David SumpterIntroducing Wordalisations: automated explanations of dataWith the release of TwelveGPT Open Source, I explain why Wordalisations are going to be an important use of Large Language models in the…Sep 16Sep 16
David SumpterThe geometry of shootingA key principle in my approach to football analytics is to make sure that all data is related back to the game itself. We should never…Aug 14, 20232Aug 14, 20232
David SumpterWhy we have to be modest about football analyticsFootball is not baseball. Football is not basketball. Football is not American football. And football certainly isn’t cricket. Football is…Aug 14, 2023Aug 14, 2023
David SumpterWhat are Expected Goals and what do they really tell us?I am going to explain what expected goals are, how they can be used to measure performance, and why we should be careful in the way we…Jul 24, 2023Jul 24, 2023
David SumpterThe art of finding the right numberWhenever we see a TV program or film about statistics in sport there is nearly always a scene where we are shown a wall of numbers…Jul 24, 2023Jul 24, 2023
David SumpterThe analytics behind the perfect penaltyAfter the 2016 summer Olympics, where gold-favorites USA crashed out after a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals against Sweden, the US…Jul 24, 2023Jul 24, 2023
David SumpterThe three zones of footballThe game of football is simple. If you have got the ball, keep it within your team. If you are near the ball, but one of your teammates has…Jul 24, 2023Jul 24, 2023
David SumpterThe 87 minutes which determine how good is a player“What do you do during 87 minutes when you do not have the ball? That is what determines whether you’re a good player or not” — Johan…Jul 24, 2023Jul 24, 2023
David SumpterCreating the patterns of play that win matchesFootball analytics isn’t just about numbers. It is about creating the patterns of play that win matches. Here, we look at how coaches can…Jul 24, 2023Jul 24, 2023
David SumpterWhy international co-operation benefits all involvedThis article originally appeared in Swedish in Svenska Dagbladet.Jul 5, 2023Jul 5, 2023
