Hi listener, Jay Harris here. I hope you don't mind me intruding. The pod is back next week with the new season inching closer and closer, but in the meantime, I might have something for you.

Over the summer, I was granted access all areas at Brentford to find out the secrets of their remarkable rise up the leagues and how they've been so successful in doing it their own unique way.

In this episode, episode two of our four-part podcast series, we get into Brentford's famed

recruitment strategy, the data models they use, and how they convince prospective signings

that West London should be their new home. It also features interviews with two of the

B's best players, Ben

Me and Christian Norgaard. If you like the episode, I want to check out the rest of Access

All Areas Brentford. Just search for the Athletics documentary podcast, Go Deeper, and you can listen

to the rest. All free and in all the usual podcast places. Enjoy.

The Athletic.

Your goal shouldn't be to buy players.

Your goal should be to buy wins.

If you've seen the film Moneyball,

starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill,

you'll know how the concept works.

Buy low, sell high.

The movie's based on the Oakland Athletics, a baseball team who are stuck in a rut with a very low budget. They're going nowhere fast until general

manager Billy Bean, played by Brad Pitt, hires Peter Brand, Jonah Hill. Brand is an economic

student at Yale and he brings a new way of thinking to the

recruitment process. It's called Sabermetrics, taking relevant data to answer specific questions,

such as, who should we hire to fill a gap in our roster? I can't believe I just said roster.

Moneyball in its simplest form suggests that harnessing untapped potential is better than working with obvious talent.

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