The Lowdown – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Peter McDonnell is the U17 head coach of Philadelphia Union. A true student of the game and committed developer, Peter has strived to ensure he has passed on the many fruits of a path shaped by football.

Coaching in Ireland, at Seacoast United and Minnesota all preceded a move to Philadelphia Union in the last year. Winning this years U17 GA Cup proved to be one of many highlights Peter has had since joining the Union.

With an illustrious history of bringing through home talent Peter’s mission is to continue this trend. Inspired by what’s possible the Killala man has to tap deep into his philosophy of limitless development to get the most out of his talented squad.

A true storyteller this episode is to be sat back to and enjoyed.

Listen to find out more including;

- Is there a perfect way or environment to develop a player ?

- Why Philadelphia Union have such a successful track record in youth development ?

- How to challenge & support amid raising expectations?

- Building a team culture in the era of the individual.

- What’s the most difficult part of coaching?

- How jiu jitsu has helped shape Peter as a person, coach & leader?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 06:26 - Intro

06:27 - 16:43 - Vocation

16:44 - 33:58- Philadelphia Union

33:59 - 39:38 - Evolution

39:39 - 49:18 - Jiu Jitsu

49:19 - 52:12 - Advice

Get in touch;

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/

YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPod

Email: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

David Webb is the First Team Coach of the Georgia National Team. Since debuting on the podcast over 2 years ago David was contacted by Willy Sagnol to join the staff ahead of their Euro playoffs earlier this year. What ensued was possibly the story of this years European Championships.

Ranked 74th in the world did little to hold Georgia back and they attacked each game in the entertaining and inspiring manner for which they have gained plaudits in recent years. Their 2-0 victory over Portugal announced their arrival on the world stage with a historical qualification to the Round of 16.

Exiting to eventual champions Spain in the Round of 16 did little to dampen the feel good factor beside this generational side.

Luckily for us David joined us shortly after the Euros to recount this historic occasion.

Listen to find out more including;

- Inside Georgia’s robust training and analysis ahead of the Euros.

- What David’s moment of the tournament was ?

- Inside the gameplan to beat Portugal ?

- Getting the best out of Kvicha Kvaratskhekia.

- What was so impressive about facing Spain in the flesh ?

- The historic homecoming to Tbilisi.

Get in touch;

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/

YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPod

Email: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

Today's guest Jon MacKenzie is the face and voice of TIFO Football.

He has been regarded as one of the finest minds on football tactics in recent years. It was fascinating to spend an hour in Jon's company going in depth on his topic of choice.

Here we cover everything from hybrid pressing, Jon's fascination for the out of possession phase, Liverpool's evolution, Michel's new age football at Girona, what makes Xabi Alonso fascinating to study and TIFO's plans going forward.

Listen to find out more including;

- How his studies of philosophy shaped his views on football?

- How Jon's consumption of the game varies from fan to analyst?

- When did Jon start following coaches as opposed to teams?

- Why Relationism v Positionism is not a question of either or?

- An argument for viewing football as one phase.

- Who is leading the tactical evolution and why these evolutions happen in a dialectical manner?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 09:24 - Intro

09:25 - 19:29 - Relationism

19:30 - 30:19 - Analyst v Fan

30:20 - 42:09 - Out of Possession

42:10 - 46:28 - Rest Defence

46:29 - 51:29 - Girona

51:30 - 53:33 - Xabi Alonso

53:34 - 1:00:59 - Evolution

1:01:00 - 1:03:00 - Advice

Get in touch;

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/

YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPod

Email: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

South London rightly generates a lot of clamour in recognition of the players it produces but what about it's coaches? Harry Watling joined me this week as we dove in deep into the secrets behind the rise of one of the UK's top coaching exports. At 31 Harry was appointed as the head coach of USL team; Hartford Athletic, in the process becoming the league's youngest. Coaching at prestigious academies such as Chelsea, Millwall & West Ham provided Harry the ultimate education in talent development. His experience as an elite developer alongside a healthy dose of emotional intelligence with some old school values added into the mix stacked the odds in his favour. Not knowing when the opportunity is coming but doing everything to be ready. This is Harry's journey to date and there is something here for everyone to take away. Among what we discussed included;

- What did Harry do in his first off season in management?

- Learning the art of balancing performance and education within Chelsea's academy.

- The rising tide of young English coaches breaking down barriers to enter the game.

- How understanding business dynamics smoothed Harry's transition from coach to manager?

- The steps taken to achieve buyin amongst a new group of players before inspiring the execution.

- Generalist v Specialist coaches (and the art of delegation).

- Where Harry looks for inspiration?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 05:14 - A coach's life

05:15 - 13:25 - Breaking down walls

13:26 - 16:30 - Talent development

16:31 - 22:57 - Management

22:58 - 29:26 - Generalist v Specialist

29:27 - 36:16 - Inspiration & Advice

Harry's LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-watling-060623123/

Harry's Instagram ; https://www.instagram.com/h_watlingcoach/?hl=en

“Purposeful work won't find you, you have to go and find it”

I am proud to have had the good fortune of learning from one of the best I have come to know within the football industry over this past year. David Cosgrave & the guys at The Leadership Bunker have drastically expedited my learning curve and enabled me to reflect and make sense of my journey to date and how I arrived here. Therefore I thought it was ample time to pass the buck and listen to David's own unique and captivating story. Having spent nearly 20 years at a whole host of clubs including Liverpool, Spurs, Bolton & Fulham it was his departure from Copenhagen which led to an intense period of self reflection and discovery. Recently appointed the new Director of Sports Medicine & High Performance at Orlando City David is set to embark upon a new chapter in his life and career. This is a story of values, mission and never compromising on your purpose. Among what we discussed included;

- The path from chiropractor to leading a whole MLS department?

- Standing on the shoulders of giants at Bolton.

- Does “service excellence” exist amid the never ending tension at top flight clubs?

- The rise of purposeful value driven football clubs.

- Losing inside to unpack whether or not your identity is tied to your job?

- Why unlearning is more important than learning as a leader?

- David's process for achieving buyin just 3 weeks out from the start of a new MLS season?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 03:44 - Intro

03:45 - 09:36 - Pioneers

09:37 - 15:20 - Values, mission & purpose

15:21 - 18:40 - Copenhagen

18:41 - 25:05 - Burnout

25:06 - 30:22 - Beyond the game

30:23 - 39:26 - Leadership

39:27 - 43:21 - Advice

David's LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-cosgrave-09187b3/

The Leadership Bunker; https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-leadership-bunker/

John Demartini values assessment; https://drdemartini.com/values/

“Bet on yourself” , was Brian Walsh's simple advice to me in response to examining his success to date.

Arriving in the US nearly 20 years on a college scholarship Brian has continued to fulfill that promise to himself rising through the ranks to launch and spearhead youth programmes at NY Cosmos and now NYCFC. Leveraging critical thinking, navigating change successfully and being prepared to go above and beyond have been at the heart of Brian's career to date. With over 25,000 kids passing through NYCFC youth programmes over the past 5 years it's hard to argue against it's success and sturdy foundations. Unprecedented interest and growth in football combined with a home World Cup on the horizon allowed for us to have a timely conversation about youth football and it's rise in one of the largest metropolitan areas on Earth. Among what we discussed included;

- 20 years in the United States from college scholarship to youth director.

- The Monday evening in downtown New York which altered Brian's path?

- Building the youth development programmes at NY Cosmos & NYCFC from scratch.

- Insights into running a youth development programme the sheer magnitude and scale of NYCFC's?

- Advantages of working within a multi-club network?

- Impact of the monumental growth and interest of the game in shaping the eco-system around a player?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 05:04 - Early Beginnings

05:05 - 09:09 - Change of Path

09:10 - 15:45 - NY Cosmos

15:46 - 31:45 - NYCFC

31:46 - 39:06 - Advice

Brian's Twitter; https://twitter.com/nycsoccer1?lang=en

It would not be an understatement to say Jonathan Harding authored one of my favourite football books to date in “Mensch” which appraised the story of the German coaching revolution and the person behind the coach. However as Jonathan explains here once he began to scratch an itch he discovered the longing for plenty of coaches to discover a connection that runs deeper than just winning or losing. In his new book “Soul” Jonathan grapples with the idea that maybe professional sports can care a lot more for their people. Although the concerns we speak of are unwelcome guests there ought to be an urgency to address these now before they tear down the remaining value structures of the game which we adore. What followed was a conversation that perhaps both of us did not want but was ultimately needed. Among what we discussed included;

- The origins of Mensch.

- What exactly is a “menschenfanger”?

- Are Klopp, Tuchel & Nagelsmann unrealistic ideals to aspire towards for young German coaches?

- Are the traditional German values such as hard work & commitment to achieving excellence good or bad virtues?

- What is prohibiting innovation in German football?

- Does professional sport care about people?

- Character development beyond 90 minutes.

- The over professionalisation of children in academies.

Timestamps;

00:00 - 08:05 - Mensch

08:06 - 15:17 - Grand Expectations

15:18 - 24:58 - Rulebreakers

24:59 - 33:22 - Soul

33:23 - 44:16 - Player Welfare

44:17 - 51:36 - Managerial Recruitment

51:37 - 55:11 - World Cup

Mensch; https://www.amazon.com/Mensch-Beyond-Cones-Jonathan-Harding/dp/1910906182

Soul; https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1910906255/ref=dbs

Jon's Twitter; https://twitter.com/JonBloggs66?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Doug Lemov is the author of 'Teach Like a Champion' & 'The Coach's Guide to Teaching'. Doug has a track record of going into underprivileged schools and turning them around. How he did so and why this can help sporting organisations and their coaches is what we delve into during the blockbuster conversation. During our talk Doug gives the lowdown on a range of subjects varying from performance v learning to the inverse relationship between resources and success. This will be a podcast which I'm sure you and I will be returning to frequently. What we discussed also included;

- Key differences between the classroom & the locker room?

- What is the most efficient way for players to learn in the long haul?

- The concept of the 'quiet eye'?

- Separating the wheat from the chaff in the cognitive revolution.

- Why in Doug's experience there's an inverse relationship between resources & success?

- Retrieval practices for building up long term memory.

- How to improve coach efficacy in delivering feedback?

- What Doug learned about player interaction from Eddie Jones & England Rugby?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 09:16 - Coaching v Teaching

09:17 - 18:53 - Cognitive Revolution

18:54 - 26:46 - Cultural & Resource Constraints

26:47 - 39:00 - Performance v Learning

39:01 - 47:00 - The future player

47:01 - 54:56 - Burnout

Omar Chaudhuri is the Chief Intelligence Officer of the Twenty First Group. The Twenty First Group provides ground-breaking sports intelligence to drive sporting success and unlock commercial value. Omar gave me the lowdown on his story to date. From beginning a blog in his bedroom to sharing the boardroom with some of the sporting world's most powerful stakeholders, Omar has a unique perspective on how to forge a niche within the industry. From playing a role in three Premier League managerial hires this season to redressing the competitive balance of European football there are no shortage of topics to discuss. Listen to hear more about;

- The number one thing to do to enter the football industry?

- Inside Omar's role within Twenty First Group.

- Playing a role in three Premier League managerial hires this season.

- Key differences between player and managerial recruitment?

- The impact of fixture congestion on playing styles?

- Redressing the issue of competitive balance within European football?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 05:40 - Intro

05:41 - 09:32 - Prozone

09:33 - 12:15 - Twenty First Group

12:16 - 17:24 - Recruitment

17:25 - 28:25 - Current Affairs

28:26 - 32:26 - Governance review

32:37 - 38:40 - Season Predictions

38:41 - 40:23 - Advice

Little under two months ago, our guest today Chris Docherty took the helm as Sporting Director of FC Akron; a second division team in Russia, at the tender age of 29. Despite his whirlwind start to life in Russia, Chris was kind enough to share some time with me to speak about his intriguing career arc to date. What followed was a fascinating yet intricate conversation on multiple subjects ranging from the different types of sporting directors to how various visible and invisible factors can influence youth development. Chris' journey to date is a shining example to many as to what can be achieved when you merge an insatiable hunger to improve with a first class network whilst adopting a patient approach. Umpteen personal and professional lessons to take from this one. Some of what we discussed included;

- The long road between apprenticeship & mastery.

- Implementing versus discarding research at football clubs and the cultural considerations in between.

- Opportunity amongst the managerial chaos at Hajduk Split.

- Remarkable insight into the factors behind Croatia's successful youth development record.

- The different types of sporting directors and considerations.

- FC Akron's data driven approach to challenge the elite of Russia.

- Building foundations for future success at FC Akron.

Timestamps;

00:00 - 13:55 - Apprenticeship

13:56 - 17:38 - Passion meets Reality

17:39 - 25:13 - China

25:14 - 32:35 - Hajduk Split

32:36 - 52:02 - Croatian Youth Development

52:03 - 1:08:35 - FC Akron

1:08:36 - 1:16:04 - Advice