Leeds United: The Long Awaited Return

Leeds United are an esteemed football club, having previously won three English league titles, one FA Cup, a League Cup, and reached the 1975 European Cup Final. The club is heavily supported worldwide and their stadium and performance infrastructure, like their Category One Academy and use of technology, supports the statement that they are one of English football’s ‘biggest’ teams.

Reliance On Technology

Catapult and Leeds United have worked together since the 2016/17 season. The players, coaches and performance team have actively relied on the data that can be derived from wearable technology. It helps to optimise performances and allows players and performance staff to more accurately meet the demands which are set by the club’s Head Coach, Marcelo Bielsa.

Central to Leeds United’s use of technology is highly regarded First Team Sports Scientist, Tom Robinson. “Marcelo Bielsa demands a high-intensity style of play, so having this sports science support helps us greatly,” Robinson says.

The sports scientist continues to explain that “it is important for us to continue working with data in this way. Wearing the GPS in games allows us to know whether the players are adapting well to training.”

Key Performance Metrics

Particularly beneficial to Robinson’s performance analysis, are Catapult’s load, velocity and distance based metrics. Together they allow him to assess the intensity of play in both training and games.

“Intensity is the key marker we look for in the players’ data and Catapult helps us to ensure that we’re getting the most out of our players.”

The Long Awaited Return

In Bielsa’s first season at Elland Road, Leeds United narrowly missed out on returning to the Premier League. However, with Bielsa still at the helm and Tom Robinson providing critical sports science insights, Leeds United have been able to dominate the Championship with many impressive displays of play.

So after 16 years away from the top division of English football, The Whites made their long overdue return to the Premier League. A welcome sight for the Elland Road natives, local Leeds community and many other sporting stakeholders, including Catapult.

From everyone here at Catapult, we would like to congratulate Leeds United on their promotion to the Premier League.

Click here, to find out how Catapult technology can help you achieve your performance objectives.

Image credit: @LUFC