Finding the balance between being fun and assertive in coaching (+ more Q&A)

In this special edition Spin The Ball Q&A, Rhys Desmon d talks about how to find the balance between being fun and assertive in coaching, how to be more enthusiastic for your players, and gives his thoughts on the CONCACAF Champions League and Man City vs. Tottenham this weekend. Be sure to check out @mastermindsite on social media and everything we have going on at themastermindsite.com to never miss an update.

ABOUT

Rhys Desmond is the Founder and CEO of TheMastermindSite.com, a football tactics and analysis website, that specializes in education for coaches, players and fans of the beautiful game. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram @desmondrhys and @mastermindsite.

SUPPORT FROM…

@FootyLingo. Visit FootyLingo to play language and reading comprehension games based on our analyses, and use the code “mastermindsite” at check out for 20% off any subscription plan. That’s our social handle, “mastermindsite” for 20% any subscription plan on FootyLingo.com.

MUSIC

Music for this episode has been wonderfully provided by Pixabay.

See more Spin The Ball Episodes!

Spin The Ball – Would I Lie To You – Soccer with Priests, Dislocated Kneecaps and Hamburgers at Practice – TheMastermindSite

Spin The Ball is back! And back with a bang, as Rhys and the panel get together to play the British game show Would I Lie To You? football styled. Each panelist comes up with two football stories from their past, one truth and one lie, as the others attempt to guess which is which. Stories include Declan's experience playing soccer with priests in Rome, Victor's dislocated kneecap, Rhys' hamburger infused 1on1 session and Alex's interesting encounter with a global star. Subscribe to the show via itunes and spotify and follow on Twitter @mastermindsite. Submit ideas for the show using the links below or at themastermindsite.com. PANEL Rhys Desmond – CEO and Owner of TheMastermindSite.com. @DesmondRhys Declan Da Barp – Podcaster for TheMastermindSite.com. @dabarp14 on Twitter and Instagram. John Townsend – Podcaster for TheMastermindSite.com. @johntownsend99 on Twitter and Instagram. Victor Onoh – Podcaster and Writer for TheMastermindSite.com. @vicshotit on Twitter. Alex Venegas – Podcaster for TheMastermindSite.com. GET IN TOUCH @mastermindsite or @DesmondRhys on Twitter and Instagram. themastermindsite.com@gmail.com via email. Leave a comment on this episode. Subscribe via emailthemastermindsite.com/subscribe. MUSIC The music and sound for this episode was provided by Pixabay and Anchor.

Spin The Ball – Mount Rushmore of Managers, Underrated Players & U-23 Talents – TheMastermindSite

Have you ever wanted a football podcast guided towards discussing topics set by you – the listener? Welcome to Spin The Ball! On episode number two of the show, Rhys is joined by Adam Palermo of TheMastermindSite and Bundesliga Daily to select the 'Mount Rushmore' (top four) of various footballing categories. Topics include Best Managers, Underrated Players, U-23 Players Most Likely To Win The Ballon D'Or and Academy Products to Break into Their First Team in the Last Five Years. After ranking all of the Mount Rushmores, Rhys and Adam discuss your ideas submitted this week and spin the ball to decide what's coming up next week. You can submit ideas for the show @mastermindsite on social media or via the links below. PANEL Rhys Desmond is the creator and owner of TheMastermindSite.com. @DesmondRhys. Adam Palermo is a writer for TheMastermindSite.com and BundesligaDaily.com. GET IN TOUCH @mastermindsite or @DesmondRhys on Twitter and Instagram. themastermindsite.com@gmail.com via email. Leave a comment on this episode. Subscribe via email themastermindsite.com/subscribe. MUSIC The music and sound for this episode was provided by Pixabay and Anchor.

Introducing Spin The Ball – TheMastermindSite

Have you ever wanted a football podcast guided towards discussing topics set by you – the listener? Here at TheMastermindSite.com we are about to provide you with exactly that. Every week, Rhys Desmond, CEO of TheMastermindSite, will be joined by guests from around the world to discuss ideas sent in by you – the listeners. On this inaugural show, Rhys is joined by TMS legend Sam The Man to iron out the final details of the podcast and discuss all the listener submitted ideas for the first week of action. Rhys and Sam then prepare the ball to be spun for the very first time, deciding the topic of next week's show. And it's a good one. Submit ideas for the show @mastermindsite on social media or via the links below. PANEL Rhys Desmond is the creator and owner of TheMastermindSite.com. @DesmondRhys. Sam The Man is a CONCACAF soccer expert, excel spreadsheet guru, and Toronto FC fan. GET IN TOUCH @mastermindsite or @DesmondRhys on Twitter and Instagram. themastermindsite.com@gmail.com via email. Leave a comment on this episode. Subscribe via email themastermindsite.com/subscribe. MUSIC The music and sound for this episode was provided by Pixabay and Anchor.

Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts to never miss an episode, and visit themastermindsite.com for more information, articles, analyses, coaching education and more!

Processing…

Success! You're on the list.

Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.

Game of Numbers #40 – Bruno Fernandes as an ‘8’

They might not be firmly in the top four yet, but Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United have seen significant improvement this season. Much has been made in the media about Amorim’s use of the 3-4-2-1 and whether or not it’s a perfect fit for players like Bruno Fernandes and his midfield partner Casemiro. But with some…

by Rhys Desmond December 10, 2025December 10, 2025

Game of Numbers #39 – Erling Haaland’s backstep before goals

Manchester City have scored 15 goals in the Premier League’s opening 8 matches. Erling Haaland has scored 11 of them. And among many of those goals, a common trend has emerged. I call it – the backstep!

by Rhys Desmond October 20, 2025October 20, 2025

Ruben Amorim – Manchester United – Tactical Analysis – 2025-26

This is a rather optimistic take on the state of Manchester United, amidst much in the way of common criticism and calls for Amorim’s head that will likely continue to circle the media all season long. Here is my tactical analysis of the Red Devils to start the 2025-2026 Premier League season.

by Rhys Desmond October 4, 2025October 4, 2025