Years of scouting and a modest £500,000 transfer fee for a player who was initially brought in to deputise for Christian Norgaard has evolved into Janelt, now 28, becoming one of the squad’s most influential players — first under Thomas Frank and now Keith Andrews. The numbers used in their data-driven scouting stem from Smartodds, the sports statistics research company founded by Brentford’s owner Matthew Benham, and where the club’s director of football, Phil Giles, was the head of quantitative research. Sangaré initially appeared on the club’s radar while playing in Austria. Igor Thiago, the striker who scored 22 Premier League goals last season, was playing in Bulgaria when Brentford started tracking him. Yet while the data is key, being able to use it to convince the players they identify to join the club is another thing altogether. Sources close to several players who were signed by Brentford at a young age recount similar stories of meeting senior figures at the club, such as Dykes, and being flattered but also blown away by the intricate detail of their research, producing data and footage of the player that spanned several years. The club compile audio-visual presentations for prospective signings. They often meet in hotels in scenic nearby locations such as Syon Park, and in great depth show the player strengths and development areas of their game, the way that Brentford play and, most importantly, how those two elements can work together. One player’s agent described their meeting with the club as “eye-opening” for his client, teaching him about aspects of his game he had not previously considered and saying it is rare to see a presentation of this kind be so polished.   submitted by   /u/Sparky-moon [link]   [comments]