Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Stars who’ve shone under new gaffer
TAM Courts uses in-depth stats to lead the decision-making process as Dundee United boss.
Courts regularly updates spreadsheets that contribute to the data-led growth of his United team.
He uses it to aid team selection, target recruitment and to inspire added value from his squad.
“We only want to recruit players who will improve what we’ve actually got,” Courts told the North American Scottish Coaches Association.
“By using data, it’s a way of validating gut feel and what our eyes tell us.”
The data-led approach from Courts has, thus far, proved successful.
They are joint third with Hearts and recruitment has been excellent.
The majority of United’s squad has “levelled up” from last term.
Tele Sport has delved into the data, using Opta stats, to pick out three players who have raised their game under Courts:
Ryan Edwards: The
Liverpool Wall
Ryan Edwards is having the season of his life at United.
He tops the Scottish Premiership charts for the most clearances (94).
With three goals, the Liverpoolborn star is also the joint-top goal-scoring defender.
He ranks fifth for aerial clearances.
But it’s the year-on-year improvement from Edwards that is the most impressive.
Out of 13 Opta metrics used to determine the effectiveness of a player’s performance, Edwards has improved in NINE.
Defensively, he’s making almost TWICE the amount of tackles and Edwards is more prominent in attack.
With goals at Hearts, Hibernian and in the win over Motherwell, Edwards averages 0.5 shots per game – double his tally in 2020-21.
Ian Harkes: Living the
American Dream
Ask any Dundee United fan which players have improved this term, and Harkes will feature in every list.
To the naked eye, Harkes has cranked his game up a few notches.
And the 25-year-old was September’s cinch Scottish Premiership Player of the Month.
With crucial goals in the wins over Aberdeen and Dundee and the Celtic draw, Harkes has made a significant impact.
Drill deeper into his stats and you see improvements in 11 of the 13 Opta categories.
Harkes has seen the biggest hike in passing accuracy, with an increase of over 5% to 80.35% per game.
He is more potent in attack with more shots and chances created.
“Peter Pawlett baby”
maturing nicely
Courts urged Peter Pawlett to become a “key player” after he impressed in pre-season.
Pawlett has risen to that challenge and become a crucial component of Dundee United’s three-pronged attack.
His comparative data is also impressive against last season’s. There are marked increases in EIGHT of the 13 Opta areas.
Pawlett has been given the freedom to roam this term and it’s evident in attacking numbers.
He averages 2.59 touches in the opposition box, compared to 1.76 last term.
Pawlett has also doubled his chances created from open play to 1.21 per game, up from 0.52.
He has almost twice the amount of shots.