Post by zenga on Jun 30, 2023 17:37:56 GMT
Good article in my newspaper today about Chris O'Loughlin, TD at Union. Some interesting things, such as 'contextualized data', in a world where everyone has access to data, they add back the human aspect.
Source: Het Nieuwsblad (Belgian paper) / Author: Valerie Van Avermaet
Using DeepL
These are the laws of the man behind Union's transfer policy: "Lots of data, but in the end everything revolves around one thing"
Obsessed and passionate about football is Chris O'Loughlin (44). A 41-page dossier on a potential new recruit? No exception with Union's sporting director. How the Irishman knows how to convince players like no other to choose Union.
He does not like to be called that himself, but together with CEO Philippe Bormans and chairman Alex Muzio, sporting director Chris O'Loughlin is the architect of this Union. The club could already announce five summer transfers and the transfer period has not even officially started yet. Players with expiring contracts, young Belgians, a midfielder with punishing statistics and possibly a hidden diamond from the German third division: anyone looking at Union's new acquisitions cannot help but conclude that they are in line with expectations.
Courtesy of owner Tony Bloom's data company Starlizard. That data provides a list of potential reinforcements, but there is, of course, more than that wealth of data. Muzio has long been in the data world and introduced O'Loughlin to the system a few years ago. It is the sporting director who will work with the list and turn it into success transfers. "In my opinion, our data is unique because it is contextualised: knowing that a player completes 70% of his passes is not interesting if you don't know the context of the passes," O'Loughlin said about that recently.
Bachelor's thesis
Once O'Loughlin is sports-wise convinced, he also looks at the players' backgrounds. He wants to know who the person behind the footballer is to get a complete picture. In this, he goes far. "So what did they know? That I am writing an undergraduate thesis on how underprivileged youngsters of a different ethnicity can be integrated into youth football," new recruit Charles Vanhoutte explained in our newspaper earlier this week. "I found out that they had a 41-page file on my private life. They not only look at a player's sporting qualities but also whether he fits into the group as a personality."
Count on O'Loughlin also being aware of each player's home situation, how things went at his previous clubs and so much more. He also considers whether the character of the player in question fits the current group of players. A group with only quiet guys or only extroverted types, they don't want that at Union. The mix has to be right. "It is a huge amount of work, but if you know who you want to transfer, there is almost no aspect you don't know. A player has to make a choice in a short career and we want to show him that we understand him very well, that he is going to help Union and vice versa," O'Loughlin said about that recently in La Dernière Heure. However, he and his team are not doing it for every player. Kylian Mbappé may even come knocking, so to speak, if he is unfeasible or if he does not fit the club for some reason, they will not put their time into it at Union. One of the most important conditions besides footballing skills? Being hungry. The club has to feel that a player really wants to go to Union and is willing to go for it. The club then tries to fuel that hunger by working with lots of performance-based bonuses.
Tour and long talks
A tour of the beautiful complex in Lier is a regular feature for players of whom O'Loughlin is convinced. He also invites them for one or more extended talks. Using a powerpoint, he then explains enthusiastically what Union stands for. With the Union project he himself firmly believes in, he then tries to convince the players. Like no other, O'Loughlin can make players feel that Union really wants them. Young players know when they leave the training complex that they will get opportunities at Union. Players who have remained under the radar for whatever reason know that the Union management will not judge them and that they too will get opportunities. Take, say, 19-year-old Fedde Leysen, who is reputed to be a great talent. More than 30 clubs were reportedly angling for our compatriot's services, but it is O'Loughlin's drive that won him over to choose Union after all.
What also helps: they are patient at the Union. CEO Bormans never panics. If a player like Orban is too expensive, they move on to the next one on their list. If a player like Boniface wants to play the Champions League preliminaries with Bodo/Glimt first, they just wait. Casper Nielsen was the first to bring O'Loughlin to Union like this, Mathias Rasmussen the last for now. Though that won't last long.
Source: Het Nieuwsblad (Belgian paper) / Author: Valerie Van Avermaet
Using DeepL
These are the laws of the man behind Union's transfer policy: "Lots of data, but in the end everything revolves around one thing"
Obsessed and passionate about football is Chris O'Loughlin (44). A 41-page dossier on a potential new recruit? No exception with Union's sporting director. How the Irishman knows how to convince players like no other to choose Union.
He does not like to be called that himself, but together with CEO Philippe Bormans and chairman Alex Muzio, sporting director Chris O'Loughlin is the architect of this Union. The club could already announce five summer transfers and the transfer period has not even officially started yet. Players with expiring contracts, young Belgians, a midfielder with punishing statistics and possibly a hidden diamond from the German third division: anyone looking at Union's new acquisitions cannot help but conclude that they are in line with expectations.
Courtesy of owner Tony Bloom's data company Starlizard. That data provides a list of potential reinforcements, but there is, of course, more than that wealth of data. Muzio has long been in the data world and introduced O'Loughlin to the system a few years ago. It is the sporting director who will work with the list and turn it into success transfers. "In my opinion, our data is unique because it is contextualised: knowing that a player completes 70% of his passes is not interesting if you don't know the context of the passes," O'Loughlin said about that recently.
Bachelor's thesis
Once O'Loughlin is sports-wise convinced, he also looks at the players' backgrounds. He wants to know who the person behind the footballer is to get a complete picture. In this, he goes far. "So what did they know? That I am writing an undergraduate thesis on how underprivileged youngsters of a different ethnicity can be integrated into youth football," new recruit Charles Vanhoutte explained in our newspaper earlier this week. "I found out that they had a 41-page file on my private life. They not only look at a player's sporting qualities but also whether he fits into the group as a personality."
Count on O'Loughlin also being aware of each player's home situation, how things went at his previous clubs and so much more. He also considers whether the character of the player in question fits the current group of players. A group with only quiet guys or only extroverted types, they don't want that at Union. The mix has to be right. "It is a huge amount of work, but if you know who you want to transfer, there is almost no aspect you don't know. A player has to make a choice in a short career and we want to show him that we understand him very well, that he is going to help Union and vice versa," O'Loughlin said about that recently in La Dernière Heure. However, he and his team are not doing it for every player. Kylian Mbappé may even come knocking, so to speak, if he is unfeasible or if he does not fit the club for some reason, they will not put their time into it at Union. One of the most important conditions besides footballing skills? Being hungry. The club has to feel that a player really wants to go to Union and is willing to go for it. The club then tries to fuel that hunger by working with lots of performance-based bonuses.
Tour and long talks
A tour of the beautiful complex in Lier is a regular feature for players of whom O'Loughlin is convinced. He also invites them for one or more extended talks. Using a powerpoint, he then explains enthusiastically what Union stands for. With the Union project he himself firmly believes in, he then tries to convince the players. Like no other, O'Loughlin can make players feel that Union really wants them. Young players know when they leave the training complex that they will get opportunities at Union. Players who have remained under the radar for whatever reason know that the Union management will not judge them and that they too will get opportunities. Take, say, 19-year-old Fedde Leysen, who is reputed to be a great talent. More than 30 clubs were reportedly angling for our compatriot's services, but it is O'Loughlin's drive that won him over to choose Union after all.
What also helps: they are patient at the Union. CEO Bormans never panics. If a player like Orban is too expensive, they move on to the next one on their list. If a player like Boniface wants to play the Champions League preliminaries with Bodo/Glimt first, they just wait. Casper Nielsen was the first to bring O'Loughlin to Union like this, Mathias Rasmussen the last for now. Though that won't last long.
