Expert issues verdict on Chelsea signing ‘rough diamond’ as behind-the-scenes details emerge
The technique of psychological coding could help Chelsea sign a “rough diamond” that others might overlook.
That is the view of training ground Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis.
As quoted by the Mind Room earlier this month (14 August), ex-Chelsea sport scientist Malcolm Harkness revealed that Chelsea introduced “psychological coding” during Maurizio Sarri’s tenure.
Players were awarded points for confidence actions such as using skill to go past a man or taking a shot from distance, with the data logged by the club’s analysts.
The project was paused after Harkness left the club in October 2020, and it is unclear whether it has since been resumed.
Dinnery further explained the merits of the unique system.
“Everything is assessed according to data and metrics these days,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“This is just another facet in that revolution of the game.
“Wolves are a great example here. At one stage last season, they looked like they were doing really well – keeping clean sheets, scoring goals, winning games.
“But if you looked at their attacking and defensive metrics, you saw a side that was massively overperforming, and that was never sustainable.
“In the second half of the season, we saw that team spiral. It looked so bad but really all they were doing was regressing back to the norm.
“You can pick up the same characteristics for players, both internally and externally in terms of recruitment. It could be about identifying that rough diamond, a player who is performing well in performance metrics.
“With this approach at Chelsea, you can identify a player who is confident and is willing to try things. Maybe then you can look to utilise those key attributes to get the best out of the player.
“If you have an attacking full-back who is a little overconfident and is getting caught in possession, a little tweak with regards to their position could maximise their skill set for the team.
“So, there are a lot of benefits. It’s all about understanding your players. The more you understand, the better you can do.”
In other news, pundit backs Trevoh Chalobah to quit Chelsea after latest.