The Lowdown

“Create the podcast you want to listen to. “

For a long time coaching has existed within it's own silo. With the modern head coach resembling something akin to a CEO it's clear that what got us this far isn't good enough to move us forward. Looking beyond the coaching badges there is an acute understanding of organisational dynamics required to operate at this level of elite sport. Throw on top a chronic workload, family commitments and inclement health, then this means we should be educating our people & leaders accordingly to navigate this terrain right? The answer isn't the one you wish to hear....

Mistaking the map for the territory, getting off the treadmill of complexity and returning back to humanity and simplicity it is clear that this conversation needs changing. One such person who's mission is to turn this oil tanker around is Cody Royle. Cody is the author of “The Tough Stuff“ & the host of the “Where Others Won't“ podcast. He is also the coach of several elite coaches across a multitude of sports.

Among what we discussed included;

- How has Cody's why changed over time?

- Why Cody believes coach optimization is the greatest barrier to team success in sport?

- Learning from some of the world's great thinkers and coaches to rapidly accelerate his coaching.

- The role of unlearning in moving forward

- Why the concept of balance doesn't exist in elite sport?

- What head coaches can do to bridge the conversation at board level?

- Inside the thought process of coaches such as Pep Guardiola and Eddie Jones having their own coach.

Timestamps;

00:00 - 05:53 - Cody's Why

05:54 - 18:00 - Coach Optimization

18:01 - 25:33 - Unlearning

25:34 - 34:50 - Balance

34:51 - 45:16 - The Future

Cody's Twitter; https://twitter.com/codyroyle?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Cody's Book; https://www.amazon.com/Tough-Stuff-Seven-Truths-About/dp/1660114446

Cody's Podcast; https://open.spotify.com/show/13w1hFUG3jzoA0IrmSlc4m

On March 10th Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government thereby effectively freezing Chelsea FC as one of his largest commercial assets. Ultimately an unprecedented move in the football world latent with more questions than answers. In an attempt to make some order of the ensuing chaos Matt Slater of The Athletic joined me to breakdown what this actually means in practice.

All very sobering stuff yet it is very important to note that inspite of our affiliations and (at times) blind love of football clubs that the ongoing situation at Chelsea and other effected clubs is the least of the world's worries at the moment.

Among what we unpacked included;

- What these sanctions mean for Chelsea?

- The practicality of Chelsea abiding by the current restrictions in place?

- How grave the situation may become if alterations are not made to the current licence.

- Is there a serious existential threat to Chelsea Football Club?

- Will key figures Tuchel, Hayes, Cech, Granovskaia jump ship?

- Should other Premier League clubs cast a nervous eye upon proceedings at Stamford Bridge?

Follow Matt on The Athletic; https://theathletic.com/author/matt-slater/

“You are not there to tell people what to do, you are not an expert in sports science, in video analysis, your job is to recruit those best people for the role. “

With a lot of uncertainty over the role of Sporting Director, Chris Casper of Salford City joined me recently to clarify the job, it's function and how it's evolved. Graduating from the “Class of'92“. Chris has taken the best principles and applied it within his own guise. Whether it has been playing, coaching or now at executive level he has taken ownership of his own pathway whilst holding the torch for many others. Not being afraid to adapt & change, embracing the new whilst remembering the old listen to how Chris marries up the short and long term to stack the odds in Salford City's favour.

Among what we discussed included;

- High performance lessons from Sir Alex Ferguson & “The Class of 92“.

- Are support networks best equipped to enable players to make the transition out of football?

- How Chris defines his role as Sporting Director?

- Insights into how Salford City navigated GB permit changes post Brexit ?

- Has a Sporting Director time to switch off from the game?

- How will the role of Sporting Director evolve ?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 10:25 - Class of '92

10:26 - 16:27 - Resilience

16:28 - 19:26 - Coaching

19:27 - 27:45 - Sporting Director

27:46 - 31:42 - Recruitment & Academy

31:43 - 35:49 - Identity

35:50 - 40:57 - Advice

Chris' LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-casper-msc-8501b5157/

“The greatest good for the greatest number of people, If there is any meaning in discussing fair play and codes of conduct in sports, then it is time to show Russia the red card.“

Yesterday February 24th was a dark day for humanity. Amidst the backdrop of current affairs Professor Kenneth Cortsen and I recorded a podcast regarding the growing commercialization of the once beautiful game. In this hour or so we documented it's growth from the reformation of competition format's in the 1990's to the integration of social media platforms today. The top echelons of football seem to be fueled by the mutual interests of career politicians and new upstarts with little corporate governance to boot, With NFT's, cryptocurrencies and diverging ownership motives thrown into the mix, 90 minutes of football on Saturday has never been as profitable.

Yet is what we are doing sustainable? Is it ethical at it's core? How can we do it better? At what point does “fan engagement“ meet the law of diminishing returns?

Or should we hand free reign to these tenants?

Among what we discussed included;

- What impacts will current events in Ukraine have on the continental game?

- A history of the professionalization and the subsequent commercialization of football.

- DAZN and the cautionary tale of sports broadcasters.

- How football clubs can better ethically conceptualize tokenisation?

- What steps athletes are taking now to leverage Web3 as they attempt to control the narrative?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 13:55 - History

13:56 - 23:43 - Russia

23:44 - 35:01 - Corporate Governance

35:02 - 41:18 - Romanticism

41:19 - 46:30 - Fan Engagement

46:31 - 53:23 - NFT's

53:24 - 58:31 - Web3

58:32 - 1:05:56 - Advice

Kenneth's LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethcortsen/

Kenneth's Website; https://kennethcortsen.com/

South London rightly generates a lot of clamour in recognition of the players it produces but what about it's coaches? Harry Watling joined me this week as we dove in deep into the secrets behind the rise of one of the UK's top coaching exports. At 31 Harry was appointed as the head coach of USL team; Hartford Athletic, in the process becoming the league's youngest. Coaching at prestigious academies such as Chelsea, Millwall & West Ham provided Harry the ultimate education in talent development. His experience as an elite developer alongside a healthy dose of emotional intelligence with some old school values added into the mix stacked the odds in his favour. Not knowing when the opportunity is coming but doing everything to be ready. This is Harry's journey to date and there is something here for everyone to take away. Among what we discussed included;

- What did Harry do in his first off season in management?

- Learning the art of balancing performance and education within Chelsea's academy.

- The rising tide of young English coaches breaking down barriers to enter the game.

- How understanding business dynamics smoothed Harry's transition from coach to manager?

- The steps taken to achieve buyin amongst a new group of players before inspiring the execution.

- Generalist v Specialist coaches (and the art of delegation).

- Where Harry looks for inspiration?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 05:14 - A coach's life

05:15 - 13:25 - Breaking down walls

13:26 - 16:30 - Talent development

16:31 - 22:57 - Management

22:58 - 29:26 - Generalist v Specialist

29:27 - 36:16 - Inspiration & Advice

Harry's LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-watling-060623123/

Harry's Instagram ; https://www.instagram.com/h_watlingcoach/?hl=en

“Purposeful work won't find you, you have to go and find it”

I am proud to have had the good fortune of learning from one of the best I have come to know within the football industry over this past year. David Cosgrave & the guys at The Leadership Bunker have drastically expedited my learning curve and enabled me to reflect and make sense of my journey to date and how I arrived here. Therefore I thought it was ample time to pass the buck and listen to David's own unique and captivating story. Having spent nearly 20 years at a whole host of clubs including Liverpool, Spurs, Bolton & Fulham it was his departure from Copenhagen which led to an intense period of self reflection and discovery. Recently appointed the new Director of Sports Medicine & High Performance at Orlando City David is set to embark upon a new chapter in his life and career. This is a story of values, mission and never compromising on your purpose. Among what we discussed included;

- The path from chiropractor to leading a whole MLS department?

- Standing on the shoulders of giants at Bolton.

- Does “service excellence” exist amid the never ending tension at top flight clubs?

- The rise of purposeful value driven football clubs.

- Losing inside to unpack whether or not your identity is tied to your job?

- Why unlearning is more important than learning as a leader?

- David's process for achieving buyin just 3 weeks out from the start of a new MLS season?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 03:44 - Intro

03:45 - 09:36 - Pioneers

09:37 - 15:20 - Values, mission & purpose

15:21 - 18:40 - Copenhagen

18:41 - 25:05 - Burnout

25:06 - 30:22 - Beyond the game

30:23 - 39:26 - Leadership

39:27 - 43:21 - Advice

David's LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-cosgrave-09187b3/

The Leadership Bunker; https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-leadership-bunker/

John Demartini values assessment; https://drdemartini.com/values/

“Bet on yourself” , was Brian Walsh's simple advice to me in response to examining his success to date.

Arriving in the US nearly 20 years on a college scholarship Brian has continued to fulfill that promise to himself rising through the ranks to launch and spearhead youth programmes at NY Cosmos and now NYCFC. Leveraging critical thinking, navigating change successfully and being prepared to go above and beyond have been at the heart of Brian's career to date. With over 25,000 kids passing through NYCFC youth programmes over the past 5 years it's hard to argue against it's success and sturdy foundations. Unprecedented interest and growth in football combined with a home World Cup on the horizon allowed for us to have a timely conversation about youth football and it's rise in one of the largest metropolitan areas on Earth. Among what we discussed included;

- 20 years in the United States from college scholarship to youth director.

- The Monday evening in downtown New York which altered Brian's path?

- Building the youth development programmes at NY Cosmos & NYCFC from scratch.

- Insights into running a youth development programme the sheer magnitude and scale of NYCFC's?

- Advantages of working within a multi-club network?

- Impact of the monumental growth and interest of the game in shaping the eco-system around a player?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 05:04 - Early Beginnings

05:05 - 09:09 - Change of Path

09:10 - 15:45 - NY Cosmos

15:46 - 31:45 - NYCFC

31:46 - 39:06 - Advice

Brian's Twitter; https://twitter.com/nycsoccer1?lang=en

It would not be an understatement to say Jonathan Harding authored one of my favourite football books to date in “Mensch” which appraised the story of the German coaching revolution and the person behind the coach. However as Jonathan explains here once he began to scratch an itch he discovered the longing for plenty of coaches to discover a connection that runs deeper than just winning or losing. In his new book “Soul” Jonathan grapples with the idea that maybe professional sports can care a lot more for their people. Although the concerns we speak of are unwelcome guests there ought to be an urgency to address these now before they tear down the remaining value structures of the game which we adore. What followed was a conversation that perhaps both of us did not want but was ultimately needed. Among what we discussed included;

- The origins of Mensch.

- What exactly is a “menschenfanger”?

- Are Klopp, Tuchel & Nagelsmann unrealistic ideals to aspire towards for young German coaches?

- Are the traditional German values such as hard work & commitment to achieving excellence good or bad virtues?

- What is prohibiting innovation in German football?

- Does professional sport care about people?

- Character development beyond 90 minutes.

- The over professionalisation of children in academies.

Timestamps;

00:00 - 08:05 - Mensch

08:06 - 15:17 - Grand Expectations

15:18 - 24:58 - Rulebreakers

24:59 - 33:22 - Soul

33:23 - 44:16 - Player Welfare

44:17 - 51:36 - Managerial Recruitment

51:37 - 55:11 - World Cup

Mensch; https://www.amazon.com/Mensch-Beyond-Cones-Jonathan-Harding/dp/1910906182

Soul; https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1910906255/ref=dbs

Jon's Twitter; https://twitter.com/JonBloggs66?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Doug Lemov is the author of 'Teach Like a Champion' & 'The Coach's Guide to Teaching'. Doug has a track record of going into underprivileged schools and turning them around. How he did so and why this can help sporting organisations and their coaches is what we delve into during the blockbuster conversation. During our talk Doug gives the lowdown on a range of subjects varying from performance v learning to the inverse relationship between resources and success. This will be a podcast which I'm sure you and I will be returning to frequently. What we discussed also included;

- Key differences between the classroom & the locker room?

- What is the most efficient way for players to learn in the long haul?

- The concept of the 'quiet eye'?

- Separating the wheat from the chaff in the cognitive revolution.

- Why in Doug's experience there's an inverse relationship between resources & success?

- Retrieval practices for building up long term memory.

- How to improve coach efficacy in delivering feedback?

- What Doug learned about player interaction from Eddie Jones & England Rugby?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 09:16 - Coaching v Teaching

09:17 - 18:53 - Cognitive Revolution

18:54 - 26:46 - Cultural & Resource Constraints

26:47 - 39:00 - Performance v Learning

39:01 - 47:00 - The future player

47:01 - 54:56 - Burnout

Omar Chaudhuri is the Chief Intelligence Officer of the Twenty First Group. The Twenty First Group provides ground-breaking sports intelligence to drive sporting success and unlock commercial value. Omar gave me the lowdown on his story to date. From beginning a blog in his bedroom to sharing the boardroom with some of the sporting world's most powerful stakeholders, Omar has a unique perspective on how to forge a niche within the industry. From playing a role in three Premier League managerial hires this season to redressing the competitive balance of European football there are no shortage of topics to discuss. Listen to hear more about;

- The number one thing to do to enter the football industry?

- Inside Omar's role within Twenty First Group.

- Playing a role in three Premier League managerial hires this season.

- Key differences between player and managerial recruitment?

- The impact of fixture congestion on playing styles?

- Redressing the issue of competitive balance within European football?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 05:40 - Intro

05:41 - 09:32 - Prozone

09:33 - 12:15 - Twenty First Group

12:16 - 17:24 - Recruitment

17:25 - 28:25 - Current Affairs

28:26 - 32:26 - Governance review

32:37 - 38:40 - Season Predictions

38:41 - 40:23 - Advice