BACKROOM GRAFT

THE HEAD COACH IS THE TOP OF THE TECHNICAL TEAM PYRAMID, BUT AT AMBITIOUS MODERN-DAY CLUBS, THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE BACKING HIM UP.

- Mogamad Allie

It seems an age ago that the technical teams of professional football clubs comprised mainly the coach, their assistant and a massage therapist armed with a bag containing 'magic water', some bandages, a spray and a towel.

Half-time team talks mainly took the form of a tongue-lashing from the coach - if his team was not following instructions or words of encouragement if they were doing well. And in between, they might have an orange or some liquid refreshment to rehydrate.

It was not until the 1980s that technology really started making inroads into the footballing world. Added extras like sports science - including biokinetics, specialist physiotherapy and nutrition - along with post-match video analysis soon became an integral part of the club structure.

Coaches and players were able to review their matches over and over, picking them apart, seeing plays from a completely new perspective. This changed the way the game was played and how coaches prepared their teams for match day.

Tactically, coaches became sharper and more aware of how to adapt their strategies and tactics - even at half time! Players were now able to see exactly where they were making mistakes and what their weaknesses were. More importantly, it allowed the coaching staff to work on rectifying specific mistakes and analysing the opposition's strengths and weaknesses in minute detail.

The 1990s saw the introduction of the heart-rate monitoring device, which is still in full use today. Using this appliance, clubs were able to collect direct data to determine the working intensity of their players. To this day, heart-rate-monitoring technology is still used to help manage the workloads of footballers.