The Real Impact of Performance Analysts in Football: Ben Davis Student Profile

Every performance analyst in football wants to add value to their team. To do so, they often comb through hours of training tapes and opposition footage in the hope of finding some data to help their team. When it pays off, their efforts are massively rewarding.

This has been the case on multiple occasions for Ben Davis, an academy and women’s first team analyst at West Bromwich Albion, who shows the importance of analysis in football.

“One example would be when we beat Wolves Women for the first time in over 10 years,” he recalled, speaking to GIS. 

“We had identified opportunities to hurt them during the turnover of possession, and the goal that secured the 1–0 win came directly from this situation.”

He gave another example. Ahead of an important FA Women’s National League fixture against Leeds, Ben looked for anything he could find on the opposing side. This involved helping the team prepare for penalty shootouts, though despite his efforts, he could only find enough footage to analyse the previous penalties of two Leeds players.

The game then went to penalties, and both had their shots saved by the West Brom goalkeeper thanks to Ben’s work.

With moments that point towards the direct impact that analysts can have on the pitch, Ben’s career has now led him to studying with GIS, where he began his Master’s in Performance Analysis in Football in 2024.

Taking modules such as Applied Football Match Analysis and Global Sports Leadership, Ben studies part-time while he balances his role at West Brom. As for his favourite topic, he highlights Talent Identification and Recruitment: “It’s an area I could potentially see myself progressing into in the future. I found the process of profiling players, identifying strengths and weaknesses and understanding recruitment strategies interesting.”

As well as analysis, these skills are vital in football coaching too, which is another area Ben has experience in. Having worked as an academy scout for Birmingham City FC, he became the first-team head coach of Solihull Moors Women in 2021, a role he held for nearly two years.

“I’m glad I had a coaching background first,” he explained, “because it’s given me a strong understanding of the technical and tactical concepts which I can now apply within my work. Having coached predominantly within the women’s pyramid, this has helped me understand the importance of being adaptable, depending on the needs of the individual player.”

On these individual differences, Ben has found that he has needed to change how he communicates depending on the player’s personality, a key skill to possess as an analyst. “Every player is different and understanding how individuals learn and process information is important in getting the best outcome. Some players respond better to video, others to conversations or data insights, so adapting the delivery is key. I’ve found that the most effective analysis is detailed enough to provide value but is also concise and clear.”

These differences continue based on whether he is working in academy or senior football, where it can be said that analysts have a completely different goal. “One environment is typically more results driven while the other is more development focused. In senior football, the focus is often more short-term and centred around immediate performance outcomes, whereas in youth football the emphasis is more long-term, with analysis aimed more at supporting player development.”

Ben’s experience has extended outside of Europe too, as Ben has been able to support Jamaican Premier League side Mount Pleasant Football Academy while he studies, bringing him out of his comfort zone and into a new football environment.

This came as a part of his studies with GIS, where students are selected every year to fly out to Jamaica and support the reigning CONCACAF Caribbean Cup champions.

“My experience allowed me to put the knowledge I had gained from the course into practice. There are certainly differences in the style of play and the overall environment, but that has forced me to become more flexible and adaptable in my approach. The different challenges faced, have ultimately helped my understanding and are experiences I’ve been able to apply to other areas of my work.”

At GIS, we aim to provide our students with the best access to industry they can find. If you aspire to be in a similar role, you can hear from more of our other analysts and coaches here.

Article by Zakaria Anani