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Use the experience of your staff
Day-to-day decisions are based on your own experience but also on the experience of the staff around you. I am fortunate that we have a great U21 backroom staff who are hugely experienced and knowledgeable in their own fields. As a Head Coach or a manager you appoint good staff and you should listen to their experience and knowledge.
In this regard, we are extremely fortunate to have Chelsea’s Steve Holland as our coach with the U21 squad. Steve’s knowledge and experience in the game – at both youth development and senior level – is second to none. Steve has a significant influence on the way we play and how we train and is great example of how we try to utilise and empower experts in their own field.
Ultimately the Head Coach has to make the final decision, but if you don’t seek the opinion of others and consider what they say then I don’t believe it creates a healthy environment for the Head Coach to be challenged – something which I think is important in a progressive environment.
Give your staff confidence and show them that you trust them
Staff meetings don’t always need to be formal. Quite often I like to speak to the U21 staff more casually in a more relaxed atmosphere. There are times for formal meetings when key information and the logistics of the day need to be communicated but my approach is not to micro-manage the staff. All the backroom staff are trusted to do their job because they are very good at what they do. In the same way that you give your players confidence, you have to give your staff confidence and show them that you trust them.
Find time for the whole group
As the Head Coach you have to make time for the players and it is crucial to have the one-to-one chats with the players. It is the same approach with the staff – I’ll try and sit with different people at lunch, have different conversations throughout the day and try and get a feeling for the mood of the group and also get to know individuals better.
Reflection and review
After the event all aspects of the programme are debriefed with the other England age-group national coaches. All the aspects of the training schedule will be shared, including the rationale behind the session content, how it linked to the tactical objectives for the fixture and how it was informed by our analysis and opposition scouting.
We will then debrief the game, showing some clips from the footage, sharing our reflections on the performance. It is an important opportunity for the team of National Coaches to question each other and to share ideas and experiences, something which can only benefit each coach in their future work.
Gareth is England U21s Head Coach and Head of National Teams.
Gareth re-joined The FA in 2013 having previously worked for the organisation as Head of Elite
Development between 2011 and 2012.
A former player with Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, Gareth won 57 caps for England before embarking on a coaching career.
After retiring as a player with Boro, Gareth was given the opportunity to manage at the north-east club and spent three years in charge at the Riverside Stadium.
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