Frederik Leth — Head of Football Research

[Villaphan04]

It sounds like we have gone back to FC Copenhagen to add this new role, the Head of Football Research. Frederik Leth replaced Lange at FC Copenhagen when he joined us as Sporting Director and then resigned in November. 

Interesting that only Chelsea & the City Football Group are the only other clubs who employ someone in this role

 

Quote

ASTON VILLA have again hired a senior member of staff from FC Copenhagen in Denmark, with Frederik Leth joining the Premier League outfit as their Head of Football Research.

In August, Villa appointed Johan Lange as their Sporting Director, replacing Jesus Garcia Pitarch. The man who replaced Lange as Technical Director at Copenhagen, Leth, has now joined him at Villa.

The 26-year-old had only held the role for three months before handing in his resignation at Copenhagen in November. After serving his notice period, he is now in situ at Villa and will work closely with Lange and the heads of department at the club to ensure that “evidence-based practice is as relevant and contemporary as possible.”

Leth had worked at Copenhagen since 2012, initially in the talent department, before becoming a technical scout for the first team in 2014. He was Head of Scouting and Analytics at the club for 18 months before taking on his short-lived stint as Technical Director.

After handing in his resignation in November, Leth told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet: “I have had eight good years at FCK with talented and inspiring people, but I feel that now is the time for me to go a new direction, and now I want to hand over my tasks quietly.”

Head of Football Research is a new position at Villa and is rare across the Premier League as a whole. Ben Smith is Head of Research and Innovation for Chelsea and Andrew Gilligan is Head of Research and Insights for City Football Group, who own Manchester City.

https://trainingground.guru/articles/villa-head-to-copenhagen-again-for-new-head-of-research#.YBneoxdX1sg.link

Edited February 2, 2021 by Villaphan04

[gwi1890]

Is there any more information on what his role and duties will consist of?

[nick76]

Head of Research

Does this mean we are going to try to clone Grealish?

[turvontour]

5 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Head of Research

Does this mean we are going to try to clone Grealish?

"I know he looks like Grealish, but he isnt Grealish.

Everybody, please allow me to introduce...........Gresford."

[nick76]

15 minutes ago, turvontour said:

"I know he looks like Grealish, but he isnt Grealish.

Everybody, please allow me to introduce...........Gresford."

so here is Grealish and Gresford

 

(used pic from sport bible re when footballers with hair look bald)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKjg0TLMekL/?igshid=gy3hwfl3u8oy

 

Edited February 3, 2021 by nick76
Put in link for source of pic

[Kiwivillan]

38 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Head of Research

Does this mean we are going to try to clone Grealish?

If he could morph Trez tenacity and defensive ability and Traore flair that would be some player

[nick76]

2 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

If he could morph Trez tenacity and defensive ability and Traore flair that would be some player

Let’s go the whole hog....add Usain Bolt’s speed, Beckham’s free-kick ability and Ronaldo’s heading and general scoring ability.

[Guest av1]

14 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Let’s go the whole hog....add Usain Bolt’s speed, Beckham’s free-kick ability and Ronaldo’s heading and general scoring ability.

And Steve Bruce's ability to pull his socks up. 

[paul514]

I like seeing us go with positions with titles such as this.

It's the setting up of a machine of several parts so when one leaves the show moves on with little change.

[OutByEaster?]

It's big data marketing stuff I think.

A google of Andrew Gilligan who has the same title at City brings up this:

https://futureeverything.org/profile/andrew-gilligan/

Quote

Andrew Gilligan is Head of Research and Insights at City Football Group, responsible for developing and leading the consumer insights and innovation function of the business. A consumer marketer with 15+ years of insight in sponsorship, sports and FMCG industries, Andrew leads with an emphasis on consumer research, product development and innovation. Andrew oversaw City’s recent Start-up challenge which provided a platform for innovation and creativity while allowing the Group to shape the future of the fan experience.

Apps, social media, connections, slightly creepy stuff.

This is fun:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/aug/19/manchester-city-fantom

Quote

According to Andrew Gilligan, City Football Group’s Head of Research & Insights (no, me neither), the Fantom is a “matchday companion” that will in time enable the club to “analyse how our fans are behaving” by monitoring their matchday behaviour and – more intriguingly – matchday spending. Stephen’s unbridled enthusiasm for the smartband that lives on the skin of fans suggests it might also be messing with their minds.

And this is creepy too:

https://www.businesscloud.co.uk/news/how-man-city-are-using-social-media-to-understand-fans/

Quote

 

Premier League giant Manchester City cares so much about fans’ feelings it has recruited a firm to trawl trillions of their social media posts.

Soon, some of the world’s biggest clubs could even be tailoring the music inside grounds to what supporters write about on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – thanks to Boston-based Crimson Hexagon.

The firm, founded in 2007, describes itself as a social intelligence platform and is based on technology developed at Harvard University’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science.

Andrew Gilligan, head of research and insights at City Football Group – the parent company of Manchester City, New York City FC, Melbourne City FC and Yokohama F. Marinos – explained how using the social data analysis software is having an impact across the clubs.

“The capability of Crimson and its ability to pull apart conversations into different themes and topics was a real game changer,” he said.

“It really helps us understand who football fans are, what they’re talking about and what their lifestyle looks like beyond football.

“In New York we tracked the music preferences of New York City fans and noticed that there were some R’n’B artists that were trending with them.

“We passed that data along to the matchday team so they could finetune the playlists around the stadium and resonate directly with fans.”

 

So going by that, he's essentially paid to monetise the way we feel through analysis of everything we put on the internet or in message apps or whatever data he can get his hands on on behalf of the club.

I could do it cheaper, we like fish puns, Kenneth Williams and Jack Grealish.

 

 

 

[OutByEaster?]

Now, oddly Ben Smith at Chelsea seems to do an entirely different job.

His focus is on using data to maximise performace and development at youth level.

https://fcbusiness.co.uk/news/world-leaders-in-sports-performance-to-speak-at-summit/

Quote

Ben works as Head of Research and Performance Systems for Chelsea FC. Having worked at the club for over five years, he has been involved in the growth of Chelsea’s youth development into one of the world’s premier academies. Chelsea have invested heavily in both performance analysis and analytics and consider them an integral part of their approach to player development.

https://channels.theinnovationenterprise.com/articles/analytics-to-create-the-next-home-grown-prodigy-at-chelsea

Quote

 

Ben tells me that one of the most important factors for this is not to use the data that is collected to set specific targets for the players, but to optimise their training time in order to make the most of the areas that need to be developed. 

One of the ways that this has increased is through the introduction of an academic school at the training centre. This means that young players no longer have the problem of training, travelling to school, travelling to training again and then travelling home. It also means that coaches have far more opportunity to have one-on-one training with the players. 

The fact that Ben can identify the areas where coaches should be spending the most time to increase the effectiveness of the training gives the players a significant advantage.

 

So yeah, we're the third team in the country to have a Head of Football research - although the first two do completely different jobs.

That suggests to me that the people writing the article on Frederick Leth also have no real idea what the job title means.

His experience suggests to me we're getting a sports scientist type of Head of Football Research not a big-data-mining-marketing-fan-behaviour type of Head of Football Research - which is good, that job at Man City is really creepy.

 

[villaluke]

14 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

It's big data marketing stuff I think.

A google of Andrew Gilligan who has the same title at City brings up this:

https://futureeverything.org/profile/andrew-gilligan/

Apps, social media, connections, slightly creepy stuff.

This is fun:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/aug/19/manchester-city-fantom

And this is creepy too:

https://www.businesscloud.co.uk/news/how-man-city-are-using-social-media-to-understand-fans/

So going by that, he's essentially paid to monetise the way we feel through analysis of everything we put on the internet or in message apps or whatever data he can get his hands on on behalf of the club.

I could do it cheaper, we like fish puns, Kenneth Williams and Jack Grealish.

 

 

 

maybe its different for every club but seems to be different  at chelsea to man city. it seems to me to be a football appointment. https://ieondemand.com/presentations/troaapsipd-the-role-of-analytics-and-performance-systems-in-player-development sorry just saw your new post after i posted this.

Edited February 3, 2021 by villaluke
just saw new post after posted this.

[OutByEaster?]

5 minutes ago, villaluke said:

maybe its different for every club but seems to be different  at chelsea to man city. it seems to me to be a football appointment. https://ieondemand.com/presentations/troaapsipd-the-role-of-analytics-and-performance-systems-in-player-development sorry just saw your new post after i posted this.

Seems the same way to me. Odd that they've joined those two positions together in the article. 

That City job makes me uncomfortable - now we've mentioned them, he's probably aware that we have.

 

[Ghost]

1 hour ago, OutByEaster? said:

And this is creepy too:

https://www.businesscloud.co.uk/news/how-man-city-are-using-social-media-to-understand-fans/

"Soon, some of the world’s biggest clubs could even be tailoring the music inside grounds to what supporters write about on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – thanks to Boston-based Crimson Hexagon."

 

It really doesn't help lessen the creepy factor, when the name of the company sounds like a comic book villain's evil organisation either.

[KenjiOgiwara]

Which city is OP talking? Exeter?

[It's Your Round]

Hi @AndrewGilligan, I know that deep down in your malevolent organisation’s underground bunker, a small red light will be flashing on a supercomputer, because of the multiple mentions of your name in this thread. So while we have your attention, please know that us Man City fans really do love listening to Ferry Across The Mersey by Gerry and The Pacemakers. We consider it our anthem. 
We also can’t stand that Jack Gresford fella, and would love to have cod and chips served with gravy when we’re allowed back to the Etihad. 
 

Thanks x

[blandy]

1 hour ago, It's Your Round said:

Man City fans really do love listening to Ferry Across The Mersey by Gerry and The Pacemakers. We consider it our anthem. 
We also can’t stand that Jack Gresford fella, and would love to have cod and chips served with gravy

I like what you’ve done there. Two complete red herrings, but then a truth to hide their intent to deceive.

I expect Frederick Leth likes gravy.

[It's Your Round]

14 minutes ago, blandy said:

I like what you’ve done there. Two complete red herrings, but then a truth to hide their intent to deceive.

I expect Frederick Leth likes gravy.

I’d imagine he does, but his extensive research credentials will tell him not to pour it over his fish. He wouldn’t have been hired otherwise 

[The Fun Factory]

The title head of football research makes me think of Denzil Dexter in the fast show. Space bats.

[blandy]

5 minutes ago, It's Your Round said:

I’d imagine he does, but his extensive research credentials will tell him not to pour it over his fish. He wouldn’t have been hired otherwise 

They pour mustard sauce over fish, there. True story. I went there one winter a long time ago, it was great. Also had the best, actually second best thinking about it, italian meal I've ever eaten.