Reader,
One of the more interesting current conversations in the world of football seems to be that the game is so over-analysed, coach-led or tactically detailed, it’s become less creative, fluid or exciting.
Manchester United legend, Roy Keane recently stated:
“Too often young players are pushed into a regimented system at academies that can stifle creativity and passion. When I was a kid we spent hours playing in the streets, honing our skills. That’s where real football is born.”
Perhaps in the age of artificial intelligence, where data is everywhere, technology feels like it’s evolving almost weekly, and analysis of the game is at an all-time high.
This can lead to the development of more ‘robotic’ players if we only focus on the data or are guilty of ‘over-coaching’.
When we look back at some of the most creative players in the history of the game, including the likes of Ronaldinho, Cruyff, Pele, Zidane, Messi and Ronaldo (the list could go on), what makes them exceptional didn’t come about through tactics or coaching, it’s driven by technical quality, exceptional skill and ability to make decisions and solve problems quickly.
My view here is that if we are to potentially push back on ‘robotic’ football, our coaching approach should lead to the creation of environments where players are free, decisions can be made, and coaches accept the randomness or chaos within the game.
More so, whilst data can be valuable, it needs to be applied in a contextual way that genuinely impacts the players, not just for the sake of a team or game model.
Three Things to Consider
1 – Account for context
If you’re utilising video or other analysis tools in a player development context, be very clear on how you’re using them, what you present and how you interpret data. It’s not black and white.
2 – Seek player voice
Match analysis and data can be a fantastic tool to encourage player voice, discussion as a team, in units or individually about the player’s perceptions in the game, versus the actual data that emerges from the game. Similarly, when reviewing video, asking players what they saw or why they made decisions can be impactful, because the angle of the video or the coach is very different to what the player sees in the moment.
3 – People first.
In order to provide ‘resistance’ to a potentially more robotic future player, we have to prioritise people, connection, joy and belonging over tactics and stats, even more so in youth development environments.
One thing to try this week
If you have access to video of your game and can share clips or playlists with your players, utilise this as a tool to start a dialogue.
Whether it’s sending players individual clips and starting a discussion, or it’s a team meeting where you can ask for player input or their perspective on what they see and what problems need to be solved, these are methods of creating shared ownership for the players.
One Critical Resource on the Topic
Check out this PDP guide on how to utilise analysis in a youth football context, which features insights from Tottenham Hotspur’s Head of Football Methodology, Zaheer Shah.
