Articles
WHAT I LEARNED FROM GUARDIOLA’S STRUGGLES
Discover how Manchester City's recent defensive struggles have exposed a fundamental tactical challenge in modern football.
HELPING PLAYERS THINK: EFFECTIVE TRAINING SESSION DESIGN
Learn how to design effective activities, use the PEER Framework, and create game-like environments that foster decision-making, game insight, and long-term player development using real-life examples.
HOW TO WATCH A SOCCER / FOOTBALL MATCH
To truly understand the game, it's essential to go beyond just following the ball. Learning to "watch the game" means training your attention to recognize key patterns and movements, both defensively and offensively.
HOW TO GO FROM PLAYER TO COACH: INTERVIEW WITH CESC FABREGAS
Discover how ex-players like Cesc Fabregas transition into successful coaching roles. Learn from Fabregas' journey at Como 1907, where he swiftly moved from player to first team manager, achieving promotion to Serie A in one year.
THE PIVOTAL SPACE
Avoid linear thinking and embrace the consequential nature of football by discovering the importance of The Pivotal Space, the key area between the back line and midfield to master rest-defense structures.
The Next and Most Necessary Thing: How to instill a transitioning mindset
Learn how Phil Foden’s short-term memory sets him apart from the rest. Explore the transformative power of quick transitions in football, with insights from Pep Guardiola, lessons from Barcelona's iconic counterpressing era, and training considerations that will start to create the transitioning mindset.
In the Pursuit of Knowledge 3,798 Miles Away
Embark on a journey through the evolution of coaching development, from traditional methods to innovative approaches that shape the future of the sport.
Becoming a Top Coach: Beyond the Tactics
Explore the subtle art of coaching, where the challenge lies not in 'knowing' tactical maneuvers but in 'understanding' how to help players uniquely comprehend and play the beautiful game.
Self-Aware Coaching Series: Your plan frees your mind
We discuss the benefits of the planning process in terms of clarifying our intentions. However, there is an additional purpose to planning your training sessions, freeing your mind for the unexpected.
Momentum Does Not Exist: Train for the process, not the result
What is “momentum”? What is “energy”? Why are we influenced by external factors? It’s something that all players deal with, including professional players. I’m going to answer those questions and how to avoid it all together with first-hand experience and with the help of Ange Postecoglou.
Coaching Workflow: Manchester City
Let’s uncover Manchester City’s Game Model, Game Plan, and Game Prep.
Dribble or Pass: Have we conditioned risk-averse players?
You'll often hear coaches, especially youth coaches, say something like "Get it off your feet" as if dribbling is the riskiest action to take. But is it?
The Future of Football Needs Goal-Scorers
The future of football requires footballers who can score goals in less space and time. Rondos and Positional Games do not provide players with the opportunity to experience these finishing moments. Let me provide alternatives…
Thinking Frameworks Solve Your Problems
When you consistently use frameworks as guide rails, it maps out a process for your mind to follow and better solve your problems. When you don’t have a logical structure or framework you are leaving your mind exposed to chaos.
Creating and Exploiting Space Between Lines: Euro 2012 Final Spain Case Study
In 2012 Spain played the Euro Final without any true strikers. The result one of the finest most free flowing displays of football.
The Science of Coaching: Interview with Saskia Giebl
Saskia Giebl is a Human Learning and Performance Scientist at UCLA's Bjork Learning Lab. More importantly, she’s passionate about sports and how we can improve our methods to coach sports.
Re-Position Play
Re-Position Play: Players are moving in relation to where the opponent is, where they can best the teammates with the ball in relation to other teammates who are also trying to support the ball carrier, and where they want to go. The result is constant Positional Play which is highly relational.
Relationism vs. Positionism: What's it really about?
I finally figured out Relationism vs. Positionism.
I have to admit it has taken me many months. Looking back at it, perhaps it was my ego that prevented me from seeing what was there all along. Eventually, the lightbulb moment came all at once in one quick swoop.
Positional Play Training Series: 5v2 Rondo - Brighton's Third Man Combinations
We’re going to break down the 5v2 rondo. But to make this even more practical, I’m going to show you how using game constraints we are going to logically build up the 5v2 rondo towards the kind of third man combinations we are seeing with Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton in the 22/23 season.
Positional Play Training Series: 3v1 Rondo
There’s no way around it. There is an inherent problem with this rondo as it is. Don’t lose hope my friends, there are some benefits from this training tool.