Analyse that...

OFFICE WORK . . . analyst Conor with his laptop in the office

THERE is barely ever any let-up for Athletic's highly rated head of analysis Conor Marlin.

Sunday, a day of rest for many, is spent in his Royton home mainly on a laptop, putting together debriefing video reports for individual players and reports on weaknesses and strengths of future opponents.

Nights are not his own either. As head of the club's scouting network, he gets out to watch local under-23s games. A couple of weeks ago it was Blackburn against Brighton, to see Athletic's new loan signing Rob Hunt up against a youngster he used to coach in Northern Ireland, Ben Hall. On other evenings, the out-of-hours visits could be to Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool or Everton.

ADDICTED

"It's a seven days a week job," said Marlin, who took up his position at the club at the start of October. "I'm addicted to it. I will get home at 6.30pm and put the DVD of the game I've just seen back on.

"Sunday is going through stuff on the game, picking out fine points like throw-ins.

"That's my Saturday and Sunday, then, if there is a Tuesday game, it's really busy as you need everything ready for Monday morning."

The day job sees Marlin - one of the youngest people to gain a UEFA 'A' Licence coaching qualification - works closely with Athletic's squad.

The motto used is "seeing is believing". Video footage provides vital clues for players to make changes to their games and one man in particular has benefited, Marlin feels. "Ousmane Fane has probably been one of our most improved players this season," said the 30-year-old, who is a former elite performance co-ordinator at the Irish FA.

"We are doing video work with him and the manager and coaches, taking him on the pitches and using everything we can to help make him better.

"You can show things they can improve on and then the coaches can get more specific on the pitch. It's pleasing how much he has improved."

A little luck can go a long way when you are as determined to succeed as Marlin is. A coach from the age of 16, when glandular fever struck down a promising playing career, he sees the landscape changing and points to the example of Kieran McKenna as evidence.

A former player, McKenna was injured while at Spurs and after becoming an analyst initially, has now moved on to take up an under-18s coaching role at Manchester United's academy.

Marlin has so far gone from roles coaching Tyrone's Milk Cup squad and Glentoran's reserves and progressed through to the Northern Ireland set-up. There, he worked as Stephen Robinson's assistant in the under-17s age group, later reuniting with him at Athletic.

"I was lucky enough that Stephen Robinson brought me in here when (previous analyst) Tom Hart decided to go to Wigan," said Marlin of his arrival at SportsDirect.com Park.

"I had left my job at the Irish FA and gave myself until the end of September to get something, or else I was going to go and work in America, Australia or China. I had a few different things lined up.

"Then it came to the last week in September and came here, so it seemed it was fate to happen."

IMPRESSION

His sights were cast wide enough that he even applied for a job in Rwanda ("I would go anywhere, really, for the right opportunity") but for now, he is soaking up everything he can in what is still a fresh role, four months in.

"I work hard, make a good impression and doors open," he said.

"That's been the case so far.

"It was sad to see Stephen go, but that is the nature of the business.

"Coming from Northern Ireland, I was never going to go straight in as a first-team coach or manager. You have to learn and it's good to be around the first-team environment.

"Working with John Sheridan, Stephen Robinson, Ian Baraclough and Carlo Nash, and with Michael O'Neill and Jim Magilton, Steve Beaglehole and Paul Kee with Northern Ireland in the last, you are always picking up wee things.

"Some you agree with, some not, but it's always learning."