The Lowdown

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 - Mensch08:06 - 15:17 - Grand Expectations15:18 - 24:58 - Rulebreakers24:59 - 33:22 - Soul33:23 - 44:16 - Player Welfare44:17 - 51:36 - Managerial Recruitment51:37 - 55:11 - World CupMensch; https://www.amazon.com/Mensch-Beyond-Cones-Jonathan-Harding/dp/1910906182Soul; https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1910906255/ref=dbsJon'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 Teaching09:17 - 18:53 - Cognitive Revolution18:54 - 26:46 - Cultural & Resource Constraints26:47 - 39:00 - Performance v Learning39:01 - 47:00 - The future player47:01 - 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 - Intro05:41 - 09:32 - Prozone09:33 - 12:15 - Twenty First Group12:16 - 17:24 - Recruitment17:25 - 28:25 - Current Affairs28:26 - 32:26 - Governance review32:37 - 38:40 - Season Predictions38:41 - 40:23 - Advice

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 - Apprenticeship13:56 - 17:38 - Passion meets Reality17:39 - 25:13 - China25:14 - 32:35 - Hajduk Split32:36 - 52:02 - Croatian Youth Development52:03 - 1:08:35 - FC Akron1:08:36 - 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 - Liverpool09:56 - 17:02 - China17:03 - 35:17 - Al Jazira35:18 - 45:45 - Routines & Self-Mastery45:46 - 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 Pathway06:47 - 14:34 - Neuroscience14:35 - 19:38 - Application19:39 - 28:23 - Challenge-Skills Sweetspot28:24 - 35:45 - Future Player35:46 - 39:55 - Sheffield United39:56 - 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 - Intro04:33 - 11:55 - Management11:56 - 17:40 - Challenges17:41 - 20:59 - On the pitch21:00 - 23:09 - Future23:10 - 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=enJonathon's Email; jonathon@headcoach.appHead 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 beginnings12:31 - 19:17 - Brazil19:18 - 22:45 - Life as a broadcaster22:46 - 36:19 - Modern day football v Brazil36:20 - 39:36 - Memorable moments39:37 - 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 start05:40 - 20:15 - TIFO20:16 - 28:42 - Tactics28:43 - 33:16 - Positional Play & Pressing33:17 - 41:50 - Producing Content41:51 - 45:25 - Advice