The Lowdown

There are few who know how challenging the role of Sporting Director is better than Mike Rigg. Having worked the role at a number of clubs including Man City, Fulham, QPR and Burnley, Mike is now educating the next generation of the perils and prospects involved alongside his colleagues at the Association of Sporting Directors.Fit & alignment in finding the right job, being able to link the business with the football, managing player recruitment amidst the noise, you can tell it is not easy to go travel this path which often changes. However with a bit of purpose and clarity you might just not only survive but triumph. What we discussed included;- How has the role of Sporting Director evolved over the years?- The three different hats of a Sporting Director.- What Mike's apprenticeship looked like at Blackburn in the pre-data age?- Fit & Alignment in finding positions.- Which two things are important to succeeding in the job?- Playing long term but being judged short term.Timestamps;00:00 - 06:20 - What is the role?06:21 - 11:16 - Apprenticeship11:17 - 20:36 - Fit & Alignment20:37 - 27:06 - Income v Outcome27:07 - 33:12 - Recruitment33:13 - 37:09 - AdviceAssociation of Sporting Directors; https://associationofsportingdirectors.com/

We have a special episode for you this week to preview the 2021/22 Champions League Final between Liverpool & Real Madrid. A date of destiny as Liverpool's quest for a historic treble meets the “last dance” of Real Madrid. Something has to give. Hoffenheim academy coach; Christian Dobrick joined me to dissect where the game will be won & lost. Listen to find out more including;- How Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have evolved?- The “swiss army knife” of Liverpool's attack.- Why Liverpool won't be dragged into the Real Madrid chaos?- The many tactical styles of Carlo Ancelotti.- How Real Madrid continually rise to the occasion?-Why the midfield battle will be crucial to deciding Saturday's clash?Christian's Twitter; https://twitter.com/chrdob?lang=enChristian's LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-dobrick/

The name Sean O'Shea is synonymous with Dubai Football. Beginning in the academy scene as many coaches Sean quickly climbed through the ranks, becoming head of football at NAS working under Sheikh Hamdan. Soon Sean was hosting training camps for the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid whilst also privately coaching the likes of Virgil Van Dijk and Luke Shaw. Becoming assistant coach at AIK, he was soon scaling the likes of Celtic Park on European nights mixing it up with elite of European football. Having recently left his posting Sean joins me here to reflect on his journey to date and what he's learned throughout all his experiences. Sean's story is full of ambition and a guiding example to many young coaches out there looking to break into the pro game. What we discussed included;- Repurposing his passion for football in the form of coaching.- Goal setting versus doing it for the love of the game?- Stepping outside his comfort zone and getting on the professional ladder in Norway.- Sheikh Hamdan's vision which saw him step away from Huddersfield.- IDP coaching versus being a first team coach?- Considerations and reflections going forward in the future game.Timestamps;00:00 - 09:02 - Intro09:03 - 16:47 - Norway16:48 - 23:52 - Dubai23:53 - 27:38 - IDP Coaching27:39 - 34:20 - AIK34:21 - 42:36 - UEFA Pro42:37 - 46:06 - Advice

There has been a lot of debate surrounding the recent changes by UEFA to FFP and their reformatting of the Champions League. With so much noise and little certainty who better is there than Alex Phillips, former head of governance and compliance at UEFA to give us the inside scoop on what these changes actually mean. Being part of several projects that include the creation of the Deloitte rich list, the European Clubs Association and Supporters Direct, Alex' industry expertise is undisputed. We tackle a whole host of topics in this one including;- Has the European football landscape changed over the years?- Inside the formation of and the purpose behind the European Clubs Association.- In what sense do European clubs need to be protected from themselves?- Can UEFA be both the tournament organiser and regulator?- Why the changes to the Champions League format are nothing more than a “rebadging”?- Alex' proposed regulatory changes in response to the latest from UEFA?Timestamps;00:00 - 07:45 - Intro07:46 - 16:14 - European Football16:15 - 19:51 - ECA19:52 - 26:02 - Proposed changes26:03 - 33:24 - The clubs33:25 - 41:05 - Competitive Balance41:06 - 47:42 - UCL Format Changes47:43 - 50:36 - Advice

Karan Tejwani is the author of the new book; “Glorious Reinvention; The Rebirth of Ajax Amsterdam.”Karan tells the story of how Ajax rediscovered their mojo to compete again with Europe's best. In November 2010, after Ajax's 2-0 loss in the Champions League group stage to Real Madrid, Johan Cruyff wrote a newspaper column criticising his former club. He believed the side were poorly run, had lost their identity and been left behind by modern football. He wanted Ajax to rely on their academy as they once had, and he wanted former Ajax players in high positions calling the shots at the club. This was dubbed “the Glorious Reinvention” - a peaceful coup that would propel Ajax to once more compete with the best. A few years on, with many of the changes in place, the side reached a Europa League final and a Champions League semi-final with an exquisite style of football and methods that Cruyff would have appreciated. Ajax, now run by former club greats such as Edwin van der Sar combined the techniques of old with modern elements. What we discussed included ;- Why Ajax fell behind in the 90's?- The magical figure of Johan Cruyff.- Inside the processes and procedures of a world class academy.- Where does the 2019 Ajax team rank among the pantheon of great European sides?- What can Manchester United fans expect from Eric Ten Hag?- How Ajax will rebuild this summer amid losing key players and staff?Karan's Twitter;https://twitter.com/karan_tejwani26Book; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Glorious-Reinvention-Rebirth-Ajax-Amsterdam/dp/180150069X

“Making something beautiful out of the simple.”Where the path seemed unclear to others to Johnathan McKinstry it seemed plain and obvious. Being a youth football coach in Northern Ireland, role models were few and far between so John became his own. Turning a perceived disadvantage into an advantage, combined with an insatiable desire to learn has led to John scaling the highest mountains of the professional game. In 2013 he became the then youngest manager in International football coaching Sierra Leone at just 27, bringing them to the top 50 of the FIFA World Rankings. Since then John has continued to work at the top echelons of the game spanning four continents. Now as John comes back to base for a brief sojourn he he has some reflections which he would like to share.What we discussed included ;- John's onboarding process upon taking a new job in a new culture.- Identifying and developing skillsets that are crucial to staying in the game.- Why starting as an international coach can be a better introduction to senior management rather than the club game?- Managing emotions in the high pressure cooker of professional football.- Constantly reassessing the mountains you can climb and further insights into John's goal setting process.- Why learning how to network effectively is a key pillar to any coaching success?Timestamps;00:00 - 09:05 - Intro09:06 - 14:22 - The Path14:23 - 17:36 - Adaptation17:37 - 24:50 - Sierra Leone24:51 - 31:58 - Management31:59 - 35:56 - Goal Setting35:57 - 42:12 - Coaching42:13 - 49:47 - AdviceJohn's Twitter; https://twitter.com/johnnymckinstry?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorJohn's Website; http://www.johnnymckinstry.com/

“Strategy in the absence of culture gets you nowhere.”A must listen for all coaches steeped in youth development. Tom Byer's journey into the football world is a familiar one for many a coach. Unsatisfied with what football had to teach him in his formative years he embarked upon a journey to find experts within their field. What ensued has been over 40 years of learning, growth and constantly itching away at the forever moving target of youth development. Here Tom is kind enough to distill the insights behind what he has learned and manage to share with some of the best clubs and federations in world football. These range from winning the battle at entry level to closing the gap between best in class and least developed. At the heart of it all is a deep spirit of collaboration. Yet why does Tom feel he is more welcomed by the greats and not the minnows?A lot to get through and unpack. Furthermore we discussed;- Discovering football growing up in upstate New York.- The set of circumstances which brought him to Japan.- The common denominators taken from thousands of hours researching the most successful players and countries?- How technical competence should be a pre-requisite before organised play?- Designing emotionally charged environments which support deep learning and long term memory.- What implications does the latest groundbreaking neuroscience research have for skill development?Timestamps;00:00 - 06:45 - Intro06:46 - 13:01 - Japan13:02 - 46:11 - Football Starts at Home46:12 - 56:04 - Football Ecosystems56:05 - 1:07:56 - Collaboration1:07:57 - 1:12:54 - AdviceTom's Twitter; https://twitter.com/tomsan106?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorTom's Book; https://soccerstartsathomebook.com/

Fresh from World Cup qualification I was delighted to be joined by the leadership & team dynamics coach of the USMNT; Travis Thomas. How can improvisation help professional sports teams? Travis has cross pollinated his love of improv and team sports over the past 20 years to serve a wide range of sports and corporations all over the US. Here we unpack how he is faring in his current challenge within the USMNT setup. His is an amazing story full of anecdotes which went full circle after a late camp cancellation one Florida Winter. Luckily for us Travis was present to provide some hearty advice on pursuing your passion and trusting the process even when it does not make sense.Among what we discussed included;- How US Soccer has evolved generation to generation?- Cross pollinating his love of improv with his passion for team sports.- What exactly does “Live, Yes, And” mean?- The series of events which led to Travis saying yes to Gregg Berhalter & the USMNT?- What are some of the non-negotiable behaviours in the US setup?- The criteria for evaluating a successful camp.- Why should we be on the lookout for the USMNT in this year's World Cup?Timestamps;00:00 - 08:02 - Intro08:03 - 15:29 - Live, Yes, And15:30 - 22:56 - USMNT22:57 - 29:38 - Non-Negotiables29:39 - 36:56 - AdviceTravis' Twitter; https://twitter.com/liveyesandTravis' Book; https://linktr.ee/travislthomas

As Chelsea travel to Madrid in the hope of overcoming a two goal deficit in their Champions League Quarter Final tie, Stamford Chidge of the award winning Chelsea Fancast joined me to speak all things Chelsea. In these 40 minutes we unpack Chelsea's historical past, tumultuous present and uncertain future. Approaching the business end of the season and in the midst of a protracted takeover there is no shortage of talking points.Among what we unpacked included;- The origins of the award winning podcast?- What does Chelsea look like post Abramovich?- The role and function of the Chelsea Supporters Trust in moments like this?- Analysing all takeover bids.- Could Thomas Tuchel turn out to be the greatest manager in Chelsea Football Club's history?- What is the Chelsea identity?Chelsea Fancast ; https://chelseafancast.com/

Germany has launched new regulations that will transform the way youth football is played in the country. The emphasis will be on a fun and a player-centred approach, with Ronny Zimmermann, DFB Vice President responsible for children’s and youth football, saying: “We need to think like children, not like adults. Only children who develop fun and joy in the game will stay in football.”One man who has strongly advocated this change for a long time has been Matthias Lochmann, friend and colleague of the late Horst Wein who created Funino. The concept focused on small sided games and festivals of football which were a huge part of the DFB's latest restructuring. Doing less as a coach & players doing more, rules do the work for you, quality of session independent from the coach. You can start to see why there was an aversion to change over time. However through a relentless attitude, covering thousands of air miles and support from a few famous friends this change was realized. What ensued was a captivating conversation on where the future of the game is headed.Among what we discussed included;- Meeting Horst Wein for the first time.- Detailed insight into the game intelligence approach.- How to design an environment led by “rules of provocation”?- Insights into how Hansi Flick incorporated the game intelligence approach within his Bayern Munich & Germany sessions.- What are the common mistakes in youth development?- Lobbying DFB head; Oliver Bierhoff for change and how it came to fruition?Timestamps;00:00 - 04:50 - Intro04:51 - 13:39 - Funino13:40 - 23:58 - Change23:59 - 31:57 - Criticisms31:58 - 41:09 - Hansi Flick41:10 - 48:27 - Common Mistakes48:28 - 51:59 - Advice