From Post-Match Visuals to Big Projects: Building Your Online Presence in Football Data Analytics
Master the steps to showcase your skills, from creating impactful visuals to launching game-changing data projects.
Introduction
You've watched the educational videos, read the books, and feel confident in your technical skills in football data analytics. But when it comes to sharing your work online, you're still hesitant to take that step.
Don’t worry! In this post, I’ll walk you through a formula that will help you not only take that leap but also do it in a way that showcases your unique approach.
Post-Match Visuals
A great way to start sharing your work is by creating post-match visuals—such as pass networks, shot maps, pass maps, heat maps, etc.—for a game of your choice. For guidance, you can follow tutorials from the technical guru, Mckay Johns.
Since this step is relatively simple and straightforward, once you get the hang of it, try to customize your approach. Add your personal touch by focusing on specific aspects that others might miss. For example, instead of showing a general pass network for the entire game, break it down by halves, or focus on moments after key events like substitutions, tactical changes, or red cards.
The goal is to go beyond just running the same visualizations after every match. Watch the game with a detailed eye, identify unique patterns, and use your analysis to showcase insights others might not see. This will help you stand out in the crowded world of football analytics.
Charts
Another great way to stand out and showcase your data analytics skills is by building charts, like scatter plots, after a competition or during a break in the season. Use these to highlight players or teams that flew under the radar or to reveal patterns in your metrics. This step requires not only coding but also a sharp attention to detail.
While creating charts is simple in itself, the real challenge lies in the metrics you choose and the story you want to tell with your analysis. The impact of your chart will depend on the depth of your insight and the clarity of your message.
To take this a step further, consider moving from a simple chart to a dashboard. Dashboards are incredibly powerful for visualizing data, and if you feel confident in your technical skills, mastering this can significantly boost your analysis and make your work more interactive and valuable.
You can follow Mckay Johns’ playlist for inspiration—the coding and the “how” are there. But remember, the most important part is the content of the chart and the story it tells.
Big Project: Elevating Your Online Presence
The first two steps—post-match visuals and charts—are excellent ways to get noticed and build your online presence. However, to truly take your career to the next level and secure that first big opportunity, you'll need to work on something more substantial. Think of these smaller projects as a way to buy yourself time and maintain visibility while you prepare for your breakthrough big project.
There are two main directions you can take for a big project: an interactive dashboard or a data science project. You can choose based on where you see yourself in football data analytics—or even do both.
Dashboard Project
One idea is to build a pipeline that automates data collection, processing, and visualization. For example, you could scrape data from a source like FBRef or pull it from a database, prepare it for analysis, and visualize it through an interactive dashboard. The focus here would be on automating the process, turning raw data into insightful visuals.
Another idea is to aggregate player or team data from the top 5 leagues and build a dashboard report that delivers deeper insights. For inspiration, check out Edd Webster’s Tableau profile—he's done an excellent job showcasing what can be achieved with interactive dashboards.
The goal is to demonstrate both your technical skills (in data preparation, automation, and visualization) and your ability to create insights that matter to football professionals.
Data Science Project
If you’re more inclined toward modeling and predictions, focus on building a data science project that offers something unique. Recruitment models are common, so to stand out, find a creative way to add value to performance analysis or player evaluation.
You could:
Cluster teams or players based on advanced performance metrics to reveal hidden patterns.
Develop KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to assess player performance over the years and rank them. For example, create a custom ranking system that combines offensive, defensive, and tactical contributions over time.
Make sure your project has a clear, actionable outcome—something that could be used by clubs, scouts, or analysts for an extended period. The more practical and applicable your project, the more it will stand out.
Conclusion
This big project is what will help you break through to the next level in football data analytics. Whether you go for a dashboard or a data science project (or both!), aim to create something that not only showcases your technical skills but also offers valuable insights that professionals in the industry can use.
It’s essential to focus on building a strong portfolio—a collection of your best work that demonstrates your ability to solve real problems and deliver actionable insights. A well-curated portfolio will make you stand out to recruiters, analysts, and scouts, giving them a clear view of your expertise and unique approach.
Remember: it’s not just about coding or building—it’s about finding an edge and delivering insights that make sense and have a long-term impact. This is your chance to make your mark in football data analytics.
Call to Action
Start by working on post-game visuals and charts, showcasing your unique angle and insights. Feel free to tag me or send your work in private if you'd like feedback—I'd love to see what you're working on!
As you gain confidence, begin thinking about your first big project. But before diving in, always ask yourself: What problem am I trying to solve?
Enjoy the content, and I’ll see you on the dugout.