MX23RW : Monday, December 23 23:30:48| >> :120:6833:6833:

New Brentford boss Marinus Dijkhuizen to receive texts on team talk during game

New Brentford head coach Marinus Dijkhuizen will receive stats-based texts during games instructing him what to drill into his players in a half-time team talk.

Brentford's new head coach Marinus Dijkhuizen has been told that he will receive texts informing him what to include in his half-time team talk during matches in the Championship next season.

The Bees are taking statistical analysis to a new level by scrutinising games as they take place and feeding the most useful information to Dijkhuizen, who was confirmed as the West London club's new boss on Monday.

He said at a press conference on Thursday that he is "fully behind" the club's 'moneyball' approach and co-director of football Rasmus Ankersen believes that real-time stats can "move the needle" in the Bees' favour.

"Stats can reveal some things that the eyes and the ears can't," said Ankersen, who is also chairman of Danish club FC Midtjylland - a club also possessed by Brentford owner Matthew Benham.

"We need to decide what information will be useful at certain phases; pre-match, post-match and during the game.

"There's lots of inefficiencies in football and it's about trying to find the things that will move the needle for us. It's a process where we need to take some risks and hopefully find things that give us five or 10% extra."

Ankersen revealed that their stats-driven recruitment has worked well with Midtjylland, who won the Danish Superliga for the first time in their history this season, but admitted that it might seem "radical" to those watching on in England.

"I understand to a conservative culture it may seem a bit radical," he added. "Some of the ideas are a bit radical, but we believe that an idea always normalises itself in the process."

In their first season in the Championship for 21 years last term, Brentford finished fifth under manager Mark Warburton and were beaten in the playoff semi-finals by Middlesbrough.

ID:226497: cacheID:226497:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3215:
Written by
Pascal Lemesre
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Jota of Brentford celebrates scoring his goal with Andre Gray during the Sky Bet Championship match between Brentford and Wigan Athletic at Griffin Park on May 2, 2015
Read Next:
Ankersen: 'Balance important to Brentford'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!