The classics never go out of style – like Stylo Matchmakers

Football boot have changed beyond recognition over the last ten years or so. The likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have become boot-selling machines for the biggest brands. But the classics never look anything other than timeless. Stylo Matchmakers were boots that stood out back in the day…

And they are coming back.

These were the boots that were worn by the stars of football in the 1970’s and 1980’s such as George Best, Kevin Keegan and Trevor Francis. And to add to the excitement there are new starts of the game from the USA and the UK that are lined up to wear the new, improved Stylo boots that are set to be launched in March 2017 – brought exclusively to you by Amazon Premium.

But boot technology has moved forward a lot since the 1980’s and the new Stylo Matchmakers Heritage Seventeen boots will keep you on top of your game. They feature-

• A microfiber upper that feels soft and is lightweight
• “killer touch” texture vents to finish off your moves
• Breathable insoles with shock absorbers for comfort

I for one am very excited to see the return of these reborn boots that look amazing and are bound to play right too. Keep your eyes trained on the Amazon Premium site for the launch in the new year.

Fusion Group Agency looks after footballers – and wants to connect with you

Young footballers need to be nurtured. If they are going to go on to become the best talent in the world, or even if they want to enjoy the beautiful game then they need someone who knows what they are doing to look after them. The Fusion Group Agency looks after promising footballers and coaches both on and off the pitch. It was founded by former footballers that have a true passion for the game. This passion shines through in everything they do. The future of football agencies is safe in the hands of people like the Fusion Group. They really do cover all angles of a career in football. They understand what is important.

As they are experienced in the pressures that a young football player faces then the Fusion Group Agency is in a unique position to help out players that want to make it further in the game. They have the best interests of the players at heart, whether they are young players or pros. A football player or coach is in a vulnerable position. Their career can be ended by a bad tackle, a run or poor form and they can be exploited by unscrupulous agents or managers. This is where Fusion Group Agency is different. They have an array of experts on hand to help a player with all aspects of their life – not just on the pitch.

The transfer window is a critical time in the life of a footballer and Fusion Group Agency listen to their players concerns. This allows them to understand what the player is thinking and advise a best course of action. Helping young players to understand their choices and make an informed decision is an important part of being an ethical agent. Player welfare is at the top of the priorities of the Fusion Group Agency and they exist to assist a player or coach in growing as a human being rather than being viewed as a money-making machine. They have contacts in the top European Leagues to get their players access to the best opportunities.

The services they provide include-

•          CAREER MANAGEMENT
•          TRANSFER NEGOTIATION
•          CONTRACT NEGOTIATION
•          FINANCIAL PLANNING
•          SPONSORSHIP AND MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES
•          PUBLIC RELATIONS
•          WELFARE ADVICE

Fusion Group Agency wants to connect with you. If you are interested in the game of football either as a player, coach or fan then connect with them today. They have bases in Barcelona, Bucharest, Dubai and Brazil. You can find them on social media too-

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fusiongroupagency/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fusiongroupagency/

Has the age of the football mercenary reached its peak?

My club will suffer in January. I am a Sunderland fan so I am used ti the suffering but it feels now like it is getting out of hand. It feels to me like the age of the football mercenary is reaching its peak.I know that for a long time the players have seen the game as a way of making huge sums of money while they still can. Their career is short and the rewards for moving clubs always seem bigger then the rewards for staying put. Add agents into the mix that like to make a deal then you have a mix that puts players in total power over clubs and fans sit at the lowest level of the pecking order. You see in football, showing loyalty means you can be exploited. The club knows that you are not suddenly going to up sticks and support the next closest team. Loyalty means that you will show up week after week, but the merchandise and out up with whatever is thrown at you.

This January transfer window will show that the club have little power against players,and it is the fans that suffer. This is highlighted by two players. The dealings of Yann M'Vila and Lamine Kone show that football has reached a new level of player power. It shows that the mercenaries are in control.

Yann M'Vila
Yann is quite simply the best midfielder Sunderland have had on their books for a very long time. He was absolute quality at the end of last season and had signed a pre-contract agreement with us to begin on the 1st January 2017.

Something happened on deadline day at the end of the Summer 2016 transfer window as Yann M'Vila arrived in England only to post a cryptic social media message that Sunderland had broken his heart. This is a man with a track record for playing clubs off against each other for his own gain.

It has been announced this week that he is now going to join Sunderland in January, The club stated that they only want players that really wanted to play for the club. Our best midfielder in many years was staying in Russia, with a club that he had fallen out with completely only a matter of months ago.

This is the type of mercenary behaviour that gives footballers a bad name. I understand where the club is coming from and if he isn't committed to the cause then he won't be an asset. He looked highly motivated when playing for Sam Allardyce in the second half of last season and if he wasn't going to be that motivated again then maybe he wouldn't have been the same player. It is the player that concerns me.

Lamine Kone
Another player that really concerns me is Kone. He was a revelation towards the end of last season as he defended brilliantly and scored goals as we stayed up. Obviously his transfer stock rose and he was in demand. But the club is looking upwards and want to keep their best players. He had only signed in January 2016 and really owed us at least one full season.

Kone did not see it that way. He wanted a transfer to Everton and it looked as though he was going to force this earlier in the year. he missed training, suggested he might refuse to play and fell out with the club completely.

In the end the deal was not done. The performances of Kone this season have not lived up to the promise he showed last and there is a very strong possibility that he will get his move to Everton in the January window. Another mercenary and his agent work the system their way until he gets the deal he wants. he has shown no loyalty to the club at all. We signed him from the relative obscurity of Ligue 1 and he wants more.

Sunderland
What do the club do? I think that we need a strategy as a club ti determine the way we are going to deal with players. For all the flaws of Steve Brice, he went to the big clubs and brought in their up and coming players on loan. We helped the career of Danny Wellbeck, Danny Rose and others with this way of working.

Southampton look from the outside like they tell their players once they have given two years service then they will not stand in their way of an offer from a big club.They have made huge profits on the likes of Lallana, Clyne and Wanyama while getting at least two quality seasons out of them.

Sunderland don't seem to have a strategy for attracting the best players, or for retaining those players if another offer comes along. I understand from players point of view that they don't want to stay with a club fighting relegation to the last few games of the season year after year. We need to grow and the way to do this is to have a strategy. Ellis Short seems to be content with just avoiding relegation every year. His players are not and neither are the fans.

The smart way to build an epic team on FIFA

We all love to play FIFA Ultimate team, don’t we? But for me the most frustrating part of the game is coming up against an online player that has a team filled with superstars. They have Messi, Ronaldo, a host of in-from players and you end up getting smashed.

How do they do it?

•          They could be really lucky when opening packs
•          They could spend hundreds on opening packs and getting the right players
•          They could play 24/7 to gain enough match coins to buy all the players they want

But in reality all of these scenarios are unlikely.

The top players on FUT get their coins the easy way – with FUTMillionaire you can buy and sell players for profit and build the most amazing team without having to spend big or play games night and day. It allows you to find the best trades and turn these into a profit to buy all the players you want.

But isn’t trading something that takes up a lot of time? I’d rather be enjoying the game.

That is the beauty of FUTMillionaire is that it is automated. You just simple set the players and the prices and our system uses cutting edge technology to trade these for you whether you are in front of the screen or not. Just open up the game on Xbox or Playstation to find that FUTMillionaire has done all the hard work for you and deposited the coins in your account.

Build the best Ultimate Team so you are the envy of all your friends. Get over to FUTMillionaire now so that you can start building your dream team.

A great new product that makes soccer training more challenging – and more fun

Soccer is a great way to get people off the sofa and out in to the streets. With obesity becoming a huge problem for society, the power of soccer is huge to engage the young people of the world and get them away from their games consoles.

Soccer is more fun the more challenge there is and a superb new product is being launched on the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform to get kids and adults playing the beautiful game.

The product is called GoalMasterPro 2 and is being brought to life by the daughters of the inventor. It works because it can be used by players at any level-

•          Kids can use it to step up their skills
•          It can be used by a solo player to bring excitement to practice
•          Teams can use these to add a new level of challenge to a match
•          Adults can use it to hone their skills and be ready for match day

The crowdfunding campaign is designed to get this great idea off the ground and into production. There are not many innovative ideas when it comes to soccer but the GoalMasterPro 2 really ups the action. In addition to helping get a great idea off the ground you can choose from a range of different perks for being a backer, depending on the amount you pledge.

I love bringing new ideas and product to you via my blog and the GoalMasterPro 2 is something that can help kids get off the sofa and out on to the streets and parks of the world to enjoy the game of soccer that has delighted billions of people for over a hundred years.

Get over to the Indiegogo page to find out more and look for the pink button to make your contribution.

There are some great soccer gifts out there as Christmas approaches

On my blog I love to feature great products for the soccer fan. I show you the products that you just can’t find anywhere else. With the holiday season coming up I know that many of you are looking for the perfect Christmas present for the soccer fan in your life.

Dawes Art Sports Gear has a range of fantastic products that would suit the soccer fan in your life right down to the ground. They are available for men, women and youths in a range of sizes and nations. The products are all from hand-drawn designs that bring the passion and excitement of soccer to life.

Show your support for your favorite national team with a fantastic choice of options. You can get the-

•          Soccer Jersey
•          Performance Soccer Shirt
•          Long Sleeve Training Top
•          T-Shirt
•          Short Sleeve Training Top
•          Drawstring Backpack

Plus there are other gifts available too!

You will be the envy of all your friends as you show off your colors with these striking designs. They look great and they are all made with the highest quality materials. Each item of clothing is designed and drawn by Todd Dawes who brings the characteristics of the national soccer teams to life. Todd Dawes is a self taught artist that captures the passion of sports. He has developed the mascots of each national emblem and turned them into stunning visuals that embody the passion of each nation when it comes to soccer.

The shirts are high impact and will be sure to get you noticed. They stand out from the crowd and show that you are true soccer fan that wears their pride on their sleeve - or actually their chest with these designs.  These are shirts and tops that you will want to wear every day. And with the special offer of Buy a Jersey and Receive a Free Training Shirt that is running at the moment you can do just that!

Even better, why not get a value pack for the soccer fan in your life? This contains all the items any soccer fan will need to let the world know their national team. The value pack includes the following items-

•          A jersey
•          A backpack
•          A decal pack

All of this arrives in a beautifully designed gift box so it the perfect present for Christmas. It is going to light up the face of the soccer fan large or small.  Get to the website now and check out the designs that will suit you best.

You can let all your friends know that you are right behind your national team. There are a huge range of national teams covered so you can show your support whether you are a fan of-

•          Lionel Messi and Argentina
•          Neymar and Brazil
•          Paul Pogba and France
•          Thomas Muller and Germany
•          Gianluigi Buffon and Italy
•          Arjen Robben and Netherlands
•          Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal
•          Andres Iniesta and Spain
•          Clint Dempsey and the USA

The choice is amazing. You will always find what you want to give your favorite player and team all the support they need to bring home the World Cup! The soccer fan in your life will love being able to show support for their top players.

In by blog I like to bring you the side of soccer that you just don’t see anywhere else. The shirts and tops at Dawes Art Sports Gear are something truly special. You won’t find these items anywhere else and you will love the way they look and feel.

“Make You Wanna Holla, Throw Up Both My Hands" is the latest in fashion for the soccer fan

On my blog I love to bring you the latest trends and fashions that any soccer fan will want to be a part of. There are so many exciting things happening now that individuals and small companies are able to develop their own products. Today I bring to you a great product that will be perfect for the soccer fan – or anyone else for that matter!

Being a fan of soccer, a fan of sports or a fan of life is all about expressing yourself. You want to stand out from the crowd and let them know how you are feeling. Bering in a crowd of thousands to see your favorite sports team and cheering them to the rafters is one way of letting people know this.

An amazing design from the “Make You Wanna Holla, Throw Up Both My Hands" collection is another.

These are premium T-Shirts that look and feel great. They are available in all sizes from Small to 5XL. They are made from 100% cotton and are heavyweight tees so you know that you are wearing quality. And the quality continues in the manufacture-

•          Fairly produced – this has been certified and audited three times
•          The seams and the shoulder, collar, sleeve and waist have been double stitched to last
•          The printing has been optimized so it looks great and stays looking great
•          The tees have been imported to the USA and then processed and printed

There is a range of T-Shirts to choose from for men, women and children so you will be able to get just what you want at the store.  Check it out today and see the designs that you can be wearing soon. 

There is a range of colors to choose from so go take a look and decide which one will suit you best. Can’t decide? Well why not get a few?

With Christmas just around the corner I know that you will be looking for some unique and special gifts for the people in your life. Something from the “Make You Wanna Holla, Throw Up Both My Hands" collection is a great choice.

I love to share with you the trends and fashions that are on their way up on my blog. Here is another that will keep you at the forefront of fashion.

Soccer 360 magazine gives you the best of world soccer every month

In my blog I love to bring you the best of football. I look at the game from all angles but there is only so much I can write about. This week I bring you a magazine that gets all of world football into one place every month.

Calling all soccer fans!

Soccer 360 magazine has the best coverage of word football brought together in a printed magazine. It covers all angles of world soccer so you can keep up to date with the latest developments in the game of football.

It features-

•          Profiles of all the top players
•          The best pictorials to bring the game to life
•          All the interviews that matter with the biggest names in the game
•          Schedules of all the major leagues so you can keep track on your favourite teams
•          News from off the pitch for the football fanatic
•          Analysis of the tactics that win games, cups and leagues
•          Commentary on what is happening in the game
•          Previews of the big matches that matter
•          All the facts and figures of the beautiful game
•          Stats so you can really see what is going on

It features  all of the top competitions all in one title so you never need miss out on your fix of La Liga, EPL, Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS or other leagues. It also has all the coverage you will need of the biggest tournaments in global football from international to club competitions. You know where to look when you want the lowdown on world soccer – Soccer 360 magazine.

As a fan you want to know what is happening in the game and Soccer 360 magazine allows you to do just that. It is an established magazine with over 66 issues published and it gets better every month. The quality of the articles and photography takes the game to the next level.

It is printed in an extra large size of 13.5" x 9." with over 100 pages and photos of the best players, profiles, stats, interviews and more.  You know that Soccer 360 magazine will give you the news and articles that you crave when you follow the world’s most popular game.

It ships worldwide so get hold of it today. You can subscribe or get hold of past copies too so you can see what you have been missing!

Get your copy! Subscribe Today! Make sure that you don’t miss out!

When you want to predict the score use Betting Tips VIP

Making a bet on football just makes things even more interesting. If you want to look at the next set of BPL, La Liga or Bundesliga fixtures and decide what to place your money on then you sometimes need a little help in choosing the right scores.

There are many factors that determine the outcome of a game, including-

•         The history between the two teams
•          Any injury news that is likely to affect the selection
•          The current form that each team is displaying
•          The conditions that the match will be played in
•          How motivated the players are

Betting Tips VIP looks at all of these factors and more to give you the best chance of selecting the right outcomes of the top soccer games.

They provide top picks every day so you can see the best chances you have of making a winning. They cover all the major leagues and many of the minor ones too so never again will you have to fill out your betting slip without all the information you need.

The game of football is only made more exciting by waging some money on it. You can make watching the match even more exciting when you have a bet on it. And then it is more exciting again when you make that bet with the best information around.

Always remember to gamble responsibly.

FireFan is just about to make sports even more exciting

On my blog I love to feature ways to make the game of soccer and sports in general even more exciting. Regular readers will have seen my features on sports betting and fantasy football. But something new is arriving soon.

The thrill of watching your favorite team is just about to intensify. It is great to watch the game. Whether you are sat in a bar with your friends or at home with your family or even if you have to sneak a watch on your smartphone at work. It is a thrilling experience to watch the best in sports perform at the peak of their powers.

Fire Fan is an app that will allow you to play along with the game. You can predict game play in real time as you are watching the game for a chance to show that you are the best. I’m sure that you and your buddies argue all the time about who knows the most about sports. Now is the chance to put that to the test and prove who knows the most about your favorite sport. What’s more it is available for download absolutely free! Just enter the code “ball_game”

FireFan is arriving on November 21^st so now is the time to get involved.

It will create the world’s largest sporting network of fanatics that will pit their wits against you during the game. FireFan are looking for the biggest sports fans in the world to take on the challenge of their peers. Think you know about sports? Pit your skills against the rest of the world!

FireFan – Ignite Your Passion

This game will set the world alight! And this is your opportunity to get in on the ground level. Pre-register now and you will be the first to experience this great new app and be in with a chance of winning fantastic prizes. And all for a free download. Try it now. Enter the code “ball_game”

There is nothing more exciting than feeling like you are a part of the action. This is the next best thing to playing the game yourself. It is available for both professional and college sports and you can put your knowledge of sports to the test when it comes to-

•          Football
•          Baseball
•          Basketball
•          Soccer

It feels like you are playing along with the professionals in real time as you follow the game. You knowledge and gut feeling can take you to the top of the leader board.

Sign up now. Challenge your friends to compete with you. Make the most of FireFan. It is here on November 21^st.

What the Manchester derby told us about the state of the game in Manchester

It was derby time in Manchester last night. I have spent the week in the city looking at the state of the game here and how the future looks for the two clubs. It could be looked at as a game in the middle of a crisis in the footballing city.Going into the game there has been much criticism-

• Manchester United lost 4-0 to Chelsea on Sunday after a poor showing at Liverpool the week before
• Jose Mourinho has spoken about his unhappiness living in the city
• Pep Guardiola's City went into the match on a streak of 5 games without a win
• The old guard of Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero seem to be out of favour

But in and around the city of Manchester you couldn't sense any panic or even much frustration towards the clubs or the players.These are generally proper football fans that love their club, are happy with the success that they have had but don't feel as though they are entitled to it. Contrast that to the glory-hunting Manchester United fan from other parts of the country and the globe. The fact that the United fans were still out-singing the Chelsea home support while being 4-0 down in Sunday shows that these are people who know their football and love their club.

Near the Old Trafford stadium I spoke to Mike, a United fan that sees a future that doesn't look as rosy as the recent past but will still support the club all the same.

"I can see us going down the same route as Liverpool did after their domination. Football goes in cycles and they have not really been near to winning the title again in over 25 years. I'd like to see them up there challenging for titles with us, but losing out to us every time! We have a future where we could go down the same road. I see Mourinho as a manager that could go one way or another. He could stay for 15 years and we could go on a run of winning trophies every year again or he could end up braking the club. It is a bit of a crossroads," said Mike.

The game does move on and it would be difficult to reliably predict what the future holds for the club. The longer they are out of the Champions League then the more they have to spend in wages to attract the big starts and the less likely it is that they will get another Cristiano Ronaldo or even another David De Gea.Mourinho is a gamble that the Glazers thought they just had to make after the failures of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. Where the club goes from here is in his hands.

On the other side of the divide is the light blue half of Manchester. The game last night ended in defeat so Pep Guardiola is facing probably his worst managerial crisis - six games without a win. After the amazing start to the season not many would have predicted this but it is happening. In the club shop on Market Street they are selling those detested half-and-half scarves and training tops with the Champions League logo alongside merchandise from their sister clubs in New York, Yokohama and Melbourne. This is big business.

But without the players to enact his tactical game, and in possible the wrong league and conditions to do it, Pep is fining managerial life tough for probably the first time. It is not a full-blown crisis and it won't cost him his job but clearly there is work to do.

I spoke to Peter who lives and works in the city. He didn't buy into the Guardiola project but backs the club to get it right, "It will take time. He can't turn all of these Premier League players into La Liga players overnight. It looks like tactically he knows what he wants but the players aren't quite there yet. Maybe in a few months we will look back on this as part of the transition. I certainly hope so."

That was before the match. That was before the defeat in the derby. Although it was 'only' the EFL Cup and there were run outs for some players that were not in the usual first team it will still hurt. Manchester City's owners have bankrolled the club to deliver success and this current run of form and a tame loss to their neighbours isn't part of the blueprint.

What happens next really is down to Pep.

Is international football still relevant?

I watched the England v Malta match yesterday, well it was on in the background while I was doing other things. I was amazed to see a crowd of over 80,000 announced during the coverage for a game that England should have won at a canter against a team ranked well outside of the top 100 in World football. To me it was a bit of a non-match that even the TV companies wight have thought twice about featuring. But the fact that Wembley was close to a sell-out has made me stop.

I thought before the match that international football was becoming irrelevant and that matches between the good teams and the bad were a waste of time. But 80,000+ at Wembley and millions of others on TV disagreed with me. Maybe there is something there after all.

I don't believe that the top players in the game see international football as the pinnacle of the game in the same way that they did when I was young. The big international tournaments see the best players turn up injured or fatigued beyond belief so that they don't perform at the peal of their game. I know we can point to what winning meant to Cristiano Ronaldo at the Euros in the summer with his country. But I can't see that being the same with many players. Would Ronaldo have through this way if he had never won anything at club level? It was the icing on the cake, rather than the cake itself.

The England players don't seem to play their normal game when it comes to international football. In the Premier League we are used to high tempo and a pressing game that leads to exciting football and great matches. But for whatever reason we don;t play that way in the international games. When we have pressing players such as Jordan Henderson, Jamie Vardy and Jesse Lingard then we should play that game. We need a high tempo against teams like Malta to make chances, pressurise the opposition and make the breakthroughs that change the game. It appears that players take a step back on the international stage and I don't know whether it is the players or the coach that breed that mentality. I would have loved to see what Sam Allardyce would have done with the players because I can't believe he would have let his players sit back and take it easy.

It is time for a change and I would look at wholesale change with these poor quality of opposition that we have in the group. There has never been a better time to discard the older players and look to the future. I can't see a place after the next World Cup for the likes of-

• Wayne Rooney
• Joe Hart
• Gary Cahill
• Theo Walcott

And I can't really see what any of them offer now, except for Rooney selling shirts for the FA and Cahill plugging a gap until something better comes along (Smalling and Phil Jones have never cut the mustard at the top level.) There just has to be a brighter future. The England fans that watched in their tens of thousands yesterday can be satisfied with a win but there was little else to excite. I like the way that Jesse Lingard plays the game but he needs more help. I would get Rashford and others on to the pitch and say to them "there you go, guys. You are the team for the next World Cup. Go out there and make it happen."

Watching the football coaches on FNF

I have been on an FA coaching course recently and it was a really good way to get into the coaching of my kids football team. The course was very comprehensive and will help me no end on my coaching journey. But what it wasn't was a complete journey. It is meant to set me off to go and learn about what we are doing as coaches and learn and adapt.

One of the tips at the end of the course was to go out and watch other coaches. I have watched some local games to see what other amateur coaches are doing and it all fits quite nicely with the way I want my players to play the game. And this is also the way that the FA want the game to be played in this country.

And I try to watch what the coaches are up to when I watch the big BPL matches like Chelsea v Liverpool tonight. Antonio Conte and Jurgen Klopp are coaches with impressive records behind them and will both be looking for a Champions League place this season.

Obviously you don't get to see as much as you would like of the coaches from a television screen but the glimpses that are shown are fascinating. Players don't hear the vast majority of what a coach says in the heat of the match against the noise from the crowd. But some coaches scream and shout as though their lives depended on it. Meaningful input to players close by would be more effective.

I hope to bring a style of play to my team. We will pass the ball around and stay true to this all the time. Let's hope that the way Chelsea and Liverpool play tonight shows the way!

Changes to training sessions after my FA Coaching course

Regular readers will know that I have recently been on a football coaching course delivered by the Durham FA. I encourage anyone that is interested in football to get along to one of these courses as it gives a great structure to the way you watch and understand football as well as giving you a valuable skill that you can apply.

I have used some of the key points in the course to change the way that I coach my players when it comes around to training sessions on a Wednesday evening. Here are the changes that I have made as part o the learning of my FA Level 1 Coaching course-

Arrival activity
This was  major pain when I started coaching. I was waiting for a all the players to arrive and be ready for training. Some would arrive 15 minutes early while others would be up to 10 minutes late for various reasons. So there could be a 25 minute gap between first to arrive and last to arrive. I used to start the training session on time and then those that were late would just filter in as they arrived. This was disjointed and caused a little chaos. Arrival activities are playing with the ball in games that can be scaled up as more players arrive. Passing with 2 people can become passing with 6; a match with 1 v 1 can quickly upscale to 5 v 5 if needed. These arrival activities means that everyone is involved as soon as they arrive and we don't see the disruption that might happen otherwise.

Progressions
This was a major part of the course and it concerns taking your players along a journey with a particular drill or set of drills to get them better in one or more areas of the game. Take passing, for example, you may have a dill set up to get your players passing. After a few minutes, a few weeks or longer hey become very good at this particular drill. So you need to change it up to make it more difficult for them to achieve success. As this gets more and more difficult and your players get better and better, the progressions that you put in have helped to challenge them and up their skill level. The progression need to be planned out in advance so you can see where you are going with it and how you will give your players the next challenge. This talk of planning leads on to...

Plan, do, review
This is the way that the FA want their coaches to deliver the training they give to their teams. It is part of the England DNA that I have written about before. You are expected to spend as much time planning your training sessions as you do delivering them, and again the same amount of time on reviewing how they went. This means that you are in total control of the way that you want your players to develop and progress. You plan out what each training session looks like and how this fits into the long-term plan for your set of players.

Links between the England game this week and my FA Coaching course

It was interesting to see the England setup from start to finish this week. There was a lot of comment relating to the sections that Sam Allardyce made in both his squad and his team. There were a lot of familiar faces in both and he came in for some criticism for not changing a lot, mainly because-

• It was a team with 8 of the players that played in the last Euro match - a defeat against Iceland
• It was a squad with only one uncapped player - Michail Antonio
• It was a very similar formation to the one Roy Hodgson had used
• Big Sam gave players like Joe Hart and Raheem Sterling a chance when they were awful in the Summer

It was the most difficult match of the campaign on paper - away to a dangerous opponent that had completely stifled us in June. But we came through with three points due to reckless tackling from Martin Skrtel and poor goalkeeping at the end. So on the face of things there was much criticism before and a small celebration after.

But I ask what possibly could have changed?

I was on an FA Level 1 Coaching course the week before and there was a lot of talk about the England DNA. The game in this country is now geared to play a certain way. It would be difficult, if not impossible, for Allardyce to anything different. Where are the future England players that are playing regularly for their club sides?

The formation suits the way we want to play football. It is something that many of the players are familiar with from their clubs. It really is almost a part of the DNA of the game in this country.

The players that form the squad will form the basis of the squad all the way to the next World Cup and beyond. WE need evolution, not revolution. If the academy system is producing players like John Stones then we have to put some faith in it to produce more.

Part of the England DNA of football coaching

With the England match away to Slovakia tonight in mind - first one for Big Sam - it has been interesting doing my Level 1 football coaching course this week. The way that the FA is now structured is that every level feeds into the national team and the way of playing the game. In future you will see the players that have gone through the grassroots of football and through the system to reach the top level of the game. We are now generating players that have played in all positions, have developed the skills that have been identified as essential and will play the game in the right way.

The FA Level 1 Football Coaching course has been really interesting for me to work with other budding coaches and get an insight into the way the FA wants us all to bring our players through and develop them. I am really excited about getting to put all of this into practice with my team. I am ready to get back to my club and put all of this into practice.

Being able to watch and learn from the tutors as well as see practices delivered by others on the course was a great way to get together some ideas about different training sessions, how they fit together and how to adapt them to players of different ages. I am confident that I can start to think about the development needs of my players and how I can put training sessions into place to help them be better players over time.

The way that all of this fits together from grassroots up to the top level of the game is really interesting and will stand the game in this country in good stared in the future. The different phases of the game are looked at in detail to establish the necessary skills-

• In possession
• Out of possession
• Transition

You will see the way that young footballers play the game will change over time. The emphasis on everyone enjoying their game, players swapping roles and being comfortable on the ball are all major factors in this. One other parts that I found will make a massive difference is encouraging your players to take risks and not being afraid of the consequences. The focus has been taken away from winning games at all costs to achieving specific objectives both from a personal and a team point of view.

What Sunderland need on deadline day

It's here again. With the mess over Big Sam and David Moyes taking some time to get going it has been a tough transfer window for Sunderland. They have bought a few for the future and plugged a couple of gaps so far but there is a lot of work to do this afternoon. Here is what Sunderland still need to do this deadline day-

Goalkeeper

Whichever way you look at it we need a goalie. Whether you want to keep Pickford as number one or as backup every Premier League team needs three keepers. Missing out on Joe Hart is a blessing as far as I'm concerned but to go in to the rest of the season with only 2 goalkeepers and both being young and untested is a real risk. This has to be a priority.

Centre Back 

Whether Lamine Koné stays or goes we need to get cover here. With an injury to O'Shea we are short here as well. Rodwell and McNair can do a job here but to stay in the league we need more cover. I like Koné and I think Djilobodji will turn into a good player but we ultimately need more.

Centre midfield

This is probably the least pressing of these needs with some quality and experience to come back from injury but this won't happen soon. The players we have been linked with seem to have turned is down in one way or another. Back to the drawing board on the last day of the window isn't a good place to be.

Striker

Although the formation we have will mean that we only play one striker we still need a quality backup in this position. Borini doesn't score enough goals to be relied on. There will be games where we want to throw on another striker or where Defoe is injured. Because of this we need a player who will step in and bag a few. This is another high priority today.

FA Football coaching course will fill my week

I am spending this week going through an FA Level 1 coaching course to home up my coaching skills. I have agreed to help my sons' football team and as part of being able to coach I am on this course.

It started with two evenings last week and is followed up by four full (ish) days this week. Apart from tomorrow, which is safeguarding and First Aid, the whole week will be set aside to working out a set of practices that will benefit the players in the team. Everything is done under the supervision of FA coaches and is all linked to the FA DNA of coaching.

I need to make sure that the training sessions are safe, fun and inclusive. It is a really interesting take on football coaching and is very different to the training sessions that I experienced when I was young. The team I train are Under 10's so there is a lot of room for development and I am looking forward to working in training again when the course is complete.

The last session we did was to deliver a training practice and look at how this might develop our team. I went for a passing game with the emphasis on getting the whole team involved in touching the ball. It is important to give as many players as possible in touch with the ball rather than standing in a queue waiting for their turn.

A revelation for me was the introduction of arrival activities. This is where the players are involved with the football as soon as they get there. With a training session starting at 6.15pm we have players arriving at different times. To get them involved with the ball and moving around is much more productive than taking shots at each other or messing around. This will be introduced at training this week and I hope it has s big impact.

Great opportunity to earn with ASIAN GAMBLING SYNDICATE

WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING MONEY THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES THAT ONLY COME ALONG ONCE IN A LIFETIME.

THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO GET IN WITH THE BIG BOYS AND MAKE BIG BUCKS.

IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT GAMBLING THEN YOU WILL ALREADY KNOW THAT THESE GUYS ARE NOT USED TO LOSING. NOW IS THE TIME TO GET IN FOR YOUR SHARE.

THERE IS A REASON WHY THE ASIAN GAMBLING SYNDICATES ARE SERIAL WINNERS - THEY RECEIVE GENUINE INSIDER INFORMATION. THIS IS THE TYPE OF INFORMATION THAT IS USUALLY NOT AVAILABLE TO THE LIKES OF YOU AND ME.

·        THEY HAVE A FABULOUS STRIKE RATE

·        THEY HAVE MORE THAN 80% WINNERS.

·        THAT IS MORE THAN 8 OUT OF EVERY 10 WAGERS IS A WINNER

·        THEY BACK HORSES AND SPORTS

·        BACK AND BACK / LAY BETS

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WILL NOT COME ALONG AGAIN. IT IS A WAY TO GET IN WITH THE BIG BOYS. THEY DON’T SHARE THEIR INFORMATION EASILY.

THERE ARE ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF SPOTS. YOU HAVE TO ACT NOW OR YOU WILL MISS OUT

THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH ALL THAT MONEY-

• GIVE YOUR LIFESTYLE A MASSIVE LIFT
• PAY OFF THOSE DEBTS
• GO ON HOLIDAY
• QUIT YOUR JOB

GET IN AND MAKE REAL MONEY. THERE ARE NO ODDS UNDER $2.20 GIVEN.

FILL IN THE PAYPAL PAYMENT BOX TO APPLY FOR THIS EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY. ON APPROVAL YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR TIPS. THESE QUALITY TIPS ARE SENT OUT EVERY SINGLE DAY SO THAT YOU CAN BACK THE WINNERS TIME AFTER TIME.

THERE IS A ONCE ONLY REGISTRATION FEE OF $24.00 (I HAVE TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF IT!) THEN A MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION COST OF JUST $75.00 (ALL USD)

GET ON THIS TODAY AND RECEIVE THE BEST TIPS TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

How to find genuine free bets that guarantee you can’t lose

I know from the correspondence I get that many regular readers of my blog like to place a bet. More than that they like to win a bet so today I bring you news of a way of making free bets that will change the way you look at betting on sports. These are 100% GENUINE FREE BETS.

The way that they work is extremely clever and this system is unique on the internet. There is no other system that works in this way and all the hard work that has been put in on your behalf leaves you in a position where you just have to place the bets and collect the winnings.

IF YOUR WAGERS LOSE YOU GET YOUR STAKES BACK

YOU WIN OR ALL OF YOUR STAKES ARE RETURNED

There really is nothing like winning a bet, especially if you know that you can’t lose. This is 100% GENUINE. THERE IS NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT ON THE NET.

How about if I told you there was a way to place bets RISK FREE? I’m sure that you would tell me that this IS NOT GAMBLING. But the way that a saverbet works is that you just cannot lose.

IT IS NOT A GET RICH QUICK SCHEME REQUIRING NO WORK

IT WILL NOT MAKE YOU A MILLIONAIRE

But what it will do is out you in a position where you can place your best safe in the knowledge that the worst that will happen is you get all your stake money back. That is the worst that will happen. In the best case scenario you win money on every event you place a bet on.

IF YOU CAN SPARE ONE OR TWO HOURS A DAY YOU COULD EASILY MAKE $ 3,000 to $5,000 A MONTH (DEPENDING ON YOUR STARTING BANK )

WHY NOT HAVE A LOOK. There is a 12 DAY FREE TRIAL so you have nothing to lose. Give it a go and see where the saverbet can take you. There are no obligations at all - NO CREDIT CARD REQUIRED, YOURS TO TRY FREE WITH NO OBLIGATION.

Once you understand the logic of the saverbet then you know you are on to a winner. Please let me know in the comments how you get on with saverbets.

www.saverbets.com

Make money from the biggest online games in the world

Those of you that read my blog regularly will know how much I love the game of FIFA 16 and the FIFA Ultimate Team or FUT game mode. It captures the way that football makes people feel in the real world about the game. But what if you could earn money by playing FIFA?

Well, now you can. You can earn from FIFA, Madden, Angry Birds and Candy Crush. These are huge global games that are played billions of times every single day.

United Games are offering you the unique chance to earn money by developing a matrix of players. Get the message out there via social media and you can easily find players of these massive smartphone games. Once they are in your matrix then you can earn money every time they buy tokens or watch an advert in the game.

But this opportunity has to be limited to the select few. Not everyone has the chance to start their own matrix and make big money from this. You can join by invitation only. This amazing opportunity to make great money from the world’s biggest games expires on 25^th August 2016. There is no time to lose.

Invitation-Only Get it here before August 25th. http://bit.ly/2aHr1UM  Or Text: 702-403-8950 for Private Invitation

Big Sam the England manager - what next for England and Sunderland?

The worst kept secret in football has been converted from secret to fact with the appointment of Big Sam as England manager. It was closely followed by the second worst kept secret in football when David Moyes was appointed the new boss of Sunderland. There are many facets to this story and I'll use this blog to take a look at some of the more interesting ones.

Are Sunderland unlucky?

The fact is that the club have finally found a manager who is a great fit for them - and lost him. Sam Allardyce has been fantastic for the club. His tactical awareness and transfer dealings have transformed the club. We were looking forward to a season without a relegation battle for the first time in a long time. I honestly think that the three promoted teams, Bournemouth, Watford, Swansea and maybe a few others will finish below us in the Premier Lessgue - LINK. If we were able to operate in the transfer market and add a quality right back, a back up centre half, midfield creativity and some help for Jermain Defoe then I saw really positive things for the club. To lose a manager just before the season starts (as a pose to our usual method of losing one half way through) is really unfortunate. The club needs decisive action, but that hasn't been our strong suit of late.

The future for England

There will be thousands upon thousands of words written about this. In my view England always appoint a manager as a reaction to what the previous manager was lacking of perceived to be lacking-

• Sven wasn't English enough so we went for Steve McLaren.
• McLaren hasn't enough discipline so we went for Fabio Capello.
• Capello wasn't English either (I don't know why it took us years and millions of pounds to realise this) so we went English again and plumped for Roy.
• Roy was tactically inept and defensively poor so we've gone for the man who isn't that. We've got Big Sam.

I think that the success of Wales, Iceland and to a degree the two Ireland's will have also turned the FA's heads. Success with limited players (we have to admit that this is us) can be achieved by being organised and picking the right team rather than shoehorning the best players onto a formation that doesn't work. France left out some big players for varying reasons and were rewarded with a place in the Euro 16 final. England need to work in the same way and Sam Allardyce is the best fit to achieve this.