The Football Psychology Show

Playing without fear

We're joined by Professor Marc Jones, from Manchester Metropolitan University's widely-respected psychology department, and Dr Andy Hill, Blackburn Rovers' psychologist, for a discussion about psychological support for young players, the forces which motivate elite footballers and the science behind claims that teams 'play without fear'.

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Checking the emotional barometer

We're joined by Everton's former Director of Medical Services, Danny Donachie, and ex-England Women's Team psychologist, Dr Misia Gervis, for a discussion about the psychological techniques managers can use to address poor runs of form, dealing with the emotional impact of long-term injury and the mentality players require to sustain a career into their late thirties.

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Getting comfy with the uncontrollable

We welcome Hearts and Southampton psychologist, Dr Jillian Harley, for a discussion about the impact of managerial changes on players' motivation, the thin line between productive devotion and unhealthy obsession and the way in which international breaks affect footballers' state of mind.

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Creating a club culture (with Gareth Ainsworth and Richard Dobson)

We welcome back Wycombe's assistant manager, Richard Dobson, alongside the Chairboys' boss, Gareth Ainsworth, for a wide-ranging chat about the leadership and psychological support structure the duo have established at Adams Park.

Running order: 
Part 1: Introduction - a fast-start to the season (00:14)  
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Gareth Ainsworth and Richard Dobson (03:07)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Gareth Ainsworth and Richard Dobson (62:19) 

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Get in touch and follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/soccerpsychshow

 

Player care (with Hugo Scheckter)

Former West Ham and Southampton player care specialist, Hugo Scheckter, joins us to talk about the social media abuse he's seen Premier League stars suffer, how he supported West Ham's first-team squad during COVID and the future of the player care profession.

Running order: 
Part 1: Introduction - remembering Steffen Iversen (00:14)  
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Hugo Scheckter (03:41)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Hugo Scheckter (58:49) 

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Chelsea‘s ‘psychological coding‘ programme (with Malcolm Harkness)

Trabzonspor's Head of Sports Science, Malcolm Harkness, joins us to discuss his time in Turkey and the 'psychological coding' project he helped run in his previous role at Chelsea.  

Running order: 

Part 1: Introduction - dressing room songs, from Adele to Apache (00:14)  
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Malcolm Harkness (04:35)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Malcolm Harkness (51:26) 

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The psychology behind Chelsea‘s double-winning side (with Dr Bruno Demichelis)

Former AC Milan and Chelsea psychologist, Dr Bruno Demichelis, drops by for the second half of a two-part episode, looking at his time at Stamford Bridge. 

Bruno talks to us about the sports science and cognitive support he provided for Carlo Ancelotti's double-winning squad. 

Drawing on stories involving a host of Chelsea stars, from John Terry and Didier Drogba to Petr Cech and Frank Lampard, Bruno gives us the inside track on the most successful season in the club's history. 

Running order: 
Part 1: Introduction - from Clarence Seedorf to John Terry (00:14)  
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Dr Bruno Demichelis (04:16)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Dr Bruno Demichelis (48:23) 

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AC Milan‘s ‘Mind Room‘: Italian football‘s first psychology lab (with Dr Bruno Demichelis)

AC Milan's former Scientific Coordinator, Dr Bruno Demichelis, drops by to discuss the 'Mind Room', Italian football's first psychology laboratory. 

Bruno talks to us about the role the 'Mind Room' played in Milan's success during the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. 

Drawing on stories involving a host of Milan legends, from Franco Baresi and Roberto Baggio to Clarence Seedorf and Gennaro Gattuso, Bruno gives us the inside track on Milan's pioneering sports science and psychology setup. 

This is the first half of a two-part episode. Part 2 - covering Bruno's spell at Chelsea, working alongside Carlo Ancelotti during the London club's 09-10 double-winning season, will be released shortly.   

Running order: 
Part 1: Introduction - swapping Spurs in the 90s for Paolo Rossi (00:14)  
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Dr Bruno Demichelis (04:50)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Dr Bruno Demichelis (68:33) 

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Get in touch and follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/soccerpsychshow

 

Psychological characteristics of the ‘perfect footballer‘ (with Simon Clifford)

Southampton's former Head of Sports Science and the man credited with introducing futsal to the UK, Simon Clifford, stops by for a fascinating discussion about the psychological characteristics of the 'perfect footballer'.

Simon talks to us about the players he's worked with, including Juninho, Gareth Bale and Micah Richards, who display some of the mental attributes you might expect to find in the 'player of tomorrow'.

He also explains what it was like to manage Socrates, during his spell at Garforth Town, and tells us about his latest venture, Integer Football.   

Running order: 
Part 1: Introduction - Socrates' spell at Garforth Town (00:14)  
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Simon Clifford (04:06)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Simon Clifford (48:30) 

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Get in touch and follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/soccerpsychshow

The impact of sleep on performance (with Nick Littlehales, ‘The Sport Sleep Coach‘)

Nick Littlehales, aka 'The Sport Sleep Coach', drops by for a discussion about the impact of sleep on players' performance. 

We talk about Nick's career, spanning spells with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Chelsea and England, discuss the role that sleep coaching can play in improving performance and look at the effect of COVID-19 on fatigue in football.  

Running order: 
Part 1: Introduction - sleeping through the international break (00:14)  
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Nick Littlehales (05:28)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Nick Littlehales (48:40) 

Read 'The Mind Room', The Football Psychology Show sister newsletter: https://themindroom.substack.com/

Get in touch and follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/soccerpsychshow