Analysis is a big part of the initial build up to the game. A big part of analysis will of course initially come from watching a tape of your rivals, or at least, getting to the game to watch them play, with the same intensity you would watch your own team, pouring over all possible detail.
In modern day competitive sports, games can often be won and lost before your team even step foot on the field. A person who plays a keys part in that happening are opposition analyst. They attend games of the opposition to record formation, set pieces, style of play, tactics and watch key players of the team they will be facing in an upcoming fixture. They help their team prepare through data-driven research, tactical analysis, important questions and suggestions for studying the opposition offer a guide for a comprehensive report. With the research on hand, attention turns to red teaming and presentations.
Opposition analysis form part of the Football Business Academy’s scouting course and at the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand the role of an opposition analyst
- Use tools such as Instat, Hudl, SportsCode and Wyscout to create comprehensive and engaging analysis
- Analyse set pieces, tactics, style of play of the opposition
- Understand formations and their impact on gameplay
- Assess individual play and what to look for when analysing players
Produce a complete opposition and independent analysis report