Former English FA national player development coach, John Allpress:  how to conduct an effective post-match review with academy players

Practice | Games | 22.09.2022

Effective post-match reviews are based on the setting of realistic targets before the game, says former English FA National Player Development coach, John Allpress Image: Thierry Falise/Lightrocket/Getty Images

Learning:

-   The importance of ‘judging the mood’ before conducting a post-match review

-       How to set realistic pre-game expectations and review against these

-       How to link a post-match review with the next training session

In the final part of a three-part series focusing on matchday, former FA national player development coach, John Allpress, looks at how coaches can effectively review a game with their players.

Football is a game where nothing ever happens in exactly the same way more than once, but many very similar things happen a lot. Getting players to review and reflect on their performances against this backdrop should never be underestimated as a learning tool.

It’s important that players learn to focus on what happened, rather than what they would have liked to have happened. The players with the best potential desire continuous improvement across the board. The ability to look back at their efforts and be able to measure, distil and clarify what went well, what could be better, and what needs to change is a crucial skill in this regard.