Our guest on Episode #66 of the TGG Podcast is Paul Fernie. Paul is Sporting Director of SV Darmstadt in Germany. He grew up in Hull and worked in analysis roles in England before the opportunity came to join Wiesbaden. He progressed from Head of Recruitment to Sporting Director and led the club from promotion to Bundesliga 2. Paul told us how the Sporting Director role works in Germany, what it was like to work under Graham Potter and Paul Mitchell and why more English staff should give it a go abroad. 

Here is Part 2 of our interview with Bayern Munich Head of Coach Development and Playing Philosophy Rene Maric. In this second half, Rene told us how he kickstarted his career with the tactics blog Spielverlagerung, about coaching Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund, and about his brief spell as assistant at Leeds United. 

Our guest on Episode #61 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Radhi Jaidi. Radhi is a true legend of Tunisian football, having played 105 times for his country and won every trophy there was to win at club level there. Fans in England will know him best from his time at Bolton Wanderers, where he played under Sam Allardyce and helped them qualify for Europe.  Since 2018 he's been a coach, working with Southampton U23s, Hartford Athletic in the USL, Esperance in Tunisia and now Cercle Brugge in Belgium, where he's assistant. Radhi told me about his tough upbringing, his best memories from Bolton and his experiences and ambitions as a coach. 

Our guest on Episode #60 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Reading manager Ruben Selles. The highly-rated coach gained plaudits for the way he managed Southampton for the second half of last season and there were high hopes when he took over at Reading in the summer. However, an ongoing financial crisis has plunged the very future of the club into doubt. In this episode the Spaniard gives us insights into the challenges he and his players have faced, while also looking back on his career to date and ahead to the future. 

Our guest on Episode #59 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Chris O'Loughlin. Chris is the Sporting Director of Union Saint Gilloise, one of the most innovative and interesting clubs in the whole of Europe. Despite having a stadium with a capacity of just 9,400, and a budget that’s dwarfed by the biggest clubs, they are top of the table in Belgium.      Chris told us how the club scout for character and how they use data to punch way above their weight. 

Our guest on Episode #58 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Everton Director of Football Kevin Thelwell. Kevin tells Simon Austin about his role at the club, their four strategic pillars, his relationship with manager Sean Dyche and much more.  SHOW NOTES=> 01:50: Team going in the right direction. 02:44: Sporting Director role explained. 03:30: Why did Everton choose you? 04:20: Are your KPIs different to those of Marcel Brands? Huge spending to balancing the books. 07:37: Ambitions now. "Everyone wants to get Everton back to where we believe it belongs". Previously an inverse relationship between spending and improving team performance. 10:00: How did you put together the strategy? Staff working groups. 12:09: Four strategic pillars: who we are; how we play; how we support; staff development. 13:34: Learnings from previous role as Head of Sport at New York Red Bulls. "The clearer you are, the better you are and the easier it is." 14:27: Style of play. "They want to see this dogs of war piece but they also want to see this school of science bit they had in the 60s and 70s." 21:30: Is Sean Dyche the right person to develop this style? "If you look at Sean at Burnley, Sean at Everton, he has already evolved. The data tells us that, the naked eye tells us that." xG difference as the most important metric in identifying longer-term form of the team. 25:48: Style of play running through the teams, from seniors to Academy. 27:06: Was balance right between winning trophies at Academy level and developing players? Importance of loans. Example of Jarrad Branthwaite. 34:49: Recruitment - collaboration between Director of Football and manager. 38:25: Influence of the Data Insights department. Charlie Reeves. Dyche engaged. Review of team's progress using data every six to eight weeks. 42:38: Wider club challenges. Potential of 12-point deduction/ uncertainty over ownership.

Our guest on Episode #57 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Jes Buster Madsen. Jes is Head of Research and Development for FC Copenhagen in Denmark and is leading the way in the application of cognitive neuroscience in football.  SHOW NOTES=> 01:31: What role of Head of Research & Development involves. How he got the role.  09:10: How he persuaded Academy Director Sune Smith-Nielsen to give him the job at FC Copenhagen. 12:37: Importance of application of ecological psychology in football.  15:50: What does perception actually mean and what does it involve? 21:12: Importance of visual cues. "The biggest sensory system in the brain - and the one that takes up the most space by far - is the visual system." 23:27: Working memory: the ability to remember information temporarily. Pattern recognition. Implications in scanning. 26:32: Has your work impacted/ changed coaching practice at FC Copenhagen? Has it influenced and improved the players? 29:02: What is 'game intelligence'? 34:06: How you can tell a player's position from their brain scan. Importance of simplicity: "Neuroscience is complex and when something is complex, people try to find the most complex solution. I think the other way round - when something is complex, we should find the most simple solution and work from there." 37:07: Everything in the brain can be trained. The brain is neuroplastic and can change. 38:28: Future of neuroscience in football.

Our guest on Episode #56 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Mark Leyland.  Mark is one of the foremost analysts in this country and has become much more than that. He started his career in the Academy at Everton and went on to work for Burnley, Liverpool and Newcastle. Mark is one of the few backroom staff to be name-checked by managers. Eddie Howe described him as 'integral' and said 'we love him to bits,' while Jurgen Klopp said he had played 'a big part' in Liverpool's success. Mark was a Post-Match Analyst for Liverpool, evolved into a Coach-Analyst at Newcastle and is now Head of Coaching Methodology for City Football Group.  Simon Austin spoke to Mark in front of a live audience at Hudl's UK Football Conference at Loughborough University. SHOW NOTES=> 02:14: Starting to work in football. Analysing games on VHS with Dave Raven. Intern with Everton. Early lessons. 09:45: Delivering feedback in a constructive way. Importance of relationships. Working with young players. 11:53: Elite players employing their own analysts.  13:17: First team football with Burnley. Working with Eddie Howe and then Sean Dyche. Help of Harrison Kingston. 18:08: Working at Liverpool. Evolution of the analyst role. Elite development group and focus on individual development. 20:46: Divock Origi embracing analysis. Has his own analyst and Wyscout account. 22:05: Working in tandem with the data science department at Liverpool. Players more used to working with data now. 25:41: Working closely with the coaches at Liverpool/ spending more time on the training pitch. 28:54: Even including the ball boys in analysis at Liverpool, leading to famous winner against Barcelona in the Champions League semis. 30:31: Joining Newcastle/ how the Coach-Analyst title came about. Will it become more prevalent in future? 37:16: Switch to City Football Group/ how it came about/ pressures of being in a first-team environment and difficulty of getting a work-life balance in football. 42:09: What does Head of Coaching Methodology involve? 44:38: Personal ambitions for the future?

Our guest on Episode #55 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Sarah Rudd. For almost a decade, Sarah was Vice President of Analytics for StatDNA and Arsenal, making her one of the most senior women in the whole of European football. She's now founded her own analytics company, SRC FTBL, along with husband Ravi Ramineni. In this episode, Sarah told us about her work at Arsenal, her wider career and her thoughts on the future of analytics.

Episode #54 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is with Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders. The Dutchman sat down with Simon Austin at the AXA Training Centre for an exclusive interview. In Part 2, he looked back on his career, gave insights into his time with Liverpool and reflected on his special relationship with Jurgen Klopp. This has been an interview we've wanted to do for a long time, so we hope you enjoy it! SHOW NOTES=> 01:37: Starting in football and coaching in Holland. 09:11: Working with Vitor Frade at Porto. 10:15: Importance of youth at Porto. Transferring idea of the talent group to Liverpool. Academy must match standard of scouting and recruitment. Need for a unified approach and for first-team manager to be aware of club's young players. Need for an 'inside pathway'. 15:24: Move to Liverpool in 2014. Doing Pro Licence in Wales. 20:00: Progression of coaches/ analysts as well as players at Liverpool. 21:39: Moving from Academy to first team at Liverpool. Why #6 and #10 are the most 'stressed' positions. 26:17: Strong relationship with Mike Gordon/ how he offered to pay for his father's hospital treatment. 27:52: First meeting with Jurgen Klopp. Returning after season as manager of Nijmegen in Holland. Told "I feel we can conquer the world together." 33:50: Why he and Klopp work so well together. 35:08: Highlights of his time at Liverpool. So proud of Trent Alexander-Arnold. What makes Klopp so special.  

Episode #53 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is with Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders. The Dutchman sat down with Simon Austin at the AXA Training Centre to talk about his career, his approach to coaching and his book Intensity.  This has been an interview we've wanted to do for a long time, so we hope you enjoy it! SHOW NOTES=> 02:03: Pre-season preparations and reflections. Camp in Germany.  05:37: Training exercises with different colour bibs. 10:10: Counter pressing and why it’s so important for Liverpool. Makes the difference between winning and losing. "As Jurgen says, counter pressing isn't a proposal, it's a law. That's what makes us us." 12:41: Background to Trent Alexander-Arnold moving inside to midfield last season. “The big big change last year was the moment when we found balance, when we put Trent to the inside and Cody (Gakpo) went to the 9, to become the extra player. The team became compact again, together again.” 16:08: Roberto Firming “was the one who connected everything, who made us us, who was like the soul of the team. He was the one who made even not a good build-up a good one. That’s how Sadio and Mo could be Sadio and Mo.” 19:13: “The difference between a good and top team is the quality of your top three, your piano players.” 20:30: Did team lack intensity last season?  22:53: New season without James Milner and Jordan Henderson. By the boot room there is a clock that Milner used to police. Now Linjnders has put up a sign: “Standards are made by the ones who need to live them.” 27:12: Use of rondos. Competition and street football. Identity game. “You need to earn the right to attack more, by defending top. That principle is present in each exercise. The 30% we don’t have the ball, that’s where we should be different from all other teams in the league.” 30:32: Building street pitch at the training ground to train offensive aggression. ‘Melwood Arena.’ “You need to create exercises where they feel that the better you attack the less you have to defend and when you defend really well you can attack much more.” 35:17: Creating a set piece pitch.  37:03: Football is about honour. You want to be the best you can be. How identity game builds on this. “I try to play with the honour of the players a lot… they train with a knife between their teeth.”

Episode #51 of the Training Ground Guru Podcast, in association with Hudl, features two guests: Bolton manager Ian Evatt and his Sporting Director Chris Markham. Simon Austin sat down with the duo at the club’s Toughsheet Community Stadium ahead of the new season. It’s rare to get a manager and Sporting Director speaking together like this, so we hope you enjoy it…   SHOW NOTES => 1:53: Having a blank canvas when they arrived at the club. 5:35: Setting a game identity, which then helps with recruitment. 9:58: Establishing this identity at Barrow, where it became known as futbol club de Barrow! 13:45: Pressing strategy and splitting the pitch into five zones. 16:00: Scouting process. Allying data and video. Chris being a data translator. 21:50: Ian seeing a big part of his role as a manager being to develop players. 'Re-recruiting players every day.' Looking for hungry players. 24:02: Scouting for character/ psychology. Young players having a problem dealing with adversity/ not being resilient. Mental health and wellbeing. 26:35: Treating people as individuals/ realising they are motivated by different things. How to give feedback. Young players want detail. B team.  33:36: Progression of the game. Playing in Premier League with Blackpool and not doing opposition analysis/ having any out-of-possession strategy. 37:16: How a manager should behave on the touchline.  40:16: Loans. Why big clubs want to send their players to Bolton. Difficult for big clubs to develop young centre backs. James Trafford. 48:11: Academy/ developing their own players. Having a genuine B team.  53:09: Using Hudl and Wyscout for the B team and first team. Having an analysis culture. 54:43: Chris's work on penalties at the Football Association. 56:28: Chris: ambitions for Bolton in next few seasons. 57:17: Ian: personal ambitions. Wanting to become the first manager to take one club from League Two to the Premier League. 

Our guest on Episode #51 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Conor Nestor.  Conor is the new coach of Hyderabad in the Indian Super League. He arrives from Svay Rieng in Cambodia, who he led to the 2019 league title. The Irishman told us about his fascinating career journey and about how he has used analysis to gain an advantage. 

Our guest on Episode #50 of the Training Ground Guru Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Des Ryan.  Des is Director of Coaching and Performance at Setanta College and was Head of Sports Medicine and Athletic Development at Arsenal Academy from 2013 to 2021. During his time with the Gunners he helped to develop 'Strong Young Gunners' like Bukayo Saka. 

Our guest on Episode #49 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Pedro Marques, the Technical Director of Benfica's Academy. There's a strong case for saying that Benfica have the top Academy in Europe. They are the reigning UEFA Youth League champions (having beaten RB Salzburg 6-0 in the 2022 final), have the most profitable Academy in Europe (according to the CIES) and have recent graduates including Ruben Dias, Joao Felix and Bernardo Silva. SHOW NOTES => 02:30: Is there one thing that sets Benfica's Academy apart? 06:07: The importance of the Benfica Campus. Previously it was like "travelling with a house on your back" for players, parents and coaches. 08:56: Balance between being a development club and one that also wins trophies. 11:24: PILLAR ONE of the Benfica Academy = Scouting. 17:04: Admiring the work of Right 2 Dream, especially their character development and commitment to all children. 21:01: Overall there are 520 players in the system - 200 in the regional talent centres, 100 living in Lisbon and 220 living at the Benfica Campus. 26:45: Despite the success with South American players, the focus of the Academy is Portugal. 29:18: PILLAR TWO of the Benfica Academy = Methodology. 30:04: Broad base and diversity of activities at younger ages (futsal, dance, gymnastics, cage football) with more specialism at the older ages. 32:04: Playing model throughout the club. "It's not so much about the system, but principles & ideas - about intensity, taking the initiative, pressing high,regaining quickly & scoring lots of goals." 36:34: PILLAR THREE of the Benfica Academy = Competition. 41:02: PILLAR FOUR of the Benfica Academy = Opportunities. 43:17: Benfica Lab. 45:25: Instead of selling your stars, could you hold onto your best players in future and win the Champions League?

Our guest on Episode #48 of the Training Ground Guru Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Norwich City Sporting Director Stuart Webber.  SHOW NOTES => 02:04: Rebuilding Norwich's training ground. Appeal of Sporting Director job was producing something sustainable at a club. 08:03: Premier League is the hardest league in the world. Even Brentford and Brighton, in Norwich's peer group, have significant owner investment. 09:56: Arriving at the club in 2017. They were lacking direction/ didn't have a lot to show for seasons in the Premier League. Simplified the plan: style of play/ invest in youth/ develop global scouting.  13:10: Evolving as a person. Change manager v status quo manager. 17:48: Is he the purest form of a Sporting Director?  23:17: Should the Sporting Director be visible and communicate with media/ fanbase? 25:41: Inspired to do the Sporting Director role by Damien Comolli. 35:35: Huddersfield Town. Focusing on foreign players and foreign coaches. 39:02: Would you appoint an English Under-21 coach as a manager? Have done it with German coaches in David Wagner and Daniel Farke. 42:30: Summit Foundation. 45:05: Criticism for mountain climbs/ Summit Foundation. Breakdown of relationship with local newspaper.  56:00: Ambitions for Norwich City. Personal ambitions. Could see a future outside football. 

Our guest on Episode #47 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Tom Vernon, the founder and Group CEO of Right to Dream Group.  => SHOW NOTES: 02:12: What is Right to Dream and its philosophy? 04:46: Start of Right to Dream in 1999. Changing the 'extractive mindset'. Setting up the only residential girls' Academy in Ghana. 12:23: Moving into the USA and plan to buy an MLS club. 16:12: Trying to have a straight pipe rather than a pyramid with youth development. 17:39: Right to Dream recruitment days in Africa. 100,000 kids attend trials every year. 19:33: Appointing Ian Yates as Head of Global Recruitment. "We wanted someone who had been thinking in multiple sports in multiple ways. We want to go to places which are overlooked, where people might believe excellence does not exist." 21:35: Why "entrepreneurship in Africa is as tough as it gets." How he benefitted from white privilege. 23:42: Expelled from school. His own dyslexia. Why football needs to follow lead of other industries and recognise/ promote neurodiversity. 29:30: How the world - and football - are "rigged systems", with a high level of unfairness towards Africa. 34:13: Good book - 'Why I am no longer talking to white people about race.' Ghana's 'year of the return.' African diaspora returning and driving a different narrative. 37:21: Praise for Gareth Southgate "realities of the past and reconstructing the future." "One of the most inspirational stories in the sport in the last 20 years." 38:43: Is Right to Dream 'ultimate socialism'? Is it sometimes difficult to balance this with capitalism of raising finance/ selling players and corporate packages etc? 46:09: Buying FC Nordsjaelland. Reasons why. Developing youth - 14 of the first-team squad have come through the Academies in Ghana and Denmark. 51:50: Other leagues and clubs are taking lessons from what FCN and Right to Dream do, but not so much England.  54:38: Right to Dream's KPIs - social impact, brand equity and football performance.

Our guest on Episode #46 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Professor David Sumpter, who has worked with top teams including Ajax, Barcelona and England.  => SHOW NOTES: 02:06: How he got started in computer programming/ mathematics and then football. 05:45: Studying behaviour of birds and fish and how this relates to football. Need to look at at least six matches of data to remove randomness. 08:13: Matthew Benham's work on gambling/ modelling of odds was first alliance of football and data. 09:54: Teams including Manchester City come to visit him in Uppsala following publication of Soccermatics. First formal involvement with a club is with Swedish side Hammarby, spending 50% of his working time there. 21:00: How he packages up the approach to football developed at Hammarby to use at other clubs. Can apply to every area of the club, including fan experience, performance and scouting. 23:05: Worked on research projects with Barcelona, Ajax and England. With Ajax he's looking at the rules of motion of players. With the Football Association (England) he is working with a research student and they are looking at scanning behaviour and expected threat models. 29:45: Ajax are doing things 'from a  more fundamental level, trying to understand the game from its basics', which is rare. 36:50: Liverpool are 'definitely leading the way in analytics', but doing it in a very different way to Ajax, focusing mainly on recruitment.  39:35: Importance of quantifying your style of play and how this 'identity' informs everything. 44:18: 'The stuff we did at Hammarby is still a lot more advanced than what's being done at some of the big clubs. There is still so much they can use this tracking data for.' 50:45: Analytics will never replace people or expertise. 'The inputs of experts are so important.' 56:45: Use of streamline, a 'second revolution' after Python. We hope you enjoy this Episode. If you do, please give us a FOLLOW via your podcast provider! This is the best way in which you can support the podcast. Thank you!    

In the first instalment of a new series called TGG Extra, Justin Cochrane gives his tips for current and aspiring coaches.

Our guest on Episode #45 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Justin Cochrane. Justin has been first-team coach and Head of Coaching at Brentford since the summer. He was previously Head of Player and Coach Development at Manchester United and has also worked for the Football Association and Tottenham.  => SHOW NOTES: 01:23: What does your job entail (Head of Coaching and first-team coach). 02:42: Differences between working in Academy and first team. 05:30: Innovation at Brentford - and focus on set pieces. 08:26: Thoughts on B team model. How every player is different/ be mindful of this in transition from PDP to first team. 11:19: Coach before player - from age of 17. 17:35: Grassroots football - does it need more investment/ closer links with Academy system? 21:22: Arriving at Tottenham. Influence of Chris Ramsey and John McDermott. 27:45: Joining the FA and England youth teams in 2018. 30:09: How good coaching comes down to content and connection. 34:58: Working with Alejandro Garnacho at Man Utd. 42:07: Value of specialist coaching and the need to constantly up skill yourself. 46:11: Ambitions for the future/ need to live in the moment. 

Our guest on Episode #44 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Sally Needham. Sally is the Human Development and Performance Culture Lead at Sheffield United Academy.  => SHOW NOTES: 01:57: What is human development? 07:21: Mindfulness room. 16:02: Influence of neuroscience.  26:22: Strengthening the window of tolerance.  28:06: Professional doctorate in elite performance. Research in application. 33:07: Red and green model. 38:54: Being present/ enjoying the moment. 45:22: Power of words. Importance of what you say and how you say it. 50:17: Understanding your impact on the team and on the environment.

Our guest on Episode #43 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Rui Faria. Rui was Jose Mourinho's assistant for 17 years, during which time they achieved huge levels of success. They won at least one trophy a season in that time, including league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain, as well as two Champions Leagues. In this pod Rui covers a range of subjects, including tactical periodisation, style of play, the use of data, neuroscience and why he still regards Mourinho as #1.   => SHOW NOTES: 01:45: Why hasn't he done any interviews? 03:58: How he got involved in football. 05:42: Tactical periodisation. 11:38: First contact with Jose Mourinho. First meeting in Barcelona. Thinking 'out of the box'. 15:20: "I think we marked an era in football." 21:20: Difficult times early on at Leiria. Meeting of minds. 25:55: Coming into Chelsea. New approach for the players. 'Special One'. What his role as assistant involved. 31:16: Training mental skills and emotional control. Inter v Barca in 2010 Champions League semis as an example. 43:00: Man management. Need to treat everyone as an individual.  49:30: Different styles of play. Need for pragmatism. Making sure young players are prepared for their opportunities. Some players not ready, eg Mo Salah at Chelsea. 58:12: Remembering watching Ronaldo and Messi for the first time, when they were both 16. 1:06:00: Being accused of being a defensive coach. How style of play has evolved in England since they first arrived. 1:13:02: Importance of context when using data. 1:14:40: Defiant about scrapping GPS at Manchester United. How it has become too dominant within sport science. Role of neuroscience. 1:27:24: Stepping down at Manchester United. "I left a job millions would love to be doing." Ambitions for the future.  1:30:16: Would he work with Mourinho again? "They were fantastic unforgettable moments."

On Episode #42 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, we were joined by Sean Dyche. Dyche was manager of Burnley for nine-and-a-half years and transformed their fortunes both on and off the pitch. When he first arrived at the club, in October 2012, they were 14th in the Championship. What followed during his tenure was seven seasons in the Premier League and European football for the first time in 51 years. In this episode Dyche reflects on his time with the Clarets, gives insights into his coaching and leadership style and explains what the future could hold for him.  => SHOW NOTES: 01:23: Life after leaving Burnley in April. Any approaches? 03:47: Start of playing career at Nottingham Forest. Influence of Brian Clough. 6:13: Are leaders born or can those skills be learnt? 9:28: Importance of clarity and simplicity. Don't load players with too much information before kick-off. 11:45: Starting to think about becoming a manager at 26. Career progression after that. 16:30: First managerial job at Watford. Being authentic. Staying tight with the players but they still know who's in charge. 18:34: First impressions of Burnley. Lack of alignment between Board and fans. Gradually get accepted. 22:45: Telling the Board "you need to put a structure in place for the longevity of the club" after Premier League promotion. 28:00: Were you similar to a Sporting Director, as you were looking at longer-term future of the club?  32:54: "Massive strides" with the Academy at Burnley. "Big believer" in the youth system. 35:55: Accusations of "Brexit football." Didn't have the scouting network to find/ sign foreign players.  39:22: Getting "put in a box". Back to front football/ Brexit football.  41:15: How he could manage differently at a different club.  51:45: Sacked at Burnley. How news was delivered and reflections. 55:28: Key thing was not recycling the team two/ three years ago. Recommended bringing new players in but didn't happen. 56:37: Backroom staff. People saying assistants were only there because they were his friends. 1:00:55: Don't put too low a limit on your goals. "Positive realities."    

Episode #41 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is with Steven Reid.  The former midfielder played in the Premier League for Blackburn, West Brom and Burnley and won 23 caps for the Republic of Ireland. Since retiring from playing he has forged a successful career in coaching, working at first-team level with Reading, Crystal Palace, West Brom, Scotland and Nottingham Forest. At the start of July, the 41-year-old announced he was leaving Forest to become a confidence, wellbeing and leadership coach. => SHOW NOTES: 01:32: New role as a confidence, wellbeing and leadership coach. 05:32: Coping with imposter syndrome as player and coach. 10:14: Staff can often be the ones who are forgotten. 16:54: Leaving Nottingham Forest/ grateful for understanding of Steve Cooper. 20:25: Remembering the person as well as the player and being wary of 24-hour monitoring. 27:22: Secrets of Steve Cooper's success at Nottingham Forest.  29:53: What does a first-team coach do? Difference from being an assistant. 33:56: Do top players make top coaches? 36:40: Is coaching a profession that's worth getting into? 39:09: Insights into the different managers he's played under. 44:13: Best point in his playing career/ best player he's played with. 

Episode #40 of the TGG Podcast is with Damien Comolli, the Chairman and Sporting Director at Toulouse, last season's champions of Ligue 2 in France. Damien is  the former Director of Football at Fenerbahce, Tottenham, Liverpool and St Etienne.  For more information, visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru => SHOW NOTES: 01:25: Toulouse's title win. Righting wrongs. 09:11: Establishing an identity at the club when he arrived. 23:25: Why Toulouse have a Head of Strategy and Culture. Importance of showing vulnerability and admitting mistakes. 37:08: Use of data. Input of Zelus Analytics. Why being data and culture driven is 'the perfect balance'. 50:10: Involvement with Red Bird and why those chose to buy Toulouse. 55:32: Being a pioneer of the Sporting Director role. Early mistrust. Mentor to Michael Edwards etc. 1:05:46: Sacking at Tottenham. Learning from mistakes. Not to be 'big-headed' again!

For this episode we go inside Southampton's innovative new Learning Lab with two of its leadership team - Head of Technical Development Iain Brunnschweiler and Dr Andrew Wilson, a Reader in Psychology at Leeds Beckett University. For more information, visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru => SHOW NOTES: 01:15: IAIN BRUNNSCHWEILER - background on his playing and career journey. Youth player at Southampton/ cricket career/ UK Coaching/ back to Saints. 09:23: Learning from top performing organisations in sport, business and the military. Floyd Woodrow and the SAS. 19:10: Technical Development department - what it is, what it does and what his role entails. 26:32: Learning Lab - how it came about, what it does, PhD projects 37:02: Importance of developing relationships; why we over-index on technical skills and under-index on human skills 44:15: DR ANDREW WILSON - career journey 46:15: What is ecological learning? Origins. 1:03:52: Why ecological learning 'radically alters the role of the coach' 1:15:55: Scanning. PhD projects in the Learning Lab 1:27:34: Is the Learning Lab unique in football?

In our first episode in front of a live audience, we spoke to Australia assistant and former Manchester United first-team coach Rene Meulensteen at Batch Bottlestore and Deli in Altrincham. Rene told Simon Austin and Josh Schneider-Weiler about his coaching journey, his one-on-one skills work with the likes of Paul Scholes and Cristiano Ronaldo and some of the leadership lessons learned from legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.  For more information, visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

Welcome to the first episode of season 4 of the Training Ground Guru Podcast, in association with Hudl. Our guest is Andreas Georgson, Sports Director for Swedish champions Malmö. He told Josh Schneider-Weiler how the Sky Blues are aiming to outdo richer European rivals in Europe, about his work with Brentford and Arsenal, and why Mikel Arteta is a cut above. For more information, visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru => SHOW NOTES: 01:35: Back at Malmö. Why the club is special. 06:37: 'Grandma coaching' - anyone can spot the best player in youth football; spotting the late developers is the key. 12:54: Why Malmö are so good at producing players. 15:50: Andreas's personal journey and career. 20:17: Individual Development Coach. How he got the job at Brentford (and then Arsenal) and what it involved. 28:55: How he came to get a job at Arsenal. Why Mikel Arteta is special. 33:06: Set piece coach. Work at Arsenal. Leading change. 43:26: Still in touch with Arteta and his staff. 'Sky is the limit' for them.

Our guest on Episode #36 of the TGG Podcast was Francis Cagigao, the Director of Football for Chile. He told Josh Schneider-Weiler about his current role and his 24 years with Arsenal, where he was Head of International Scouting. For more information, visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru => SHOW NOTES: 0:37: How job with Chile came about/ 12 intense months to start. 5:04: StatDNA at Arsenal and use of data in football. 9:44: Ben Brereton Diaz - how he came to play for Chile and why he's become such an important player. 14:29: Why he left Arsenal after 24 years. "There was not a good feeling between myself and some people at the hierarchy." 18:29: Background/ career as a player and coach. 24:52: How he came to scout for Arsenal/ working with Arsene Wenger. 28:07: Discovering Cesc Fabregas. 35:51: How to scout character. 40:22: Why South America is the Continent with the most talent. 42:40: Ambitions for the future. 

Our guest on Episode #35 of the TGG Podcast was Phil Giles, the Director of Football for Brentford. He told Simon Austin about the club's first season in the Premier League, their use of specialist coaches and why they might reopen their Academy. For more information, visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

Mariela Nisotaki is Norwich City's Head of Emerging Talent and the only female scout on the circuit in the UK. In Episode #34 of the TGG Podcast, Nisotaki tells Simon Austin how she balances data and human eyes, about Norwich's ambitions and what it's like to be a female pioneer in football recruitment. For more information, visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru      

Chris Ramsey is one of the foremost coach educators in the UK. In Episode #33 of the TGG Podcast, he tells Josh Schneider-Weiler about his role as QPR's Technical Director and Head of Coaching, about his four decades in the game and why diversity is important. For more information, visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

Gregg Broughton is the Academy Manager of Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt, having held the same role with Luton Town and Norwich City. In Episode #32 of the TGG Podcast, Gregg explains how the club do things differently when it comes to youth development - and how living in the moment is key. For more information, visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

Owen Eastwood is one of the most in-demand performance coaches in world sport. He's worked with Harlequins Rugby, South Africa Cricket and, for the last five years, England football. In Episode #31 of the TGG Podcast, he explains what he does and how it's rooted in ancient cultures. For more information, visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

In this episode, Luke Bornn tells us about his experiences in football and gives insights into the future of data science in the sport. Luke is a former Professor of Statistics at Harvard University, Head of Analytics at AS Roma and Vice President of Strategy and Analytics at the Sacramento Kings. Now he's the founder and chief scientist at Zelus Analytics, which aims to become the world's best sports intelligence platform.  For more information visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

In this episode, Dave Alred gives us his guide to performing under pressure. The performance coach has a CV that's hard to match. He's worked with sports as diverse as cricket, golf and rugby union, and with stars including Jonny Wilkinson, Francesco Molinari and even Gareth Southgate. For more information visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

MK Dons manager Russell Martin tells TGG about the importance of people and purpose, why he won't change his beliefs on style of play and the importance of buddhism to his philosophy. For more information visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

Rangers first-team coach Michael Beale tells TGG about working with Steven Gerrard, winning the Scottish title for the first time in a decade and his own managerial ambitions. For more information visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

Chelsea Women's manager Emma Hayes talks about her team's quest for the quadruple this season, outlines her leadership philosophy and gives her thoughts on working in the men's game. For more information visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

Laurence Stewart, the Head of Recruitment and Development at Monaco, tells TGG about his work with the resurgent French club. For more information visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

Former England rugby coach Brian Ashton, who now works for the Premier League as an educator and mentor, tells TGG about the lessons he has learned during five decades in coaching.  For more information visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

Marijn Beuker, the Sport Development Director at AZ Alkmaar, explains how the club manages to punch above its weight in the Dutch Eredivisie by doing things differently.  For more information visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

Liverpool legend and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher tells TGG how he analyses matches, gives insight on his use of tech and shares his thoughts on the current Premier League season. For more information visit trainingground.guru  or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

Under-16s coach Dan Micciche reveals what goes on inside the Arsenal Academy, including their four pillars, how they encourage players to take responsibility and what it's like to work under Per Mertesacker. For more information visit trainingground.guru  or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

Brighton Technical Director Dan Ashworth explains what he does in his role, reveals the long-term ambitions of the club and reflects on his six years with England. For more information visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

Everton assistant Davide Ancelotti talks about what it's like to work alongside his famous father, how impressed he has been with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and about his own managerial ambitions.  For more information visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

This episode is brought to you from TGG's The Future Game virtual conference. We hear from England rugby coach Eddie Jones; Right to Dream founder and FC Nordsjaelland chairman Tom Vernon; former FA Head of Team Strategy & Performance Dave Reddin MBE; and Man City sports psychologist Lorraine O'Malley with Man City and England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley.  To watch the entire Future Game Webinar, with 9 speakers and more than 6 hours of high-quality content, click here.  For more information visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

For this episode, TGG traveled to Kirkby to speak with the Liverpool Academy Manager, Alex Inglethorpe.  For more information visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter @ground_guru

Dr Pippa Grange, the former Head of People and Team Development for the Football Association, talks about her work with England, her current role with the Right to Dream Academy and her new book, How to Win at Life Without Losing Yourself.

For this episode, TGG speaks with Manchester United academy manager Nick Cox. Cox talks about the club’s youth philosophy, how they measure success, and how they’ve dealt with the coronavirus pandemic. For more information visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter, @ground_guru

Huddersfield Town manager Danny Cowley tells TGG about his coaching journey and the values he's brought to Yorkshire.

Tony Strudwick, the Wales and Sheffield Wednesday Head of Performance, talks about coping during the coronavirus crisis, the future of sports science and his memories of working alongside Sir Alex Ferguson. 

For this episode, TGG went to the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London to speak with Gerard Houllier. The former Liverpool manager spoke about changing the culture at Anfield, leaving a legacy and what he thinks about Jurgen Klopp and his current side.   For more information visit trainingground.guru or follow us on Twitter, @ground_guru

Blackburn Rovers midfielder Stewart Downing tells TGG about his 19th season in professional football. The 35-year-old also looks back on his time with Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Liverpool and England. 

In an exclusive interview, England rugby coach Eddie Jones tells TGG about his philosophy on coaching, leadership and life. The Australian reflects on the aftermath of the Rugby World Cup final and shares insights on tactical periodisation, meetings with Pep Guardiola and maverick players. 

This episode is brought to you from TGG's Big Data Conference in Manchester. Three of the key speakers from the day talk to Josh Schneider-Weiler about how data analysis is used in elite football. We hear from: Mladen Sormaz, the Head of Football Analytics at Leicester City; Luke Benstead, the Head of Performance Analysis and Innovation for Belgium; and Ed Sulley, Director of Customer Solutions for Hudl.

Welcome to the Training Ground Guru Podcast, in association with Hudl. For this episode, we spoke to Paul Balsom, Head of Performance Innovation for Leicester City. He spoke about the approach sports science during the title-winning season, player empowerment, building a culture at the club and using data in the future. Follow us on Twitter: @ground_guru https://trainingground.guru/

Welcome to the Training Ground Guru podcast, in association with Hudl. For this episode, Simon Austin went to Elland Road to speak to Leeds United’s Sporting Director, Victor Orta. He's followed by Wyscout's CEO, Matteo Campodonico, who discusses how Wyscout is changing football.  

Welcome to the Training Ground Guru podcast, in association with Hudl. For this episode, Josh Schneider-Weiler went to QPR’s training ground to speak to their Director of Football, Les Ferdinand. They talked about a new era at QPR, the club's approach to recruitment and what it's like to be a pioneer for black executives in the game.   

Welcome to the Training Ground Guru podcast, in association with Hudl. For this episode, we’re at Hudl’s 2019 Elite User Conference in Las Vegas. Host Derek Hernandez is joined by Cathal Garvey, Head of Performance Analysis for Rugby Australia, Ed Sulley, former Head of Research and Innovation for Manchester City, and Rhys Long, Head of Performance Analysis and Insight for the Football Association.

For this episode, Simon Austin went to St George’s Park to meet Dave Reddin, Head of Team Strategy and Performance at the Football Association. Last month, Reddin announced he would be stepping down from the role in December, after almost six years at the FA. Simon asked him about his eventful, and sometimes controversial, reign. 

Welcome to the Training Ground Guru Podcast, in association with Hudl. For this episode, we’re at the TGG Youth Development Conference in Manchester. In this episode you’ll hear from three of our main speakers: Huddersfield Town Academy Manager Leigh Bromby, Hudl senior strategist John McGuigan, and Director of Coach Education for the Belgian FA Kris Van Der Haegen. 

Welcome to the Training Ground Guru podcast, in association with Hudl. For this episode, Simon Austin and Josh Schneider-Weiler went behind the scenes at Burnley’s Academy. They were given a tour of the Barnfield Training Centre by Academy Manager, Jon Pepper.

Welcome to the new Training Ground Guru podcast, brought to you in association with Hudl. This monthly show is going to take you behind the scenes in professional football. For our first episode, Simon Austin went to meet former Birmingham, Derby and Stoke manager Gary Rowett at the Belfry Resort in Warwickshire. Joining them were Rowett’s former Head of Performance, Dave Carolan, and his Head of Analysis, Joe Carnall. They gave an insight into their roles, how they work together as a team and reflected on their time in football.