On a cold Saturday morning, long before the Surrey South Eastern Combination League lights come on, Chedee Alexander loads up match footage on his phone. His team didn’t record the game — but their opponents did, and they were kind enough to share the footage. It’s grassroots football, but even here, data is creeping in.
In recent years, analytics has transformed football at the top. With top clubs Metrics like expected goals (xG), heat maps, and passing networks now shape how elite teams recruit, train, and play. It’s even resulted in Premier League clubs like West Ham United and Nottingham Forest hiring other teams analysts to bolster their own teams strengths.
But beneath the glitz of VAR and AI-tagged cameras, what about the grassroots level? What happens when you replace million-pound budgets with muddy boots, old cones, and borrowed pitches?
We’re going to gain insight from a coach, a footballer, and a data analyst into how football analytics is seeping its way in — not just into coaching, but into how players think, how teams prepare, and what the future might look like when data meets instinct at every level of the game. As football changes, one question remains: will data enhance the beauty of football, or erode the essence of what makes it beautiful?
Coaching and preparation
At Wanderers FC, a club with deep FA Cup roots, Chedee, formally known as Coach Che, wears multiple hats: coach, manager and mentor. Without cameras of his own, he’s limited to using footage shared by opponents. But even that has proven useful
“You can pick out patterns of play, see how we hold our defensive shape, how we manage possession,” he says. “And the players love it. They want to see themselves — even if it’s just to make highlight reels.”
For him, analytics is a bonus, not a backbone. “I focus on what I see — what they’re good at, what they need to improve. That’s still how I coach.”
For players like Hamza Chettati, a 20-year-old transitioning from Sunday league to the more aggressive world of Saturday football, basic data still plays a role. He wears a stat-tracking watch and gets targets set by his coach: “Three assists this month, a couple of shots on target.”
Meanwhile, Huihyeon Chae, a data analyst working in both professional and academy setups, sees the shift from the inside. “Analysts now collect data and clips so coaches can save time and focus on game situations,” he explains. “Opposition pressing triggers? We’ll find them, and build training drills around that.”
While the tools and methods vary across levels of football, one thing is clear: preparation now has a digital layer. Data-driven insights might not dominate the grassroots pitch yet, but it’s starting to settle in, and in time, it may become the norm.
Player performance and development
Data doesn’t just shape tactics — it’s starting to shape individual players as well.
Che records goals, assists, and appearances in a fantasy football-style app for amateur players. It started as a way to settle disputes — “Someone says they’ve got ten assists? I check my notes.”— but now it’s evolved into a development tool. “Attacking players especially — they want to know what they’re contributing.”
Hamza agrees. He doesn’t score goals as a full-back, but he values creativity. “I focus more on creating chances. Our coach pushes us, gives us targets. That pressure keeps you sharp.”
Behind the scenes, Huihyeon explains that physical analytics drive most training load decisions. “Weekly plans are based on physical testing and total distance. Tactical sessions are shaped by our analysis of the opposition. But our own performance stats are reviewed consistently.”
What’s common across all three? Data is supporting their developments, but it’s still paired with mentorship. “Our older players helped me so much,” Hamza says. “They’d pull me aside, tell me what I needed to improve. That’s what helped me break into the team.”
Coaching might be modernising, but relationships remain the heart of growth. Data is a helpful tool, but it doesn’t replace the value of human connection and mentorship within a team.
Tactical impact and formations
Huihyeon sees a clear link between data and tactical preparation. “We’re not just looking at player stats — we’re observing how teams build up from goal kicks, how they manage the ball in deep areas,” he says. “If something isn’t working, we tweak the plan.”
For him, every match begins with data-driven insights about the opposition’s strengths and weaknesses. “It’s not just about the numbers—it’s how we apply them to the real situation,” he says.
Che’s coaching decisions, however, are driven by the needs of the players on the day. “We change players’ positions based on what we need from them. For example if a full-back is struggling defensively, I’ll shift him inside to play as a centre-back.”
Hamza, too, reflects on the fluidity of his team’s systems: “It’s about knowing your role and how to adjust. The stats are helpful, but they don’t dictate everything.”
What stands out is that data doesn’t just shape tactics — it supports flexible, real-time decision-making on the pitch. Football is an ever-evolving game, and while analytics can help guide decisions, the core of tactical success is adaptability and quick thinking.
The debate: Data vs instinct
The debate runs deep in modern football. Hamza believes that natural human senses play the best football. “When you’re in the flow, not thinking too hard about the stats, you play better. It’s when you’re relaxed, in your rhythm.”
Che agrees, adding: “You can prove anything with stats. But when players are connected — when they trust each other — that’s when you see real effort.”
For Huihyeon, data offers support, but it can’t replace emotional intelligence or in the moment decisions. “Analytics can help, but there are moments in football that no data can quantify. You can’t put a price on decision making in the heat of the moment.”
The future
Looking forward, Huihyeon sees a future where AI and tagging tools become commonplace. “Companies are developing AI that can analyse the game more precisely. In 5 – 10 years, analysts will be focused on specific metrics, making our work more data-driven.”
For Che, the future involves better tools for grassroots clubs: “It’s still about knowing your players. As we get access to more tools, we can fine-tune our understanding of what makes them tick.”
Hamza, too, sees the future of football analytics as a way to improve individual performance. “I’d love to track missed chances or runs I didn’t make. I want data that shows me what could have been.”
The future of football analytics is clear; it will continue to grow, but it will always be a tool, not the answer. Coaches and players will decide how to use it to enhance the game. The power of analytics lies in the hands of those who use it, and the potential to shape the game is vast — but it will always remain secondary to the pulse of the sport.
Football is changing. From the grassroots up, analytics is making its way into the game: influencing how teams prepare, how players develop, and how decisions are made on the pitch. But one thing remains constant: no stat can measure the passion of a perfect tackle, the brilliance of a perfectly timed pass, or the joy of a match win.
Football, for now, remains human.