
Modern Soccer Coach Podcast
Our goal is to bring in-depth content to coaches with a combination of interviews, chats, and personal thoughts on the topics that really matter in the beautiful game and elite-level sport. Enjoy and thanks for listening! - Gary
Latest episodes

Feb 4, 2019 • 43min
Arne Friedrich | Perspective
Gary is joined by German World Cup veteran Arne Friedrich, along with Dan Abrahams on the Modern Soccer Coach Roadshow event in First Draft Bar in Chicago last month. Arne discusses rebounding from a poor performance in the opening game of the 2006 World Cup, penalty shootouts, sports psychology in Bundesliga academies, marking Cristiano Ronaldo, and shares where he draws his inspiration from.
This podcast is brought to you by SportsLab360, a new and innovative online program focused on youth player development from a tactical and soccer IQ perspective. If you haven't come across their program yet, I'd highly recommend checking it out. Perfect for any coaches looking to go the extra mile to enhance the developmental experience for their players.

Jan 30, 2019 • 39min
Tony Strudwick: Culture, Science, Manchester Utd and Sir Alex
Gary is joined by current Wales and former Manchester United assistant coach, Tony Strudwick, along with Dan Abrahams on the Modern Soccer Coach Roadshow event in First Draft Bar in Chicago last month. Tony talks about life at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson during one of the most successful periods in the club's history: How did Sir Alex develop leaders? What kind of pressure was placed on staff? What motivated Cristiano Ronaldo?
This podcast is brought to you by SportsLab360, a new and innovative online program focused on youth player development from a tactical and soccer IQ perspective. If you haven't come across their program yet, I'd highly recommend checking it out. Perfect for any coaches looking to go the extra mile to enhance the developmental experience for their players.

Jan 25, 2019 • 43min
Bielsa, Spygate, and Opposition Analysis with Liviu Bird
Gary is joined by former Kitsap Pumas head coach and current Seattle United coach, Liviu Bird. They discuss the recent Marcelo Bielsa 'spygate' news and share their views on the reaction from the coaching community. Liviu then details his philosophy and experiences with opposition analysis and how it applies to college, club and high school.

Jan 20, 2019 • 1h 4min
Jeremy Gunn - Consistency and Clarity
Gary sits down with head men's soccer coach at Stanford University, who has lifted the national championship there in 2015, 2016, and 2017. He also enjoyed a huge amount of success at previous schools UNC Charlotte and Fort Lewis College. Jeremy talks about how he defines success, how he builds a culture around that philosophy, and then how he sustains it. He covers recruitment, goal setting, staffing, team talks, and details every aspect of the program.

Jan 16, 2019 • 48min
Tony Annan - What Does Honesty Really Mean?
Gary is joined by Atlanta United Academy Director, Tony Annan. He shares his coaching philosophy and discusses the level of motivation that led him to assess himself and take his coaching to another level. Tony also talks about life at the MLS Champions academy, how they recruit players and coaches, and the advice he has for coaches who are looking at developing elite players.

Jan 6, 2019 • 42min
The Coaching Corner: Juan Carlos Amoros - Theory to Practice
Gary is joined by Tottenham Hotspur Ladies assistant coach and UEFA Pro License, Juan Carlos Amoros. The objective of this coaching corner is to align theory and practice. What are Juan's beliefs and philosophies and how are they implemented currently? We talk about playing styles, build-up, individual training, recruitment, and the importance of attitude and values inside a professional club.
This Coaching Corner Series is part of the launch of Gary's new book, Modern Soccer Coach: Coaching YOUR 4-3-3. Designed to challenge coaches to create a tactical system that is uniquely aligned with their philosophy on how the game should be played. With lots of new ideas, on session design, exercises and tactical implementation, Gary shares his personal experiences in the game and discusses many different ways in which other coaches have inspired him to think about the game in a much deeper level. It's available now on modernsoccercoach.com/shop and Amazon.

Dec 31, 2018 • 46min
Kieran Smith - RONDO'S
Gary is joined by Spanish football and training methodology expert Kieran Smith, to discuss one of the hottest topics in coach education in recent years: rondo's. Kieran discusses what it is, what it is not, how it should be implemented, ways coaches can progress them, and mistakes he sees both in theory and practice. They also discuss the value of work ethic in coaches and how that can prevent them from implementing a complex system of play.
This podcast is brought to you by Total Football Analysis Magazine. Helping players, coaches, analysts and football fans all over the world by taking the difficult tactical concepts from the top level game and breaking them down into easy to understand explanations.
Each month you get over 100 pages of pure tactical analysis and coaching covering topics from all over the globe, including the English Premier League, Italy's Serie A, Spain's La Liga, France's Ligue 1, the Netherlands' Eredivisie, the USA's MLS and many more.
Highly commended by both people in the professional game and grassroots level, this is a digital magazine that hits the mark no matter what your level of understanding is.
To get 10% off your annual subscription to Total Football Analysis Magazine head over to totalfootballanalysis.com/magazine and choose the latest magazine.
By becoming an annual subscriber you get at least two editions free over the course of your 12 months, an exclusive newsletter with analysis that only goes to annual subscribers and an invite to our private Facebook group where you can interact with the analysts and continue your learning.
Simply choose the annual subscription option and then the discount code MODERNSOCCERCOACH at the checkout to receive your 10% off in the month of January.
Total Football Analysis Magazine - you'll never look at a game of soccer the same way again.

Dec 26, 2018 • 55min
Skye Eddy Bruce - Dealing with Soccer Parents
Gary is joined by founder of Soccer Parenting Association, Skye Eddy Bruce. A former All-American player and college coach, Skye is passionate about helping coaches deal with the role of parents both in player development and coaching teams. Skye details how she her coaching journey has taken her to this side of the game and advises coaches how to deal with the different challenges that arise when working alongside parents.

Dec 17, 2018 • 36min
Coaching Corner: Peter Ramage on Central Defending
Gary is joined in the 'Coaching Corner' by former Newcastle United center back and current Phoenix Rising assistant coach, Peter Ramage. He discusses his youth experience and why he decided to become a center back, how he was coached at the Newcastle United Academy, challenges of playing that position in the Premier League, and how he views the position today as a coach. The 'Coaching Corner' is about depth and detail and the series is part of the launch for the new book 'Coaching YOUR 4-3-3' - available now on www.modernsoccercoach.com

Dec 9, 2018 • 53min
Gary Stevens - From Spurs to Thailand & Mental Health for Coaches
Gary is joined by former Tottenham and England defender Gary Stevens, who discusses being released by Sir Bobby Robson and then playing under him at the World Cup in 1986. As a pro license coach, he talks about the value of enjoyment and adapting his philosophy when he coached in Thailand. And finally, they talk about how difficulty the journey can be for a coach today and how looking after your own well-being is just as important as tactics or training sessions. This culture podcast is brought to you by WorldStrides Excel.