Been reading a bit about Marcel Lucassen following this Twitter thread being shared in the Saka thread:
Really, really, like quite a few of the points he's making especially in this article:
Arsenal’s Lucassen: Many “coaches haven’t got a clue and try to mask that with words”
I think his style here works well for a youth setup - and looking at how German football has produced players in large part as well in the time with DFB as Director of Development between 08/09 (Aug 1, 2008) and 14/15 (Jun 30, 2015) there's some evidence behind it too.
How he describes earlier in the article as well, that coaches would yell "Concentrate!" to a player, without ever considering if that player is struggling with the fundamentals behind what the player is attempting and rather assuming the player knows exactly what to do but can't focus on the task. Massive difference.
I've seen it once at Brøndby Stadion several years ago where it happened to a young and upcoming right back. He had broken through recently, but had had some poor games and it was a bad time in the club in general and tensions were high. He got booed at a home game and looked beat for a long time. As far as I recall he was 18 years old, got loaned out (where he didn't do great as far as I know) and came back as a grown man. He improved massively and looked more confident and ended up becoming a starter for Valencia now. Daniel Wass. But that talent could've been ruined back then.
Really, really, like quite a few of the points he's making especially in this article:
Arsenal’s Lucassen: Many “coaches haven’t got a clue and try to mask that with words”
I believe Wenger has said similar multiple times and I tend to like people who say this and truly mean it. There's something very sincere and honest about in a likable manner that suits me well.Every person needs an incitement and Lucassen’s is to make players and coaches better. What maybe sounds like a cliché, the 56-year-old lives for: “After all, there’s nothing bigger than getting acknowledgments like ‘You’ve improved me’ or ‘I’ve never seen it like this before’.”
When dealing with hormonal puberty bombs like the teens are in the youth divisions breaking it down and keeping it simple and clear is key. Making it relevant to each player as well. You can't expect every player to understand every concept of football - nor do they need to be able to do so.According to Lucassen, many coaches are determined by their favourite system rather than taking the existing players into account. “The playing philosophy should be fixed, the system variable,” the 56-year-old emphasises. Does that mean that football is very simple? Lucassen thinks so. “There are six basic principles, which are features of football: Start the attack, create an attack and finish an attack. Contrary to that, defend as highly as possible, as quickly as possible and initiate transitional play. And to whom this is still to complicated: “If you lose the ball, win it back,” he explains with a chuckle.
I think his style here works well for a youth setup - and looking at how German football has produced players in large part as well in the time with DFB as Director of Development between 08/09 (Aug 1, 2008) and 14/15 (Jun 30, 2015) there's some evidence behind it too.
This seems so basic, but something that I suspect - even at high levels - is lacking.Instead of criticising, he offers measures for improvement: “I’m certainly not a coach that never makes a mistake. But I reflect a lot and look in the mirror. If I expect that it is taken for granted by a player to move in spaces, then he should also take it for granted that I explain to him how it works. And should mistakes still happen then, I have to analyse the situation precisely. Is the body weight shifted in the wrong way? Does he think about the next step already in this situation or did he make this mistake once in ten tries?” Because of this, Arsenal sign youth coaches only after practical training sessions: “We want to see: Is he able to learn, if and how he uses his experience?”
How he describes earlier in the article as well, that coaches would yell "Concentrate!" to a player, without ever considering if that player is struggling with the fundamentals behind what the player is attempting and rather assuming the player knows exactly what to do but can't focus on the task. Massive difference.
This is not only on coaches though - it's on media, other players etc. and definitely also on us fans. I can't think of many things that can ruin a young player more than having their own fans boo them."Then there are two kinds of coaches: The first one gives the player hell, so that he never does a stepover again because he fears the consequences. The second kind accomplishes to get a self-reflection from the player with specific questions, so that he thinks about it and decides if a stepover makes sense depending on the situation.” It cannot be forgotten that footballers “are also human beings and need a secure environment to be successful”.
I've seen it once at Brøndby Stadion several years ago where it happened to a young and upcoming right back. He had broken through recently, but had had some poor games and it was a bad time in the club in general and tensions were high. He got booed at a home game and looked beat for a long time. As far as I recall he was 18 years old, got loaned out (where he didn't do great as far as I know) and came back as a grown man. He improved massively and looked more confident and ended up becoming a starter for Valencia now. Daniel Wass. But that talent could've been ruined back then.