Managing matchday to suit your players

SCW: Can you expand a bit on that link between training and matchday? What do we need to think about in linking the two?

SL: "It is to help you to be more efficient with your time but, more importantly, it’s for the players’ learning.

"Let’s say we are working on playing forward. If that is the topic we deliver on Tuesday [in training], hopefully the things you’re going to look for on matchday relate to that topic. That helps you give some really useful feedback to the players.

"Even better, if I can go from the Tuesday, to the Sunday [game] and then back to the Tuesday, where we might do a similar topic, there might be some slightly different learning activities, but it helps players join the dots from week to week.

"Whereas, if you’ve done playing forward in training and then all you’re looking at is how many goals you score on matchday - and that is all you give feedback around - how is that going to make sense for the players and where they’re at in their journey?

“As a coach, you can observe what has happened on a matchday, what you might need to still cover and that’s your session plan for Tuesday.

"You’re not having to think about separate things all the time - it’s a continuation for the players and for you as well.”

SCW: What about the team talk? What kind of messages should we be delivering?

SL: "It’s all about keeping things consistent. It might be one thing that you have taken from the Tuesday and put into matchday - ’Remember what we finished on, remember what the messages were, remember what your role might be’.

"Keep it really simple. Understand you’re not going to get everything [across] in one matchday, it might take six, it might take 60.

"Just be patient, try not to set the bar too high, be positive and understand that some players will arrive super excited and really confident, and some will arrive at the complete opposite end of that scale.

"The more simple and concise you are with your information, the better, because that’s less things for them to have to think about. 

“Maybe you can give one player lots of information, and they can handle it. Maybe you need to give less to another. But try not to overload them, because there’s a lot going on on a matchday."

SCW: What’s the right level and tone of information you want to give during a game?

SL: "I think this really depends on your group. Some players will tell you if they need it, some won’t. Some will take it in, some won’t. So learn about your players, what they want and what they need.

"The whole point of the game is to help players solve problems for themselves..."

“For example, on one of the teams I coach, if there’s a break in play, one of the players will come and ask me, ’Sarah, anything to say? Anything I’ve missed?’.

"The others just want to come off, get a drink and they’re not really bothered - maybe they’re in their own thoughts. It’s just trying to understand what they need on the matchday. 

“If we’re constantly shouting instructions from the sideline, what happens when we’re not there anymore? Or what happens when they no longer get that information? How are they going to know how to solve problems if all they rely on is what the coach says?

"The whole point of the game is to help players solve problems for themselves and have thinking skills. 

“If we’re what we call ‘PlayStation coaching’ and telling them every decision - like pass, run, shoot, move - how are they ever going to learn to do it for themselves? 

"Our job on matchday isn’t to control the players. We want them to experience the matchday, enjoy it, learn from it, and hopefully come away saying, ’I learned this today’. It’s got to be a process. 

“When you’re trying to learn something new, do you want somebody shouting something at you constantly?

"I would say use it with caution, but know your players and what they need from you."