Liverpoolfc.tv today continues its series looking at the men behind the Rafalution. Next up is a Kopite whose job it is to file reports on each and every opponent.
It's 6.45pm on February 21, 2007. In an hour's time Gerrard and co will face the best team in Europe in their famous Nou Camp stadium. Both sides are limbering up in the dressing room and the teamsheets have just been handed to referee Kyros Vassaras.
A quick glance at Rafa Benitez's chosen XI reveals his new right-back, Alvaro Arbeloa, is in the team - at left-back. The odd eyebrow is starting to rise.
But fast-forward 150 minutes and once again it's clear that Benitez has pulled off a tactical masterstroke as Lionel Messi, Barcelona's golden boy, walks disconsolately off the pitch having been marked out of the game.
Liverpool were heading back to Merseyside with an unlikely 2-1 advantage and, not for the first time in his Anfield reign, our Spanish boss was being lauded as the most astute tactician in world football.
But those in the know realise Benitez does not work alone.
One man who plays a key role in stopping the likes of Messi is Dave McDonough, head of opponent analysis at Melwood.
Here, in a revealing interview, Dave talks us through the business of being Rafa's mole.
Tell us about your main role here at Melwood?
I do reports for the boss on how the opposition plays. We have scouts who work to me who go to the games. Sometimes I go to the games as well. I then write a detailed report on how the opposition plays and compile video evidence to back it all up. These go to the boss a few days before the game and from there a match strategy will be formed. This will impact upon the training and also the team talk. That's the large part of my job.
Do you write the reports, then let Rafa and co work on a strategy, or are you part of that too?
We'll discuss things over the next few days but the funny thing about my job is that the morning after a game I have to give Rafa the report on our next opponent. I have to stay one game ahead.
So while everyone's thinking about, say, Sunderland, you're thinking about, say, Aston Villa?
Exactly – that's because of the timescales involved. We have two games a week but a report takes three or four days to write.
How much detail do you go into?
You look at individual players but also the squad and how they play collectively. We go into as much detail as we possibly can about strengths and weaknesses. Prior to every game – even if we've already played a team twice in a season – we will watch them three or four times.
How difficult is it to get all the video footage you need?
All the Premier League games are on telly these days. The difficulties come with collecting video evidence for early Champions League games. After the qualifiers it's easier because we can get footage of all the Italian and Spanish games from our sources.
So what do you do if we're playing some distant Bulgarian team?
We'll have them watched by one of our European scouts. As far as getting videos is concerned, it's surprising how easily you can get DVDs if you go through the right channels.
How many scouts do you have watching opponents?
Here in England we have three who are constantly watching games.
It must make your life tough when a new manager is appointed at a club mid-season, like, for example, Kevin Keegan at Newcastle last year?
It doesn't make it more difficult. You have to realise that new managers come in and change the way a team plays. A team can also change dramatically in the transfer window. The thing to remember when you watch a match fresh is to never make assumptions about a team or player – then you can keep on top of any changes.
You mention all the games we play at Liverpool – I imagine that means your job is never ending…
Yes. The missus is very good about it. She understands that football is an 11-month-a-year job, if not longer. The only way of staying at the top is to work all the time. It's a seven-day-a-week job. I normally get to work about 7.30-8am, and I'm here 'til about 7pm. But it's football and I love it.
Your role also includes analysing the players here at Liverpool, doesn't it?
Eighty per cent of the job is opponent analysis but I also analyse our own team and collect images for coaching purposes from our games. I work closely with Angel Vales on that. He is responsible for the written analysis of our team.
What kind of technology do you use – we often hear about Pro-Zone?
We have the AMISCO system. It's one of the products you can use for match analysis. There's several others which I won't bore people with. We use AMISCO and that provides a method of tracking players during a game.
We usually see you in the press box during games – is that what you're doing?
We get the AMISCO analysis within 24 hours, though you can sometimes get things live, so I'm up there watching the game looking for things we'll want to work on or investigate.
I bet you here some rubbish spoken up there, don't you?
I'm usually not listening, to be honest! [Laughs] No, there are plenty of experts up there! You are normally too focused on the game to listen to the chatter, though.
What's your football background – and are you a Liverpool fan?
Yes, I've always been a Liverpool fan. I was a coach for 20-odd years. I have worked at the Academy and the youth set up here at Liverpool since 1997. I also did scouting for the Academy and first-team for many years. I've also done match analysis for a long time. I've been in my current role three years now.
