This feature is part of The Academy Way IN THE AFTERMATH OF ARSENAL’S first Emirates Cup win since 2010, following a 1-0 win against VfL Wolfsburg, the spotlight was firmly focused on one…
Tag: original coach
MANUEL NEUER MADE GOALKEEPING FASHIONABLE AGAIN. Coming third in the Ballon d’Or reaffirmed that point. The face of the ‘new’ breed of goalkeeper, the German phenomenon is currently at the pinnacle in his…
Here’s a revelation that should come as little surprise to most people: Ireland and Iceland are two countries with quite a lot in common. Small island nations on the periphery of mainland Europe,…
This feature is part The Academy Way IN A WORLD FULL OF UNITEDS AND CITYS, there is only one Hotspur. Tottenham Hotspur is a club with a long and illustrious history; the first…
This feature is part of The academy Way In the build-up to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil there was a feverish excitement bubbling around Marc Wilmots’ Belgium squad, with many making a…
This feature is part of The Academy Way Invading the pristine St Mary’s pitch in their thousands, Southampton fans swarmed with a feverish energy towards the visiting Burnley faithful. Smoke grenades, plastic bottles…
DURING THE LAST FEW WEEKS, I have delivered coaching development lectures to students at Penn State University and at a small club in south-western Ontario, Canada. The students at Penn State University…
POWER CAN BE A WONDERFUL THING. It gives an individual authority. It gives them a sense of one-upmanship over their compatriots. It instills brewing self-confidence. It sews fatale seeds of non-existent capability.…
“I WAS OPEN TO ALL THAT BUT I WOULDN’T BE DICTATED BY IT. It was useful if a player questioned what you were saying about his game, or his stats. If we…
This feature is part of The Academy Way THE TRULY ICONIC FOOTBALL CLUBS ARE DEFINED BY THEIR ABILITY to dominate on and off the pitch. Perhaps no other enterprise is as results-driven…
Óscar Tabárez is kicking time in the teeth. He’s spitting in its eye, elbowing it in the stomach and telling it to go to hell. At an age where no one would blame…
“YOUNGSTERS NEED OPPORTUNITIES — everyone needs time. With all conditions being equal, a home-grown player has a better chance than one who comes in from abroad. The Xavis and Iniestas took ten…
*Note: As is the custom in Iceland, individuals will be referred to by their first names IF YOU WERE ASKED ABOUT ICELANDIC FOOTBALL, you’d be considered a footballing hipster if you were able…
As a versatile player with a six foot two inch frame and ability to run for days, I often played across the back line or as a central midfield player. The game demanded high levels…
TODAY’S GAME IS DOMINATED by possession-orientated sides that methodically parse and splay opponents with surgical interplay and precision. Watching goalkeepers like Marc-André ter Stegen or Manuel Neuer collect and place the ball at their…
LAST WEEK I CAME ACROSS the work of Sir Kenneth Robinson for the first time. Sir Ken Robinson, PhD is an internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources…
The crowd braces for the inevitable impact as two energetic under-17 players on a collision course with one another refuse to let up in a challenge near the sideline. The larger of the…
In an age where attacking players exude an unrivalled degree of balance and explosive athleticism, there exists an assured, yet waning breed of player relishing defensive confrontation. Traditionally, these players operate under their…