Episode 7 Late Kick Off East

So here is the plan. You pour a little of this on here and that is

the future of English football, apparently! Tonight the appliance

of science. The new cap to transform a coaching. - app. The

grass will turn with you, with your boots. This surface won't, will it?

I think it will. With me as normal as I have some pundits. The MK Dons

manager is here. Every time you come on you seem to win. That is

why I keep coming on! We have news of something that can transform the

way football is coach to. -- coached. Colchester United formed

in 1937. 75 years of history. It's their 4th season at their new

stadium and now they have added a modern twist to match-day

preparation. It is 8am Thursday morning. Colchester's next home

game against Rochdale just two days away. Traditionally coaches use

this, a tactics board, good old fashioned magnetic players. But

times are moving on. OK, Joe, what have you got planned today? We are

going to move on to a defensive session. Just put the back four in.

Being attacked by a wave of four. We asked them to attack outside

mannequins. And also inside mannequins. OK. High-intensity?

This will be more high intense. We're looking at the back four to

keep a decent line. OK, yeah. decent line as best they can.

We'll go from there. Excellent. club sports scientist David Carolan

designed it. Colchester are making full use of it. That was designed

to allow coaches to have the tools to be able to create all of their

session content on an iPad and do away with really the archaic pen

and paper and creating stuff on your desktop and then throwing it

in the bin. It's a resource that's lost forever. Now coaches can keep

that information with them at all times. And refer back to it and be

able to use it in the future or share it with everybody from other

professionals all the way down to the grass roots level. So, is this

revolutionising the way you do things? I think times are moving on

in football on and off the pitch. Apps like this help us visualise

and players learn in so many different ways. The best way we

find is visualising, we show them what we are looking for in the

session rather than doing all the time. Sometimes if you can give a

player a picture of what we are looking for we can get a lot more

from it. Nowadays there is an app for almost everything. Downloads

have reached 25 billion. I-Drills is one of the latest to hit the

market. This is what it used to be, hundreds and hundreds of sessions,

all in here. You don't need these any more. You can get all of this

on an iPad now so no carrying around reams and reams of paper.

One device for everything. You can have thousands and thousands of

drills on there. OK, let's go and So, the session's planned,

programmed, time to perform. Yup. Good on the cards. That's at all.

Heel up on to toe. Right home! Good work. Good work fellas. So Dave has

taken his warm-up. Joe is currently down there at the moment working on

defending. It is shape today. Attack versus defence. This says it

should take about 20 minutes. Also in here we have drills for

attacking, tactics, small cider games. Set pieces, always crucial

come match day and fun games. I guess it takes all sorts. It has

been shipped all around the world. It has been in 25 different

countries at this stage and it has been used from the Premier League

all the way to the A League in Australia, to non-league and to

youth football as well. In the next few months we will be opening up a

marketplace where coaches can exchange all of their drills with

each other. A coach in Brazil can transfer information to Japan,

Canada even back into the UK. you buy into technology? I do. Only

when other people can do it for me. That is key. Dave's very good at it

and wants to do it and push things on which is great for me and the

players. He will sit on the bench and make notes of things that

immediately he can bring to my attention or at half time maybe we

cannot get the video guy from the stand to give us some back-up.

Stuff like that is vital for us because it's immediate. CHANTING.

It is match day and the atmosphere is building. Rochdale's fans have

come in good numbers and in good voice. Colhester's fans are just

warming up. Come on! 50, 50 over here. New supporters have arrived

anxious to see their team recover from defeat at Yeovil. Also, a new

signing make his home debut. Inside, Freddie Sears, on loan from West

Ham, was keeping cool. Others did their best to lighten the mood. It

was clear an old favourite still had its uses. Confident head today,

John? We always are, aren't you? We've worked on this game Thursday

and Friday and we will see the finalised pieces today when we know

the opposition. Someone was injured at training on Friday so we've got

to think on our feet. Everybody is fully informed of everything we

think they should be informed of, we'll see if we can put it into

action. On paper, the Ewes firm favourites mid-table against second

bottom. Rochdale's away record is poor. But this game is not played

on paper. Come on! One minute to three just time to squeeze in one

final drill before kick-off. During the game Dave is glued to the

action recording the finer details. Crosses, shots, fouls all

registered. Patterns of play fed back, anything to gain an advantage.

It was an uneventful half. Attempts from distance but nothing to

trouble the keeper. So it is 0-0 at half-time. Dave has been beavering

away on his app during the first half. What have you learnt? Well it

seems to have been a battle of the right sides at the moment. We're

getting shots and crosses from our right side and they are getting

their joy down their right side so it seems to be whoever can stop the

other side down the right side might get a little more joy. But

the second half was a similar story. Colchester's strikers starved of

space. A chance for Sears forced wide. Andy Bond thought he had a

sight of goal. Not quite. When Ben Williams was called upon he dealt

with the danger. It finished goalless. Your app then. Helped you

get a clean sheet but just couldn't help you find a way past them?

Unfortunately not but it allows us to see the pattern of what teams

might be trying to do against us. Also, how we are playing as a team

ourselves. We are not get anything out the left hand side a little bit.

That is the information we got so we switched it around a wee bit to

see if we could. It helps. It is that little detail that adds that

extra for us and tries to give us that little edge. We will review

our performance today. The information that we will now

process over the next 24 hours, we'll feed that back in and that

will hopefully help us shape our team for Tuesday but we will also

know we have to do our homework in Oldham as well. Go on you! Is that

something that you use at MK Dons? Not to that extent. I like being

able to see really what we have done. For instance, we will look

back on last year and would be dead right or wrong, did we get fit heat,

did we not work hard enough? think we have got to use every

advantage we can. I have got a mind set of what I want to do with

coaching. We go out and see things, we coach what we see. We improve

and we move on to the next session. During games if you can seek an

advantage which has been done before or with technology, I have

been told I could not have it. do you make of it? To beefier it

will save a few Brazilian rain forests. -- to be feared. But your

best coaching tool is your eyes. Let's see how it is shaping up at

the busy end of League One. Charlton are flying at the moment.

Other than this game I think they have won four of the last six games.

They have got most boxes kept. They have got a strong back four and a

good front two. They have got a crop of fans who are supporting

them who will help them get it over the line. I think Gary Smith will

not be happy with the goals that were conceded. He will be wanting

to work on his defensive principles. Again tomorrow night against

Huddersfield at home. Coverage will be on local radio. It is

interesting that. Tough to call a winner. Huddersfield will be strong

with good presence physically. The other manager needs tremendous

credit for the job he has taken over. I want to go to that match

tomorrow, I am looking forward to it. That takes me to another of my

old clubs. Bournemouth. The owner's wife giving a team talk! What was

all that about? I just saw a lady dressed in red stood in the middle.

But I do not know what she was seeing. I do not speak a Russian

fluently. -- what she was saying. What about the action? Grade when.

It was a tough game. This was a marker for us. They spent a lot of

money. We went there and took the game to them. I know we miss the

chance early on but the other 88 minutes of the game we were the

best team. We deserved the win. Alan Smith, what a terrific signing.

He has settled in brilliantly it seems. He has got an understanding

of what it is like to win. He has done it at the highest level and he

has fitted in brilliantly with our boys. He is more than determined.

That was a great chance for or Charlie MacDonald. He is going

through a lean spell at the moment. He is a great lad and I have got

faith in him that he will turn it around. He had a great chance

towards the end. Sometimes when you go up you need that luck. There are

certain games you have to ride your luck when you should be three or

four clear. You have just got to four clear. You have just got to

take the chance. Let's look at the top of the table. Do you fancy your

cells for automatic promotion if you got the chance? Yes we do. We

have got a strong belief in the dressing room, among the fans and

players and coaching staff. We play a style of football that beat feel

is correct. I also think you have got to feel that Huddersfield and

Charlton have it really difficult. The lads have been fantastic. Every

The lads have been fantastic. Every one of them. We have had plenty of

fans wanting to ask a question of Chairman's wives coming into the

dressing-room at half-time! I am really happy where I am. Just like

the club, if my ambition falls short of the chairman. I am

committed to the club and dial-up be that we can create history. I

have almost become emotionally attached to everything about the

club. It would take an awful lot. I have turned down a number of things

and it would take an awful lot to Everything about it. They have

given me a chance on the chairman has put tremendous paper me. The

players, but fund on the board have been great taught me. Still to come

on tonight's programme. What unearth is going on here? Will be

revealed very shortly. Back to the action and leaked to continues to

look worrying for Northampton. were lucky because the other six

teams around them true but they are with that goal because is defenders

switched off. It came on the back of two straight win so that will

frustrating. He said afterwards that he was not very happy. But you

have to play at high-intensity for the full 90 minutes to give

yourself no chance. He has made a couple of good signings and Clarke

Carlisle has made a big difference. He has. He brought in Andy King and

he is one of the best to recruitment. I have tremendous

faith in those two than they will keep Northampton in the league.

This is what Aidy Boothroyd said after the game. I have not got any

complaints. Today, we got what we deserved because they played at

match pace and we were playing a testimonial pace for some reason.

Let us see where they are in the table. Still a lot to do. The game

in hand is huge. And Adebayo Akinfenwa got his 11th goal of the

season. Southend have had a sticky spell, losing five of the last

eight. They lost the last two as well. They had disciplinary

problems on the Friday, at least that was reported. A massive game

next week against Crawley, which we will have on Monday night next week.

They have to get themselves back on track. You have ground breaking

away there with a decent effort. Again, a lack of concentration and

Burrows scored at the far post. disappointing. Charlton in our

league pride themselves on defending and attacking set-pieces.

Those are the key components they get you out of leaks. As a manager,

when you watch of games over, you'd like to think... Do you think they

can do it? I have seen them once or twice this year. I cinema their

best and at their worst. If they can get their consistency in their

game they are capable. They have players in the squad to come go and

win football matches but they have Lot the more hate them there is a

chance we could see the return of artificial pitches in the eight not

too distant future. The Football League is inviting consultation on

whether the ban should be lifted. What you think of them? I think

they are still skin on Kenilworth Road where I was tripped up! Just

to remind you, we're looking for your skin there! They are testing

the banks of the pitches and the role to see how good and true they

were. They certainly gave the team soon had them a real advantage.

am not old enough to relearn the them! Luton, Oldham, QPR and

Preston, all had their most successful period when they had

artificial pitches. You get used to playing on the surface and it

becomes an advantage to you. If yours is different about the else's

is going to taking time to get used to it. What of these new synthetic

surfaces like? There was only one way to find out. This is the latest

artificial surface and it is called 3G. It's certainly moved on a lot

from 30 years ago when the likes of Luton were using it. How much has

it moved on? Is it good enough to persuade professional footballers

to take it on board and move forward with it? Well, I have been

joined by the expert, Gavin, here, and he has been telling us about it.

What is the technology behind this surface? Well, it has significantly

changed from what it was previously. The biggest change is the length of

the pile of the grass. Sure. We are now standing on a 60 millimetre

length pile. The previous one was just like a carpet in the house.

You stand on top. With this one you've got this in-filled with

rubber crumbs to try and give it that natural feel to what grass

also gives you. As a professional footballer, on this surface what

would you use? Would you use trainers? You want studs worn on

these carpets. They are strong enough do takes studs. Studs?

studs. In the carpet? They are recommended. It could be moulded,

studs, blades, it can take anything now. What they don't want is the

trainers being worn. Personally I would prefer to wear these but you

say studs. My worry is that you'd get your foot stuck in it and you

wouldn't be able to turn. In grass, the grass will turn with you. Your

boots. This surface won't, will it? I think it will. Do you? You know,

that is what UEFA are now saying, the carpets are that good, that

close to natural turf pitches, wear what you would normally wear as a

footballer. Let's have a look at the practicalities of this surface.

Bounce wise. In the past, the old surface you are talking about ones

like Luton, you bounced it and it went miles in the air, didn't it?

This one, well, you demonstrate. Well, it is very natural. The ball

bounces, one thing. And they do test. UEFA have testing and they

have different two stars. They have three for one stars. And the ball

bounce and the roll is all part of that testing. And does it bounce

evenly every time? Because on grass you know you get uneven bounces and

you have to sort of judge that. On this is it perfect every time?

no, it's certainly not perfect. It is like natural turf. You've got

rubber crumb. You might have an area that has more rubber crumb

than others because that's the movement within the game. That's no

different to grass. There might be a bobble on the grass. You're not

going to get that with this. There might be more rubber in a certain

area and that will change the bounce of the ball. And what about

the roll of the ball? I'm going to put you on the spot. I'm going to

ask you to shoot goalwards. And see what it's like. OK. No pressure.

Decent finish again and I suppose I'd better have a go myself. See

what it's like. Certainly moves all right, doesn't it? Got a good roll

on it. But can you finish? Can I finish? I'll tell you what, I'll go

for the crossbar. Crossbar challenge. Oh! That was close! You

would have hit it! Artificial pitches will produce artificial

games. Can you see any benefits? Sub-zero temperatures or snow, due

clear the pitch? Not a hope. Why? This game is the best game anywhere.

You can use it five or six days, you can play and it, have concerts,

mate money from it. I understand that, but we are talking

professional football and they are paid to entertain, footballers. The

spectacle is the unpredictability of the game and grass to she that.

If we go away from that I think we will lose an awful lot. Tackling,

you will not get any tackling. with you, but what about supporters

in this part of the world? can't have some teams playing on

proper pitches and others on artificial. It would be unfair.

a club like Peterborough it would be good, make use of the pitch,

reduce postponements. We would not have problems like frozen pitches.

I'm not in favour, I seen them years ago. Players got injured. It

wasn't natural. I prefer the grass. It does alter the play. I don't

think it's an equal playing field. I've played on them myself so yeah,

they're ok. It's better than getting the match banned 30 minutes

in, innit? I'd rather see a football pitch. I don't want to see

a ball bounce ten foot in the air so, no, keep tradition.

consultation continues until the end of April. Everyone is

encouraged to have a say, including fans. Log on to the website shown.

Back to the action and the Championship. Peterborough got a

last-gasp equaliser against Doncaster and made a big signing.

Yes, Tyrone Barnett had a fantastic and Giles Barnes put on Gerster

head. There was a good set piece! would not be happy with that.

about Tyrone Barnett from Crawley? How could is he? I love them

because they have Craig Mackail- Smith and the keep going for

forwards and the keep reducing. Paul Taylor, the Liverpool lad as

well, a good player. They went and got the boy from Crawley. They keep

getting these players. Over a million pounds from League Two and

his old manager said he is the best strike outside the Premier League.

This is great technique. And a little leaving present from Brian

Bennett in his last game before What you think of Peterborough? Is

all about survival this season. They are rivals for us but I have

tremendous respect for what the manager has done there and the

players they have brought in. I think they will stay up. I think

they will get that magic 50 quite comfortably. They have players that

can score goals, they have something different at the top end

of the pitch. Do you think there is a big gap between the Championship

and League One? Not so much any more. Leeds, Southampton, Norwich,

have gone from our leak into the next and gone into the top 10 in

the first season. I think Peterborough will go from strength

to strength. You have to have respect for what they have done to

be relegated and then promoted again. That leaves us with its rich

who had been on a great run but it came to a shuddering halt at --

Mackail-Smith put them one goal up. About clearance there from Barratt

and it comes to Ashley Barnes. It is good technique but again it is

too loose from the point of view of Ipswich. 110 goals in their matches,

which is unbelievable. Paul Jewell has and 57 games in charge and in a

third of than they have conceded three goals on more. Have you seen

Not this year. With them being in our vicinity, you look at their

results and I took them last year to have a good season they share

and things are not, way. But they have got players in that squad that

can score goals. Defined a centre half now is difficult. I know three

of four managers searching everywhere to try to find somebody

to plug the gap. Have you been surprised by the form of goods

which given the quality of player at their disposal? Yes, and the

quality of the manager what he has done with his career, I did expect

more. But the Championship is so unpredictable. There are so many

good teams now. So many good teams are 10 points clear of the

relegation zone. Ipswich probably need another 10.. It is incredible,

you look at Nottingham Forest and Portsmouth and Coventry in the

bottom half, it shows you how strong football in this country is.

There are fantastic teams which put Tom fantastic performances.

have heart report away on Saturday. When are you setting off, tonight?

Yes! There are no kidneys any more. A good run any sink be hitting form

at the right time. I think I should come on the show every Monday!