From Overwhelm to Action: How to Kickstart Your First Big Project in Football Data Analytics

Unlock your potential by exploring examples, solving real-world problems, and leveraging expert insights to launch your breakthrough football analytics project.

Introduction

You’ve read the books, watched the videos, honed your technical skills, and even started sharing your work online. But when it comes to that first big project, you're either drawing a blank or overwhelmed with too many ideas that you can't bring to life.

Don’t worry—this post is here to help you get started.

Check the State of the Art/Examples 🔍

Before diving into your own project, it’s always a good idea to explore what’s already been done. Try to replicate some existing work and add your own unique touch. For example, in my Moneyball Project, I applied PCA and cosine similarity techniques that I had learned during my master’s project.

You can find inspiration from various sources, such as educational videos, The Athletic, or American Soccer Analysis. Look at the projects or metrics they propose, and think about how you could adapt and apply those ideas to solve a specific problem.

Think of a Specific Problem and Solve It 🎯

There’s a quote from Elon Musk that always resonates with me: “You are paid in direct proportion to the difficulty of the problems you solve.” This inspires me to think deeply when facing challenges in football data analytics.

Instead of focusing solely on post-match visuals or identifying hidden talents, why not tackle a bigger problem—one that mimics real-world challenges in a professional football environment?

For instance, what if your favorite club lost a key player for free or for a small fee and struggled to replace him? Or what if a star player renewed his contract for a hefty sum but then started underperforming, ultimately leaving the club at a loss?

You can start by analyzing your favorite team and identifying problems worth solving. Imagine yourself as part of the club’s analytics team, working to prevent these situations. Let this guide your next project!

Work with What You Have 🔧

No matter how creative or skilled you are, the dataset will always shape the scope of your work. It’s important to start by checking the available data—whether it's from the StatsBomb package, FBRef, Understat, or other sources. Evaluate the metrics at your disposal and consider what insights can be drawn from them.

A niche that’s gaining momentum is using computer vision techniques to generate data from match footage. As more top clubs explore ways to collect their own data to gain an edge, this could be a powerful direction if it aligns with your expertise. If that’s in your skillset, why not give it a try?

Remember, work with the data and skills you have now, then build from there. Review what’s been done, add your personal touch, and focus on solving a specific problem.

Seek Help from Experts 🤝

You don’t have to do everything alone. Sometimes the best way forward is to seek help from experts in the field. Get inspired by their insights, take their advice, and apply it to your own work.

One mistake I made early on was relying too much on myself. Yes, there’s plenty of content available, but once you start interacting with experts, you’ll realize how much more there is to learn. Their perspective can open your eyes to ideas and opportunities you may have missed.

Be respectful in your approach, flexible with their schedules, and don’t take rejections personally. When you connect with the right people, you’ll feel inspired and equipped to tackle new projects—many experts have ideas they’d love to share.

Conclusion 🏁

Feeling stuck at this stage is completely normal—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by too many ideas and not know where or how to start. Take the time to explore the suggestions above, and let them guide you toward your first big project. This could be the stepping stone that opens the door to your first big opportunity in football data analytics.

Call to Action 📢

Explore the educational resources mentioned, listen to experts, and identify a specific problem you want to solve—whether it’s a general issue or something related to your favorite team. Look for ways your skills and available data can help tackle it, and then start working on it.

Begin solving problems and share your work on X or LinkedIn. Feel free to tag me or send it to me privately for feedback—I’d love to see what you’re working on!

Enjoy the content and I’ll see you on the dugout.