Twenty First Group

Back in the mid 90's I worked for Dunlop Oil and Marine, in Grimsby, as a hose builder. A young, forward thinking, MD joined the company and soon paid a handsome amount (over a million quid) to a new, international, data lead, systems design consultancy. At the time Dunlop were doing well and so the workforce (including the management), could not understand the need for change. The workforce were encouraged to participate, but there was much resistance and changing the culture to embrace the future was a hard slog. But eventually the firm came out the other end with pretty much everyone on side, apart from the few staunch (and at times angry) naysayers. Dunlop still survive to this day and are regarded as one of the UK's oldest and most successful, manufacturing companies. We'll never truly know if the 2 year systems redesign was fundamental in its continuing success. But it is hard to believe, that the data led changes, that took place all those years ago, didn’t feed into the success, it now enjoys throughout the world. Who knows what success GTFC will enjoy, in part to the involvement of Twenty First Group?

Quoted from thefish

That’s where you and I differ- my only reason for sitting in the Pontoon is to hear the latest ‘fancy phrases’ on offer.

Thank you at least you are in the front line  of info ..what is said  ny fans / supporters..where i am behind the times and playing catch up  .
Your opinion  is respected .
UTM 2023--24
See you next season away .

Quoted from heppy88

Back in the mid 90's I worked for Dunlop Oil and Marine, in Grimsby, as a hose builder. A young, forward thinking, MD joined the company and soon paid a handsome amount (over a million quid) to a new, international, data lead, systems design consultancy. At the time Dunlop were doing well and so the workforce (including the management), could not understand the need for change. The workforce were encouraged to participate, but there was much resistance and changing the culture to embrace the future was a hard slog. But eventually the firm came out the other end with pretty much everyone on side, apart from the few staunch (and at times angry) naysayers. Dunlop still survive to this day and are regarded as one of the UK's oldest and most successful, manufacturing companies. We'll never truly know if the 2 year systems redesign was fundamental in its continuing success. But it is hard to believe, that the data led changes, that took place all those years ago, didn’t feed into the success, it now enjoys throughout the world. Who knows what success GTFC will enjoy, in part to the involvement of Twenty First Group?

My dad worked at Dunlop from the mid 60’s to the early 80’s, he loved it but went to Cosalt for more money.

He was the shop steward at Dunlop for a while and they used to be on strike usually after a holiday period. He tells a story about one day when his counterpart at the Hailwood factory phoned him to say they where going on strike as there was no meat pies on the tea trolley and asked if he would ask the members to join them. My dad still is a socialist but on that occasion he told them to do one.

There were two parts to the announcements on Friday. The data stuff then an experienced senior guy on the football side. The owners have always said the football side was solely down to El General. Surprised that hasn’t been commented on more.

Quoted from Lord Gadiform

There were two parts to the announcements on Friday. The data stuff then an experienced senior guy on the football side. The owners have always said the football side was solely down to El General. Surprised that hasn’t been commented on more.

He's a technical director, which is slightly different. Given that he holds a number of other roles I strongly suspect he's there as a consultant, a bit like they employed that consultant from Aston Clinton when they were taking over from F***y.
He's not a threat to PH , he's bringing in off the field expertise, for which , no doubt, he will be well rewarded.

His very impressive c.v. is here https://www.linkedin.com/in/gareth-jennings-93221664/details/experience/

It's another very interesting move imho, along with the data consultants. 1878 have decided that they need external help in order to progress, and have decided to spend heavily (again it's a guess on my part) on getting the best possible help.
I doubt that no other club at our level (& very few in the league above) will have access to, and the comittment to use, the level of expertise that we are bringing on board
Be thankful that instead of being 25-50 years behind everyone else, we are ahead of the curve on this one

Quoted from forza ivano

He's a technical director, which is slightly different. Given that he holds a number of other roles I strongly suspect he's there as a consultant, a bit like they employed that consultant from Aston Clinton when they were taking over from F***y.
He's not a threat to PH , he's bringing in off the field expertise, for which , no doubt, he will be well rewarded.

His very impressive c.v. is here https://www.linkedin.com/in/gareth-jennings-93221664/details/experience/

It's another very interesting move imho, along with the data consultants. 1878 have decided that they need external help in order to progress, and have decided to spend heavily (again it's a guess on my part) on getting the best possible help.
I doubt that no other club at our level (& very few in the league above) will have access to, and the comittment to use, the level of expertise that we are bringing on board
Be thankful that instead of being 25-50 years behind everyone else, we are ahead of the curve on this one

One thing for sure, he probably isn't going to recommend the board fire Hurst, given his recent comments on Brighton's strategy and the importance of creating that pathway:

“I work with quite a lot of clubs globally in an advisory capacity. A lot of them have got it documented in shiny brochures saying this is the way we play, this is our identity."

“A lot of clubs in panic moments, when the team isn’t doing so well, go and buy the players for now, perhaps rush into it and pay over the odds. That then upsets the balance, so the story you’ve been telling the young players is disrupted."

He also talks about AI and how Brighton can use this for scenario planning and predicting how potential new signings might perform in the Brighton system should they be signed to replace Mac Allister for example.

The UAE appointment is one I am curious about, as I do think the Middle East is prone to "sportswashing" but I do also wonder if commercially, it means a couple of players sign for us to increase our brand globally.

Rasmus Ankersen (credited with initiating data-led analysis in the Guardian link forza ivano provides) is the CEO of Sports Republic
who are the major shareholder in Southampton FC, and he is the Director of Football at the club (since January 2022).

Southampton have just been relegated after 11 years in the top flight, to compound a miserable season in which they were knocked
out of the FA Cup by a mid-table League 2 side.

The club has spent 160M on players their data showed could be developed and sold on for profit. Nearly all those players signed have
failed to break into a poor side which has been facing relegation all season, in no small part due to the club clearing out older, more
experienced players to make room for the incoming stars of the future. The future stars had no-one to learn from to assist their
development.

Southampton identified Nathan Jones (the previous year's EFL Championship Manager of the Season) as the ideal successor to
Ralph Hasenhuttl. Appointed in November 2022 he lasted four months (shortest ever non-caretaker manager the Saints have had).
Selecting a manager with Premiership survival credentials would have been smarter than one who'd shone in the league below,
given the situation they were in.

My point is that data-led analysis (which is an entirely sensible way to proceed, of course) does not prevent poor decision-making.
It should not be viewed as the solution to all our footballing problems!

Consider this: on-field leadership is a desirable footballing attribute.
How would you collect objective data on that?
Yes, you can say player X was captain of team Y when they gained promotion, and give him a tick for that.
But no comparative data is available - player Z might have been an even better captain but didn't get the chance to show it.
If you're trusting the manager to pick the best captain then we're back to "it's all a matter of opinion", which is what data-led
analysis is an attempt to improve upon. And of course on-field leadership isn't restricted to the captain.

I believe football is too ineffably complex to be reduced to data, and provided everyone recognizes that fact then data-led analysis
will be a valuable tool in our success.
The danger is placing too much faith in it.
Ask Southampton fans...

UTM

Personally, I don’t see this as being a completely football decision, I think it’s about using data and embedding modern concepts into the whole club, merchandise, advertising, playing, attendances and so on…

I hope this guy looks at the on line club shop. I'm trying to spend money on FA Cup t-shirts for my grandsons birthday. Every time I click on the link it takes me to a blank page.
I always start by assuming it's my fault cos I'm an old technophobe but the bottom line is it's very badly designed and I've had to give up and buy Man Utd stuff and that really winds me up

Good points by chiangmaimariner. Think jason reiterates in his interview with Matt Dannatt that data isnt a panacea, and it has to be allied to human things like creating a team spirit,  the players character and hursts experience and intuition