What advice would you give to someone of average height on crosses and corners?
Pepe and Iker
Questions have been sent to Colesy. Many thanks to all those that took the time to ask a question, I will post the replies as soon as they come back. Cheers
Please find below the Q and A with David Coles. He apologised for the late response but has been away overseas and also having a well earned family holiday.
Many many thanks to David for taking the time to honestly answer the questions which were put to him.
1:What is it like to be able to coach the current England number one and what types of drills and techniques do you implement on a daily basis to keep James motivated and interested?
We have a set programme on a weekly basis, which includes all aspects of goalkeeping work. That is technically, tactically, psychologically and physically. David is a very highly motivated person so I try and implement new training practices on a weekly basis to train all of these areas of his game, plus the other keepers at the club.
2: What gym work does David do? Is he a fan of core strength and are you personally?
David is a fantastic athlete and you don’t get his frame without working hard in the gym? My problem is keeping him out of it even when he is meant to be resting? We use core stability on a regular basis during our sessions on the grass and in the gym and yes both David and myself are big fans of it.
3: In the sells DVD we hear you calling “HANDS” a fair few times. Can you tell us how this saying comes about?
My Shouting of HANDS in the sells DVD will be a reminder to the goalkeeper and myself. I feel that if he should caught the ball then this is my trigger word.
4: What in your opinion is the most important for the goalkeeper footwork or agility?
Both too me are equally important no footwork means you don’t get to the ball to make a save or take a cross. With agility it’s the same no agility means lack of power, speed, spring and strength. All these components are equally as important if you move your feet but cant dive you cannot deal with the ball.
5: Do you think too much emphasise is put on the goalkeeper’s height? If so do you think some goalkeepers are slipping through the system?
There is a big emphasise on height at all levels now days, managers are more aware of a goalkeeper’s height more than their personal abilities. I’ve been lucky enough to work with two top class goalkeepers in David James and Antti Niemi who both excelled in all aspects of their game, but have big presence when they play in goal. David is a fantastic presence in size and reach, where as Antti had to make up for his lack of inches with fantastic agility and speed around his goal. Both have different heights yet both filled the goal during the game and training.
6: When training young keepers, what is the most important thing you look for?
Quiet simple really whether they enjoy playing in goal? Then I look at if they technically have the skills, tactically do they understand their own personal role within in that team and what is required of them in it. Are they physically capable at their age group to play in that position, socially how they react to people around them peer pressure, instructions from coaches or managers. Psychologically, if they make a mistake how they deal with it and what happens with the next situation that arises in the game. But I already have in place a development of identifying each child at each age group in each of the four corners I work from.
7: Firstly and quickly, thank you for all your purchases from Sukan Sports over the years. You have seen many changes in goalkeeper’s gloves from starting your professional career with Birmingham City to now coaching at premier league clubs. Have they improved during your time in your opinion, what do you look for in a glove and do you have an all time favourite? In addition to your league career in England you also played in Finland for a short time. What is your happiest memory from this time in Helsinki?
Firstly Dave, you’re a legend when it comes to gloves and were always there when I needed a fix! Yes, gloves have changed a lot there are better designs and the grips have been modified to adapt to the ever-changing ball. I have always preferred flat palms due to what I think is a bigger contact area, but I’m not adverse to the negative cut or roll fingers as they all have different qualities. My favourite gloves would have to be the Chris Woods Reusch flat palms with yellow and red on the back and Reusch written in the middle. My time in Helsinki was an exciting one as not many English keepers were asked to play abroad; my highlight was playing in the European cup-tie against F.C Porto. The club had lost the first leg 3-0 in Portugal, unfortunately I did not play and was left on the bench but I played second leg in Helsinki and we won 2-0. When I was at Southampton Antti gained a copy of the game I played and made all of the team watch it at dinner? And you guessed I never ever lived it down? On a quick note to you, David James is a big collector of gloves so any spare old ones you have I’m sure he would find room to improve his collection?
8: What are the most common recurring problems you see in goalkeepers in general today?
Goalkeeper’s who come outside the line of their near posts on angled shot stopping, its my pet hate. They end up incorporating and making the goal bigger by leaving it unguarded, giving the forward an easier option to cut the ball back or slide it through the goalkeeper who is so close to the ball that he as less time to react. We have an awful lot of goalkeeper’s who have a habit of chasing the ball, rather than transferring the pressure and get the forward to beat the keeper.
9: How big an influence was working on the Mervyn Day GK School in the 90’s? As a previous attendee it was a great influence on me as a young goalkeeper and now me working as a GK coach running a similar school in South Wales?
Mervyn was a massive influence in me quitting my non-league days early and beginning my career as a coach. I really enjoyed those days and learnt an awful lot from the whole school in general, and as well as producing some goalkeepers we produced a coach too! In fact I have been thinking about opening my own Academy of goalkeeping?
10: What do you think is the best height for a goalkeeper?
Height is always a big question in all young goalkeeper’s minds? I feel that six foot two is a nice height, but then it depends on age and genes I’m afraid we cant change what we have been dealt with by our maker unfortunately. My answer to you would be that whatever age you never stop growing until your 21 and even then we have a goalkeeper who as just grown another inch since is 21st birthday. Let nature take its course work hard at all aspects of your game both strengths and weaknesses, so that people wont be able to question your height if your good at everything.
11: Which keeper in the premiership do you believe has the best hands? And who do you think is the top keeper outside the premiership?
I think all goalkeeper’s at this level have to have a certain excellence in their handling skills otherwise they would not be playing at the top level for long? Last season I was impressed with Alex Smithies at Huddersfield and Andy Longergan at Preston North End. But Joe Lewis and Ben Hammer both did well at Peterborough and Brentford too.
12: In these days of wall-to-wall coverage, everything a top-level keeper does is scrutinised particular any slip-ups or bad goals. I imagine there is also a fair amount of pressure on these keepers with huge amounts of money at stake- so what do you like to do or say to your goalkeepers during your weekly work and pre-match to ensure they are mentally prepared?
All keepers are individuals and have various ways leading up to games; throughout the week we will discuss various situations as a group or individually on aspects of the game or their game. Games at this level are all recorded and at my disposal a day later for me to analyse with the goalkeeper in private. I have four Goalkeepers at my club with whom I work with on a daily basis, so building relationships is very important to get to know how they think and how learn as well as giving them time to be listened too that is really important in my role. David as developed is own way of dealing with the psychological factors before the game and I know when he needs to do that, as there is a cue for it to take place. I have used the same warm-up routine since I first started coaching and have tweaked it here and there for the individual at times but not by a great amount after all you don’t want to be training before a game?I also have trigger words to bring the goalkeeper back on track throughout the working week and they respond to this if they are not at their game or as I call it in the zone!
13: What were the first pair of gloves you ever brought or had brought for you?
They were a all yellow glove with like table tennis pimples on it back and front, after that when Uhlsport came on the scene I had brought for me a pair of yellow and black ones this time with a foam pimple going into the glove rather than sticking out.
14: What differences do you see in the way various countries produce and train their goalkeepers? Do you think any nation is ahead of the game, or innovate more than another?
No, I think we all have our own ways of producing as coaches but don’t feel that anyone’s is leading the market, I always feel that you can learn something new and as coaches we should all be adaptable to change as it can only be good for developing goalkeepers. I personally like to watch the Germans work though.
15: What advice would you give to someone of average height on crosses and corners?
Average height? Age is important here too! Adopt an aggressive starting position and be on your toes not flatfooted. Make sure you assess the flight of every ball quickly before making your decision to attack the ball or stay and deal with the second ball remember not every ball is yours. When attacking go late but quick this gives you time to choose the correct pathway where you can attack the ball at its highest point and yours too! Call early and loud put the fear of God into your defenders and the attackers, make sure you know whether your catching, punching or deflecting if it’s a far post cross don’t change your mind in mid-flight.
Fantastic read and great to get an insight into the thoughts of one of the top gk coaches in the world, with a snippet about Mr James too! Once again I feel priviledged to be able to access this sort of information and detail on TGB. Thanks Jimmy and please pass on our appreciation to David Coles too.
Kiwi
That was a brilliant read, thanks Jimmy and David. Some REALLY good questions from the TGB'rs, as well.
I missed the original thread, but I always get Britain's Sunday 'Observer' newspaper where David James writes a colomn and a few times he has said that he doesn't rate a lot of goalie coaching as it is unoriginal and ineffective. Obviously, working with David Coles he's doing some slightly different stuff-I'd be interested in what that stuff is.
If anyone has any insight into what this is- please post.
Enjoyed reading that, cheers Jimmy and of course to David.
Excellent read. it is great to get an insiders view on things.I would love to see David James collection of gloves, i bet there are some absolute belters in it.
Its not where your from, its where your at!
Great read - thanks Jimmy!
One Save doesnt make a Season....
excellent, cheers to david.
and thanks Jimmy for the leg work.
Where I play
Not only has David come up with some fascinating answers, he chose an all-time design classic as his favourite glove with the Reusch Woods from 1989.
(The PU's gone a bit sticky on this pair but they're older than quite a few of the posters on here.)