FAR POST ANALYTICS

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Far Post Analytics is written for people who have to decide whether a player in Japan is worth a closer look: scouts, recruitment analysts, sporting directors and intermediaries working with European clubs. It is not a news site and it does not cover every match. It looks at J.League players through their numbers, says plainly what those numbers can and cannot support, and keeps a public record of whether our calls turned out to be right.

The site is run by one person. I collect the data, write every report and update every verdict myself, which is why the output is slow and narrow rather than fast and broad.

If you only read five pieces

  1. 1. The Far Post Theory: Why the J.League Is Asia’s Scouting Blind Spot

    The argument for the whole site: why players in Japan are still underpriced relative to their output, and where that gap comes from.

  2. 2. Every Leaderboard Contains Two Hidden Decisions

    Before you trust any ranking on this site or anyone else’s, read this. It explains how minutes thresholds and position groups quietly decide who ends up at the top.

  3. 3. Why We Don't Put J2 Per-90s Next to Pro League Numbers

    What we adjust for when comparing leagues, and, more importantly, the comparisons we deliberately refuse to make.

  4. 4. Kashif Bangnagande: A Ball-Winning Left-Back Who Has to Prove His Availability Again (#010)

    A typical report: a strong 2024 profile, a clear reason for caution, and written conditions that would move the verdict up or down.

  5. 5. What the Ito Ryotaro Situation Tells Recruitment Directors About the Belgium Corridor's Blind Spot

    What happens after the move. A case study in how a well-trodden transfer route can still fail a player, and how a buying club could price that risk in.

How to read the Track Record

Every scouting verdict we publish goes onto the Track Record page with the date it was made, and our recent reports also set a date when we will review it. When a review comes, we record what actually happened, including the calls that did not work out.

Each entry carries two labels. The verdict is our call on the day the report was published: WATCH means the player is worth a scout’s attention now; MONITOR means the profile is interesting but something material is unresolved, usually the sample or his role. The status records what happened next: REALIZED means he moved after our report was published; CASE_STUDY means the move was already public when we wrote about it; TRACKING means nothing has happened yet; NOT_BORNE_OUT means the call did not pan out, either because no move came before the relevant window closed or because the numbers behind it did not hold up the following season. Of the 14 entries so far, 8 were published as WATCH and 6 as MONITOR; 7 are case studies, 7 are still tracking, and none is yet REALIZED or NOT_BORNE_OUT.

We never edit or delete a verdict after publication. If a condition needs clarifying later, we add a dated note underneath and leave the original wording in place, so you can always see what we said at the time.

What this site will not do

We do not represent players, take fees from clubs or intermediaries, or publish transfer predictions. Our data starts from the 2024 J.League season, and every report states which season and which source each number comes from. Treat anything here as a reason to watch a player, never as a substitute for watching him.

If you work in recruitment and want to discuss a player or a dataset, write to contact [at] farpostanalytics.com.

Choi Bong-jin, Far Post Analytics