The Lowdown

Just over one month ago Bolton had won 7-0 at home in front of 25,000 people continuing their promotion push to the Championship. It is a far cry to a club just over a few years prior who had just come out of administration, straggled at the bottom of League 2. When a situation is as ground zero where do you even begin?For the new Sporting Director; Chris Markham it was quite the remit however fear not Wanderers had found a professional very equipped from his time at Huddersfield Town and the FA. A few years later and with an expansive playing style, aligned leadership and savvy recruitment Bolton have rightly earned plaudits on their way to being "a league of one".I was fortunate Chris joined me today to share more about the old school values and modern methods propelling Bolton up the EFL.Listen to find out more including;- The masters on the grass at Huddersfield Town which kickstarted Chris' career?- What an analysis culture looks like and lessons from heading up the game insights department at the FA?- The meticulous planning and detail which goes into placing Bolton in a position to thrive and not just survive.- How Chris and Bolton encourage risk taking not only in players but staff?- The use of the loan market in Bolton's squad building.- How has his leadership style had to evolve between managing a department to managing a club?Timestamps;00:00 - 09:27 - Huddersfield Town09:28 - 14:43 - The FA14:44 - 21:58 - Bolton21:59 - 24:37 - Innovation24:38 - 28:46 - Sporting Director28:47 - 36:49 - Squad Building36:50 - 43:52 - Leadership43:53 - 46:00 - AdviceGet in touch;Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPodEmail: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

The year John Stones had the most amount of successful dribbles in a Champions League Final since Lionel Messi, 2023 was a year for the ages.From Gateshead to Nice the universal search for control took on a new level and has appeared in many shapes and forms.Box midfields, hybrid pressing are on the menu today as we go through some of the tactical innovations and setups which have caught our eye.Liam Tharme joins me to dissect the past year and cast an eye as to what maybe on the horizon for 2024.Listen to find out more including;- Roberto De Zerbi and the principles of play in his Brighton side.- The many different iterations of the box midfield.- Manchester City's evolution out of possession on their way to a historic treble.- Hybrid pressing and why it is more important than ever?- Girona, Nice, Leverkusen - the year of the underdog?- What to keep an eye out for in 2024?Timestamps;00:00 - 05:49 - Brighton05:50 - 12:46 - Box Midfield12:47 - 16:51 - Clash of Styles16:52 - 21:59 - Man City22:00 - 28:56 - Hybrid Pressing28:57 - 35:05 - Nice35:06 - 37:11 - Leverkusen37:12 - 44:07 - 2024Get in touch;Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPodEmail: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

Meeting Frazer pitch side in Philadelphia last summer it was clear that he has been on a special journey with an upward trajectory evidenced further since which is showing no signs of slowing down.Going through the ages and stages of development, Frazer has left no stone unturned in his quest to better himself as an individual. Luckily for us some of those lessons cascaded into coaching and today he joins us to reflect and share anecdotes regarding some of the key experiences from his journey to date.From an all encompassing apprenticeship in Scotland to becoming the First Team Coach of a top European side it has been some ride for the Scotsman. Some special experiences at Right to Dream in Ghana and Philadelphia Union in the USA have only served to reinforce Frazer's faith in the long term development process.Listen to find out more including;- The importance of working every age group throughout your coaching journey.- How soft skills may not get you in but certainly ensure you stay there?- Why joining Right to Dream was the best decision he has ever made?- The invisible benefits of residential academies?- Knowing the person before developing the player.Timestamps;00:00 - 04:45 - Intro04:46 - 07:54 - Ages & Stages07:55 - 10:46 - Attributes10:47 - 22:17 - Right to Dream22:18 - 27:01 - Philadelphia Union27:02 - 31:22 - Standard Liege31:23 - 34:18 - Pathways34:19 - 36:40 - AdviceGet in touch;Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPodEmail: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

"The future of football is going faster and faster, scanning becomes so important..."For those who are curious, life often serves the best returns. What was a deficiency in Karl Aksum's playing career became a topic of fascination for the newly turned coach in his early days.Studying thousands of game situations Karl soon became inspired to put pen to paper on some groundbreaking research on visual perception in elite football.Collaborating with clubs such as Ajax and Southampton, organisations such as UEFA and under the mentorship of Arsene Wenger Karl was soon able to translate into actionable tangible insights serving not only his coaching but the wider football community.As someone who is not against departing from popular convention this is an insightful and inspiring listen on what the future of football could look like.Listen to find out more including;- The difference between looking and seeing when it comes to scanning?- How visiting Arsenal and Arsene Wenger helped Karl iterate upon his studies in scanning ?- What huge differences Karl noticed between the U17 and U19 age groups in his studies?- The everyday impact on Karl’s training from his research.- How colours and movements change how Karl trains?- Why coaches need to fall out of love with rondos ?Timestamps;00:00 - 01:47 - Intro01:48 - 07:24 - Scanning07:25 - 12:49 - Training Methodology12:50 - 20:18 - PhD20:19 - 33:40 - Results33:41 - 39:35 - Rondos39:36 - 44:49 - Relationism44:50 - 48:53 - Evolution48:54 - 51:25 - AdviceGet in touch;Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPodEmail: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

"The football we want, the football we need."This Tuesday December 12th and Wednesday December 13th World Football Summit (WFS) will run their annual Asian event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.WFS see themselves as "a community of leaders who share knowledge and ideas to drive the evolution of the industry both business and values". At the heart of this is co-founder Jan Alessie who alongside Marian Otamendi have ran events all over the world since 2016. What begun as a think tank is now one of the largest yearly football exhibitions, Nonetheless with fewer industries containing a bigger voice than football there is an acknowledgement that "with a strong voice comes a strong responsibility."Listen to find out more including;- The advantages of not coming from a football background.- Internationalising WFS and the challenges which ensued.- Why the demand for long form content in football outstrips the supply?- WFS' growth strategy and how Jan foresees future events evolving.- What can people look forward to in Jeddah?Timestamps;00:00 - 04:42 - Intro04:43 - 07:39 - Origins07:40 - 13:14 - Long Form Content13:15 - 19:17 - Win-win Partnerships19:18 - 23:21 - Jeddah23:22 - 24:47 - AdviceGet in touch;Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPodEmail: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

"All great literature is one of two stories; a man goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town". - Leonard TolstoyToday's guest is one of football's expert storytellers. Throughout time Guillem Balague has shared the stories of many of football's greats, expertly sharing insights and humanizing the person behind the performer.So it was about time I figured to turn the tables on Guillem and ask him to share his story.What was originally meant to be a conversation about Lionel Messi turned into an intimate story about Guillem's move to Liverpool as a young student, the early days of Revista De La Liga, the emotions which sustain his love for the game and so much more.The first of five big episodes recorded in Miami and one which is not to be missed.Listen to find out more including;- The inspiration behind taking over at Biggleswade? - The story as to how Revista De La Liga came to life?- His relationship with David Beckham alongside unique insight into the early days at Real Madrid.- How Guillem broke the news of Messi moving to Inter Miami.- Behind the scenes of Argentina's World Cup Win and how Messi evolved as a leader in Qatar.- Who does Messi turn to in his lowest moments?- How breaking the Fernando Torres move to Chelsea changed Guillem's relationship with social media forever?Timestamps;00:00 - 09:00 - UK Early Days09:01 - 14:07 - Emotion14:08 - 19:48 - Biggleswade19:49 - 30:48 - Revista De La Liga30:49 - 36:42 - Beckham36:43 - 1:01:30 - Messi1:01:31 - 1:06:30 - Social Media1:06:31 - 1:08:21 - AdviceGuillem's Book; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Messi-must-read-biography-champion-Balagues/dp/1399619136/ref=asc_df_1399619136/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=658789276035&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4549027146112015269&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006524&hvtargid=pla-2197207796556&psc=1&mcid=68ef9cc52c083a86941091bee9d2d85a&th=1&psc=1Get in touch;Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPodEmail: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

"Football is conquering the world at an unstoppable speed and at the moment there is a dysfunction between the audience and practice in some countries." - Arsene Wenger.The man who's role it is to minimize that gap is today's guest; Matthew Clement who is also the FIFA Training Centre Manager. From the conceptualisation of a new football language to overseeing the development of FIFA's new competency framework it has been an eventful time in charge for Matthew. A combination of the most ardent fan's passion and the curiosity and drive of a top coach, Matthew strikes me as the perfect fit to "oversee the strategic development of technology and content for FIFA's global education".Reminiscing about the last male and female World Cup's in the last year, modern trends with respect to playing styles, unique age profiles and how youth development is being challenged to evolve, it is clearly an exciting time to be playing a part in the development of the World's game.Listen to find out more including;- Moving from the path of specialist to the generalist and why it proved to be the fitting apprenticeship?- Taking the call from Arsene Wenger to join FIFA.- What a healthy relationship looks like between technology and coaching?- Where Arsene Wenger thinks the future of football is going to develop?- Understanding how coaches can make better decisions and FIFA's plans to enhance the psychological development of coaches.- Excitement internally over the impending Club World Cup and a potential matchup between Diniz' Fluminense and Guardiola's Man City.Get in touch;Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPodEmail: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

"Football is not just about a result, it is a way of living."On December 2nd Juan Roman Riquelme will run against Andres Ibarra for the Boca Juniors presidency. Today's guest Gustav Salvestrini is a Boca Socio and member also of Ibarra's party. Ibarra's campaign push centres around the need to commercialise Boca, modernise revenue structures and return Boca to one of the top 5 clubs in World Football.Listen to find out more including;- The cultural significance of Boca Juniors within the community.- What distinguishes Argentine football from the rest of world football?- How club elections are ran in Argentina?- "Passion y Gestion" and plans to revolutionalise Boca from a new stadium to it's internationalisation.- How the recent appointment of Javier Milei as President may potentially impact the Boca elections?Timestamps;00:00 - 02:17 - Intro02:18 - 07:07 - Boca Juniors07:08 - 11:19 - Elections11:20 - 17:15 - "Passion y Gestion"17:16 - 22:51 - MileiGet in touch;Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPodEmail: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

“You want to be a builder...”Mark Cartwright is the Sporting Director of Huddersfield Town. Mapping out his pathway from player to agent and now the current day, he joined us to distill some of his most pertinent learnings to date.Navigating change, working across every facet of the organisation Mark has learned to adapt and evolve quickly across his time at Stoke City, USL and now Huddersfield. Learn as how to Mark built out his own pathway, how he continually humbles himself, principles for winning in the boardroom and how he envisages his field changing.Listen to find out more including;- How comparable are the skillsets of Agent & Sporting Director?- Embarking upon a career path that did not even exist.- "You don't have to be an expert in every field but you have to have knowledge."- Modernising Stoke City's recruitment process and what "Premier League ready" looks like?- Mark's process for identifying and navigating bottlenecks.- Influencing thought process at the USL with 40+ clubs to manage.- How will the modern Sporting Director have to evolve their skillset?Timestamps;00:00 - 02:54 - Intro02:55 - 07:07 - Agent07:08 - 10:20 - Gaining an edge10:21 - 14:20 - Stoke City14:21 - 19:36 - Evaluate & Adapt19:37 - 32:28 - USL32:29 - 35:31 - Huddersfield Town35:32 - 38:00 - Evolution38:01 - 40:39 - AdviceGet in touch;Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPodEmail: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

David Garcia is the founder of "It's Just a Sport".One's coaching journey will pull and drag you a thousand different ways. In many a different direction and amid a war of attention what football stands out most to you? Furthermore how do you create a methodology and bring this to life? After a while searching down the path less trodden David Garcia has alchemised plenty of lessons inspiring thousands of coaches. In his current work as an "experience architect" David is passionate about how we as coaches can gather tools to be our best selves in front of players.Via a period of studying positional play in Spain and a few other adventures in between we learn here about the moment where it all clicked for David along his coaching journey. Furthermore we unpack as how David came to be so passionate about coach development, the broader tangible impact a game model has, how technology and youth development can work hand in hand and so much more.Listen to find out more including;- Why he created "It's just a sport"?  - Authenticity of self in light of the growing "homogenisation" of football.- Why the new wave of rule breaking coaches will emerge from those who delve deeper into enhancing connections between players and game model?- Play as a form of transcending oneself.- Coach burnout and how to stave off it's threat?- Integrating technology which enhances the game experience of young players.Timestamps;00:00 - 03:18 - Intro03:19 - 06:23 - Coaching06:24 - 10:38 - Community & Curiosity10:39 - 17:36 - Positional Play17:37 - 25:47 - Game Model25:48 - 30:50 - Authenticity30:51 - 37:07 - Character Development37:08 - 43:07 - Coach Wellbeing43:08 - 51:57 - Evolution51:58 - 54:53 - AdviceDavid's LinkedIn; https://twitter.com/IJaSport?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorIt's Just a Sport; https://www.itsjustasport.com/Get in touch;Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPodEmail: cwalsh95@outlook.ie