Brothers are experts in the science of winning
IT IS 5pm on Thursday, less than 48 hours before Lincoln City’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Brighton, and in the manager’s office at Sincil Bank things are getting a little heated.
‘A 5.5? That’s harsh. I thought he did better than that!’ says manager Danny Cowley, staring at the monitor.
‘Unfortunately not, but we can go over things again?’ says a smiling Matt Page, one of two data analysts at the club.
‘I trust you but I’m surprised at those numbers. We’ll need to go over that again,’ adds Cowley, 38, before turning to his brother and assistant manager Nicky.
Every Thursday evening, this is the scene. The statistics and
analytics meetings have been easy of late, with the Imps rampaging to the top of the National League, but a 3-0 loss at Barrow on Tuesday saw them lose momentum.
It means Cowley cannot relax and look forward to the visit of Brighton today — the reward for beating Ipswich in a third-round replay. It is the first time Lincoln have reached the fourth round since 1976, when Graham Taylor was manager.
Cowley rarely goes long without mentioning small margins or ways of squeezing every last drop from his players. He scrutinises the numbers to plot how his side can improve. It is a popular approach in the Premier League, but at some lower- League and non- League clubs, you are more likely to find an abacus than a bespoke data set.
‘Using numbers… it’s a self-check, isn’t it?’ says Cowley. ‘It’s about making sure you’re staying focused because sometimes in a game you can get emotional. This is about making sure you are still able to see the game as it’s happening.
‘I want football to be a science. I want it black and white. I want to know how to win and what I’ve got to do to win, because I like winning and it makes life better. I don’t want it to be an art because art’s uncontrollable. I want to control it.’
And that’s where Page and his colleague Toby Ellis come in. The pair work for iCoach4Sport, which was set up to give schools and sports clubs the ability to measure performance.
Page and Ellis also worked on the statistics side of video game
Football Manager — a favourite of Nicky’s, who as a teenager used to build dugouts in his bedroom and hold press conferences in the Cowley living room. ‘He even carried our dad’s briefcase,’ jokes Danny.
The analysts observe every match, noting down pass completion, distribution, tackles, direction of play and opposition counter attacks. Each player gets a rating out of 10.
At half-time they scurry down to the two brothers and present their findings. Against Ipswich they highlighted the opposition were susceptible to counter attacks. Nathan Arnold’s late winner was the result of a counter attack. ‘We enjoyed that,’ adds Page.
So, where does this desire to delve deep into the data come from? ‘School,’ reveals Cowley. ‘When Nicky and I were working as PE teachers at FitzWimarc School (in Rayleigh, Essex), we were passionate about helping others progress in any way we could.’
The numbers add up on and off the pitch at Sincil Bank; four points clear at the top of the National League, a Cup run that has raised nearly £500,000 and the highest gates in recent memory.
And while Cowley will not reveal his plans for Chris Hughton’s Brighton, you can be sure he has done his homework.