ZIMBABWEAN data analyst Chris Shumba says he wants to help Manchester United build the best data platform in sport following his appointment as the 20-time English Premier League champions’ head of data operations.
Although United were understood to be behind their Premier League rivals in the data science department, they have made a string of appointments in recent times, making belated progress.
While Dominic Jordan joined the club as director of data science last year, the hires of Nick Grimshaw (senior data scientist), Alex Kleyn (decision scientist) and Chris Shumba (head of data operations) followed this year.
And in a recent interview with BBC Teach, Shumba explained how United want to build the best data platform in sport.
“I won’t disclose too much about my average week. However, I will say that we are on a mission to build the best data platform in sport, not just football,” Shumba said.
“My typical week revolves around making this a reality. I was both excited and nervous before starting. I had never worked in football before, so I had no idea what to expect. Everyone has been so warm and friendly.
“I usually don’t feel like I am working because I am doing something I love. Being part of the club feels very special to me. When we think of data enablement, we think of the entire organisation.
“As a data team, we are not only there to answer questions, but also to help people answer their own questions using data. This is a more scalable approach and one with bigger impact for the organisation and industry.”
He continued: “Data science enables decision makers to make better judgments using data-driven knowledge. This capability results in a data-informed organisation. When we think of data enablement, we think of the entire organisation.
Prior to his arrival at United, Shumba was lead engineer at Manchester-based N Brown where he had worked alongside Jordan for a year.
Shumba, who grew up in Zimbabwe and did a degree in maths at Sheffield Hallam University and then a Master’s in statistics at Sheffield University added: “I believe that organisations will strive to educate their workforces in data science in order to gain a competitive advantage. The majority of our time in data science is spent attempting to simulate human decision-making.
“I always consider my brain to be the first and most powerful computer. For instance, to get to school or work on time in the morning, you must leave at a certain time.
“Even though we have simplified the process in our minds, there is a great deal of information used to calculate the time we should depart the house and evaluate the assumptions we have made about our morning routine. This is just a simple example of how much information we are computing even for simple tasks like being on time.”
Manchester United football director John Murtough has previously said about data science: “We already make extensive use of data to analyse players’ performance and physical condition, and to scout opponents and recruitment targets. But there is huge potential to strengthen our existing capabilities, and build new ones, as part of a more integrated approach to managing and using data.
“This is not about replacing the human elements of performance and decision-making. Coaches will always draw on their knowledge and judgment, and players their experience and instincts. But these things can be complemented by smart use of data.” —Manchester Evening News/Sports Writer