Technology has changed lives massively over the past decade or so, and football isn’t immune to such changes either. The idea of performance analysis has always existed in the game, but in the past it consisted of little more than a coach or a scout relying information on the forthcoming opposition to the manager. Nowadays, it’s an industry in itself. We previously looked at how the likes of Opta have the technology to gather masses of information, but what do the clubs then do with these facts and figures when they receive them?

We went along to Manchester City‘s Performance Analysis department to find out. Situated in the club’s Carrington training complex, the Analysis team work in a office surrounded by banks of computer screens and TVs showing clips of matches. When we visited it was quiet, but during the day players and management buzz in and out of here to discuss tactics and look back over previous performances.

Being a top Premiership club, City have all the latest equipment, but they need it – the analysis covers not just the first team, but all the reserve and youth teams, right down to the kids who have just been signed up at 8 years old. We spoke to Simon Wilson, Manchester City’s Head Of Performance Analysis, and the rest of his team about what their jobs involve and how its changed football.

“When I started out, performance analysis didn’t really exist,” Simon admits, “and there was a lot of misconception about what it was about. But people realised that it wasn’t just Statto from Fantasy Football – you could visualise and reinterpret the facts in order to use them as a coaching tool. Since then, it’s grown and grown.

In terms of what these guys do, the details vary day to day, but at heart there’s a very simple premise. “We’re an information service for the coaches here, it’s up to them how they use it,” explains Simon. ” We tend to spend a lot of time working out what’s important for different managers - some managers like to present stuff in a very visual style, which can be good for foreign players, some people like to do it quite verbally. It’s really important for us to tailor what we do towards the different approaches. We do things like film training every day (as seen in the pictures here), and we have to make sure that the information that the players receive is interesting and relevant. We know that by making the information concise and relevant, we get the maximum focus and therefore response from the players.”

Within the team, different analysts specialise in different aspects. Gavin Fleig looks after the opposition. “My role as an opposition analyst is to provide as much relevant information as we can to the management and the players in the build up to a game,” he explains. “Having that as my focus during the week helps as it allows me to go into more detail than I have done previously at other clubs. Our opposition scouts go out and watch the games, and they all report back into me with reports, and my role is to piece together all that information, in order to deliver a story on the opposition – their strengths, their weaknesses, how they change shape during the game, how they play home and away.”

Simon’s role is to oversee the whole analysis team, and to make sure everything is geared towards getting the best information to the players before they step onto the pitch. “For my job, I think the best analogy is that it’s like a clock,” Simon explains. “You’ve got the second hand, which is the day to day stuff, then the minute hand, which is match to match, and then you’ve got the hour hand, which is thinking about longer term and strategy, and we’re responsible for all of these.”

Obviously, City’s financial muscle means that the analysis team have all the best equipment to help them do their job, but that also presents a different challenge. “In the past, everyone could hang their hat on budgets, or the players you’ve got – but the owners have removed those barriers for us,” Simon suggests. “So now it’s about being as good as we can possibly be, it’s all down to creativity and vision. Anyone who’s not inspired by that shouldn’t be here really.”

Such a job is challenging, but it can also hugely rewarding, as long as the hard work translates into success on the pitch.”To see the team doing well is really exciting, last season when we were progressing in the UEFA Cup, the highs and lows of that run were great fun,” Simon explains. “I was working at Southampton when we went to the cup final as well, so to be part of that when I’ve been watching it since I was little was a terrific experience. I really hope to have more of those moments here at City in the future.”