The Lowdown

Little under two months ago, our guest today Chris Docherty took the helm as Sporting Director of FC Akron; a second division team in Russia, at the tender age of 29. Despite his whirlwind start to life in Russia, Chris was kind enough to share some time with me to speak about his intriguing career arc to date. What followed was a fascinating yet intricate conversation on multiple subjects ranging from the different types of sporting directors to how various visible and invisible factors can influence youth development. Chris' journey to date is a shining example to many as to what can be achieved when you merge an insatiable hunger to improve with a first class network whilst adopting a patient approach. Umpteen personal and professional lessons to take from this one. Some of what we discussed included;

- The long road between apprenticeship & mastery.

- Implementing versus discarding research at football clubs and the cultural considerations in between.

- Opportunity amongst the managerial chaos at Hajduk Split.

- Remarkable insight into the factors behind Croatia's successful youth development record.

- The different types of sporting directors and considerations.

- FC Akron's data driven approach to challenge the elite of Russia.

- Building foundations for future success at FC Akron.

Timestamps;

00:00 - 13:55 - Apprenticeship

13:56 - 17:38 - Passion meets Reality

17:39 - 25:13 - China

25:14 - 32:35 - Hajduk Split

32:36 - 52:02 - Croatian Youth Development

52:03 - 1:08:35 - FC Akron

1:08:36 - 1:16:04 - Advice

From working as a volunteer coach to now being the academy director of one of the world's most productive youth systems, James Gow has been on a journey. Working in the performance analysis department at Liverpool James learned the value of standards and small details working day in day out with some of the world's leading coaches and players. Yet despite this his sense of adventure appealed and James went on a journey to discover more about himself and football in the process. No matter whether it was Liverpool, Australia, China or Abu Dhabi James' value driven approach enabled him to surround himself with people of similar vision and ambition. It has made for one great story to date which is yet to run it's course. Listen and learn to hear more about;

- Learning the importance of standards through working daily with the likes of Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez.

- The “most difficult experience' of James” life?

- How Al Jazira are “changing their game while being at the top of their game”?

- Inside the work done on and off the pitch at Al Jazira to back up their grand vision.

- Navigating change and using goals as feedback loops.

- Why achieving “buy-in is a constant conversation”?

- What one thing James believes about player development now which he didn't when departing England?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 09:55 - Liverpool

09:56 - 17:02 - China

17:03 - 35:17 - Al Jazira

35:18 - 45:45 - Routines & Self-Mastery

45:46 - 55:36 - Advice

“Be authentic, don't conform”

Sally Needham's career has been a never ending quest as to how to better understand the how & why behind kid's behaviour. After honing her craft as a coach & coach educator within the FA for 13 years Sally left to pursue her area of passion in the psychological and social aspects of the game through the lens of neuroscience. She has certainly got lost in the learning and is one of the game's go to experts in areas such as neuroscience and child development. Sally now works at Sheffield United where she puts many of these practices into place throughout the academy. Here in this episode she unpacks her career to date and as to how we can apply some of these teachings into practice. A must listen for all coaches and educators alike. Furthermore we discussed;

- Living in the moment versus pursuing your goals.

- The turning point in Sally's coaching career.

- Common misconceptions surrounding Sally's work?

- “Getting in the green zone” - what is the polyvagal theory?

- Practical examples as to how to apply Sally's teachings on the pitch.

- How to stress and stretch players approapriately within the challenge-skills sweetspot?

- What can coaches do now to begin providing for the future player?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 06:46 - Coaching Pathway

06:47 - 14:34 - Neuroscience

14:35 - 19:38 - Application

19:39 - 28:23 - Challenge-Skills Sweetspot

28:24 - 35:45 - Future Player

35:46 - 39:55 - Sheffield United

39:56 - 44:22 - Advice

It was a pleasure to speak recently with Henry Staelens, the CEO of the world's greenest football club; Forrest Green Rovers. Despite hailing from a town of under 4,000 they have over 100 international fan groups. This is in no small part attributed to their consistent efforts to raise awareness and challenge thinking over sustainability and environmental issues. Henry was kind enough to share some insights as to how he and the club are supplementing their big vision with big action. Furthermore he unpacks as to how the club managed to navigate the trials and tribulations of the past 18 months. With the club top of EFL League 2 they are a shining example of how on pitch and sustainability goals can co-exist. Expect to hear more regarding;

- The unconventional path which took Henry to CEO of Forrest Green Rovers.

- The intricacies of managing the 'world's greenest football club'?

- 'Autonomous accountability'.

- Biggest lesson he has learned to date in football?

- Insights as to how the club navigated the challenges of COVID?

- What's the smallest initiative a grassroots or professional can take today?

- What does the future hold both on and off the pitch?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 04:32 - Intro

04:33 - 11:55 - Management

11:56 - 17:40 - Challenges

17:41 - 20:59 - On the pitch

21:00 - 23:09 - Future

23:10 - 26:34 - Advice

Today to celebrate the special 50th episode of 'The Lowdown' I was joined by Jonathon O'Neill who was back by popular demand after his last appearance where he unpacked emotional intelligence and as to how we can better harness it in football. Today we decided to just press record and let the mind wander with nothing off limits. For those of you that enjoy a good old fashioned football chat this one is for you. Some of what we discussed included;

- whether today's sport is still the game we fell in love with as kids?

- how Jon has been preparing himself for the next challenge?

- how the 'Art' of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal and the 'War' of Sir Alex Ferguson's United shaped modern football?

- our theory as to why generational teams maybe a thing of the past?

- Jon's 2017 thesis paper on the future player and which predictions have come to pass?

- the importance of inspiration and what it means for evolving your game model?

- the art of 'tactical interference'

Jonathon's Twitter; https://twitter.com/headcoach_app?lang=en

Jonathon's Email; [email protected]

Head Coach App; https://www.headcoach.app/

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with one of football's greatest storytellers; Tim Vickery. 'Legendinho' was on top from in this wide ranging chat. From investigating the local domestic game to examining the wider cultural implications of the modern game we digressed. We left no stone unturned and I suspect there are few other football shows this week where Hemel Hempstead, Rio and John Coltrain all get a shoutout. I am sure you will enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoyed recording it. Furthermore we touched upon;

- The wide impact of football on Tim's youth.

- Exploring the sights and sounds of Brazilian football in the 90's.

- Why Brazil 'is not for beginners'?

- Is watching a game as a broadcaster a desensitizing experience compared to a fan?

- Has modern day football left Brazil behind?

- The myth of 'Samba Soccer'?

- Is football entertainment or sport?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 12:30 - Early beginnings

12:31 - 19:17 - Brazil

19:18 - 22:45 - Life as a broadcaster

22:46 - 36:19 - Modern day football v Brazil

36:20 - 39:36 - Memorable moments

39:37 - 50:59 - Entertainment or Sport?

51:00 - 58:18 - Closing thoughts

“Tactics are repeated movements and processes that reflect the way a team sets out to win a game.”

TIFO Football is one of the world’s largest football media outlets with over 1 million subscribers. Their novel way of depicting the game merged with tactics, history and art has seen them go from strength to strength. Producer; Alex Stewart joined me to chart their incredible journey to date. We discussed a wide variety of topics including;

- Alex' unconventional pathway into football.

- Exploring the intersections between football history and tactics.

- The origin of TIFO Football and it's growth.

- Navigating the challenges and pitfalls of being a huge football media outlet?

- Finding your niche v Exploring widely?

- What exactly are football tactics?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 05:39 - Early start

05:40 - 20:15 - TIFO

20:16 - 28:42 - Tactics

28:43 - 33:16 - Positional Play & Pressing

33:17 - 41:50 - Producing Content

41:51 - 45:25 - Advice

It was a real privilege to have spent over an hour in the company of one of Europe's most esteemed player developer's; João Tralhão. The former academy manager of Benfica has enjoyed a coaching path which has taken him from U6 to First team coach. From being involved in the growth of Ruben Dias and João Cancelo to coaching Rui Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Radamel Falcao at first team level, João is not short of anecdotes. As always we look behind the curtain and João gives us the full lowdown on some of the methodology, coach development practices and periodisation he has employed at various stages. In addition listen to hear more about;

- Building your football methodology upon solid foundations.

- What it was like being thrown into the deep end coaching Benfica's first team at 27?

- Changing the culture surrounding youth development at Benfica.

- Reflecting upon failures in player development as much as successes.

- The art of turning pro.

- How João Cancelo's development changed his opinion on early specialisation?

- Cultivating an identity and the formula behind it?

- Working alongside Thierry Henry at Monaco.

Timestamps;

00:00 - 10:00 - Coaching Career

10:01 - 17:40 - Benfica First Team

17:41 - 25:18 - Benfica Academy

25:19 - 34:19 - Managing Expectations

34:20 - 40:52 - Turning Pro

40:53 - 47:56 - Methodology

47:57 - 57:20 - Generalisation v Specialisation

57:21 - 1:08:32 - Thierry Henry & Monaco

1:08:33 - 1:18:20 - Advice

Dave Reddin was one of the key cultural architects responsible for the overhaul in English football after his appointment as Head of Team Strategy & Performance back in 2014. Here in this episode he outlines in remarkable detail the vision and steps which the FA undertook to make them a key player on the world stage once again. A first principles approach coupled with lessons from being part of successful English Rugby and Team GB teams helped Dave to pioneer performance. Furthermore Dave gives his thoughts on "what is winning?" and "what is next for the England team on the Hillary step of Everest?" In addition listen to hear more about;

- Working with investors to disrupt the status quo at Pitch 32.

- The breadth of experience every young Sports practitioner should seek?

- Lessons from England Rugby & Team GB?

- The unique recipe which is winning.

- Why organisations sometimes fail despite having the right people & capabilities?

- Remarkable insight into the cultural & strategic change within the FA.

- How a weekend away in a forest helped shape the future of English football?

- Why behavioral changes sometimes make for better benchmarks over data?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 04:16 - Intro

04:17 - 21:32 - England Rugby & Team GB

21:33 - 35:05 - The FA

35:06 - 49:24 - Cultural Change

49:25 - 54:11 - Newcastle United

54:12 - 59:02 - Legacy

59:03 - 1:02:32 - Advice

A coaching masterclass with the technical director of the world famous Le Havre Academy; Mickael Bunel. One that I will be reverting back to for a long time to come. Paul Pogba, Riyad Mahrez, Dmitri Payet are just a few famous alumni that have graduated from Mickael's school. This episode is a deep dive into his coaching philosophy, cultivating intelligence within players and building out a wider game model. Mickael's excellent work on scanning is a prominent topic of discussion in our conversation too. For anyone aspiring to work at the top of the game, in leadership positions or just your local grassroots club there are nuggets of gold to take. Listen to hear more about;

- How does he define his role?

- 'Coaching the player & not the exercise'.

- Building a diverse game model.

- What is football intelligence?

- Why scanning is the key differentiator & how to coach it?

- Growing out your game model with cues for fundamentals per position.

- What is success in his role?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 05:54 - His role

05:55 - 09:55 - Philosophy

09:56 - 17:07 - Player Development

17:08 - 28:53 - Football Intelligence

28:54 - 36:22 - Scanning

36:23 - 47:52 - Game Model

47:53 - 53:35 - Success

53:36 - 56:28 - Advice