Modern Soccer Coach Podcast

Last week, we partnered up with APFA (Association of Professional Football Analysts) in our series of 'Friday interviews' was on the topic of college recruitment and the role of data. Our guests were Chris Rich, head coach of UNC-Greensboro, and Katelyn Longino, who is the assistant coach at University of Iowa. The full 60 minute interview is available on the APFA website. Just click below, start...

Gary is joined by Jen Klein, Head Coach of the University of Michigan, who discusses ways that coaches can manage their environment, particularly in regards to staffing. During the interview, Jen gives fantastic insight on: - Establishing roles and responsibilities of staff - Delegation and empowering your staff - Staff feedback and development - Hiring and recruiting your staff And much more!! Th...

Gary is joined by Jack Ross, UEFA Pro License and former head coach of Dundee United, Hibs, St Mirren and Sunderland. He talks about his experiences of building and executing a flexible football philosophy and offers insights on how to communicate and manage it when the pressure is on. This podcast is sponsored by Football Careers, the global football recruitment company that specialise in recruit...

Gary is joined by Matt Ford - Academy Coach at Charlotte FC and Set-Piece Analyst. Matt has shared some analysis around World Cup tactical trends and how do they impact our coaching, specifically at youth level. If you enjoy this conversation… we are having an end of year MSC Special on Wednesday, December 28th at 2pm EST (7pm UK time). Matt and Gary will be breaking down one of the greatest final...

Gary is joined by Jon Mackenzie, highly acclaimed writer and presenter for Tifo Football. As one of the leading analysts in the online space, Jon discusses the difference between doing tactical analysis on social media and working for a club… and what can one potentially learn from the other. If you are looking to learn more about Tactical Analysis and get involved in a new community of analysts p...

Creating a game plan to navigate around the job market could be one of the most beneficial things a coach can do. MSC has just started a new partnership with Football Careers, the global football recruitment company that specialize in recruiting for clubs, colleges, universities and private soccer academies around the globe. We are joined in this interview by Football Careers director, Piero Carri...

Gary is joined by Joe Hickman, Video Analyst currently working at Real Salt Lake in MLS. Joe has a very interesting journey - having worked in the college game and is heavily involved in youth soccer too. He talks about life as MLS Analyst, processes at Real Salt Lake, what kind of analysis processes he would go back and do at college and career advice for people looking to progress in the analysi...

David Selini joins us to discuss effective ways to connect session design to tactical principles. He is a UEFA A Licensed coach and assistant coach at IFK Värnamo who play in the top tier of Swedish football David discusses specific exercises, training methodology, and gives a fantastic insight into how to be consistent and creative on the training pitch. You can watch the full interview here... h...

Gary is joined by Stefan Peter to discuss the role of pressure in youth sports and how coaches can help. Stefan grew up in Austria, was a former player, and has now moved onto coaching and working with athletes from all over the world online. Stefan has generously sponsored this episode and he has some excellent resources that he’s also giving away,,, please check out the full workbook which is av...

Oliver Gage joins Gary to discuss the world of analysis at the professional level, with an emphasis on how young analysts can build their resume and career effectively. Oliver has worked at the professional level for a number of years in England with Sheffield Wednesday, MLS with Houston Dynamo, and Canada with Canadian Premier League. He has also recently launched a new analysis community called...

Gary is joined by Joined by Brian McDermott, a former professional player and coach, who has managed Leeds United and Reading in the Premier League. But at the highest level it wasn’t what it seemed… Brian has recently talked about his battles with anxiety, depression and alcohol and has some powerful posts about that on LinkedIn. In this interview he gives perspective on his experiences, as well...

Gary is joined by Adam Thornton, author of the new book 'Gerrard’s Blueprint' which takes an in-depth, inside look at Steven Gerrard’s tactical work at Glasgow Rangers in his three years there, culminating in a league title win in 2020. After reading the book, Gary wants to take a look at three specific areas in Gerrard's system... Pressing… Positional rotation Midfield Balance (this is a very int...

Gary is joined by Fulham FC Data Scientist, Julio Costa, to discuss the role of a data scientist at a club. Julio's inspiring journey and football background brings a different angle on the role of data and he discusses how to balance the following: - Coaching and data - Youth and pro development - Social media and real life And much more! We are excited to team up with Keyframe for this episode....

Gary is joined by former Manchester United player and director of Football Fun Factory, Luke Chadwick. Luke discusses the culture at United, alongside Roy Keane and David Beckham, and how that experience has shaped his thinking for impacting the next generation of players that he's now working with. Check out Football Fun Factory below: https://thefootballfunfactory.co.uk/ Get Your FREE MSC eBooks...

Gary is joined by Jack Rolfe to discuss one of the most complex challenges for youth coaches today: creating an environment where coaches can facilitate decision making, communication and creativity for young players. Jack is the founder of The Coaching Lab and has created some forward thinking resources for coaches in this area. His MatchPlay Cards are used by coaches from grassroots to the world...

Gary is joined by UEFA 'A' coach and acclaimed writer, Jamie Hamilton, to discuss Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi and his in-possession system. Jamie discusses how De Zerbi 'breaks the rules' of traditional thinking by: - Provoking a press rather than avoiding pressure - Exposing team to 'high risk' in build-up - Keeping players narrow in build rather than wide - Slowing game down rather than optin...

Gary is joined by Swansea City Set-Piece Coach, Andy Parslow, to talk about the role of a specialist coach at a pro club. Andy has also worked at AFC Wimbledon as a first-team restarts coach, as well as academy coaching at Luton, Wycombe, Watford, and Brentford. Please join us for a MSC Set-Piece Webinar with Andy on July 26. During the webinar, Andy will break down the processes required for buil...

Was there more to David Beckham's game than crossing and free-kicks? Football writer, Ryan Quinn, takes a look at his role in the 1999 Manchester United treble winning season. Link to full article: https://theconventionalplaymaker.wordpress.com/2022/05/17/retro-analysis-david-beckhams-role-in-the-1998-99-treble-season/ NEW MSC ebook out now: 20 Attacking Training Session Plans that are broken into...

Gary is joined by Mike Brown, Head of Physical Performance at Bodo Glimt in the Norwegian league. Bodo made the headlines last year for beating Celtic and Roma in the Europa League and play an ultra-aggressive style of play, both in and out of possession. Mike discusses the planning and management of the physical side of Bodo Glimt's game model and talks about: - Periodization for a high pressing...

In a new MSC Podcast feature, Gary looks at Manchester City's Premier League win and how Pep Guardiola versus Jurgen Klopp should be looked at by coaches: - Can we appreciate both teams? - Is outcome bias holding back the coaching community? - How does this relate to youth coaching? If you would like a topic discussed in these short podcasts, please contact Gary at gary@modernsoccercoach.com You c...

Gary is joined by Oliver Hopkins, a writer for The Analyst, to discuss a recent article he has written on tactical trends of different leagues. Gary has tons of questions like: If the Premier League is more slower and intricate than lower leagues, how does it have more goals per game? The article is below: https://theanalyst.com/eu/2022/04/how-does-the-style-of-football-change-as-you-journey-down-...

Gary is joined by Khano Smith, who is currently an assistant coach for USL Championship club Birmingham Legion and has also worked as an assistant coach in the NWSL for the Orlando Pride. He's also a former professional player at New England Revolution, Lincoln City, and has represented the Bermuda national team 33 times. We talk about the art of being an assistant coach: - Creating the relationsh...

Gary is joined by Damon Shaw, a professional futsal coach who has worked at the professional level in England, Malta, Spain and Malaysia. He has also worked as an analyst for Solomon Island recent Futsal World Cup. In this interview he discusses his fascinating journey in the game, the ups and downs of working at the professional level, and a brilliant insight to some specific futsal topics… Also,...

Gary is joined by Abdul Faisal Chibsah, who recently started a new role as High Performance Specialist at FIFA. He was recently Head of Academy Recruitment at Charlotte FC (MLS) and also worked as Regional Academy Scout at Philadelphia Union (MLS). He talks about identifying talent at youth level, the importance of environment, projecting talent in ten years, and what it's like working alongside A...

Gary is joined by head coach of Philadelphia Union II, Marlon LeBlanc, to discuss the differences between college and pro environments in the US. Having spent fourteen successful seasons at West Virginia University, few better understand the dynamics of player development better than Marlon. NEW MODERN SOCCER COACH BOOK: DETAIL IS OUT NOW!!!! Find out more and get your copy below: https://www.mode...