Pen pics of Watford's coaching, science, medicine and analytics staff.
Pen pics of Watford's coaching, science, medicine and analytics staff.
Natasha Patel is Assistant Academy Director at Southampton and one of the most experienced women working in men's professional football. In Episode #64 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, she outlined her journey in football, how analysis has evolved and her experiences on either side of the Atlantic.
RENE MARIC is one of the most exciting young coaches in Europe. At the age of 31, he is Head of Coach Development and Playing Philosophy at Bayern Munich and has worked for Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach. He told the TGG Podcast about his coaching journey and lessons.
OMER RIZA has expressed his hurt at being sacked as Watford Assistant after almost six years with the club.
RADHI JAIDI became the first Tunisian to play in the Premier League when he joined Sam Allardyce's Bolton in 2004 and he remains a trailblazer as one of the only black Muslim coaches in senior European football. On Episode #61 of the TGG Podcast, Jaidi told us about his journey as a player and coach.
AS manager of League One Reading, Ruben Selles has one of the toughest jobs in the Football League. On Episode #60 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, he explained what it's like to lead the crisis club.
BELGIUM'S Union Saint-Gilloise have marked themselves out as one of the smartest and most innovative clubs in Europe. In Episode #59 of the TGG Podcast, their Sporting Director, Chris O'Loughlin, gave insights into how they are managing to upset the established order.
HELENA COSTA, English football’s first and only female Head of Recruitment, has left Watford after less than a year.
GIANLUCA NANI has returned to Watford as Sporting Director, replacing Cristiano Giaretta.
KEVIN THELWELL has been Director of Football during a tumultuous period at Everton. In Episode #58 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, Thelwell talked about what his role involves, formulating a long-term plan for the club and what the future might hold.
JES BUSTER MADSEN is Head of Research and Development at FC Copenhagen and a world leader in the application of cognitive neuroscience in football. In Episode #57 of the TGG Podcast he explained how and why brain training will be the next big growth area in football.
FOR the last decade, Mark Leyland has been one of the foremost analysts in this country - and has gone on to become even more than that. He spoke to TGG about the evolution of his role at Liverpool and Newcastle and his current job as Head of Coaching Methodology at City Football Group.
FOR almost a decade, Sarah Rudd was Vice President of Analytics for StatDNA and Arsenal, making her one of the most senior women in the Premier League. In this episode of the TGG Podcast, she told us about her work with Arsenal, her wider career and her thoughts on the future of analytics.
LIVERPOOL'S influential assistant Pep Lijnders was our guest on Episodes #53 and #54 of the TGG Podcast, giving in-depth insights into his work at the Anfield club.
MANAGER Ian Evatt and Sporting Director Chris Markham are working in tandem to try and restore Bolton Wanderers to their former glories. They outlined their approach in Episode #52 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl.
WHEN Irishman Conor Nestor got an unexpected opportunity to manage Svay Rieng in Cambodia, he grabbed it with both hands. He transformed the way they operated, including a complete revamp of their analysis and recruitment. Here he explains what he did and how it helped land the Cambodian league title.
ARSENAL have a fantastic record of producing athletic Academy graduates. In Episode #50 of the TGG Podcast Des Ryan, the club's former Head of Academy Sports Medicine and Athletic Development, explains why and how.
BENFICA are the reigning UEFA Youth League champions and have the most profitable Academy in Europe. Their Technical Director Pedro Marques was our guest on Episode #49 of the TGG Podcast in association with Hudl.
OUR guest on Episode #48 of the Training Ground Guru Podcast is Norwich City's Stuart Webber, who we've often described as the 'purest' example of a Sporting Director in this country.
IN Episode #47 of the Training Ground Guru Podcast, Tom Vernon tells us about the origins of Right to Dream, its objectives and what the rest of football can learn from the group.
PROFESSOR David Sumpter is a pioneer of the application of data science in football and has worked with leading teams including Ajax, Barcelona, Hammarby and England. In Episode #46 of the TGG Podcast he gives insights into his work and predictions for the future.
BRENTFORD first-team coach Justin Cochrane tells us about his coaching journey on Episode #45 of the TGG Podcast.
SALLY NEEDHAM is the Human Development and Performance Culture Lead at Sheffield United's Academy. On Episode #44 of the TGG Podcast she gives us the lowdown on her unique role.
RUI FARIA is the most successful number two in football history. Here he gives in-depth insights into his time working alongside Jose Mourinho.
SLAVEN BILIC has brought his long-time assistants Dean Racunica and Danilo Butorovic with him to Watford, while the club have performed a u-turn and retained Sporting Director Cristiano Giaretta.
WATFORD Sporting Director Cristiano Giaretta has left the Championship club after two years. The Italian joined in August 2020 from Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia.
SEAN DYCHE explains the lessons he has learned throughout his career, from being a trainee under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest to taking unfashionable Burnley into Europe for the first time in 51 years.
STEVEN REID left his role as first-team coach at Nottingham Forest earlier this summer to become a confidence, wellbeing and leadership coach. On Episode #41 of the TGG Podcast he explains the reasons why and gives insights into his two decades as a Premier League player and coach.
DAMIEN COMOLLI tells TGG about the strategies he has employed to restore Toulouse FC to the top table of French football - and how they were honed during three decades in the game.
IN April, Southampton announced that they were launching a “unique” Learning Lab that would embed a “research culture focused on modern Ecological Approaches” in their club and Academy. TGG decided to find out more by welcoming two members of the Learning Lab Board onto our podcast.
AUSTRALIA assistant Rene Meulensteen was our guest on Episode #38 of the TGG Podcast. He told us about his coaching journey from Holland to Australia via Manchester United and the lessons learned along the way in front of a live audience..
ANDREAS GEORGSON gives us insights into individual development coaching, evolving set pieces at the highest level, Malmö's youth development secrets and what it was like to work under Arteta.
THE Training Ground Guru Podcast is celebrating its third birthday. We look back on the 37 episodes we've had so far - and ahead to season four.
FOR 24 years, Francis Cagigao was one of the most important and influential figures at Arsenal. He tells TGG about his time with the North London club and about his new role, as Director of Football for Chile.
BRENTFORD'S journey to the Premier League is a story of innovation, clever use of data and investment in people. We found out more about this from their Director of Football, Phil Giles.
THREE staff have left Watford with manager Claudio Ranieri, with Roy Hodgson and Ray Lewington coming in in their place.
MARIELA NISOTAKI is the Head of Emerging Talent at Norwich City - and the only female scout on the circuit in the UK. She told us what her job involves, how she balances data with live eyes and why Norwich are an ambitious club doing things their own way.
In Episode #33 of the TGG Podcast, Chris Ramsey MBE tells us about his role at QPR, his career journey, how he develops coaches and why the game has lost a generation of black leaders.
GREGG BROUGHTON is the Academy Director at Bodø/Glimt, the small club making a big noise in European football. He was our guest on Episode #32 of the TGG Podcast.
WATFORD Head of Performance Jordi Garcia has left the club after less than four months. The Spaniard, who has previously worked for Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid, was appointed in July when his compatriot Xisco Muñoz was Head Coach.
NEW manager Claudio Ranieri has taken a trio of Italian assistants with him to Watford - assistants Paolo Benetti and Carlo Cornacchia and fitness coach Carlo Spignoli.
CLAUDIO RANIERI is set to be announced as Watford’s new Head Coach later today following the sacking of Xisco Muñoz yesterday.
OWEN EASTWOOD, who has worked with the England men's football team since 2016, shares insights about building an optimum environment for teams and athletes to thrive.
LUKE BORNN, the former Head of Analytics at AS Roma, tells us about his own journey, and that of data science in football.
DAVE ALRED MBE shares the secrets for performing under pressure that he's used with Jonny Wilkinson, Luke Donald, Francesco Molinari and even Gareth Southgate
IN just 20 months, Russell Martin has marked himself out as one of the most interesting and original English managers in the game. He told TGG more about his approach, covering topics including Buddhism, politics, playing without fear, work-life balance and the importance of sticking to Plan A.
JORDI GARCIA has been appointed as Head of Performance at newly-promoted Watford. The Spaniard, who has previously worked at Barcelona and Real Madrid, replaces compatriot Moises de Hoyo, who left at the end of last season for family reasons.
MICHAEL BEALE gives an insight into the training ground methods that helped Rangers land their first title in a decade.
WATFORD Head of Performance Moises de Hoyo is leaving the club after four months after “one of the most difficult decisions in my life.”
FORMER Watford midfielder Richard Johnson has been appointed as the club’s new Academy Director, with Jimmy Gilligan taking up the role of Head of Technical Development.
CHELSEA WOMEN manager Emma Hayes on some of the key influences on her career and how they helped to shape her leadership philosophy.
WATFORD Academy Manager Richard Thomas has left the club with immediate effect after two years in post.
WHY newly-promoted Watford are the only team in England to use gpexe, an Italian GPS system developed to provide insights into metabolic output.
LAURENCE STEWART, the Head of Recruitment for AS Monaco, explains the core principles of the club's transfer strategy.
RENOWNED coach and coach educator Brian Ashton MBE tells TGG the lessons he has learned from five decades in the profession.
FILIPPO GIRALDI has admitted that Watford “are not a club that leaves the coach alone and lets him get on with the job” in his first interview since leaving his job as Technical Director at Vicarage Road.
AZ ALKMAAR Sport Development Director Marijn Beuker outlines how the club outperform their budget by thinking differently.
LIVERPOOL legend and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher tells TGG how he analyses matches and aims to take fans inside the world of the manager's post-match debrief.
UNDER-16s lead Dan Micciche outlines the key principles of Arsenal's Academy and how they go about developing 'Strong Young Gunners.'
WATFORD have made their fourth change of Head Coach and assistants in a year, with Spaniard Xisco Muñoz replacing Vladimir Ivic at the helm.
BRIGHTON Technical Director Dan Ashworth explains what the role involves and why he believes it’s so important.
EVERTON assistant Davide Ancelotti was the guest on episode #19 of the TGG Podcast. The 31-year-old talked about growing up with a famous father, gave insights into his role, explained why Dominic Calvert-Lewin was "the best striker we could have" and opened up about his own managerial ambitions.
Eddie Jones, Tom Vernon, Dave Reddin, Lorraine O'Malley and Karen Bardsley outline what they believe will be the big developments in football in the coming months and years.
LIVERPOOL Academy Manager Alex Inglethorpe takes TGG inside the club's Kirkby training centre and explains the principles that underpin one of the most successful youth programmes in English football.
HAYDEN MULLINS has left Watford after four years to become assistant to Steve Ball at League Two Colchester United.
CRISTIANO GIARETTA has been appointed as Watford's new Sporting Director as the club continues to restructure following relegation to the Championship.
MIGUEL RIOS, Opta Pro’s Head of Football, has joined Watford to play a prominent role in their scouting and analysis operations.
DR PIPPA GRANGE, the former Head of People and Team Development for the Football Association, tells us about the differences between winning deep and shallow.
DO football clubs need to change their approach to chronic pain? Richmond Stace is a specialist 'pain coach' who has worked with several teams.
MANCHESTER UNITED Academy Manager Nick Cox lays out the key tenets of the club's youth programme, including the belief that there is a higher purpose than just producing professional footballers.
DANNY COWLEY lays out his footballing philosophy, which he described as "old-school values with new methods".
TONY STRUDWICK says building relationships is still the most important skill for any practitioner, despite the increasing influence of data and science in football.
GÉRARD HOULLIER is the "most underrated" Liverpool manager. according to Jamie Carragher, but he brought the club into the 21st Century and his legacy is still felt to this day,
BLACKBURN have been one of the surprise packages of the Championship season so far - and 35-year-old Stewart Downing has been their talisman. He tells TGG about the astute management of Tony Mowbray and how it's helped prolong his career.
GOALKEEPER Ben Foster says Watford have thrived under Nigel Pearson because the team was “crying out” for a manager and not a coach.
ENGLAND rugby coach Eddie Jones shares insights gleaned from three decades in coaching, ranging from the influence of Pep Guardiola to managing mavericks to tactical periodisation.
NIGEL PEARSON has retained Hayden Mullins and Graham Stack on his Watford coaching staff following their two games in caretaker charge of the team.
CRAIG SHAKESPEARE is to join new Watford manager Nigel Pearson as his assistant, with the rest of the new coaching staff due to be named within the next 48 hours.
MLADEN SORMAZ, Head of Football Analytics at Leicester City; Luke Benstead, Head of Performance Analysis and Innovation for Belgium, and Ed Sulley, Director of Customer Solutions for Hudl, discuss the current state of data science in football and where it could be headed.
PAUL BALSOM, Leicester City’s highly-experienced Head of Performance Innovation, says a rare alchemy has taken the side to heady heights in the Premier League this season.
WYSCOUT founder Matteo Campodonico explains how he came up with the idea for the scouting and analysis platform, how clubs use it and why he believes Big Data will transform the way it is used.
LEEDS UNITED Sporting Director Victor Orta says the club’s recruitment policy is 70% human judgement and 30% data.
WATFORD have had 10 managers in seven years, entire changes of the backroom staff and the highest turnover of players - yet it is all part of their strategy and seems to work.
LES FERDINAND charts his journey from star player to Director of Football at QPR and laments the fact that bigger clubs are now “stockpiling” young talent.
RHYS LONG, Head of Performance Analysis and Insight for the Football Association, outlines his philosophy in the Training Ground Guru Podcast.
DAVE REDDIN, the Football Association’s Head of Team Strategy and Performance, tells the TGG Podcast that sports science is creating a generation of players with “limited physical capabilities”.
THIS month we go behind the scenes at the TGG Youth Development Conference in Manchester, with speakers Kris Van Der Haegen, Leigh Bromby and John McGuigan.
TGG gets a tour of Burnley's Academy, which is on the verge of going from Category 3 to 1 inside three years.
FORMER Notts County assistant Richard Thomas has been appointed Academy Manager at Premier League Watford.
FORMER Birmingham, Derby and Stoke manager Gary Rowett is joined by his former Head of Performance, Dave Carolan, and Head of Analysis, Joe Carnall, for the first episode of the new Training Ground Guru podcast.
WATFORD manager Javi Gracia says he only shouts at his players if they are winning.
WATFORD have suspended Head of Academy Darren Sarll following allegations of bullying.
ANDY SCOTT has been promoted to Sporting Director by Watford after a year as Football Recruitment Director.
FORMER Stevenage manager Darren Sarll has been appointed Head of Academy by Watford following the resignation of Chris McGuane last month.
WATFORD are introducing a B team next season in an attempt to bridge the gap between their Academy and first team.
NEW Watford manager Javi Gracia appoints Iñigo Arteaga, Juan Solla, Jesús Casas and Zigor Aranalde as his assistants.
Richard Collinge, Watford’s former Head of Medical, has brought a discrimination case against the club, claiming he lost his job because he was English.
ALEC CHAMBERLAIN is leaving Watford after two decades as player and coach - leading their former Academy boss to say the club 'has finally given up the last piece of its soul'.
SOUTHAMPTON have lost the lowest number of days to injury so far this season, while Watford have experienced the most.
WEST BROM won the Premier League fitness title in 2016/17, with the lowest number of significant injuries and days lost to injury.
WATFORD haven't just appointed a new manager - they've appointed a new management team.
WATFORD are again looking for an almost an entirely new first-team coaching staff following the sacking of Walter Mazzarri.