Tag: Intensity

Game of Numbers #38 – Alejandro Garnacho’s intensity & awareness

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Game of Numbers, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, Player Education, Premier League

It's amazing to think that Alejandro Garnacho is only 19 years of age. Sometimes, you can see the rawness in his game. The facets that still need to be carefully developed. But as he ages, let's hope he never loses his tenacity. His hunger for more. His appetite to win at all costs, even when no one else is pulling their weight. He might not have the soaring high stats to back this up, but I truly believe Alejandro Garnacho is one of the players of this season in the Premier League. That's promising for United, who so desperately need something to cling onto for the future. Here is Game of Numbers #38, including what makes Alejandro Garnacho one of the best young players in the Prem.

The art of structuring an effective warm-up

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Masterclasses, Most Recent

We all know the importance of warming up the body in the proper ways, but many novice (or dinosaur) coaches fail to adequately know how to warm up the body in the proper ways specific to the sport. As a young gun in the soccer world, I can recall running laps around the field, static stretching, and even hill sprints prior to practice sessions and games. None of these are particularly helpful, even if they can work 1-3% of times in specific contexts (hill sprints aside of course). With that, I present the elements of an effective warm-up and how coaches can structure the warm-up to fit into the grander scheme of their session plans.