In the
@5liveSport chat I had with Andoni Iraola some months back I asked him, where is football going? His answer tells you a lot about his coaching:
“Players do not demand freedom; they demand structure from their coaches. It is from that structure that they feel free and can make their own decisions.
As coaches, we cannot arrive somewhere and tell everyone: “Do whatever you want. Take the ball wherever you want.” If you did that, after 30 minutes they would be angry with us. They want us to show them the way. They demand organisation, information, different options, and thorough preparation for every game.
They are asking us to study a lot. Our job is to put the player in the best possible scenario to shine.
With that preparation in their armour, they can then make informed decisions and make the difference on the pitch.
There are different styles and different ways to play, but all of them require structure, study, thought and hard work.”