Source: Men in Blazers — Brentford owner Matthew Benham on Smart Recruitment and the Future of Football Analytics: Running the Game 03/10/26
Duration: 43 min
Future of AI in football
I presume that as models get better, the human input will be less and less. At some point, the model will say very strongly, 'Play player A and not player B,' and someone will be saying to the manager, 'Can you take me through your thinking?'
Transfer market regrets
We could have signed Mudryk for about 20 million euros, and he eventually went for more like 80 million. Although, he is currently serving a drug ban.
Michael Olise, his scouting was like unbelievable, just out of this world. But we just got promoted and the agent fee on its own was just so insane that we stepped away.
Recruitment analytics
If you show me two players at a similar level and they both scored 15 goals last season, but one of them had twice the number of chances, I want the guy who's had twice the number of chances. Receiving is way more informative than finishing.
Future of football management
I'm not saying that in five years' time I expect all the head coaches to be slavishly following what the model says, but the future of the manager is just being charismatic in the press conference.
Brentford relegation battle
We expected there was a chance that one of our two star strikers would leave. We didn't think that both would. If they both go, it's a 20% chance to go down, which is not ideal.
Football culture and innovation
There's no better way to get ideas rejected in football than by saying 'Dogma 95'—the footballers will be like, 'What's that?' It's a Danish innovative film theory.
Managerial appointments
I don't like the idea of me saying, 'I think we should go for Keith,' and everyone else says, 'Yes boss, yes boss.' It's more about a free, open exchange of views.
Sports analytics philosophy
I've never put a bet on for the fun of it. I don't like gambling, but I always like maths and football.
Modern coaching structure
I said to Keith Andrews, 'You know that's someone who I absolutely love, Paul Thomas Anderson, but that's an auteur.' Traditionally, an old-style football manager was like that—Fergie or Cluffy—you run everything.
