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S3 E3 - Professional Academy Development
72 Plays22 days ago
On Todays Episode Craig Birtwistle and Josh Tilley discuss what life is like at a professional academy for players and coaches. They discuss how players are developed and what the clubs true focus is. Enjoy!
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Transcript
Introduction and Roundtable with Josh Tilley
00:00:17
Craig Birtwistle
Hello and welcome to our latest episode of Session Share, the Coaches Podcast. My name is Craig Bertussell and today is a roundtable discussion and I'm joined by Josh Tilley here. How are you doing today, Josh?
00:00:29
Josh
I'm well, thank you. All good. How are you?
Academy Operations and Coaching Methods
00:00:31
Craig Birtwistle
Doing really well. So today's topic is all about the academy product, looking at professional academies, how they operate and how they coach within the game.
00:00:42
Craig Birtwistle
Josh, you're a friend of the show and you've been on this podcast before. We spoke a little bit briefly about some of your duties and your involvement in and around the world um and how you've worked with many academies.
Experiences from Juventus, West Ham, and Norwich
00:00:55
Craig Birtwistle
Can you remind us, ah remind our listeners, the academies that you've had the fortune of working with?
00:01:01
Josh
um So I've been involved with Juventus Academy out in Kuwait, who have kind of been running for about three or four seasons now. And then when I was at West Ham, had an under-11s performance academy, which was kind of a step off the academy, um but like a a strong connection with trying to get players involved.
00:01:22
Josh
and And then I've been kind of... um When I was working at Norwich, kind of went up and got to got to watch and shadow a few of the sessions. I was kind of with a different department, but got to see how they run and had lots of CPDs and stuff like that out there.
00:01:38
Craig Birtwistle
Fantastic.
Club Philosophies and Tailored Coaching
00:01:40
Craig Birtwistle
So Josh, when you work with these clubs, like how much are they involved in each and every lesson that you do? And are you involved in the creating of like the curriculum or is it simply that it's like a handed down from above?
00:01:56
Josh
um So basically every club that i've worked for have their own kind of philosophy or DNA or how they want their sessions to look, um what things they want to do, how they want their sessions to look.
00:02:09
Josh
um And then it would be on the guy the kind of the coach to develop things. ah the sessions within their own, how they see the game, how they want to coach their players. Obviously, if you're doing a specific team, um you would kind of tailor your sessions around what suits your team, but kind of also matching the club's philosophy, if that makes sense.
Curriculum Meetings in New Jersey
00:02:31
Josh
So it's kind of trying to blend the both together, um which has been my experiences with wherever i worked.
00:02:39
Craig Birtwistle
Yeah, that was similar to me. I worked for Liverpool um in New Jersey in America and we had a regular meeting with the club. It was like once a month. We also had the access to like curriculums and we had to like kind of do a review at the end of each month as if to say like, this is working, this is where our level is currently.
00:03:03
Craig Birtwistle
Is that the sort of thing you were getting?
00:03:06
Josh
Yeah. um As in you mean they were kind of checking if your sessions were up to scratch?
00:03:12
Craig Birtwistle
Yeah, pretty much we were in the evaluation process, yeah.
00:03:15
Josh
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We kind of... um Most of the clubs that I've been at, it was kind of reviewed at every half-term stage. So, and obviously, what happened a lot in the half-terms is either the players have a complete week off or if you have teams and stuff, you go into games.
00:03:31
Josh
But it meant kind of... um the coaches had a little bit more time. So then the reviews would would come in. Then obviously we'd review ourselves, ah review the sessions and the setups, obviously then review the players. So um normally happens every, say, six or seven weeks. um Obviously, as a coach, you're kind of reviewing and doing your um your own reviews on ah on a session basis or a weekly basis. And you obviously might speak to maybe your line manager or or people above. But as a kind of a pack of coaches, it was yeah probably every six or seven weeks.
00:04:06
Craig Birtwistle
Fantastic.
Academies: First-Team or Financial Focus?
00:04:07
Craig Birtwistle
What's the aim for an academy? Do they talk to you directly about pushing players towards the first team? Is it financially driven? um Can you give us some insight of what they're trying to get from all these different academies that appear all over the globe?
00:04:24
Josh
um I guess it depends where it is. So, for example, in England, the academies I've worked with in England, or the clubs I've worked with, um I guess the the main aim or goal or objective would be able to try and create players that can go and play in the first team. That's obviously, that would be the the outstanding goal. But obviously, the depending on the level of the team, for example, of the teams in the Premier League, the the standard of players that you need for that level, it's obviously not not as easy said than done. But um I guess to try and any player that kind of goes through the academy and then goes on to have a professional career at whatever level, that's seen as a success in the in the academy environment.
00:05:04
Josh
and You can't base your success of every academy player, I guess, getting into the first team because obviously doesn't work like that, um especially with the demand and and money and everything like that in the top leagues, especially now. So the the ones in the UK have definitely been more um trying to get as many players through the system and then have a professional career.
Cultural Differences: Kuwait vs. England
00:05:29
Josh
um When I've been ah abroad, it's probably been a slightly different um message it's probably been more like trying to create create an environment where kids come in and join just love playing.
00:05:41
Josh
Um, like for example, if I look at, um, my time in Q8, the academy was fairly new, um, starting up.
00:05:45
Craig Birtwistle
Thank you.
00:05:49
Josh
Um, and obviously maybe football wasn't as big as what it was or is now. So like it's constantly growing and they're getting more and more players through the doors every year, every term.
00:06:01
Josh
So they're, they're kind of set up is shows that it's working. So, um, Yeah, would say when I was in Kuwait, it was probably more leveled at getting as many players through the door and and kind of on their football journey, um wherever they're starting, in whatever age.
00:06:17
Josh
And then obviously, as the years go on, they can try and make it more and more professional. um So, yeah, that that was the the aim from when I was in Kuwait.
FFP and Youth Focus in Academies
00:06:28
Craig Birtwistle
Going back to what you said about the English model, I think now more than anything, the development of young players is actually exceptionally important. Not necessarily from a point of view, like I'm an Aston Villa fan and I love the fact that like Jack Grealish came through our academy. We've got Jake and Ramsey currently.
00:06:46
Craig Birtwistle
We've got lots of players that have come through. And as a football fan, you're a Chelsea fan yourself, right?
00:06:52
Josh
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:06:52
Craig Birtwistle
Yeah, so as ah as a football fan, like we love it when one of our own makes it through the ranks and and it's like a success story.
00:06:52
Josh
OK.
00:07:01
Craig Birtwistle
Like Jacob Ramsey, for example, is from Great Bar, the exact town that I'm from. So it's it's a real feel-good factor and seems like a connection to the team. um But one of the things that's happening now is the fact that with FFP, your youth players are now...
00:07:20
Craig Birtwistle
really credible based on the financial package they can bring. So for example, when we sold Jack Grealish, it was 100 million straight in the pocket. There was no percentage that was taken away because he was a homegrown player.
00:07:34
Craig Birtwistle
Due to this, our academy's focusing a lot more, do you feel, on youth academy, on the their academy set-up, mainly because, say, for example, um a Yeovil town or something like that, like them selling a world-class player could keep them going for many, many years.
00:07:52
Josh
Yeah.
00:07:52
Craig Birtwistle
So do you think it's mainly more focused now on developing because there's a chance of a big profit, or do you think it's more about the first team, or does it depend on the club?
00:08:06
Josh
It's a good question. i think... um Being a proper football person, I'd like to think it it kind of pretty depends on the club. I'd like to think it's more obviously trying to get players into the first team. But I do think you're right in the sense that um especially clubs that may be a lower part the Championship, maybe League One, League Two, obviously, if they get a player through their academy that has got unbelievable talent and a top Championship or a Premier League club want to sign,
00:08:38
Josh
then like you say, if they sell them for 10, 15, 20 million, that's kind of massive money for a club like that. And unfortunately, um ah that's the way it's going to go. Obviously for the player as well, the player is going to want to progress.
00:08:50
Josh
um I think in the Premier League, I'd like to think um clubs would still see is they're like, if they get a player or two through um into their first team, they would kind of like be the the star of their team and that they would be like their best player. Like, for example, if i look at Arsenal now with Saka, he's obviously come through the academy and now he's their best player. So I don't think Arsenal would be looking at any time to try and sell him.
00:09:15
Josh
um But again, unfortunately, with financial restrictions and stuff like that, sometimes clubs might be placed or put in a place where selling, in um a player obviously is 100% profit to them and and that helps them pay like the bills and everything that they need to do.
Utilizing Academy Players for Financial Strategy
00:09:34
Craig Birtwistle
Because it's a funny one now because it's a case of we we wanted our clubs to invest in youth academy, in their academies, to grow players through the ranks, to get our own like coming through.
00:09:47
Craig Birtwistle
And it was mainly because then you wouldn't have to do a transfer fee. So it was meant to be to save the club money.
00:09:50
Josh
Yeah.
00:09:53
Craig Birtwistle
So now it was a case of like, um we're going back many, many years now. I remember there was a Aston Villa-Chelsea game, believe it or not, where Villa were the first team to play. ah It was a full English XI versus a full non-English XI. It was one of those things that was debated at the time. It's like, well, all the homegrown players are leaving the game.
00:10:15
Craig Birtwistle
Now, it's like we're encouraging them to leave our club just because we get 100% of that profit coming in. it It seems like it's gone a little backwards to me. And it's it's a case of now we're selling our best players, ah best homegrown talent, I should say, in order to not get the fines, to not get the punishment of minus points.
00:10:37
Craig Birtwistle
And then you look at, say, like a team like Nottingham Forest, where they took the risk of going for minus points and it actually it's actually benefited them.
00:10:44
Josh
yeah ah Yeah, something definitely needs needs to be addressed.
00:10:46
Craig Birtwistle
And now they could be most likely a heading towards Champions League football. Do you see that as an issue that needs to be and addressed in the Premier League?
00:11:00
Josh
ah think with the with the money side of it, it's definitely gone. i think it has gone too far. um I don't think a club... um should be in a position where they have to sell, for example, a youth academy player to like meet the needs of something like that. And also, you kind of want it to get more on a level playing field. I think um when you have a look at the the amount certain clubs spend compared to others and and everything like that, I just think it becomes, it's obviously becoming harder and harder for teams, for example, coming up from the Championship.
00:11:33
Josh
um as proven the last two seasons is and this season as well, they go straight back down. um And just because makes the Premier League become less... Obviously, the Premier League is really competitive, but in that sense, the Premier League was always the best league because...
00:11:49
Josh
You never knew necessarily, knew that maybe three or four teams would be up there competing for the league, but then it would be the same down at the bottom. um Whereas now you're coming to the end of the season, probably for the last two months, you've known Southampton and Leicester are probably going down. And obviously I don't think Ipswich is mathematically done yet, but basically gone as well. So, um yeah, I think it's causing problems in that side.
Player Development Focus: Individual vs. Team
00:12:15
Craig Birtwistle
Very true. This is a fantastic conversation, Josh. We're just going to have a short break, courtesy of our message from Zencaster.
00:12:41
Craig Birtwistle
Thank you.
00:13:03
Craig Birtwistle
Welcome back. and we're talking about high level development that goes on in so each and every day inside the professional academy. I've had the pleasure myself to visit some of the great academies and talk to many of the top coaches like Josh himself with his thoughts and opinions on developing players.
00:13:23
Craig Birtwistle
I've heard stories, and without naming names, that lessons are based on sole players that are, say, their golden goose, if you will. I've heard of clubs that only want to develop number 10s, the attacking midfielders, because they feel that's where all the money is when they can sell them on. um Josh, obviously, without throwing any names under the bus or anything like that, um can you have you heard of any of these scenarios and are and are they commonplace?
00:13:54
Josh
um Personally, haven't really heard anything in the sense of just trying to develop one specific position. um Kind of the clubs I've been in and around um kind of have, they have four or five
00:14:04
Craig Birtwistle
Thank you.
00:14:08
Josh
<unk> say key weapons that they they're looking for in players. And um normally they're looking for maybe an outstanding ah finisher, for example. So if someone's an unbelievable goal scorer, um they might take the the chance on bringing them into the academy because they believe that they can then work work on the the other areas and in in their team and their their coaches are good enough to develop the player in the other areas.
00:14:33
Josh
um So they'll take the gamble on the fact that they're a proven like really good goal scorer, good at shooting maybe with both feet or something like that. Or it might be they are, say, decent at two or three things. So, for example, where you might be ah seven out of ten in three areas,
00:14:52
Josh
they'll bring them into the academy to obviously then trust in their in their setup and their process that they can get them to an eight or a nine out of 10 in them areas and also develop the other areas as well. um I do believe,
00:15:03
Josh
um Where teams now have obviously certain philosophies and DNA and stuff like that, they might obviously have specific attributes that they look for in certain positions, but I don't think they would necessarily just pinpoint one area and it's like trying to create as many of them as they can.
00:15:21
Josh
um I would have thought it's still to try and get the players in their best position or what what they see as their best one or two positions.
00:15:30
Craig Birtwistle
It's really interesting. um You talk about how the fact that, like, obviously the academies are in team driven. So you've got like U14, and so on, right? um When you're coaching inside that team environment and you talk about them looking for, say, a goal scorer and then trying to perfect the other parts of their game, whether it's their hold of play, it's their connectivity or something along those lines, because they've seen one aspect that they think is exceptional and trying to kind of polish the shape, if you will.
00:16:03
Craig Birtwistle
So when you get someone like that in a team dynamic, how does the academy go about in really focusing on the individual? Do they pull a group aside and say, like, we're only going to work with the strikers, we're only going to work with the fullbacks, or something along that, or is there something else that they do?
00:16:21
Josh
Kind of a bit of a mix, really. Obviously, the higher the age group you go up, obviously, they'll probably be having match day. So it'll be specific to when their match day is and um' working backwards in that sense.
00:16:33
Josh
A lot of clubs and and session groups now work in units. So they will split off. So a coach will take the attackers. A coach might take the midfielders. A coach might take the um defenders, for example.
00:16:45
Josh
Or they might have certain spells during the week, which is just...
00:16:49
Josh
and individual like specific sessions or it might be, for example, that they um have a group session and then they do something extra with a couple of players after the session. So, a lot of coaches, a lot of teams that do it differently.
00:16:50
Craig Birtwistle
Thank you.
00:17:04
Josh
um I think it's important to try and find the mix and the balance because obviously'll see at the end of the day, football a team game, so you still need the team to gel and perform. um And obviously, at academy level,
00:17:16
Josh
Results aren't seen to be like the main focus is obviously the development of the the individuals and the players. But obviously still you want to try and put a competitive team together to try and get noticed, I guess. Obviously the FA Youth Cup is quite a competitive tournament that clubs want to go and do well in and obviously try and get as many players pushing up um and knocking on the door the first team really.
Balancing Proactive and Reactive Coaching
00:17:38
Craig Birtwistle
When you've worked inside these academies, but I've always explained to coaches whether the level that you coach at, do you need to be proactive or reactive?
00:17:50
Craig Birtwistle
Proactive being the fact that you develop a curriculum over a certain amount of weeks, a certain amount of months, maybe even a year, where you're delivering certain practices, certain times of the week, certain times of the month to help develop the overall play app.
00:18:06
Craig Birtwistle
um Whereas reactive, like where in America, for example, when they go to high school, you're looking at basically you watch a game, you see the weakness, you address the weakness in your next practice.
00:18:18
Craig Birtwistle
In the academy set up, in particular England, and you can talk about your experiences around the world as well. At what age do they start being more reactive where it's they'll see a game, they'll say, you know what, we were bad at pressure cover balance today.
00:18:33
Craig Birtwistle
ah We've got to address that on certain practice. At what point do they stop being reactive and more proactive? Sorry, proactive rather than reactive.
00:18:43
Josh
um Good question, really. I would say probably anywhere from sixteen s upwards, um the game's probably become more meaningful.
00:18:54
Josh
and Obviously, the players are older, so it's focusing on the kind of game that's coming up and stuff like that.
00:18:54
Craig Birtwistle
Okay.
00:19:02
Josh
I don't i don't believe that. Obviously, I think they'll do their their job in a sense of looking at the opposition and stuff like that. But I still feel when the academy set up and any of the clubs that I've been around, the main focus is still on what they do as a team rather than being reactive to maybe saying that we were really bad at this or we've watched the opposition and they're not very good at that, for example.
00:19:25
Josh
and um I think a lot of teams work in blocks, so they'll have different units or on blocks, what they'll work in, especially in the younger ages. um And then, yeah, probably, ah like like I said, probably 16s upwards is probably where you become a little bit more reactive to what what you're seeing in the games, obviously, because they become a little bit more competitive and a little bit more meaningful. Does that make sense?
00:19:49
Craig Birtwistle
Makes absolute perfect sense. It's um definitely something that I've wanted to stress to a bunch of coaches because When I've done coach education, i've I've spoke to coaches and they've been a case of, oh, but last week we were terrible at shooting. We couldn't hit a barn door.
00:20:06
Craig Birtwistle
ah So we went we went straight on shooting. And then the following week, now they're working on 1v1 defending. And it seems like it's all over the place. And it's so hard to teach a young kid how to do something if you keep jumping in and around.
00:20:21
Craig Birtwistle
So it's very important to me, the fact that I foresee...
00:20:21
Josh
Yeah.
00:20:25
Craig Birtwistle
There's greater minds than me that work inside these academies and and obviously like that. So I just wanted to get a feel of when it was the most important to start developing. And I would say U16 was the perfect age group for that.
00:20:40
Josh
The thing is, as well, is obviously if you're part of a pro academy, you're probably training three, four times a week and a game. So the coaches are getting to see the players a lot more, so it's a lot easier. Whereas obviously if you're working grassroots level, semi-pro level, um,
00:20:58
Josh
If you're only seeing the players once a week, twice a week, then like what you said, you can't just keep reacting off a game because then the team's never going to get better in one area.
00:21:05
Craig Birtwistle
Yeah.
00:21:08
Josh
That's something I really learned what on my UEFA B. The coach educators were really clear and good about that in the sense that, like, for example, at the time, um the under-18 team that I was doing, I only had them once a week for training.
00:21:22
Josh
So if I was just reacting to a game every week, we were never going to get any better in a specific area, really, because we were just reacting all the time. So that UA for B process really helped me in the sense of that i blocked it out. so So we've done four weeks blocks and we would kind of, ah obviously, I'm only getting four sessions,
00:21:42
Josh
within the month, but obviously for them four sessions, we're kind of working on the same topic. And then hopefully you start to see little bits of um improvement in the games and then you kind of go on to the next block, if that makes sense. So overall across the season, you're hitting different areas rather than constantly just reacting to.
00:22:00
Josh
Obviously in certain scenarios, you might have to react a little bit and obviously the higher you go um and you start looking at the oppositions and stuff, but guess it all depends on levels really.
00:22:10
Craig Birtwistle
100% agree. Josh, we're just going to take a short break and we'll be right back.
Evolving Striker Roles and Tactics in Football
00:22:29
Craig Birtwistle
Welcome back and as we continue to discuss academy development and one thing is pretty evident in the game at the moment is a lack of strikers. If you go back say 10 years or so you'd be able to have a wealth and eternity of strikers that you can name.
00:22:45
Craig Birtwistle
And let's be personally perfectly frank, it's ah slim pickings right now. You've got teams like like a Chelsea, like Josh's team, you've got team like Arsenal, where people are always saying that they're just a striker away from being that team.
00:23:00
Craig Birtwistle
And with the exception of probably Newcastle and Manchester City, how many world-class strikers are now left in the Premier League? Why do you think that is, Josh?
00:23:11
Josh
um I think it's probably, obviously everyone always says the hardest thing in football to do is score. So that's why they're so unique now.
00:23:21
Josh
um I think probably the way the football has gone a little bit, obviously probably 10, 15 years ago, the game used to be a little bit more direct. You used to see a lot more bigger physical strikers.
00:23:35
Josh
um And, know, Obviously, there was a lot of strikers that would go around and score a load of goals and stuff like that. But if you think about it, you'd either have a big man that maybe wouldn't actually score that many goals, but their presence would be flicking the ball on or holding the ball up and you'd be bringing other players into the game that that they would be getting more goals around.
00:23:53
Josh
Or um a lot of teams that back then used to play two up front as well. So you used to have a big man and a little man, as they say. um Whereas now... Don't really see teams play with two up front very often. um Obviously, teams are now starting to defend in the 4-4-2 a little bit more often now. But obviously, when they're attacking, it's still normally only one striker.
00:24:15
Josh
um Yeah, i it's a hard one to see why why it's kind of phased out a little bit. um But I just think maybe the the way the football's changed a little bit, um focusing, it's gone a lot more technical.
00:24:31
Josh
um Obviously, the style in the Premier League's changed quite a lot, which obviously then filters down a little bit. um But yeah.
00:24:39
Craig Birtwistle
I have a theory, the fact that... um Since the game has changed, and I'm going to say this is like kind of Guardiola influence, if you will. like You see all the way through the whole football pyramid now, the fact that teams want to try and play in that style, in that stuff frame of mind.
00:24:59
Craig Birtwistle
And this is certainly not a dig at Guardiola because he's been massively successful. And his influence on the game has been greatly seen and it has developed the game.
00:25:10
Craig Birtwistle
But I do think at the moment, I feel teams are stifling ah players for creativit creativity. you so You mentioned like Bukayo Saka and my Arsenal in general earlier.
00:25:23
Craig Birtwistle
I feel that when they get into wide areas, we've gone from the days of David Ginola, for example, beating a player in the wing. um putting crosses in coming on the inside taking a shot really showing us that flair and creativity to now being so scared about losing possession that every time they go one-on-one in the corner they turn back around and drop that ball back so now we've got a case of players playing more chess than jazz so it's like it's a very slower game um
00:25:54
Craig Birtwistle
in terms of the final third at least. And i I saw an interesting statistic the other day, the fact that like five, 10 years ago, the people that would touch the ball the most were your creative midfielders, you like your Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva's, players along those lines, that the players who we would consider the best in the world.
00:26:15
Craig Birtwistle
Now we're seeing the fact that goalkeepers and centre-backs are touching the ball more than anything. So without being harsh to him, for example, Daniel Burns at Newcastle is touching the ball more than Isaac.
00:26:28
Craig Birtwistle
you know what mean? It just doesn't make sense to me. So I feel that due to this, do you think it's the the game has changed so much that we are stifling the development and are academies really making robotic players that are struggling with creativity now?
Creativity vs. Structure in First Teams
00:26:48
Josh
um I actually don't think it's an academy problem. I think it's more the first team problem. I think managers are obviously under so much pressure now and it's a results business, especially when you get to the first team.
00:26:58
Josh
So I actually think that you're in the academy. You hear the words like be brave, be creative, go take your player on and stuff like that. You still hear that day the coaches are less focused on the result.
00:27:09
Josh
They're more focused on the player um developing as an individual.
00:27:11
Craig Birtwistle
Amen.
00:27:13
Josh
But obviously once they make the jump into the first team, it becomes a lot more restricted, a lot more structured, a lot more um do this, do that. um And at the end of the day it's because obviously the I think the managers are under so much pressure to win.
00:27:26
Josh
um You see it all the time, the managers that lose their jobs and stuff when they lose a few games become under pressure. um I think it's that the balance now between that is the the gap's massive because i don't actually think, I personally think that ah within the academy, coaches are still trying to have them players. do you know what mean? That's what everyone watches football for. You watch football for someone to take a player on and put it in the top corner or nutmeg someone or that's what gets coaches off their seat. You enjoy watching players like that. So I don't think any coaches in the and the youth level and the academy level would be saying no no to that.
00:28:03
Josh
I just think it's the jump um going into the first team. And if you actually watch, I do think when ah when a young academy prospect makes... the jump into the first team, one of the reasons why it's such a breath of fresh air is because they actually still have that, like, they still take players on and they look a little bit like fresh and stuff like that. And I guess the longer it goes on, then to to kind of stay there, they have to then follow the the plan and the structure a little bit more. So then maybe the creativity then gets lost a little bit.
Football: A Player-Driven Sport
00:28:33
Craig Birtwistle
That's really good to hear because I do hope that there are coaches out there like myself that still enjoy that that freedom, that creativity. that One of the things I've always loved for football as opposed to American football, for example, that it's still a player game.
00:28:50
Craig Birtwistle
You can give them as many ideas as possible, but at the end date, them truly making the decision. Whereas like you talk to American football, they've got the headsets on. It's just everything is like...
00:29:01
Craig Birtwistle
controlling the remote on FIFA, for example. So, so I'm really glad to hear that academies are doing that.
00:29:03
Josh
that.
00:29:08
Craig Birtwistle
Like I mentioned earlier, and I've mentioned many times in this podcast, people are probably sick of me saying it. I am a Villa fan. So I do bring up them a lot of time. And the reason I'm bringing it up this time is Morgan Rogers, for example, is a breath of fresh air in the Premier League.
00:29:22
Craig Birtwistle
And people are talking about like him, like moving up the levels.
Celebrating Dribbling and Creativity
00:29:28
Craig Birtwistle
He came from Middlesbrough for a mere 8 million. Uh, when, Like that was considered a lot of money for such a a young, unachieved player.
00:29:37
Craig Birtwistle
And now like there's been talked about him being linked to bigger clubs and everything like that. um The reason I mentioned him though, i just find it amazing that you hear people like a Gary Neville, a Jamie Carragher, all these people talking about him and they're highlighting him because he can dribble.
00:29:54
Craig Birtwistle
And I find that insane because if you would have said that five, 10 years ago, have ah highlighting a player that can dribble, I think that would be incredible because that should be one of the first things you're able to do as a player.
00:30:04
Josh
Yeah.
00:30:08
Craig Birtwistle
Like we talk about it from U9 and upwards. um So it's it's for me, it's about these academies and I'm glad that you've mentioned they are. Continuously promote the player to give them a personality, to create that that next star that every single one of us will want to see week in, week out.
00:30:28
Josh
Yeah, 100%. I think wide players, a midfielder, like dribbling is still ah massive...
00:30:34
Craig Birtwistle
Thank you.
00:30:36
Josh
a weapon like to to unlock a team. you know what mean? if teams are sitting in, for example, in a low block and stuff, you need a little bit of magic where i play a player dribbles past someone and scores. As a Chelsea fan and growing up, my favourite player for Chelsea watching is but has been Hazard because his dribbling ability was unbelievable. And people have actually knocked him for his goal contribution and maybe even assist at times. But if you actually watch him live, he's travelling 70 yards up the pitch knocks it off to someone who then passes someone else and then we score, for example. So he doesn't actually get the the statistic or not, but he's been the one that's run around three players from his own box up to the final third kind of thing. So, um yeah, it it has gone a little bit away from that and obviously, hopefully, can get it back to seeing more of that.
00:31:24
Craig Birtwistle
I'd say we want players like a hazard that gets you off your seat, gets you excited to be at the fit at the game.
Conclusion and Audience Engagement
00:31:31
Craig Birtwistle
So Josh, this was excellent. Thank you very much. Josh is a good friend of the show and we'll be sure to make sure we put all his socials in our podcast description and so the listeners can follow him.
00:31:43
Craig Birtwistle
um Be sure to get in touch across all our socials to offer your opinion on everything that we've discussed today. We'd love to hear your thoughts and we'd love to have some back and forth discussions about everything we've mentioned.
00:31:56
Craig Birtwistle
This has been Session Share, the Coaches Podcast. Thank you very much, Josh, for coming back on the show. We look forward to having you again sometime.
00:32:03
Josh
Thank you. Appreciate it.
00:32:05
Craig Birtwistle
um Thank you for listening and thank you for coaching the beautiful game.