When I heard that England were facing Germany, I must be honest in saying that I thought their chances were slim, I remember watching the game in 1996 when after special games against Scotland (I was there) and Holland, the semi-final was a big disappointment. Now they have not only won against Germany but have also defeated Denmark in the semi- final and have a real chance of winning EURO 2020 or is that 2021….
One thing which is certainly having an impact is their use of Cloud Technology to enhance performance. Gathering statistical and video data from match and training performance, medical, scouting and storing it in the cloud, has enabled the team to not only have easy access to this information but also to use analytical data and AI to create potential scenarios and outcomes for a match.
This has been crucial to Gareth Southgate’s tactics. This was in evidence during Wednesday’s match against Denmark. By using technology to run through many possible scenarios, Gareth Southgate will have had several different contingencies to fall back on.
There are many ways in which the application of data can be used. What is proving to be particularly effective is player communication. By having everything stored in the cloud, the data can be securely sent to the players devices regardless of their location. This saves time as before hand teams would have to crowd around a small TV screen or wait for the DVD to arrive in the post to watch a match back. Now Gareth Southgate can send specific moments which he wants his players to focus on promptly. Gareth Southgate does not just want to tell his team what he wants them to do, but why they should do it. When necessary Teams has enabled the England team to be coached remotely, and when combined with data gathered on each players performance, training can be tailored to each member of the team.
One major point of contention from the semi-final was England’s penalty and whether it should have been awarded. Based on the footage of that specific incident alone you may indeed consider that the “foul” was marginal at best. However, when combined with the official data gathered by UEFA, it becomes apparent that the incident should not be a surprise. England were dominating possession of the ball and made less than half the number of infringements committed by Denmark, who were struggling to compete with England’s superior ball retention skills. With analysis of this data, it is possible to see this incident in the context of the pattern that the game was following, in which it is evident some kind of “lucky break” for England was a highly probable outcome at some point, even if the particular moment of the disputed “penalty” could not be predicted.
Like football, being able to predict potential scenarios before they arise can be the difference between success and failure when running a business. Just like the England football team, it is important to have the right technology in place.
The great thing about the use of the cloud and analytics is that it is open software, and available to everyone. All you need is to know how to apply this technology to your business.
This is where we come in. At Latitude 53 we can give you the training you require to help you utilise the cloud and the Microsoft platform, so you can achieve the best possible scenario for your business.
We can help you to work smarter, know more, spend less and do more.
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