There has never been a better time to invest in your coaching and analysis journey. For a limited period, we are offering 50% off the MSC Certificate in Advanced Tactical Analysis and Coaching Methodology. This is our most in-depth course yet, built for coaches and aspiring analysts who want to develop sharper insights, clearer frameworks, and a deeper understanding of the modern game. Click here to take advantage of the offer and use code: MSCTACTICAL This program blends tec

The Modern Soccer Coach Podcast is back with a truly special guest. Per Mertesacker, Arsenal Academy Manager and World Cup winner, joined me for an in-depth conversation about youth development, leadership, and the values that shape one of the most respected academies in world football. This episode goes far beyond tactics. Per shares how his own journey, full of adversity and learning, led him to develop a person-first framework at Arsenal. He explains why character forms th

Marcelo Bielsa rarely speaks publicly about tactics, and when he does, the football world pays attention. His newest presentation is one of the most revealing and thought-provoking tactical lectures he’s delivered in years — not because of a new pressing trigger or possession pattern, but because of how directly he challenges the way coaches think  about formation. In the presentation, Bielsa argues that football doesn’t have endless systems, trends, or reinventions. Instead,

On a recent trip to Rio, MSC had the chance to spend time inside Flamengo and sit down with Caique Andrade from their U20 staff. Flamengo is one of the biggest football institutions in the world, with expectations and pressure levels that are difficult to appreciate from the outside. Speaking with Caique made it clear how much those realities shape the development process and the daily experience of young players. What becomes obvious very quickly is that Flamengo’s identity

Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid gave us one of the most talked-about individual duels of the season — Conor Bradley vs Vinícius Júnior . The young fullback’s fearless defensive display captured headlines and raised an important question: what does elite 1v1 defending really look like in the modern game? In this week's Modern Soccer Coach Breakdown , Gary Curneen dives into the tactical footage to move beyond the highlight clips and explore how  Bradley man

In one of the most thought-provoking Modern Soccer Coach episodes of the year, Ray Power  returns to discuss why so many teams — and coaches — have become trapped by their own structures. Ray challenges the modern obsession with scripts and patterns, arguing that football has become too rigid, too risk-averse, and too reliant on “shopping-list” coaching. “Football needs to be that little bit freer, that little bit more expressive — I threw the patterns out for principles a lo