Training Ground Guru Podcast

Our guest on Episode #49 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Pedro Marques, the Technical Director of Benfica's Academy. There's a strong case for saying that Benfica have the top Academy in Europe. They are the reigning UEFA Youth League champions (having beaten RB Salzburg 6-0 in the 2022 final), have the most profitable Academy in Europe (according to the CIES) and have recent graduates including Ruben Dias, Joao Felix and Bernardo Silva. SHOW NOTES => 02:30: Is there one thing that sets Benfica's Academy apart? 06:07: The importance of the Benfica Campus. Previously it was like "travelling with a house on your back" for players, parents and coaches. 08:56: Balance between being a development club and one that also wins trophies. 11:24: PILLAR ONE of the Benfica Academy = Scouting. 17:04: Admiring the work of Right 2 Dream, especially their character development and commitment to all children. 21:01: Overall there are 520 players in the system - 200 in the regional talent centres, 100 living in Lisbon and 220 living at the Benfica Campus. 26:45: Despite the success with South American players, the focus of the Academy is Portugal. 29:18: PILLAR TWO of the Benfica Academy = Methodology. 30:04: Broad base and diversity of activities at younger ages (futsal, dance, gymnastics, cage football) with more specialism at the older ages. 32:04: Playing model throughout the club. "It's not so much about the system, but principles & ideas - about intensity, taking the initiative, pressing high,regaining quickly & scoring lots of goals." 36:34: PILLAR THREE of the Benfica Academy = Competition. 41:02: PILLAR FOUR of the Benfica Academy = Opportunities. 43:17: Benfica Lab. 45:25: Instead of selling your stars, could you hold onto your best players in future and win the Champions League?

Our guest on Episode #48 of the Training Ground Guru Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Norwich City Sporting Director Stuart Webber.  SHOW NOTES => 02:04: Rebuilding Norwich's training ground. Appeal of Sporting Director job was producing something sustainable at a club. 08:03: Premier League is the hardest league in the world. Even Brentford and Brighton, in Norwich's peer group, have significant owner investment. 09:56: Arriving at the club in 2017. They were lacking direction/ didn't have a lot to show for seasons in the Premier League. Simplified the plan: style of play/ invest in youth/ develop global scouting.  13:10: Evolving as a person. Change manager v status quo manager. 17:48: Is he the purest form of a Sporting Director?  23:17: Should the Sporting Director be visible and communicate with media/ fanbase? 25:41: Inspired to do the Sporting Director role by Damien Comolli. 35:35: Huddersfield Town. Focusing on foreign players and foreign coaches. 39:02: Would you appoint an English Under-21 coach as a manager? Have done it with German coaches in David Wagner and Daniel Farke. 42:30: Summit Foundation. 45:05: Criticism for mountain climbs/ Summit Foundation. Breakdown of relationship with local newspaper.  56:00: Ambitions for Norwich City. Personal ambitions. Could see a future outside football. 

Our guest on Episode #47 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Tom Vernon, the founder and Group CEO of Right to Dream Group.  => SHOW NOTES: 02:12: What is Right to Dream and its philosophy? 04:46: Start of Right to Dream in 1999. Changing the 'extractive mindset'. Setting up the only residential girls' Academy in Ghana. 12:23: Moving into the USA and plan to buy an MLS club. 16:12: Trying to have a straight pipe rather than a pyramid with youth development. 17:39: Right to Dream recruitment days in Africa. 100,000 kids attend trials every year. 19:33: Appointing Ian Yates as Head of Global Recruitment. "We wanted someone who had been thinking in multiple sports in multiple ways. We want to go to places which are overlooked, where people might believe excellence does not exist." 21:35: Why "entrepreneurship in Africa is as tough as it gets." How he benefitted from white privilege. 23:42: Expelled from school. His own dyslexia. Why football needs to follow lead of other industries and recognise/ promote neurodiversity. 29:30: How the world - and football - are "rigged systems", with a high level of unfairness towards Africa. 34:13: Good book - 'Why I am no longer talking to white people about race.' Ghana's 'year of the return.' African diaspora returning and driving a different narrative. 37:21: Praise for Gareth Southgate "realities of the past and reconstructing the future." "One of the most inspirational stories in the sport in the last 20 years." 38:43: Is Right to Dream 'ultimate socialism'? Is it sometimes difficult to balance this with capitalism of raising finance/ selling players and corporate packages etc? 46:09: Buying FC Nordsjaelland. Reasons why. Developing youth - 14 of the first-team squad have come through the Academies in Ghana and Denmark. 51:50: Other leagues and clubs are taking lessons from what FCN and Right to Dream do, but not so much England.  54:38: Right to Dream's KPIs - social impact, brand equity and football performance.

Our guest on Episode #46 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Professor David Sumpter, who has worked with top teams including Ajax, Barcelona and England.  => SHOW NOTES: 02:06: How he got started in computer programming/ mathematics and then football. 05:45: Studying behaviour of birds and fish and how this relates to football. Need to look at at least six matches of data to remove randomness. 08:13: Matthew Benham's work on gambling/ modelling of odds was first alliance of football and data. 09:54: Teams including Manchester City come to visit him in Uppsala following publication of Soccermatics. First formal involvement with a club is with Swedish side Hammarby, spending 50% of his working time there. 21:00: How he packages up the approach to football developed at Hammarby to use at other clubs. Can apply to every area of the club, including fan experience, performance and scouting. 23:05: Worked on research projects with Barcelona, Ajax and England. With Ajax he's looking at the rules of motion of players. With the Football Association (England) he is working with a research student and they are looking at scanning behaviour and expected threat models. 29:45: Ajax are doing things 'from a  more fundamental level, trying to understand the game from its basics', which is rare. 36:50: Liverpool are 'definitely leading the way in analytics', but doing it in a very different way to Ajax, focusing mainly on recruitment.  39:35: Importance of quantifying your style of play and how this 'identity' informs everything. 44:18: 'The stuff we did at Hammarby is still a lot more advanced than what's being done at some of the big clubs. There is still so much they can use this tracking data for.' 50:45: Analytics will never replace people or expertise. 'The inputs of experts are so important.' 56:45: Use of streamline, a 'second revolution' after Python. We hope you enjoy this Episode. If you do, please give us a FOLLOW via your podcast provider! This is the best way in which you can support the podcast. Thank you!    

In the first instalment of a new series called TGG Extra, Justin Cochrane gives his tips for current and aspiring coaches.

Our guest on Episode #45 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Justin Cochrane. Justin has been first-team coach and Head of Coaching at Brentford since the summer. He was previously Head of Player and Coach Development at Manchester United and has also worked for the Football Association and Tottenham.  => SHOW NOTES: 01:23: What does your job entail (Head of Coaching and first-team coach). 02:42: Differences between working in Academy and first team. 05:30: Innovation at Brentford - and focus on set pieces. 08:26: Thoughts on B team model. How every player is different/ be mindful of this in transition from PDP to first team. 11:19: Coach before player - from age of 17. 17:35: Grassroots football - does it need more investment/ closer links with Academy system? 21:22: Arriving at Tottenham. Influence of Chris Ramsey and John McDermott. 27:45: Joining the FA and England youth teams in 2018. 30:09: How good coaching comes down to content and connection. 34:58: Working with Alejandro Garnacho at Man Utd. 42:07: Value of specialist coaching and the need to constantly up skill yourself. 46:11: Ambitions for the future/ need to live in the moment. 

Our guest on Episode #44 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Sally Needham. Sally is the Human Development and Performance Culture Lead at Sheffield United Academy.  => SHOW NOTES: 01:57: What is human development? 07:21: Mindfulness room. 16:02: Influence of neuroscience.  26:22: Strengthening the window of tolerance.  28:06: Professional doctorate in elite performance. Research in application. 33:07: Red and green model. 38:54: Being present/ enjoying the moment. 45:22: Power of words. Importance of what you say and how you say it. 50:17: Understanding your impact on the team and on the environment.

Our guest on Episode #43 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Rui Faria. Rui was Jose Mourinho's assistant for 17 years, during which time they achieved huge levels of success. They won at least one trophy a season in that time, including league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain, as well as two Champions Leagues. In this pod Rui covers a range of subjects, including tactical periodisation, style of play, the use of data, neuroscience and why he still regards Mourinho as #1.   => SHOW NOTES: 01:45: Why hasn't he done any interviews? 03:58: How he got involved in football. 05:42: Tactical periodisation. 11:38: First contact with Jose Mourinho. First meeting in Barcelona. Thinking 'out of the box'. 15:20: "I think we marked an era in football." 21:20: Difficult times early on at Leiria. Meeting of minds. 25:55: Coming into Chelsea. New approach for the players. 'Special One'. What his role as assistant involved. 31:16: Training mental skills and emotional control. Inter v Barca in 2010 Champions League semis as an example. 43:00: Man management. Need to treat everyone as an individual.  49:30: Different styles of play. Need for pragmatism. Making sure young players are prepared for their opportunities. Some players not ready, eg Mo Salah at Chelsea. 58:12: Remembering watching Ronaldo and Messi for the first time, when they were both 16. 1:06:00: Being accused of being a defensive coach. How style of play has evolved in England since they first arrived. 1:13:02: Importance of context when using data. 1:14:40: Defiant about scrapping GPS at Manchester United. How it has become too dominant within sport science. Role of neuroscience. 1:27:24: Stepping down at Manchester United. "I left a job millions would love to be doing." Ambitions for the future.  1:30:16: Would he work with Mourinho again? "They were fantastic unforgettable moments."

On Episode #42 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, we were joined by Sean Dyche. Dyche was manager of Burnley for nine-and-a-half years and transformed their fortunes both on and off the pitch. When he first arrived at the club, in October 2012, they were 14th in the Championship. What followed during his tenure was seven seasons in the Premier League and European football for the first time in 51 years. In this episode Dyche reflects on his time with the Clarets, gives insights into his coaching and leadership style and explains what the future could hold for him.  => SHOW NOTES: 01:23: Life after leaving Burnley in April. Any approaches? 03:47: Start of playing career at Nottingham Forest. Influence of Brian Clough. 6:13: Are leaders born or can those skills be learnt? 9:28: Importance of clarity and simplicity. Don't load players with too much information before kick-off. 11:45: Starting to think about becoming a manager at 26. Career progression after that. 16:30: First managerial job at Watford. Being authentic. Staying tight with the players but they still know who's in charge. 18:34: First impressions of Burnley. Lack of alignment between Board and fans. Gradually get accepted. 22:45: Telling the Board "you need to put a structure in place for the longevity of the club" after Premier League promotion. 28:00: Were you similar to a Sporting Director, as you were looking at longer-term future of the club?  32:54: "Massive strides" with the Academy at Burnley. "Big believer" in the youth system. 35:55: Accusations of "Brexit football." Didn't have the scouting network to find/ sign foreign players.  39:22: Getting "put in a box". Back to front football/ Brexit football.  41:15: How he could manage differently at a different club.  51:45: Sacked at Burnley. How news was delivered and reflections. 55:28: Key thing was not recycling the team two/ three years ago. Recommended bringing new players in but didn't happen. 56:37: Backroom staff. People saying assistants were only there because they were his friends. 1:00:55: Don't put too low a limit on your goals. "Positive realities."    

Steven Reid, former Premier League midfielder and Republic of Ireland international turned successful coach, discusses his new role as a confidence, wellbeing, and leadership coach. He reflects on coping with imposter syndrome, the importance of staff support, and the secrets of Steve Cooper's success. Reid shares insights into being a first-team coach, whether top players make top coaches, and the value of coaching as a profession. He also talks about the different managers he's played under and remembers his best moments in his playing career.