Player-Management
The one where Cameron tells you how to make players listen to you and your stupid ideas.
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I want to talk about player management, team building and how I try to create an environment players want to work in. This has been mostly sparked by Antonio Conte and his recent complaints in the media of his players at Tottenham Hotspur, as well as the club owner Daniel Levy.
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Neat Reads
Neat Reads is a segment where I share an article or post that interests me and relates to our weekly theme.
Enjoy a piece in The Guardian by Ben Welch titled: “What is the secret to man-management in football?”
It compares massively different styles in management. From fear and creating an environment of players constantly wanting to “prove you wrong” to a more modern approach of developing deep and personal relationships with players.
Sympathizing with Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte overperformed with Spurs this season. It is an ugly style of football that has them conceding seven goals less than expected in the Premier League this season.
Antonio Conte went viral twice in two weeks because of how he complained about his players in the media. Some commended him and others asked for him to be sacked (he was sacked after writing the initial draft of this newsletter) because they viewed it as disrespectful.
Conte saying that Richarlison has had a “shit” season:
Conte saying that Richarlison is having a “shit” season is refreshing, albeit a bit abrasive. Managers don’t hold their players accountable as often as they should. Players are sometimes just not good enough and it seems like a very hard thing for people to admit.
Conte didn’t stop there. He went after his entire squad and even Daniel Levy after drawing away to Southampton despite winning 1-3 at one point:
“The club paid us a lot of money… the players receive money. Me, receive money. Not to find excuse(s)”
“20 years there is the owner - never won anything.”
Some on Twitter said that the second quote should have him sacked. Personally, I understand this as Conte feeling bad for Levy. Levy has been at Spurs for 20 years and has never won anything. The very best Tottenham teams of recent times have never won anything and the closest they came was a Champions League final.
I don’t like to defend millionaires, but I can understand that Conte is saying that the players should be performing better for the club and the owner that has given them all great lifestyles. The Tottenham players are perennial losers and show no sign of changing that.
On the flip side, I can also see how some may interpret this as Conte just saying that the owner hasn’t won anything in 20 years because he hasn’t invested enough or correctly, which is a common complaint amongst Spurs fans.
I sympathize with Conte purely because of how honest he is. Many say he just complains and that’s true, but he isn’t wrong. Players don’t want to hear that they’ve been bad. Fans don’t want to hear that their manager is angry and they especially don’t want to hear that their manager is angry with their bad players.
I try to be as honest and transparent with my players as possible. I don’t hide information or choose what to say and what not to say. Players may not like it all the time, but at least they’ll always know where I stand with them.
I know I appreciate that type of management.
Exercise of the Week
Exercise of the Week is a segment where I share some of my favorite relevant exercises I have used in training before.
Enjoy this pressing activation game. U12s love it. U18s love it. Youth national team players love it.
Always a good laugh and start to my pressing sessions with some very valuable coaching points that can be easily applied to our themes.
Coaches Corner
Coaches Corner is a segment where I ramble about training this week and answer some questions I get from Substack or Twitter.
Ramblings
Above I mentioned how I try to be as open and transparent as possible with my players. While true, there are a few caveats to this. Since coming to Malawi I’ve learned how to get responses out of my players. Like mentioned in The Guardian article above, I’m trying to learn how my players tick so that I can get the most out of them.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
Some players prefer to be left alone
Some players need to be told how bad they are so that they can prove you wrong
Some players need to be told that they’re the best player in the world
Some players need to be given responsibility over other players like making them responsible for the quality of their teammates’ training
Some players need you to make jokes with them
Some players need you to be a dictator and to be scary
Some players want to be spoken to like the child they are
I jump through these different personalities daily. It’s exhausting but it’s what's needed. Unfortunately not all players respond to the same approach.
Q&A
Why are you coaching in Malawi?
I got this via Twitter. I’m in Malawi because I get to work with a caliber of player I wouldn’t be able to work with in Canada. I get to work with you national team players every day. I am learning as much from them as they are from me. It’s been an incredible learning experience for me so far.
On top of this, the work we do is nothing short of extraordinary. We find players who don’t speak English, have very little to no education, come from not great backgrounds in one of the poorest countries in the world and give them a chance to either play football professionally or go to the United States on an academic scholarship.
Oh, and the players are hilarious. Some of my favorite memories have been made in Malawi because of Ascent Soccer and my players.
I’m learning a lot. I’m proud of my work. I’m happy with my players. Why wouldn’t I coach in Malawi?
Leave a comment this week or message me on Twitter and I’ll answer it in the next newsletter!
Conclusion
Thanks for reading this week!
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See you next week!
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