Robot wars! Manchester United bid to get the edge on their Premier League rivals by using artificial intelligence to gain a ‘competitive advantage on the field’
- Manchester Unites works in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University
- AI will allow United’s analysts to process data faster during games
- Sir Jim Ratcliffe should target Thomas Tuchel, he has unfinished business It all starts
Manchester United are turning to artificial intelligence in a bid to outsmart their Premier League rivals, the club has revealed.
United are working with Manchester Metropolitan University’s Institute of Sport to drive ‘elite performance’ within the club and gain a ‘competitive advantage on the pitch’.
It gives United access to the institute’s research and innovation studies through a range of PhD programmes, including the use of AI to develop analytical techniques and statistics not yet available to other top clubs.
The initiative was agreed with the university last year, ahead of the £1.3 billion investment from Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and is led by United’s director of football insights and innovation Richard Hawkins and deputy football director Andy O’Boyle.
AI will enable United’s team of analysts to more quickly process the increasing amount of data during matches and inform key decisions made by manager Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff.
Manchester United are turning to artificial intelligence in a bid to outsmart their Premier League rivals
Man United worked with Manchester Metropolitan University before Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s takeover
It involves tracking players and combining that data with different phases of the game to see what works best and where changes are needed, while live player feedback will also flag any warning signs that could lead to injuries.
In-game analysis of United’s opponents can be combined with historical data to highlight areas where games can be won and lost.
United’s director of football John Murtough said: ‘The partnership with the Institute of Sport will build on our excellent existing research and innovation teams to further improve the performance and development support we can offer our players.’
The new techniques will be trialled in training – with all first-team sessions at Carrington being routinely filmed by drones – before being used in a match scenario.
Some of the new roles will be held as full-time United staff members, while others will involve working at the institute and sharing research with the club.
In-game analysis of United’s opponents can be combined with historical data to highlight areas where games can be won and lost
While AI is seen as a valuable tool, sources have emphasized that expert analysts will always be needed to interpret the data and communicate it to the technical staff.
The institute says the new project ‘aims to develop deep insights into the technical, tactical and physical demands of elite football, using AI to create advantage on the pitch’.
Professor Tim Cable, director of the institute, added: ‘Our partnership with Manchester United has enabled us to attract leading talent to Manchester and use our state-of-the-art scientific research to meet performance needs of the club.
‘The initiative will provide the club with an extra layer of intelligence, further strengthening Manchester United’s football activities.’
