I've just realised we've let this thread slide into oblivion, beyond 6 months. I've also realised I've lent a few football books to others and cannot remember which ones I've lent!#-o

I've just about finished a book. Gazza Paul Gascoigne

It is quite interesting to see how he started football and his football career.

Later in the book I've just about had enough of poor Gazza's insecurities and mental instability. He seems like a child who has never grown up.

One point I found interesting, was that when he played in the English Championship, Gazza thought the football played was blatant kick and rush. He also said he struggled to keep up with the play and was unsuited to the league!

He was at his happiest when training for and playing football.

The story of Paul Gascoigne illustrates the fact that there is more to football than tactics, formations, training drills and playing matches. Players with mental health issues and addiction problems have always been prominent in the professional game, and tend not to recognise the problem until after they retire from playing. Professional football does tend to keep a player in a state of prolonged adolesence, by which time it is often too late.

The game of football itself, with its intense highs and lows and macho culture, is not a good environment for depressive personalities. Professional clubs need to do more to monitor a player's mental health as well as physical health.

Messi Luca Caioli


Not a bad book.

There are a a few comparisons with Maradona.

It basically recounts Messi's life.

One of mine got Hyundai A-League skills &​ drills : learn to play like the A-League's top players by​ Alistair Edwards for Christmas.

Told 'em if they cant learn the skills then just make sure your dad coches the team.

My list included:
1. The Essential Smart Football by Chris B. Brown.
2. Messi Luca Caioli.
3. Fear and Loathing in La Lig by Sid Lowe.
4. The Guardiola Years by Nic Aldam.

Edited by Alfredo8100: 30/12/2013 08:23:30 PM

I recommend Dennis Bergkamps new book to anyone. It is insanely good.

Just read The Secret Footballer book too, great insights!

Currently labouring through Inverting the Pyramid, a book about formations. It's interesting, it's just heavy.

Other great football reads from the past include Craig Johnston's book, as well as Addicted by Tony Adams (still one of my favorites).

Edited by pv4: 28/12/2013 02:01:12 PM

This book to me was/still is, great reading.

I didn't find it particularly heavy though. It augmented a pre-existing theoretical base. If there was one book to learn the most about evolving tactics in the game, it would be Inverting The Pyramid.

There is a new history book out on Australian football by Masters and Hay. I've seen it advertised a bit on SBS.

Has anybody read it yet?

I'm going to get a copy soon if it is any good.

Why can't you even get the names of the authors right?

It's by Bill Murray and Roy Hay... it is subtitled "A Game of Two Halves"- basically pre 1957 and post 1957.

A good read with fantastic illustrations. But you might find it a bit boring, decentric, because there is not much in it about tactics and coaching curriculums;)

I can quite happily enjoy books on history alone.

How about giving a brief review?

I have developed a theory that some former players at state league level, and higher, have an aversion to sophisticated tactics, that were not the norm in their playing careers.

This also extends to coaching courses, where some of the stars of yesteryear, cannot see the value of the new European based contemporary coaching methodology compared to the ad hoc approach of the old days.

there are a number I've met on 442, and many more off forum.

It might the just purely the people I've met. Am I on the right track or barking up the wrong tree?

Edited by Decentric: 25/6/2014 11:45:43 AM

The main reason I found ItP heavy was because there was a heap of history, names, players, etc that I didn't know before so it was a lot to take in.

I do agree with you that there seems to be a fair bit of "can't teach old dog new tricks". I consider myself a current state league player (currently playing 2nd division for the club I used to play state league for) and I'm seeing it first hand. Our current coach is a great guy etc, but attempts to stick to 4-4-2 as much as he can (well, basically a 4-4-1-1 in that he likes one striker to come back to receive more, and one to stay higher). He doesn't have a great interest in changing to a FFA-style 4-3-3, nor do many/any of the teams we play against in 2nd division bar one (who are equal first). Maybe it's because teams don't have the players on hand to adapt to that kind of thing, or it's just comfort-zone stuff. There's a few teams stuck in a 3-5-2 with sweeper formation in the comp and it just seems ancient TBH, and all but one of those teams are getting thumped (but to be fair the other team coming equal first use it).

I've heard that at Newcastle coaching courses, they basically won't say that you've passed the course until you tell/show them that you're not a fan of 3 at the back anymore, and that you've prescribed to the theory that a 4-3-3 is the best formation.

Personally I've found most success in teams I've played and coached in with a 4-3-3 in attack, which turns into a 4-4-2 in defence. But it does come down to the players available a lot of the time - it's pointless expecting your high-wide strikers to drop back to make a 4 man defensive midfield line when you've got the laziest high-wide strikers, for example.

I'm not talking just in terms of formation, but the new onus on Technique acquisition, broken down into four areas.

In addition, many of the coaching cues, themes consistent through a coaching session, communication coaching points, insight for whole teams, cohesiveness within formations, breaking coaching points into segments of the pitch ( attack, midfield, defence), all training being game related, etc, not being embraced by some of the older coaches.

Thankfully, I'm seeing a new, younger generation coming through.

I hadn't raised you were still playing. So you are younger than the age group I was referring to.

Edited by Decentric: 25/6/2014 12:22:44 PM

I enjoyed this one (not really related to Performance, I realise)...

Liechtenstein's quest for the world cup