Reids Coaching/Management thread

Discussion in 'General Football & Other Sport' started by reids, Aug 11, 2015.

  1. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    I've just seen this thread for the first time. Having read some of the posts on this page I went back to page 1. It looks like you've been on a terrific journey since 2015 when you decided to 'go for it'. I haven't got time to read every post but if you get a moment perhaps you could briefly outline the key moments in your transition from running a kids team in Abbots to where you are now. I'd be genuinely fascinated to know. No problem if you can't be arsed! Good luck regardless - from now on I will follow your progress with interest
     
  2. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    I think that's a great idea if you can accept the volatility of earnings and accept that if the move works beautifully but their thug of a centre half heads it over the bar, you don't get paid ! Need to clearly define at what point the "set-piece goal" stops being a SPG....first cross, second cross, x seconds etc.
     
    folkestone orn and reids like this.
  3. reids

    reids First Team

    Cheers - I'd done a few of my coaching badges and had a couple of years coaching under my belt when in 2017 I read an article from Statsbomb about set-pieces (https://statsbomb.com/2017/02/changing-how-the-world-thinks-about-set-pieces/). It really struck a chord with me and got me thinking if it was a potential route into the professional game (as going from grassroots to the pro game as a manager was always going to be an ambitious goal!). I looked around and found there were actually very few specialists in this area of the game. At the same time the backroom staff at clubs were increasing in number season by season, so I believed that within 5 years (2 seasons to go!) practically every PL club would have a set-piece specialist on their staff. So if I could get in early and prove my worth then hopefully I'd be at the front of the queue when clubs started hiring.

    Of course I knew pretty much nothing about set-pieces at the time, but I'd just started writing for a football analysis website that gave me WyScout (a website that clubs etc use for video analysis) which gave me footage of every clubs set-pieces across the world. So I started writing blogs for the analysis website about teams who were particularly good or bad from set-pieces and broke down what they were doing. In the summer of 2017 I saw the Head of Analysis at Leyton Orient (National League at the time) was running a course (introduction to football analysis or something) that cost £20. Decided I'd go as it was a chance to meet the head of analysis at a pro club and was cheap enough to write off if nothing came of it. Met him and had a chat after the course where I told him about the work I'd been doing and he asked if I'd do some set-piece analysis for Orient for the 17/18 season (unpaid). Was happy to as it was the chance I was after and got me on the ladder. Season went so/so and looking back at some of my reports they're awful in comparison to what i'm producing now. Head of analysis got sacked at the end of the season and he was my only contact at the club so I also left.

    But the role at Orient landed me doing the same (again unpaid) at Millwall (Championship) during 18/19, they gave me advice on how to lay-out my reports better and combined with a few new ideas of useful info to add, the feedback from the club was soon great which had also translated to goals (Millwall were one of the best set-piece teams in the league that season). Those goals then began to win plaudits from people outside the club (funnily enough from Statsbomb on their Twitter account) which prompted a few more people from within the game to follow me on Twitter and start reading the work I was doing.

    Millwall were talking about bringing me on as a paid role, but they ended up just ignoring me which was nice of them, but I then had contact from Man City before the FA Cup final last year to go through the work I'd been doing and my ideas for the future, they then advertised for a set-piece analyst role which I got interviewed for and got down to the final 5 applicants (out of 400+). So then I decided to go freelance, thinking if I can get that close to a job at City then I'd definitely be good enough for other clubs. In the year I've been freelance I've been a bit disappointed with the uptake (despite my constant bombardment of emails and messages on LinkedIn/Twitter to people at clubs) with a few bit-part projects but nothing really substantial, but instead i've used the time to build research projects and other tools that will help the freelance work (as well as getting my name out there my doing work with websites like The Athletic etc). And that pretty much brings us up to now where the freelance work is looking a lot better!
     
  4. The Voice of Reason

    The Voice of Reason First Team Captain

    Good luck mate, I'm sure your time will come :)
     
    reids likes this.
  5. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    Sounds like you're on track for success! Football has always struck me as having an 'old boy's network' culture (just the impression I get - I'm just a fan and have never been involved in the industry) - do you think a league club would have offered you a senior role by now if you'd been an ex-player rather than an 'outsider'?
    PS. I know a team who until very recently played at the highest level in England that haven't scored from a set piece in living memory and can't defend free-kicks or corners to save their lives. I'm sure they could benefit from your services. They're local to you too!
     
    Watford Gav likes this.
  6. reids

    reids First Team

    Not too sure tbh, it's rare for ex players to move into analysis over coaching so it's not something i've really experienced. That being said if I were coaching then that would most definitely be happening.

    And I tried to work with said local team, even offering my services for free. So instead i'll be doing set-pieces against them this season for my other Championship client (or Brentford) :(
     
    Diamond likes this.
  7. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    Unbelievable! No, actually, completely believable! Who turned you down? Our fraud of a director of football - or whatever Geraldi calls himself.
    Brentford sound like a perfect fit though - they're really sold on this 'moneyball' approach aren't they?
     
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2020
  8. reids

    reids First Team

    Not sure to be perfectly honest, I'd made contact with one of the coaching staff on LinkedIn and did an analysis for the Leicester game in March. He said he'd showed it to Pearson and Shakespeare and they thought it was good. Then the game got postponed due to Covid. Tried to organise a Zoom call over lockdown so I could show them what I'd built (which was getting rave reviews from other clubs - including PL clubs) but they just ignored (although I could see it had been read) any further messages..
     
  9. ForzaWatford

    ForzaWatford Squad Player

    I wouldn't take this to heart mate. As soon as I put my job on LinkedIn I started getting inundated with messages. I probably get 8-10 a week from people asking me to help get work experience, dissertations etc. I feel bad ignoring them, but I just don't have time to reply to all of them.
     
  10. reids

    reids First Team

    Yeah I'm used to disappointment now, football is a fickle business that always makes you think you're so close to getting somewhere then something always happens to ruin it, but whenever that happens I just move on and add something else to my repertoire for the next team that's interested.
     
  11. Teide1

    Teide1 Squad Player

    I believe in business you are better off " safety in Numbers " seeing how quickly things change in football you are better off having a number of irons in the fire, lose one and although obviously a disappointment it not the end of the world!
     
  12. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    Dear me. Sounds like it'll be their loss. Remember what they say - every setback sets you up for a comeback (or something like that!)
     
  13. luke_golden

    luke_golden Space Cadet

    This thread is the only reason I come on this site now.
     
    reids likes this.
  14. reids

    reids First Team

    I've made a counter-offer to this that if accepted I'm sure would be a world first in football...a 50% reduction on my monthly rate...but with a substantial goal bonus attached - if we get the 3 corner goals by the break then it's pretty much the fee I was after anyway, but then i'm rewarded if we exceed those expectations which balances the risk on my end a bit. Here's hoping :D
     
  15. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    I can't understand why you're getting no 'bites'. I can only assume that you're not talking a language they can't understand - perhaps this is it!
     
  16. Carpster

    Carpster Squad Player

    You wrote earlier about dropping your rate and looking at goal bonus instead. I particularly thought that was the way to go because you're backing your own methods and showing massive confidence in yourself and your analysis.
    Top work. Like everyone on here I wish you all the success in the world. But don't come back and haunt Watford :eek:
     
  17. reids

    reids First Team

    Ah so I did, forgot about that haha
     
    Carpster likes this.
  18. nisman94

    nisman94 International Man of Mystery

    So if this said Champo club scores a set piece against us (which ain't gonna be hard, let's face it), I'll blame you :)
     
    reids likes this.
  19. Markoa$

    Markoa$ Squad Player

    I’m burning your house down if you cost us.

    Just joking, I would never do that. Your shed on the other hand...
     
    reids likes this.
  20. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

  21. reids

    reids First Team

    Saw that, a shame as I've met Andreas and had a Zoom chat with him over lockdown and was looking forward to working with him if I got the Brentford job (which I'm now leaning towards more than freelance as they called me at the weekend to gauge my salary expectations and the money is more than I was expecting). That being said he's done great things there and has given me some useful ideas to use so it's definitely deserved!

    Still blows my mind that every PL team doesn't have a set-piece expert (whether that be coach and/or analyst), it's an absolute no brainer.
     
    Diamond likes this.
  22. lowerrous

    lowerrous First Team

    Maybe you could now pitch yourself as being able to replace him as their full-blown head of set pieces?
     
  23. reids

    reids First Team

    Perhaps, I imagine they've already got someone lined up as apparently the guy that Arsenal poached started at Arsenal yesterday and the job I applied for says it reports into the set-piece coach. Also not ever being in a club before I think that would be a stretch and a gamble on Brentfords behalf!
     
  24. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Yes but they are our rivals which is why we'd like them to appoint an untried newbe who doesn't know what he's talking about :).
     
    Watford Gav and reids like this.
  25. reids

    reids First Team

    They've accepted :cool:
     
  26. The Voice of Reason

    The Voice of Reason First Team Captain

    Well done Reeds, I hope you have great success.
     
  27. Diamond

    Diamond First Team

    Great news. Please keep us up to date with your progress at Brentford. I'll certainly be watching their set pieces much closer next season.
     
    The Recluse likes this.
  28. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Make sure you're both clear on when the set-piece ends !!
     
  29. Otter

    Otter Gambling industry insider

    Based on Watford, it would be the moment the ref blows his whistle.
     
  30. reids

    reids First Team

    I'm through to the next stage at Brentford (and should finish the analysis task they've set today), the above was for a team in Holland!

    Haha yeah, i've suggested 20 seconds from the moment the kick is taken which seems fair.
     
  31. Watford Gav

    Watford Gav First Year Pro

    Fantastic, well done, so they should and I'm sure backing your own analysis will help you get the bigger buck and attention you deserve.
    PS but not against us ok?
     
    GarethCritic likes this.
  32. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    Fantastic news. I hope you get 'poached' soon.
     
    GarethCritic likes this.
  33. reids

    reids First Team

    New client! - this time in Portugal - an investment group has purchased a second division team and want to go all out (even buying my most expensive option!) \o/

    Client list starting to take shape now:

    Championship
    Eredivisie
    Portugal Segunda

    Still working on a couple more deals as well (one of which is HUGE if it comes off...as in top 4 Premier League huge)
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2020
  34. reids

    reids First Team

    (,forgot to say the other deals are in MLS, Danish Superliga and our Premier league)
     
    Arakel, Bwood_Horn and The Recluse like this.
  35. Diamond

    Diamond First Team

    Gareth Bales golf buggy driver?

    Seriously, I'm ridiculously pleased for you considering I don't even know you. Keep the journey updated.
     
    reids likes this.

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