Neil ConnorInsights
Ideas From The Work.
Articles and reflections across football development.
From Ideas To Delivery
Explore The Leadership Case Studies.
See academy development, coach-development systems and financial planning alongside the thinking discussed in these articles.
View Case Studies ↗A player’s answer needs a next step
Ask a specific question, agree a practical response and return to the players to examine what changed.
Read article 01Breaking Pressure Is Not the Same as Progressing
A forward pass may break pressure, but genuine progression depends on what the team recognises and does next.
Read article 02Why Repeating Drills Is Not the Same as Improving
In many player development environments, repetition is often viewed as the foundation of improvement. Players repeat passes, patterns, and movements with the intention of building consistency. Sessions are structured…
Read article 03Why Players Struggle to Transfer Training into Match Performance
One of the most common frustrations in player development is the gap between what players can do in training and what they produce in matches. It is not unusual to see players execute actions cleanly within sessions,…
Read article 04What Coaching in Different Countries Taught Me About Player Development
Coaching in different countries changes how you see the game. It exposes differences not only in playing style, but in how environments are structured, how players are developed, and how coaching itself is understood.…
Read article 05Why 1:1 Position-Specific Coaching Matters
Over time, one of the most important areas of player development I have worked on is the design and delivery of individual, position-specific training. While team training forms the foundation of any academy…
Read article 06Building a Player Development Methodology (6/10)
Individual Development Plans — From Generic Feedback to Real Player Progression One of the most commonly used tools in football academies is the Individual Development Plan, often referred to as an IDP. On the surface,…
Read article 07Building the Starting Point: Designing a Pre-Foundation Development Programme
One of the most important questions in player development is rarely asked with sufficient clarity: where does development actually begin? In many football environments, structured coaching is introduced only once…
Read article 08Summer Camps as an Extension of the Academy Environment
One of the most common questions within player development is how young players can experience a structured academy environment outside of the regular season. Summer camps are often viewed as informal, short-term…
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