastic guests who shared their experiences of working within football. What was your favourite episode of 2021? Get in touch and let us know! Finally, we would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy new...

In-swinging? Out-swinging? Short? In Episode 47, we look into different types of corner routines from an attacking and defending perspective. Is it more productive to go with man-marking or zonal marking? Should you put a player on each post when defending corners? Are in-swinging corners more lucrative than out-swinging corners when looking to score a goal? We cover all the above, all backed up by the numbers! We also discuss some of our favourite goals from a corner, please do send yours...

After Harry Kane bagged himself seven goals in two international games for England this week, we ask, is it his fault that he is put up against such lesser opposition? In Episode 46, we discuss the principle of “stat padding”, and how players can sometimes create an inflated perception of their ability. At the other end of the scale, we explore the phenomenon of “clutch players” who are more likely to stay calm in the closing stages and decide the game. And at long last, we dive into the...

It’s Episode 45 and we’re taking a closer look into the tactical approach behind substitutes this week. Perhaps an overlooked part of the game, but are all substitutes in the best physical, tactical and psychological state to enter the pitch when they are substituted on? We chat about a recent club hire with football’s first known specialist ‘substitution coach’, in how you can maximise a player’s potential before they come onto the field. Let us know your thoughts. How would you best...

After two back-to-back guests on the podcast in recent episodes, we’re back to just the two of us this week. In Episode 44, we discuss the importance of sample size when using football statistics at the player and team levels.  As we are so early in the season, can we reliably draw conclusions based on such limited information? How can we overcome this issue of small sample sizes to identify patterns in the data? At what point can we say that we have a sample that is big enough to give us...

We have yet another guest on the podcast! This week, we were joined by Maram AlBaharna, who is a hugely talented football analyst, creating popular analysis and visualisations in her work. Many people will know Maram from her branded “Maram per 90” content that she has developed over the past 12 months, and we were delighted to hear Maram share her experiences on how she came to be involved in the football analytics world, how she has inspired others to get involved, and what the future...

We have a very special guest this week, as we chat with specialist throw-in coach, Thomas Gronnemark. Thomas has worked with some incredible clubs including FC Midtjylland, Brentford, Ajax, Flamengo, RB Leipzig, Gent, and Liverpool. In our chat, we discuss how he supports and improves teams with their throw-in approach, we get his response to those who are sceptical about the role of a specialist coach, and Thomas shares how he first received the call from Jurgen Klopp to work with Liverpool!

After a short break, we’re back with a tactical concept this week. In Episode 41, we take a closer look into Tactical Periodisation - a football training approach developed many years ago by Portuguese academic Vitor Frade. We unpick exactly what is meant by this approach, which managers have adopted it, and how it can be successful. Let us know your thoughts, we always enjoy hearing from you!

We’re back to what we do best this week, exploring a footballing concept that is deserving of a deeper dive. This week’s topic concerns the concept of scanning in football, and how useful it can be in a player’s actions on and off the ball. We chat about all things from scan timing to scan frequency, and look into some of the leading research in this field. The evolution of technology now means that such work into scanning is reaching a new level, and exciting developments are ahead. Let us...

The new Premier League season is nearly upon us, and it’s the perfect time to be picking your Fantasy Premier League team ahead of Gameweek 1. In Episode 39, we each pick our favoured FPL squads and swap notes on who makes it into our starting XI. What’s your formation? Which player is simply undroppable? Who is on your bench? For all you FPL fans out there, you’re going to enjoy this one! Bio Links: Football Fanalytics Pod League code: dcrbf3; FPL Rules:...

We’re back! After a thrilling summer of international football, we now return to the bread and butter of the domestic campaigns. With pre-season football upon us, we are back with a bang this week - taking an in-depth look at one of the Premier League’s newly-promoted sides. Norwich City’s innovation in the transfer market has been one of their key strengths in recent years, and there is no better person to speak with than Norwich City correspondent for The Athletic, Michael...

We are now in the full swing of UEFA Euro 2020, and it has certainly had its fair share of talking points already. There is plenty of content out there reviewing the games played so far, so instead, we thought we would do something a little different in our true Fanalytics way! In Episode 37, we have some fun and swap our best facts and accolades held across the European Championships. We look across some of the records broken in this year's tournament and reveal some of our most interesting...

Ahead of the start of Euro 2020, we are back with a tactical breakdown this week. In Episode 36, we take a look into a tactical approach called “The Third Man Run”. A very simple approach as a concept, but very effective when executed properly. We discuss the nuances of this approach, why it is useful, and how it can maximise space on the pitch. We also enlist the help of Performance Analyst & Academy Coach at Molde FK - and friend of the pod - Eric Laurie, to get his insight on this...

We are surprised ourselves that it has taken this long to discuss them, but in Episode 35 we discuss all things penalties! Favourite penalty of all time? The worst penalty of all time? We share our thoughts, but we’d love you to send in some of your most memorable penalties, good or bad. Of course, it wouldn’t be a fanalytics episode if we didn’t pepper in some analysis for you. Statistically, the best place to put a penalty? You’ll have to listen to find out! Bio links: Calvente...

This episode needs very little build-up, as we had the pleasure of having former professional footballer and well-known pundit and commentator, Chris Sutton on the Football Fanalytics Podcast! Chris is an English Premier League winner and Golden Boot winner with Blackburn Rovers, plus a four-time Scottish Premier League winner, a three-time Scottish cup winner, and a Scottish League cup winner with Celtic. There was so much fantastic insight from Chris, chatting about his development...

As we near the end of the season, the rumour mill is certainly in full flow for potential signings in the upcoming summer transfer window. That’s why we thought it would be a good opportunity to dive back into the Twenty3 Content Toolbox and look into some potential signings that could fit your team! Thank you to everyone who sent their requests in, we did try to get through as many as we could! A left-back for Arsenal? A centre forward for Brighton? A centre-back for Spurs? We cover this...

It’s been a strange week for football, but you will be pleased to know that this episode does not centre on The European Super League! In Episode 32, we explore an advanced analytical model called Pitch Control. Essentially, this model looks to quantify the creation of space on the pitch and see how players can maximise this space on or off the ball, and in or out of possession. Importantly, we discuss why this model is important, how it can be applied, and what makes it such a useful tool...

It’s the very essence of the game. For any team to score a goal they need to have the ball. And having the ball for any period is, of course, termed possession. But how useful are possession statistics in providing information about the game? What else can be used to outline which team was more dominant? As always, we scratch below the surface to look deeper into some key analytics terms. We also uncover our latest ‘unpopular opinions’ in football, and delve back into our fanalytics mailbag....

Certainly an episode for the fan side of our fanalytics content, this week! In Episode 30, we focus on dribbling and recall some of the best players to have ever graced the game with their ability to run with the ball. We’re talking Ronaldinho, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jay Jay Okotcha - all of them capable of getting us off our seat with their skills. But how can we measure dribbling from an analytics perspective? How does a dribble differ from a ball carry? It wouldn’t be a fanalytics...

After our football analytics debate in Episode 28, we are back to our more traditional format this week! With a football twist on a classic song, in Episode 29 we thought we would dig back into the Twenty3 Content Toolbox and take a closer look at some Premier League players whose “stats are on fire”. A bit of fun to be had in this one, and let us know which players you think are hitting some red hot form recently! Remember you can follow us on Twitter at @Fanalyticspod or email us at...

We’ve decided to take a slight change of pace this week. No new analytics terms, but an old-fashioned debate! In Episode 28, we chat about the ongoing discussion surrounding the use of analytics in football. While it is a thread throughout all of our episodes, it has been a topic that has re-emerged in the media in recent weeks and we wanted to offer our thoughts on the pod. Importantly, we don’t want this discussion to end here! We want to hear your thoughts on this debate, so please get...