Why You Can’t Win Without Set Pieces Now with Tom Dent

In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen is joined by Tom Dent, First Team Assistant Coach at Vålerenga, to explore one of the biggest shifts in the modern game — the rise of set pieces. Once seen as a secondary part of football, set plays are now a defining factor in performance. The best teams in the world are no longer just strong in open play — they dominate moments that restart the game. In this conversation, we dive into: How set pieces have evolved across the last 5–10 years Why top teams are now leading the league in set play performance How coaches can integrate set pieces into their game model Practical ways to include set piece work in everyday training sessions How youth coaches can begin developing these habits early This is a must-listen for coaches looking to stay aligned with the modern game and build more complete players and teams. A big thank you to Zone 14 Coaching for supporting this episode. If you’re a coach who wants more structure, clarity, and reflection in your season, the Zone 14 NextGen Journals are an outstanding resource. Designed for both coaches and players, they help you plan sessions, track progress, and build consistent habits throughout the year. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, these journals support learning beyond just repetition — helping players and coaches reflect, adapt, and improve. Get 20% off using code MODERNSOCCER20 https://zone14coaching.com If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share with another coach. Also check out our bonus content channel: Modern Soccer Coach TV

In this episode, we go inside one of the most fascinating clubs in European football — Bodø/Glimt. Over the past few years, the Norwegian club has built a remarkable culture and player development environment that has helped them compete at the highest levels of the game, including the Champions League. A big thank you to our sponsor Zone14 Coaching. Their NextGen journals help coaches and players plan, reflect, and track progress throughout the season, built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience. Modern Soccer Coach listeners can get $5 off with code MODERNSOCCER5 at zone14coaching.com Joining Gary Curneen on this podcast is Olav Øverli, Academy Director at Bodø/Glimt. Olav shares a detailed look into how the club develops players, builds a strong culture, and creates an environment where curiosity, responsibility, and hard work are non-negotiable. He explains why the foundation of their academy begins with something simple but powerful: a love of the ball. We discuss the principles behind Bodø/Glimt’s development model, the importance of aligned leadership throughout the club, how the academy balances joy and professionalism in youth development, and why they prioritize curious, engaged footballers over rigid systems. Topics covered include: • Bodø/Glimt’s academy philosophy and culture • Developing curious and engaged footballers • Why “non-negotiables” are the starting point • Balancing joy and professionalism in youth development • Coaching younger players vs academy age groups • The role of feedback and honest coaching • Technology, data, and the limits of sports science in development • The impact of phones and distractions on young players • Hiring coaches and building a strong academy staff culture If you enjoy these conversations, please subscribe to the channel and check out more coaching breakdowns and interviews here on Modern Soccer Coach.

Join our NEW YouTube page here: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernSoccerCoachTV In this week’s Modern Soccer Coach podcast, I sat down with US Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker for an honest conversation about the future of player development in the United States. If the goal is to become a consistent World Cup contender — not just a nation capable of a one-off run — then the biggest shift cannot happen at senior level. It has to happen in the environments where young players are developed every day. We discussed the numbers behind elite performance, the importance of practice time, the pressure coaches feel to win at younger ages, and why US Soccer is choosing to influence rather than dictate change across the landscape. One theme stood out clearly: there is a difference between a winning mentality and a win-at-all-costs mentality. Elite performance begins with joy. When children feel psychologically safe, encouraged to experiment, and supported as individuals, they build the creativity, confidence, and resilience required at the highest level. If we prioritize short-term results over long-term development, we risk limiting both participation and potential. The pathway to elite soccer is not built on pressure alone — it is built on environments where players love the game enough to invest the thousands of hours required to master it. A big thank you to Zone 14 Coaching for supporting this episode. Their NextGen journals for coaches and players are designed to bring structure, reflection, and intentional learning into the training process — helping coaches plan with clarity and players track their development throughout the season. You can learn more at zone14coaching.com and use the code MODERNSOCCER5 for $5 off.

Check out Zone14 and get $5 off your order at Zone14Coaching.com using the code ModernSoccer5. What is happening to positional play in the modern game? In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen sits down again with Bernat Mosquera to explore how football is evolving beyond rigid structures and fixed positions. We dive into the shift from “playing the game model” to playing what is actually happening in front of you. The rise of generalists. The importance of specialists. The impact of man-marking. The changing nature of space. And why rhythm and tempo may be the next tactical frontier. Bernat challenges a lot of current thinking. Are we overvaluing structure? Are we missing the emotional side of the game? Are small-space habits limiting our players? And what does training need to look like if we want dynamic, adaptable footballers? If you’re a coach thinking deeply about positional play, identity, and how to develop players for the realities of modern football, this is one you won’t want to miss. If you enjoy the episode, please like, subscribe, and leave a comment with your biggest takeaway. It helps us reach more coaches around the world. This episode is brought to you by Zone 14 Coaching — a company built by coaches, for coaches. Their Next Gen Journals for coaches and players help you plan with intention, reflect with clarity, and track development across the entire season. Grounded in neuroscience and designed for real coaching life, they’re a powerful tool for building accountability and learning habits in your environment. You can get $5 off your order at Zone14Coaching.com using the code ModernSoccer5. If you’re outfitting an entire team or club, check the contact details below and connect directly with them. Thanks for your continued support of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast. #ModernSoccerCoach #PositionalPlay #FootballTactics #SoccerCoaching #garycurneen #bernatmosquera #youtubepodcast #soccerpodcast #coachpodcast #tacticspodcast #youtube #GameModel #TacticalAnalysis #EliteCoaching #SoccerDevelopment #FootballCoaches #CoachingEducation #TacticalThinking #SoccerPodcast #FootballPodcast #YouthDevelopment #HighPerformance #CoachingPhilosophy #PlayerDevelopment #FootballTraining #SoccerTactics #Pressing #BuildUpPlay #TempoInFootball #FootballIdentity #GamePrinciples #CoachLife #SoccerAnalysis #FootballEducation #CoachingCommunity #ModernGame #FootballCulture

Read Dr. Kyle Ferguson's report here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19406940.2025.2583976#abstract Development is more than coaching sessions. It’s more than a curriculum. More than what happens for 75 minutes on a Tuesday night. And it’s definitely more than league position. In this episode, Dr. Kyle Ferguson joins Gary Curneen to explore what youth technical leadership really looks like in 2026. After an 18-month review of youth football systems, Kyle breaks down why the child must be at the center of everything — and why that requires more than better drills. We dive into governance, education, environment, and the game itself. Why one-size-fits-all coaching is holding development back. Why copying the Premier League model for kids misses the point. Why “fair minutes” might matter more than trophies. And why parent education is no longer optional. If you’re a coach, director, or club leader trying to build something sustainable — this conversation will challenge your thinking and stretch your leadership beyond the pitch. This is youth technical leadership done properly.

Coaches: Order the new MSC Youth Coaching eBooks below: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/shop In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary is joined by Haris Memisevic, Technical Director and Head of Coaching at Virginia Revolution, for a deep conversation on youth session design and coach development. One of the big themes we explore is how often coaches confuse high tempo with high learning. We talk about why fast sessions don’t automatically lead to intelligent players, how over-coaching and over-explaining can limit understanding, and why the design of the session should do the heavy lifting, not constant coach intervention. We also dive into: - Simplifying session planning for youth players - Intervention strategies that protect flow and learning - Freedom within a framework in club curriculum design - Why game-day pressure pulls coaches away from their beliefs - The overlooked importance of coach personality at the youth level This is a conversation for youth coaches, technical directors, and club leaders who want to build better learning environments, not just busier sessions. Check out the latest youth coaching resources, session ideas, and eBooks at ModernSoccerCoach.com Explore MSC Insider for webinars, session drops, and full access to our growing youth library. If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe, and share with a coach who’s thinking deeply about session design.

Check out MSC Coaching eBooks: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/shop Most clubs agree psychology matters. The challenge is turning that belief into daily practice. In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen is joined in person by sports psychologist Dan Abrahams, alongside coach and coach developer Kevin Leahy, to explore how psychology can be implemented properly inside football environments. Rather than treating psychology as a one-off workshop or a classroom-based add-on, the conversation focuses on performance psychology — the often-missed layer that directly influences how players learn, decide, and perform on the pitch. Dan breaks down the difference between performance psychology, wellbeing, and mental health, and explains why coaches are already delivering psychology every day, whether they intend to or not. Together, they discuss how clubs can embed psychological support through coaching behaviors, session design, and shared language — while also supporting coaches who are operating under increasing pressure. Topics include: Why clubs struggle to scale psychology across teams and age groups How psychology can live on the training ground, not in PowerPoint slides Supporting players through failure, confidence dips, and transitions Helping young players navigate pressure, social media, and expectations What realistic, coach-led psychological support actually looks like This is a practical, honest conversation for coaches, directors, and leaders who want to build environments that develop better decision-makers, more resilient players, and more supported coaches.

In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary is joined by Paul McVeigh — former Premier League player, performance psychologist, CEO, keynote speaker, and author of the new book It’s Not About You. Paul brings a rare perspective, having lived inside elite football dressing rooms and now working at the highest levels of leadership in the business world. Together, we explore where leadership succeeds, where it breaks down, and why modern teams often struggle despite having elite talent. We discuss the critical differences between football teams and business organizations, why elite performers don’t automatically create elite teams, and how leadership has shifted from command-and-control to relationship-driven approaches — sometimes at the cost of clarity and standards. This conversation dives into empathy versus boundaries, why communication is often the missing piece in leadership, how belief is built (or destroyed) inside teams, and why leadership should be viewed as a process rather than a personality trait. If you’re a coach, technical director, leader, or anyone responsible for developing people in high-pressure environments, this episode will challenge how you think about influence, accountability, and what it really means to lead.

This episode is proudly supported by Zone14 Zone14 helps coaches turn ideas into clarity — with session design tools, game models, and shared language that support real development on the grass. https://zone14coaching.com/ Use code:ModernSoccer5 for $5 OFF In this episode, Gary is joined by Patrice Gheisar for a deep, practical conversation on one of the most misunderstood debates in modern coaching: positionalism vs relationism. Rather than choosing sides, Patrice shares how the two can work together inside a clear game model — using real match examples, training principles, and lessons learned from building a sustained attacking identity over multiple seasons. We explore how positional structure provides reference points, while relational freedom allows players to solve problems in real time. Patrice breaks down wide overloads, central breaks, counter-pressing, rest defence, and attacking with numbers — all through the lens of what actually works on the grass. This conversation goes beyond theory and into coaching reality, touching on player trust, decision-making, patience vs verticality, and why supporting good ideas matters more than chasing short-term results. If you’re a coach, director, or educator trying to balance structure with freedom — this episode will challenge how you think about attacking football.

Check out Zone 14 Coaching below: https://zone14coaching.com/ Use code: ModernSoccer5 for $5 OFF The US Soccer age group rule change is here — and it’s creating real uncertainty across the youth soccer landscape. In this Modern Soccer Coach podcast episode, Gary Curneen is joined by STA Technical Director Tom Shields to explain exactly what’s changing (birth-year registration to a seasonal/school-year window), why it’s being introduced, and how coaches and clubs can manage the transition with clarity. We unpack the biggest issues families are asking about: “Will my child be playing down?”, what happens to late-birthday players, how “trapped” players can be affected during middle school to high school transitions, and how clubs can protect player development, team culture, and coach well-being during year one. Tom shares a simple leadership framework for communication and trust: keep people informed, inspired, interested, involved, and included — so you can lead the change instead of reacting to it. If you’re a director, coach, or parent navigating team placement, tryout season, and registration shifts, this episode will help you understand the implications and make better decisions rooted in process — not panic.