Player Visuals – Radar Charts

By Alex Rathke,

Here at Laduma Analytics, we are always on the look-out to represent visuals for teams and players. Over the last year, we have been looking into acquiring a data source which we hope to use for our data going forward.

We have by no means invented Radar Charts for sport but have brought our own ‘spin’ on them in addition with a descriptive design of how to ‘read’ them. For those who do not know what a radar chart is, please see below:

Simply put, a radar chart allows analysts to represent a large number of statistics to their audience (such as a club or manager).  

We have position-specific templates with 11 metrics for each template. These will differ for each position but can examine a player’s strength and/or weaknesses as well as (possibly) their role in the team’s style of play.

Let’s look at an example (Mwape Musonda – Black Leopards):

There have been rumours surrounding Musonda and if Black Leopards would be able to hold onto their star striker. As of 3 weeks out from the start of the 2019/2020 PSL Season, Musonda reported for pre-season training. This is his radar from the last season:

Based on these statistics, Musonda is a forward who took on average over 3 shots per game and these had been of high quality. The numbers how Musonda to be a fairly one-dimensional striker with his best attribute(s) being his shooting and goal scoring. Elsewhere, he has shown the ability to find and create chances for his team-mates. At 28 years of age though, it is very understandable why the big three (Chiefs, Pirates & Sundowns) have not come knocking. He is on the other side of his peak and while we would like to have more seasons of data, how likely is it that Musonda will be able to reproduce this form again in 19/20?

That’s all for now as an introduction. Stay tuned for updates as the PSL season begins soon.