Natasha Patel most recently worked at Southampton in the EPL. (Photo courtesy of the Red Bulls)
HARRISON, N.J. – The Red Bulls named Natasha Patel Head of Performance Analysis, the club announced Wednesday.
Patel joins the Red Bulls from Southampton Football Club, where she served as the Head of Performance Analysis for the English Premier League side.
Patel spent eight years at Southampton, beginning as an analyst with the academy in 2011 and progressing to serve as Head of Performance Analysis for the club since 2016. That’s where she lead Southampton’s efforts to utilize video analysis to support first team players and coaches in match review and opponent preparation, and facilitate player development and performance through the use of various analysis tools.
With the Red Bulls Patel will oversee and expand the club’s use of analytics in areas including opponent scouting, game preparation and player evaluations from the Red Bulls first team down through Red Bulls Academy.
“On behalf of everyone at the club, I’d like to welcome Natasha,” Sporting director Denis Hamlett said. “We are excited to have Natasha join us. Her work at Southampton was very impressive, from first team preparation to programs and processes she implemented behind the scenes to strengthen the club’s use of analytics to drive performance. We will lean on Natasha to improve our use of data at all levels of the club.”
Southampton was promoted to the Premier League following the 2011-12 season, Patel’s first with the club, and has remained in the top flight of English Football throughout her tenure.
Patel also initiated processes for uniform video and performance analysis throughout Southampton’s renowned academy system into the first team, creating another bridge between the first team and academy and strengthening the player development model. In recent years, the Southampton Academy has produced notable players such as Gareth Bale, Adam Lallana, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and current Red Bulls loanee Josh Sims.
“I am extremely delighted to join the New York Red Bulls family,” Patel said. “A club with strong values and a clear vision to develop players and continue to be successful in MLS. It is a fantastic opportunity to work with passionate and forward-thinking staff to give players the tools to analyze and enhance their performance whilst maximizing their potential.”
