brian mcdonnell

The 24-year-old me who published Football Against the Enemy in 1994 did not imagine this, but in April we're republishing the book as a "classic edition" 32 years on, with a new introduction + a "Where are they now?" from me. Will feel weird. Preorder here geni.us/OpNA Plus our first ever audiobook

Great work Brett, you will have to do a prompting seminar for the rest of us

Steady, Reliable, Authoritative: Senne Lammens Is Proving Himself to Be Everything André Onana Wasn’t | Opta Analyst Senne Lammens played a starring role in Manchester United's 1-0 win at Everton, putting his debut season under the spotlight.

If Monday told us anything, it’s that Manchester United appear to be in very steady hands with Senne Lammens (analysis via @rbenson92.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com)
theanalyst.com/articles/sen...

New Vacancy - Data Engineer I am excited to share we are recruiting for a Data Engineer to join our Research team at Liverpool Football Club - this is a fantastic opportunity for someone to be a… | ... New Vacancy - Data Engineer I am excited to share we are recruiting for a Data Engineer to join our Research team at Liverpool Football Club - this is a fantastic opportunity for someone to be a par...

We’re recruiting for a Data Engineer to join our Research team at Liverpool FC. In my (perhaps biased) view, it’s a great opportunity to join an excellent team, work at the forefront of sports analytics, and have a tangible impact.
www.linkedin.com/posts/conorq...

Kim Hellberg: Behind the scenes with the coach driving Middlesbrough towards the Premier League Boro's Swedish coach talks rollercoaster football, overcoming a fear of public speaking and how Hellball could restore the club to the elite

This is a good profile of up-and-coming Middlesbrough coach Kim Hellberg (via @mwalkerfoot.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social)
www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...

Only sharing the work of someone else, can't claim any credit.

He made $150m via betting but got bored. Now he’s leading a club to La Liga Haralabos Voulgaris has taken data-led approach that kept him a step ahead of bookmakers into football club ownership with second division Castellon

CD Castellón are a very real candidate to earn promotion from the Segunda División in Spain - Haralabos Voulgaris has adopted a data-led approach and, interestingly, has also partnered up with Jamestown Analytics (story via @trlkershaw.bsky.social for @thetimes.com)
www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Real Sociedad Needed A Revolution, Not Continuity – Pellegrino Matarazzo Is Delivering It | Opta Analyst Real Sociedad hired Pellegrino Matarazzo in December as the first American manager in La Liga history. It's proven an inspired decision.

Real Sociedad hired Pellegrino Matarazzo in December as the first American manager in La Liga history - his impact has been significant (analysis via @robbiejdunne.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com / @statsperform.optajoe.com)
theanalyst.com/articles/rea...

The soccer analytics experts aiming to transform a club in Portugal’s fourth division Sport Uniao Sintrense have never featured in their nation's top-flight before, but four men are aiming to change that

A team of football analytics experts (featuring @worville.bsky.social as head of data intelligence) aim to transform Sport Uniao Sintrense in Portugal’s fourth division (story via @markcarey93.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social)
www.nytimes.com/athletic/701...

The star investor and sports data pioneer disrupting Scottish football Fresh investment and computer algorithms that have redefined player recruitment fuel Hearts’ transformation

Fresh investment and computer algorithms that have redefined player recruitment fuel Hearts’ transformation (via Robert Orr for the @financialtimes.com)
www.ft.com/content/a0de...

Need to update my list of soccer analytics and tactics accounts, tell me who's posting good stuff

Why doesn’t La Masia produce strikers for Barcelona? The Catalan club's celebrated youth academy turns out scores of players for their first team, so why don't centre-forwards break through?

At youth level at Barca, the emphasis on link-up play and connecting with others means the responsibility for goalscoring is often shared, but the profile of the serial goalscorer is missing (via @laiacervello.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social)
www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...

Long Balls, Careful Shot Selection, and Continuity: How Keith Andrews Made Brentford European Challengers | Opta Analyst Brentford were among the favourites for relegation at the start of the season, but Keith Andrews has them dreaming of Europe.

Brentford were among the favourites for relegation at the start of the season, but now Keith Andrews has them dreaming of Europe (analysis via @davidsegar.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com / @statsperform.optajoe.com)
theanalyst.com/articles/bre...

How France’s Offload Game Took Ireland Apart in Paris | Opta Analyst France kicked off their Six Nations defence in style, with a commanding home victory against Ireland. Their offloading played a huge part in that.

France kicked off their Six Nations defence in style, with a commanding home victory against Ireland. The key to their victory? The humble offload (analysis via Jonathan McCormick for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com / @statsperform.optajoe.com)
theanalyst.com/articles/fra...

The 12 Numbers That Defined the Seahawks' Dominant Super Bowl Win Over the Patriots | Opta Analyst We've got some of the key numbers that tell the story of a one-sided Super Bowl 60 in which the Seahawks cruised to a win over the Patriots.

Here are 12 numbers that tell the story of Super Bowl 60, in case “29-13” doesn’t do it on its own (analysis via @alexkirshner.com for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com / @optaanalystus.optajoe.com)‬
theanalyst.com/articles/num...

A Perfect Sum: How the Seahawks Have Been Historically Good Without an Elite Roster | Opta Analyst How is it possible that a team with a roster that’s not among the nine best in 2025 has played like one of the five best teams of the past 35 years?

How is it possible that an NFL team with a roster that’s not among the nine best in 2025 has played like one of the five best teams of the past 35 years? Good question (analysis via @tmbech23.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com)
theanalyst.com/articles/sea...

Liverpool Are Starting to See the Real Florian Wirtz | Opta Analyst Liverpool’s £100m summer signing was expected to hit the ground running. He didn’t, but Florian Wirtz is starting to show why few questioned his price tag.

Liverpool’s £100 million summer signing didn’t hit the ground running, but Florian Wirtz is now starting to live up to the initial hype (analysis via @davidsegar.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com)
theanalyst.com/articles/liv...

The Staggering Stats You (Didn't Realise You) Need to Know About James Milner's Premier League Career | Opta Analyst With James Milner set to equal the Premier League appearance record, we look at the stats surrounding his career so far in the English top flight.

Had a lot of fun writing this - some of the more obscure facts around James Milner's Premier League career as he looks to equal the appearance record this weekend. A man whose debut is closer to the 1970s than it is today. A proper legend.

How Chelsea set defensive record — and can it ever be beaten? José Mourinho’s 2004-05 title winners conceded only 15 league goals, a record that will not be matched this season after Arsenal’s tally recently reached 17

This is excellent from @hkhaliqueloonat.bsky.social on the transformative effect José Mourinho had on Chelsea (and football) in 2004-05 (for @thetimes.com)
www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Second-Half Surrender: How Man City's Frailties After Half-Time Are Hindering a Title Challenge | Opta Analyst Manchester City lost a half-time lead in a Premier League match for the fifth time this season, highlighting a worrying trend for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Man City have dropped 11 points from half-time leads in the Premier League this season (analysis via @mattfurniss.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com)
theanalyst.com/articles/man...

Chelsea's Box-Crasher: Enzo Fernández Makes the Most Valuable Runs in the Premier League | Opta Analyst Enzo Fernández completed a historic comeback win for Chelsea at the weekend after a goal following a run from deep, the type of which is increasingly becoming his trademark.

Happily, we can use Opta Vision data to identify and measure the quality of Enzo Fernández’s box-crashing runs for Chelsea (analysis via @alitweedale.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com)
theanalyst.com/articles/enz...

Frustration for Como but Fàbregas’s side have one of strongest identities in Serie A | Nicky Bandini There were tears after Como’s nonsensical draw with Atalanta but this young possession-based team is heading places

There were tears after Como’s nonsensical draw with Atalanta, but Cesc Fàbregas’s young possession-based team is going places (analysis via @nickybandini.bsky.social for @theguardian.com)
www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Man Utd Knew xG Would Catch Up With Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, But That Was the Point | Opta Analyst Ignoring their xG overperformances last season, the underlying numbers of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha always provided cause for optimism at Man Utd.

Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha massively out-performed their xG last season. That's not the case this season, but that's fine (analysis via @rbenson92.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com)‬
theanalyst.com/articles/man...

First Goal Wins: Just How Important is It to Open the Scoring in a Premier League Game? | Opta Analyst Which teams score the first goal of the Premier League game the most often, and is it even important to get the opening goal?

Recent Premier League seasons have been prolific for teams recovering after conceding the first goal (analysis via @mattfurniss.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com)
theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

‘False Dawn FC’: After Man Utd Dismantled Man City, Arsenal Are the Perfect Follow-Up Test | Opta Analyst After sweeping Manchester City aside, Manchester United's next game gives them the chance to prove it wasn't just another false dawn.

After sweeping Manchester City aside, Manchester United‘s next game gives them the chance to prove to sceptics that it wasn’t just another false dawn (analysis via @rbenson92.bsky.social for @optaanalyst.optajoe.com)
theanalyst.com/articles/man...

Giuliano Simeone: Atlético Madrid's Swiss Army Knife Who's Proved He Belongs on Merit | Opta Analyst Halfway through his second campaign, Giuliano Simeone is proving he has the technical quality to match the grit to live up to his father’s legendary standards.

Giuliano Simeone leads all players for defensive line-breaking passes received (18), piercing the opponent’s back line an average of three times per game (analysis of the Atlético Madrid arrives courtesy of @jamiemkemp.bsky.social for the @optaanalyst.optajoe.com)
theanalyst.com/articles/giu...

Opta Forum 2026: Call for Proposals - Stats Perform Following the announcement of the return of the Opta Forum to London in 2026, we are pleased to confirm that submissions are now being accepted for the event’s annual data analytics competition. For o...

It’s that time of year again: proposals are now being accepted to present at Opta Forum 2026, which is taking place in London at the end of March.

If you are interested in taking part, the submission deadline is 9th February. Full details can be found ⬇️

www.statsperform.com/resource/opt...

Strikers are taking fewer touches and scoring less — this is why Increasingly effective defensive systems have isolated forwards and created stalemates in the middle of the pitch — and no one has yet found a solution

Big-money signings Gyokeres and Sesko have come in for criticism, but should we be more sympathetic towards strikers struggling to influence the game? (analysis via @hkhaliqueloonat.bsky.social for @thetimes.com)
www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

The making of Liam Rosenior, the head coach: ‘He had a light. He was different’ Those who have worked with Chelsea's new boss explain how he got to this point - and the type of approach he will bring

This an excellent profile of new Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior (via Philip Buckingham for @theathleticfc.bsky.social)
www.nytimes.com/athletic/694...

Why Brentford are currently the Premier League’s most tactically influential team Right now, it's Keith Andrews' world and the rest of us are just living in it

Interesting stuff from @liamtharme.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/athletic/695...