Modern Soccer Coach Podcast

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What is happening to positional play in the modern game?

In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen sits down again with Bernat Mosquera to explore how football is evolving beyond rigid structures and fixed positions. We dive into the shift from “playing the game model” to playing what is actually happening in front of you. The rise of generalists. The importance of specialists. The impact of man-marking. The changing nature of space. And why rhythm and tempo may be the next tactical frontier.

Bernat challenges a lot of current thinking. Are we overvaluing structure? Are we missing the emotional side of the game? Are small-space habits limiting our players? And what does training need to look like if we want dynamic, adaptable footballers?

If you’re a coach thinking deeply about positional play, identity, and how to develop players for the realities of modern football, this is one you won’t want to miss.

If you enjoy the episode, please like, subscribe, and leave a comment with your biggest takeaway. It helps us reach more coaches around the world.

This episode is brought to you by Zone 14 Coaching — a company built by coaches, for coaches. Their Next Gen Journals for coaches and players help you plan with intention, reflect with clarity, and track development across the entire season. Grounded in neuroscience and designed for real coaching life, they’re a powerful tool for building accountability and learning habits in your environment.

You can get $5 off your order at Zone14Coaching.com using the code ModernSoccer5. If you’re outfitting an entire team or club, check the contact details below and connect directly with them.

Thanks for your continued support of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast.

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Read Dr. Kyle Ferguson's report here:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19406940.2025.2583976#abstract

Development is more than coaching sessions.

It’s more than a curriculum. More than what happens for 75 minutes on a Tuesday night. And it’s definitely more than league position.

In this episode, Dr. Kyle Ferguson joins Gary Curneen to explore what youth technical leadership really looks like in 2026. After an 18-month review of youth football systems, Kyle breaks down why the child must be at the center of everything — and why that requires more than better drills.

We dive into governance, education, environment, and the game itself. Why one-size-fits-all coaching is holding development back. Why copying the Premier League model for kids misses the point. Why “fair minutes” might matter more than trophies. And why parent education is no longer optional.

If you’re a coach, director, or club leader trying to build something sustainable — this conversation will challenge your thinking and stretch your leadership beyond the pitch.

This is youth technical leadership done properly.

Coaches: Order the new MSC Youth Coaching eBooks below:
https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/shop

In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary is joined by Haris Memisevic, Technical Director and Head of Coaching at Virginia Revolution, for a deep conversation on youth session design and coach development.

One of the big themes we explore is how often coaches confuse high tempo with high learning. We talk about why fast sessions don’t automatically lead to intelligent players, how over-coaching and over-explaining can limit understanding, and why the design of the session should do the heavy lifting, not constant coach intervention.

We also dive into:

- Simplifying session planning for youth players

- Intervention strategies that protect flow and learning

- Freedom within a framework in club curriculum design

- Why game-day pressure pulls coaches away from their beliefs

- The overlooked importance of coach personality at the youth level

This is a conversation for youth coaches, technical directors, and club leaders who want to build better learning environments, not just busier sessions.

Check out the latest youth coaching resources, session ideas, and eBooks at ModernSoccerCoach.com
Explore MSC Insider for webinars, session drops, and full access to our growing youth library.

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe, and share with a coach who’s thinking deeply about session design.

Check out MSC Coaching eBooks:
https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/shop

Most clubs agree psychology matters.
The challenge is turning that belief into daily practice.

In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen is joined in person by sports psychologist Dan Abrahams, alongside coach and coach developer Kevin Leahy, to explore how psychology can be implemented properly inside football environments.

Rather than treating psychology as a one-off workshop or a classroom-based add-on, the conversation focuses on performance psychology — the often-missed layer that directly influences how players learn, decide, and perform on the pitch.

Dan breaks down the difference between performance psychology, wellbeing, and mental health, and explains why coaches are already delivering psychology every day, whether they intend to or not. Together, they discuss how clubs can embed psychological support through coaching behaviors, session design, and shared language — while also supporting coaches who are operating under increasing pressure.

Topics include:

Why clubs struggle to scale psychology across teams and age groups

How psychology can live on the training ground, not in PowerPoint slides

Supporting players through failure, confidence dips, and transitions

Helping young players navigate pressure, social media, and expectations

What realistic, coach-led psychological support actually looks like

This is a practical, honest conversation for coaches, directors, and leaders who want to build environments that develop better decision-makers, more resilient players, and more supported coaches.

In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary is joined by Paul McVeigh — former Premier League player, performance psychologist, CEO, keynote speaker, and author of the new book It’s Not About You.

Paul brings a rare perspective, having lived inside elite football dressing rooms and now working at the highest levels of leadership in the business world. Together, we explore where leadership succeeds, where it breaks down, and why modern teams often struggle despite having elite talent.

We discuss the critical differences between football teams and business organizations, why elite performers don’t automatically create elite teams, and how leadership has shifted from command-and-control to relationship-driven approaches — sometimes at the cost of clarity and standards.

This conversation dives into empathy versus boundaries, why communication is often the missing piece in leadership, how belief is built (or destroyed) inside teams, and why leadership should be viewed as a process rather than a personality trait.

If you’re a coach, technical director, leader, or anyone responsible for developing people in high-pressure environments, this episode will challenge how you think about influence, accountability, and what it really means to lead.