Dave Kitson podcast interview

[BostonRoyal]

An interesting new podcast interview of Dave Kitson, including his time at Reading, what was unique about the club's culture at the time, and the lessons from successful football clubs that apply to business. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t ... 0770343878

[Extended-Phenotype]

Decent. I think people forget that managing a team also involves managing the players as people. You foster good relationships between the players and they can exceed expectations. A bit of unrest or bad feelings and it can fall apart regardless of how good individuals are.

Listened to a recent interview with Steven Gerrard on the Golden Generation, and the takeaway there was that there was just no management of the players as people. Everyone just isolated and harboured their club rivalries. It’s not easy to play football with people you don’t like or know very well. If they were socialised better in the England squad, perhaps they would have actually achieved something.

Makes me think about the difference between last season and the one before it. Something didn’t feel right last season, and more than players simply not being very good.

[Forbury Lion]

Listened to a recent interview with Steven Gerrard on the Golden Generation, and the takeaway there was that there was just no management of the players as people. Everyone just isolated and harboured their club rivalries. It’s not easy to play football with people you don’t like or know very well. If they were socialised better in the England squad, perhaps they would have actually achieved something.

You'd assume all the players in the England squad wanted the same things for the team, So I'm surprised the Captain didn't sit them all down and bash their heads together.... maybe the biggest managerial failing was not appointing the right captain to bring the players together or hiring the right number 2?

I remember Alan Pardew appointing Martin Mad Dog Allen as his number 2, He played a large part in bringing the team together as one and creating a good spirit.

[stealthpapes]

Decent. I think people forget that managing a team also involves managing the players as people. You foster good relationships between the players and they can exceed expectations. A bit of unrest or bad feelings and it can fall apart regardless of how good individuals are.

Listened to a recent interview with Steven Gerrard on the Golden Generation, and the takeaway there was that there was just no management of the players as people. Everyone just isolated and harboured their club rivalries. It’s not easy to play football with people you don’t like or know very well. If they were socialised better in the England squad, perhaps they would have actually achieved something.

Makes me think about the difference between last season and the one before it. Something didn’t feel right last season, and more than players simply not being very good.

Tangent first. Yeah, this is one of the things Southgate really got spot on as manager. Turned the group of players into a team, repeatedly. Robson did this in 1990. What gripes me is that, at the time, we were told there was no problem when it was clear to anyone with a pulse that there were deep issues within those England squads.

Reading history post. 100% agree with Kits here: he was there as it all fell apart in 08/09. Some players from the good years, some with their head turned, replacements who were not good enough. I’d dare say his return from a big money move out contributed in its own way.

Reading now post. Yeah, Selles absolutely gelled that side of misfits and broken things into a squad. Hunt kept the balls in the air. Of course it would be affected by Hunt’s removal. Of course it would be affected by starting the summer with seven players. Of course, this is why it all needed a bit of patience.

Just from my own experiences, it’s easy to pretend there’s team spirit when times are good. It is when things get challenging that people’s real characters are revealed.

And as an aside, it’s one of the benefits of those first few weeks of preseason. You’re all rusty. Half of you have a wee bit extra. It’s a team bonding experience through the medium of Type 2 Fun.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Decent. I think people forget that managing a team also involves managing the players as people. You foster good relationships between the players and they can exceed expectations. A bit of unrest or bad feelings and it can fall apart regardless of how good individuals are.

Listened to a recent interview with Steven Gerrard on the Golden Generation, and the takeaway there was that there was just no management of the players as people. Everyone just isolated and harboured their club rivalries. It’s not easy to play football with people you don’t like or know very well. If they were socialised better in the England squad, perhaps they would have actually achieved something.

Makes me think about the difference between last season and the one before it. Something didn’t feel right last season, and more than players simply not being very good.

Tangent first. Yeah, this is one of the things Southgate really got spot on as manager. Turned the group of players into a team, repeatedly. Robson did this in 1990. What gripes me is that, at the time, we were told there was no problem when it was clear to anyone with a pulse that there were deep issues within those England squads.

Exactly, was thinking the same thing. When you think about it, we had the practically the same squad of players for what seemed like eons. When Southgate came in, he started from scratch, new squad, new culture, no skeletons, no wounds, no bitterness, no expectations, no rivalries that had grown out of control. The team felt like a team, and not a bunch of talisman players from rival clubs who hated each other. I think the fans had died down a bit too. Decades of arguing over who was better in what role had vanished. Honestly it felt like Chelsea supporters would have rather England lose than see Gerrard score the winner; likewise Liverpool/Lampard. Tbh, much like Reading last season, the Golden Generation midfield was where most of our problems stemmed from. One wonders what might have happened if the manager(s) of that era dropped one of the talismans or at the very least tried a 4-3-2-1 to better fit them in, rather than banishing one of them to the left wing, or asking one of them to play a holding role to accommodate the other in a two man midfield.

Reading history post. 100% agree with Kits here: he was there as it all fell apart in 08/09. Some players from the good years, some with their head turned, replacements who were not good enough. I’d dare say his return from a big money move out contributed in its own way.

Agents. We went up, we stayed up (we actually bloody smashed it), and something was lost that we never quite got back. Perhaps harsh; we had some true team spirit under McDerms and Selles. If you could bottle it, it would be priceless.

Reading now post. Yeah, Selles absolutely gelled that side of misfits and broken things into a squad. Hunt kept the balls in the air. Of course it would be affected by Hunt’s removal. Of course it would be affected by starting the summer with seven players. Of course, this is why it all needed a bit of patience.

Just from my own experiences, it’s easy to pretend there’s team spirit when times are good. It is when things get challenging that people’s real characters are revealed.

And as an aside, it’s one of the benefits of those first few weeks of preseason. You’re all rusty. Half of you have a wee bit extra. It’s a team bonding experience through the medium of Type 2 Fun.

I think it was the first game two seasons ago that we played someone like Birmingham who had spent massive amounts on a brand new lineup, with bookies and pundits drooling over them and chalking the match down to an easy win. They played like what they were - a team of complete strangers. I think we won or drew, and looked by far the better team, packed as it was with familiar faces who, despite their shortcomings, knew how to play together.

[tidus_mi2]

Decent. I think people forget that managing a team also involves managing the players as people. You foster good relationships between the players and they can exceed expectations. A bit of unrest or bad feelings and it can fall apart regardless of how good individuals are.

Listened to a recent interview with Steven Gerrard on the Golden Generation, and the takeaway there was that there was just no management of the players as people. Everyone just isolated and harboured their club rivalries. It’s not easy to play football with people you don’t like or know very well. If they were socialised better in the England squad, perhaps they would have actually achieved something.

Makes me think about the difference between last season and the one before it. Something didn’t feel right last season, and more than players simply not being very good.

Tangent first. Yeah, this is one of the things Southgate really got spot on as manager. Turned the group of players into a team, repeatedly. Robson did this in 1990. What gripes me is that, at the time, we were told there was no problem when it was clear to anyone with a pulse that there were deep issues within those England squads.

Exactly, was thinking the same thing. When you think about it, we had the practically the same squad of players for what seemed like eons. When Southgate came in, he started from scratch, new squad, new culture, no skeletons, no wounds, no bitterness, no expectations, no rivalries that had grown out of control. The team felt like a team, and not a bunch of talisman players from rival clubs who hated each other. I think the fans had died down a bit too. Decades of arguing over who was better in what role had vanished. Honestly it felt like Chelsea supporters would have rather England lose than see Gerrard score the winner; likewise Liverpool/Lampard. Tbh, much like Reading last season, the Golden Generation midfield was where most of our problems stemmed from. One wonders what might have happened if the manager(s) of that era dropped one of the talismans or at the very least tried a 4-3-2-1 to better fit them in, rather than banishing one of them to the left wing, or asking one of them to play a holding role to accommodate the other in a two man midfield.

Reading history post. 100% agree with Kits here: he was there as it all fell apart in 08/09. Some players from the good years, some with their head turned, replacements who were not good enough. I’d dare say his return from a big money move out contributed in its own way.

Agents. We went up, we stayed up (we actually bloody smashed it), and something was lost that we never quite got back. Perhaps harsh; we had some true team spirit under McDerms and Selles. If you could bottle it, it would be priceless.

Reading now post. Yeah, Selles absolutely gelled that side of misfits and broken things into a squad. Hunt kept the balls in the air. Of course it would be affected by Hunt’s removal. Of course it would be affected by starting the summer with seven players. Of course, this is why it all needed a bit of patience.

Just from my own experiences, it’s easy to pretend there’s team spirit when times are good. It is when things get challenging that people’s real characters are revealed.

And as an aside, it’s one of the benefits of those first few weeks of preseason. You’re all rusty. Half of you have a wee bit extra. It’s a team bonding experience through the medium of Type 2 Fun.

I think it was the first game two seasons ago that we played someone like Birmingham who had spent massive amounts on a brand new lineup, with bookies and pundits drooling over them and chalking the match down to an easy win. They played like what they were - a team of complete strangers. I think we won or drew, and looked by far the better team, packed as it was with familiar faces who, despite their shortcomings, knew how to play together.

Yes, we played Birmingham away game 1 2 seasons ago, drew 1-1 but led for most of the match and I think their equaliser was a dodgy penalty?

[Dirk Gently]

An interesting new podcast interview of Dave Kitson, including his time at Reading, what was unique about the club's culture at the time, and the lessons from successful football clubs that apply to business. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t ... 0770343878

Makes sense - the real unsung hero of the 106-team was Wally Downes, who found out about a company called Catalyst and recommended them to SC. They were "performance consultants" but really were in every aspect of the team and club, making sure everyone was empowered and letting the team set their own goals and improve themsleves from within, but also making sure of things like the coaching team (including SSC) understand what they were good at and what they weren’t good at.

Sounds like sports psychology but it was way, way more than that - all encompassing and made such a massive difference. They were there for two years at a reduced rate to show the football world what they could do, but at the end of 2007 when they wanted to charge what they were worth NHowe baulked at the price and they went off elsewhere.