Football: WAR ZONE

SIR ALEX FERGUSON, Arsene Wenger and Sven Goran Eriksson don't know how they ever lived without it.

Jose Mourinho's stars will soon feel like they're entering the Matrix when their new training complex it opens soon.

And Sam Allardyce describes the amazing stats system as "the Big Brother of football".

All of them are devout disciples of a new religion in the game called ProZone which is already changing the face of how coaches work, managers think and players train and work in England.

Fifteen of the Premiership's 20 clubs use the barrage of tiny cameras installed at grounds and training centres, all connected to computers that provide the ultimate in information.

Allardyce says: "It's a fantastic concept. You just cannot underestimate its value. It gives a complete overview of all the elements that make up the game.""

ProZone can tell managers everything they wanted to know about their players and some things they'd rather not know about - such as whether they are really working as hard as they appear. Programme it for the number of passes, the length of those passes, how high your centre-back jumps ... even how long it takes him to get back into position. Hit a button and you have it all.

Now the system, first introduced in 1998, is about to have the same extraordinary impact in Europe as it is now doing here, according to its owner.

Ray Ranson, former England Under-21 captain and full-back with Manchester City, Newcastle and Birmingham - and the man who tried to buy Aston Villa this year - said: "There is a revolution going on in football at the top level in this country.

"The interest we are now getting from Italy, Spain and especially Germany tells us here at ProZone our technology is going to take off big-style on the continent." ProZone isn't exclusive to football. Sir Clive Woodward says making England rugby world champions was easier because the technology brought a new insight into how to tackle players' faults, build on their strengths and plan for the opposition.

But it is in the Premiership that ProZone is making most of its converts. Only Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham, Birmingham and Fulham have not joined the club.

ProZone's director of development of sport, Neil Ramsay, said: "I go around clubs, talking to all the managers and coaches, picking up the input that allows us to further develop this system.

"Even the Premiership referees use it to help them work on how they can better handle games. Managers like Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson call ProZone their 12th man. And while Jose Mourinho was complaining the other week at the way Bolton managed to get a draw at Stamford Bridge - Sam Allardyce is always singing the system's praises - Jose himself is completely hooked.

"It has not only been installed at the ground but will be part of Chelsea's new training complex."

Ranson added: "Our system has become meat and drink for most of the top coaches in this country and we are still nowhere near fulfilling its potential.

"Football is now so much about tactical planning, fitness and above all information.

"It's not Big Brother because football will always be about skill first. But we are helping coaches and players take the game to a new level of technique and intelligence."

A huge variety of statistics can be used to provide managers with all the information they need about their players

A battery of cameras around the pitch ensure each player's position can be tracked - giving a result like a computer game

A player's movements can be traced - this was Blackburn star Brett Emerton in the first half of one match

Every single player can be assessed in this way to tell their boss how hard and effectively they are - or are not - working

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