Identity Crisis?

Identity: The fact of being who or what a person or thing is.

A person's identity is a unique phenomenon, the result of infinite variables exclusive to each individual, and as such no two people are truly the same.

Age, race, religion, gender, and wealth are but a few of the factors which shape us and as such is it not important to know who we are before trying to help others discover themselves?

Like millions of others around the world I have been engulfed by the style of FC Barcelona, mesmerised by their intricate one-twos and domination of possession, inspired by their complete belief in themselves and in their system, but as they themselves declare - this is THEIR way not THE way.

Replication will rarely yield the same results as the original. Studying and learning from others is an integral process in an individual's development but it is vital to adapt and reinvent ideas to make them suit your beliefs. As the proverb says: "it is better to be a first rate you then a second rate somebody else".

Before trying to absorb and implement another's ideas into your own philosophy it is imperative that you first take the time to truly digest the concept, to analyse whether it is compatible with your expectations, and ultimately to ensure you believe in the path you are walking before asking others to follow it.

Coaching to some is a hobby, to others a job, but for the romantics in us it is an art. The challenge of assisting the development of an individual, regardless of their status in the game, is a captivating and in some cases all-consuming task; but to truly make an impact, to inspire and make your players trust your advice you must have an unwavering belief in what you are asking them to do.

Doubt is easily detectable and extremely contagious; it is to a footballer what blood is to a shark, one scent of it and you are at risk of being devoured. Doubting yourself or your message will inevitably lead to players doubting you, and once this happens the road to redemption can be a long and lonely one.

The key to success in football is trust. As a coach you must trust in yourself, in your ideas, in your message, in the process, and ultimately in your players. Trust that development will lead to results but also that the former is more important than the latter.

As a coach my philosophy has been shaped by many things, both negative and positive, and as such I would expect it to differ to my colleagues near and far. I have an intrinsic motivation to progress and develop as a coach, to help my players exceed my own limitations as a player, to not only be the best me I can be but also to help them be the best version of themselves. I read a statement made by one of my coaching heroes that sums up why I am in this profession and would like to end by sharing it:

“That fantastic spark of inspiration, the joy of that single instant, is why I’m a coach.” - Pep Guardiola

A bird? A plane? No, a cardboard box!

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up" - Pablo Picasso

In a literal sense this quote carries little substance, but think of it as a metaphor for the power of creativity and how we lose it with age and it becomes rather more poignant.

Buy a child a toy and they will play, not with the toy but with it's box. A box is never just a box to a child, it is a spaceship, a castle, a horse; it's limitations are confined only by the imagination.

Ask a young boy a question and he will blurt out the first thing that comes to his head, relevant or not, with the conviction of an expert in the subject. He has no fear of being wrong, the thought does not enter his mind, he is only concerned with providing an answer to the problem presented to him.

At what point does this change? When do children fear the stigmatism of being wrong? And more importantly why does this happen?

Is it because children are encouraged to conform to society from the minute they enter education?

A pathway is outlined early in life: you go to school to go to college to go to university to get a good job to be happy and live comfortably. If you do not follow this model then you miss out on opportunities later in life. The problem with this is that it does not allow for mistakes or errors of judgement, it does not let you find your own path for fear of getting it wrong. It can make you adequate in several areas but suppress your talent in others.

Is it because children are not encouraged to think for themselves enough?

When teaching you often ask questions, but it is easier to ask a closed question in order to force the answer you are looking for as this takes less time and less patience; but ask a more open question and the variety of answers will differ greatly, some will think of the question and try to answer logically, others will answer with key words they have remembered from earlier information, some will say the first thing that comes to their head, and some will not say anything at all. The benefit of an open question is that it encourages children to think, to try, to experience being wrong, to experience being right, and ultimately that it is not always easy and persistence gets results.

When coaching you are a teacher, children look at you for answers. But simply giving them the answer can have more negative affects than positive, it does not allow them to probe and think, to create in their minds several ways of trying and letting them figure out which way works best. When coaching try not to force a certain issue, put in place the parameters which will get your topic out, but allow the children the scope to be creative and try their own way, and when needed coach their idea to help them improve it.

There are of course times when a more dictatorial approach is needed and you need to give the answers and you need to show the correct way. But it's also vital for development that you are allowed to work it out for yourself, to successfully find ways that do not work as well as ways that do. To use the information you have been given, but to find your own ways to implement it and maximise it's impact.

There is probably no definitive answer as to why we start to to lose our imagination and the ability to create something special from nothing but I'll leave you with a thought of my own: Children do not grow into creativity, they grow out of it. It is the job of those who teach to challenge their creativity to flourish!

ABC it's easy as 4-3-3

Evolve or be extinct. It is a simple fact that if you do not move with the times then you will get left behind, a fate that professional football in England is in serious danger of sucombing to.

Historically England is a nation who favour the 4-4-2, a formation which has been around since the introduction of the eleven player rule. The 4-4-2 is a very British formation; not too edgy, nice and reliable, solid defensively and efficient on the attact - but it also lacks style and flair, there is little room for fluidity. Yes, the 4-4-2 is very British, formal and rigid.

In Academy Football there is a different story altogether, players are being developed to produce a new breed of English player. Creativity, technicality, confidence and composure are becoming customary; guile is a more desireable trait than grit, determination, and brute force. Many Academies are no longer looking to produce players for the 4-4-2, the mission is create individuals who can master the 4-3-3.

The 4-3-3 rose to prominence with Ajax and has since been perfected by Barcelona, with a little assistance from one Johan Cruyff. The 4-3-3 is everything that the 4-4-2 is not, it encourages flair, fluidity, attacking through the middle, short and sharp intricate passes - it favours the technicians over the giants, all whilst maitaining the security of a back four. More over, the 4-3-3 is flexible and can be quickly adjusted to change tactically:

In Figure 1 you have a traditional 4-3-3 with a solid bank of four defenders, three midfielders and three central attackers. With a simple adjustment this can be converted to Figure 2, where you keep the security of four defenders but have a defensive midfielder for additional protection and play two attack minded central midfielders to encourage creativity. The shape of the forwards change so you have one focal point central attacker and two players pulling out high and wide - very useful for stretching the pitch and pulling opponents out of position. This variation of the 4-4-3 was favoured by Pep Guardiola during his extremely successful tenure at Barcelona. With some slight tinkering you can create a much more defensive formation, Figure 3, with one of the attacking midfielders being sacrificied for another holding/defensive midfielder, this type of 4-3-3 is favoured by Jose Mourinho and is effective at counteracting the formation used in Figure 2. And for those games in which your team is dominating play, the compact central midfield leaves space for the fullbacks to assist with the attack whilst keeping the insurance of two central defenders and at least one holding/defensive midfielder providing cover - Figure 4. The beauty of the 4-3-3 is that it is possible to make changes to your tactics without substitutions, but simply in the transition from defence to attack, for example when defending you could set up as Figure 3 and when you regain possession your team shape can adjust to Figure 2 and eventually Figure 4.

With the prevalence of 4-3-3 in Academy football it seems strange that so few Premier League teams use this formation.It is logical that the system played by a First Team should be the mould of an entire Academy set-up as the role of an Academy is to produce First Team players, so why do so few clubs enforce this ideal?

As time goes by more and more emphasis will be put on producing technically superior players, add that to the never-say-die mentality that is engrained on the English psyche and it is only a matter of time before there is a vast improvement on the standard of player we produce. To increase the speed of which this process happens there needs to be a philosophy in place that provides a natural progression from Academy football up through to International football and as Academies are focusing on the 4-3-3 it can only be a matter of time before more clubs and eventually the National team follow suit.

Evolution is a slow process and has it's victims and well as its victors; there is a slow and sure change manifesting in the way the game is being approached  in England, let us hope that it is not so slow that it creates a gulf between us and other leading nations that is simply too large to close.

Foundations are the Key

The tallest buildings in the world wouldn't stand if they didn't have the correct foundations, neither in fact would the shortest. When starting with a building project you have to start from the bottom and build up, and make sure you get the experts dealing with the appropriate stages; plumbers do the plumbing, electricians do the wiring and so on. Follow these rules and you will have a safe and reliable building, and when the planning and attention to detail is meticulous you can end up with something magnificent. Now replace this metaphorical building with a young footballer and the same rules still apply.

The general school of thought in football is that the best coaches work with the oldest players and the newest coaches have to do an apprenticeship with the younger players. I believe that this is a huge misconception; coaching u6/7 is completely different to coaching u18 and requires a different approach, something that not every coach can adjust to and expecting them to do so would be similar to hiring an electrician for your pipes and a plumber for your wiring.

Coaching a u6/7 age group can be frustrating at times, but the rewards far exceed the negatives. With this age group you have a completely blank canvas and can teach good habits and work on the foundations to build a solid technical footballer. Many people think that you have to over simplify things and treat them like infants, but speaking to and treating them as equals is a refreshing change for 6/7 year olds and gives them an extra impetus. Getting things right early on means you start to build a better and more intelligent footballer and you may even surprise yourself with how technical or complex you can be.

With older age groups the style of coaching is very different, the focus shifts from teaching to refining. You have to be able to notice subtle and slight faults with a player's technique and know what minor changes are needed to make the biggest difference. Football is a game of habits and it is unlikely you will completely reinvent a player at u18 so your focus is on making their strengths even stronger and their weaknesses less so. The latter age groups in youth football also become a lot more tactical, you need to teach players not only their roles and responsibilities but that of their teammates and how they must all intertwine to create a harmonic machine.

With the introduction of The FA's Youth Modules more emphasis is being placed on age appropriate coaching but there also needs to be an incentive to encourage the strongest coaches to stick with an age group if this is where their greatest skill-set lay. It is human nature to want to grow and develop and moving to a new age group gives you a new set of challenges, but maybe the stigmatism that often goes with coaching the youngest age group forces coaches to move to older age groups earlier.

Slowly and surely attitudes are changing in football, and new ideas come in thick and fast to help different aspects of the game improve. Hopefully we reach a point where we do not judge but show appreciation to those who are patient and inventive enough to get most out of the youngest age groups, without them there is a far greater task further down the line.

Show Racism the Red Card

In the run up to Euro 2012 there is growing concern about racial abuse. Theo Walcott's and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's families have decided not to travel to the tournament and Sol Campbell has advised fans to watch it at home. UEFA have tried to assure people that they have a "zero tolerance" policy on racism and that racism is "only a problem at domestic level".

I feel there is a lot of hypocrisy regarding racism in football. Europe's governing body declare they have zero tolerance but then in the same breath admit there are domestic racism problems in Poland and Ukraine. Fans will racially abuse players from opposing teams but will cheer a goal scored by one of their team's black players only a few moments later, seemingly ignorant to the fact that their abuse will be heard by and affect their own players too.

The problem does not lie solely with racism, but also with sexism and homosexuality. Kick it Out and The Justin Campaign are doing their bit to fight the problem but more needs to be done to by other organisations.

If UEFA are aware of racial issues at any level they should commit to their "zero tolerance" policy and enforce strict and severe punishments. Not only should fans be punished as individuals, but UEFA should punish the clubs and FA's in charge - maybe this would lead to clubs and national governing bodies tackling the problem head on instead of putting on a bravado.

There is no room for racism or any discriminatory behaviour in modern society, and especially not in a sporting environment. Athletes, and all people, should be judged on their merits not their race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. Here's to a future when we finally have kicked it out!

Same Old Same Old

Alex Ferguson was once famously told "You'll never win anything with kids"....we all know what happened next. If you don't give untested players the opportunity to shine they never will. As the saying goes: if you don't bet big, you won't win big.

In my opinion the England squad selection shows a lack of bravery, but more importantly a lack of planning and ambition for the future. In the same way people choose an iPhone, or kids pick the new Nike boots, Hodgson has picked the same old trusted names even though there are better options available. I am not criticising Hodgson as a manager, but I think he could have made a statement of intent in his selection.

Many people will raise eyebrows to certain names being included, and more will raise their eyebrows to players who were excluded, but it feels as though Hodgson has taken the easy way out. Players such as Gerrard and Lampard have been fantastic servants for England and have played in numerous international tournaments, albeit in a disappointing fashion, but have they performed better this season than Britton or even Carrick?

Graham and Holt are the archetypal number 9; big, strong, good in the air, with good hold up and link up play. But both players have done something Carroll hasn't this season and that's score goals. If these players were at a more fashionable club would they have been selected?

England are unlikely to win the Euro's so maybe Hodgson could have had an eye on the next World Cup and given some more young players some experience at an International tournament. Germany did it at the last World Cup and they surprised everybody.

Only time will tell how the Euro's and ultimately Hodgson's England career will turn out. I just hope he doesn't make the same mistake as countless other managers and picks the best players for his system instead of building a system around England's so called best players.

Style over Substance?

"The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It's nothing of the kind. The game is about glory. It's about doing things in style, with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom." - Danny Blanchflower.

Blanchflower made it clear to all how he felt the game should be played when he was a part of Spurs' triumphant Bill Nicholson squad in the 1950's and 1960's, winning simply wasn't enough, it was about winning well. Gaining points was secondary to playing attractive and exciting football, a sentiment still held by teams such as Barcelona and Ajax to this day. But with the added financial pressure applied to managers and coaches, it is an ideal that is increasingly more difficult to implement.

Think back to when you was a child, or the moment you fell in love with the beautiful game. Was it an exciting passage of play or a magical piece of skill by a club hero that first captured your attention, or was it a gritty park-the-bus one nil win?

As a coach you have to decide on which side of the fence you sit; do you want to play attractive and exciting football and be patient in the knowledge that results will eventually follow, or is winning at any cost paramount.

Stoke City are a very well organised team and Tony Pulis uses the players at his disposal perfectly, but it is not a style for children to try and replicate if they want to develop technically. On the other hand they are a perfect example of tactical discipline and perform the roles assigned to them with little fuss.

Jose Mourinho's sides flirt with both possessional domination and settling for a narrow victory. First and foremost they outplay the opponent, but when that fails to break them down they turn to whatever means are necessary to steal the points.

Trying to get the balance between technical superiority and implementing a winning mentality is an extremely difficult task but there is a perfect model to follow. The German youth development programme has created extremely technical players such as Mesut Ozil and Mario Gotze, and they continue to play attractive football, but they also dismantle opposition with the ruthless efficieny you would expect from a German side.

Whatever your philosophy or your expectations from your players, try to remember what brought you into the game and ultimately remember that footballers should love the ball, not be afraid to have it for fear of making a mistake that could cost points.