5 Essential Tools For Aspiring Analysts

When I first decided to pursue football analysis, I felt completely lost.

There are so many tools, data sources, websites. With no clear guidance on where to start, I wasted countless hours using tools and websites that ultimately didn't serve my goals.

If you're feeling similarly overwhelmed, I've got you covered.

After years in the industry, I've identified the five essential tools that would have fast-tracked my journey from day one.

The Analyst's Toolkit: 5 Must-Have Resources

1. FBref.com: Your Data Foundation

FBref.com offers comprehensive Statsbomb data across numerous leagues completely free.

Instead of trying to analyse everything, focus on a single league - perhaps the English Championship or Eredivisie. The platform allows you to explore statistics, compare performances, and inspect data for your own analysis.

My tip: Choose a second-tier league and really master it, develop it as a niche that you specialise in.

2. Tableau Public: Visualisation Made Simple

Tableau Public makes getting started with data visualisation very easy.

Even if you're a complete beginner you can start creating visuals in a matter of minutes with its intuitive drag-and-drop interface. The free version has everything you need to create professional visualisations. It's one of the best free tools out there.

This tool accelerated my learning curve dramatically - you can import data from FBref, drag metrics into the UI, and immediately start creating insightful visuals without coding experience.

3. Canva: Professional Presentation

Even brilliant analysis gets overlooked if it doesn't look good.

Canva's free version provides ample features to create visuals, professional scout reports, and shareable social media content. I've also used canva to create logos, and branding for my social media.

I underestimated presentation initially, but quickly learned that how you package your insights dramatically impacts their reception in the industry.

4. ChatGPT: Your AI Assistant

This tool serves as a one-stop shop for improving workflows and getting feedback.

Use it to debug analysis code, understand statistical concepts, generate content ideas, or review your work.

For analysts learning to code, ChatGPT offers instant guidance that would previously have required an experienced mentor. It's like having a senior analyst available 24/7.

5. Scheduling Tools: Consistency is King

Tools like Typefully (my choice) or Hypefury help maintain a consistent posting schedule.

This is absolutely crucial for growing your visibility. At around $10-12 monthly, these tools let you batch-create content and schedule posts across platforms.

My approach: I dedicate Sunday afternoons to create the week's content, then let my scheduler handle the rest while I go about my week.

Your 30-Day Launch Plan

Week 1: Head to FBref.com and select one league to focus on

Week 2: Download Tableau Public and create your first visualisation

Week 3: Improve you online portfolio design by using Canva to create templates, banner images and images

Week 4: Set up a consistent posting schedule using a scheduling tool

The journey to becoming a football analyst is challenging, but having the right tools makes all the difference.

Start with these essentials, maintain consistency, and you'll be creating analysis that gets noticed.

I hope these tools help you on your journey.

Liam

Whenever you’re ready, there are two ways I can help you:

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