With Bobby Gardiner’s appointment as the new AC Milan Head of Scouting, some intrigue has come from an earlier interview.
Earlier today, Sky reported that Gardiner had been promoted from a role as a match analyst to becoming the head of scouting moving forward. However, the news has been lost a bit in the major updates on the coach and technical director front.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
Nevertheless, it looks like an impressive hire (and deserved step) for someone rated extremely highly within the scouting and analysis sphere.
Gardiner’s hopes
Gardiner spoke to StatsBomb – a hub for analysts to share and discuss research, which he utilised – as part of their ‘Originals’ series in 2023, the year after the Scudetto success, where he played a big part. In the interview, there were a few quotes of interest, which can be seen below.
Are there any metrics/frameworks from the “early days” that you still use in your work now?
For better or worse, we can’t escape Expected Goals and the terrible name.
Do you remember any particularly bad analytically-driven takes you had in the past, or work that you would approach differently knowing what you know now?
“My most egregious takes have come from assuming that a player’s current or previous output is more descriptive or predictive than it really is. Especially with the youngest players, the difference between an elite-ceiling and an above-average ceiling can be impossible to distinguish from the data alone.”
Where has your analytics work taken you and your career?
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work for AC Milan for over 4 years [around 2019, so seven years now].
What are you most excited about in the future for football analytics?
“I am on my knees begging for someone to prove that not only do coaches matter, they can matter more than the players. I’m also really looking forward to spatial data becoming more available for player recruitment.”
Three years on from that interview, he will have only developed further as a scout of profiles. Especially working in an elite environment and seeing directly which profiles work in Italy and which don’t, having been with the Rossoneri for almost 10 years now.
Ha that’s so funny, I googled him this morning and read this very interview. Quite interestIng point of view
I think this guy will do well. The sheer statement in regard to the coach makes me believe even more on him. I personally would pay the manager like you play the stars, always believed on that. Considering how much we pay some stars I think top managers are underpaid.
Puff piece. If he was so great, who has he identified from Serie A that has gone on to become an important player in the team? For all his data he couldn’t say guys like Lauriente and Pinamonti were performing well in terms of goals and assists?
you should apply then smart guy
If you think your opinion matters more then his or you are greater, why are you on a keyboard and not working for Milan for 7 years?