Hey Reader,

Most football analysts are making their visuals harder to read, not easier.

I learned this the hard way when I spent three hours building an interactive dashboard with five different chart types, only to watch the Sporting Director squint at it for thirty seconds before asking: "Can you just show me the numbers in a table?"

That moment changed how I think about football data visualisation.

Here's what's actually happening when analysts create visuals that don't work.

Mistake One: Format Over Function

You see a brilliant Statsbomb radar and think: "I need one of those."

But radars work for player comparisons across multiple metrics. They don't work for showing how a team's pressing intensity changes throughout a match. Yet I see analysts forcing every dataset into radar format because that's what looks "professional."

The reality? Sometimes a simple table with colour-coding tells the story better than any complex visualisation.

Ask yourself: What does this data need to show? Not what do I want to create.

Mistake Two: Visual Neglect

You've mastered the Python packages. Your code runs perfectly. Then you present a chart with clashing colours that someone with colour blindness can't read, cramped text, and zero white space.

The technical skill is there. The visual design isn't.

I see this constantly - analysts who can manipulate massive datasets but can't create clean, readable output. They use off-the-shelf templates without adding any personal touch or brand element.

Your visualisations represents you. Make it look like you care about the person reading it.

Mistake Three: Tool Obsession

"I built this entire dashboard in Python because that's what analysts use."

Meanwhile, you could have created the same insight in ten minutes using a simple chart with clear annotations.

The tool doesn't make you more credible. The insight does.

I've seen scouts reject brilliant analysis because it was buried in unnecessarily complex visualisations. I've also seen basic charts change transfer decisions because the insight was clear and immediate.

The Simple Truth

Your visualisation has one job: help someone make a better decision.

Everything else - the software, the complexity, the visual effects - is secondary.

Start with your audience. What do they need to understand? How quickly do they need to understand it? Then build the simplest visual that delivers that understanding.

A scout reviewing twenty players before a match doesn't need interactive dashboards. They need clear, immediate insights they can act on.

A technical director comparing transfer targets needs different visuals than a coach reviewing yesterday's defensive performance.

The Test That Matters

Show your visualisation to someone who wasn't involved in creating it. Give them thirty seconds.

Can they explain what it shows? If not, simplify.

This is actually something I do with my partner, she has seen and read almost all of my analysis and business work.

The best football analysts I know create visuals that look obvious in hindsight. That's not accident - that's skill.

Stop trying to impress with complexity. Start helping people see what matters.

Because at the end of the day, the visualisation that influences the decision is the one that works.

Liam

Whenever you’re ready, there are two ways I can help you: ​Free 1-2-1 Breakthrough Call - Frustrated trying to break into football recruitment? Tired of rejection after rejection? No idea how to get your first role in professional scouting or analysis? Get your free Football Career breakthrough Call to create a clear pathway to reach your goals in the football industry. ​Recruitment Room - My online membership community helps aspiring and new football professionals secure jobs working in recruitment. Master the four pillars of scouting, analysis, online portfolio, and employment. Learn from industry experts through our workshops, hot seats, and live sessions.