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WATCH: Damien Delaney on how technology helped improve my game

Damien Delaney believes that the technology available to coaches improved the way that he played,...



Soccer

WATCH: Damien Delaney on how technology helped improve my game

Damien Delaney believes that the technology available to coaches improved the way that he played, with training methods improved by videos and opposition research.

Delaney spoke about the issue following a discussion with Brian Kerr about whether young players are overloaded.

"It massively helped," said Delaney of the new technology available to coach players.

"It puts your mind at ease if you are watching videos on a Thursday for match prep, watching videos on the opposition - who are the opposition, what are they prone to do, who is a danger man and who is likely to pick up certain areas.

"So when it comes to happen on the pitch, there is a level of comfort with it."

This is a new situation, with younger players being more hungry.

"Players want information. The young kids now [want information.]

"There is a danger that you go too far and give them too much and they get confused, but I think that a coach has to do it."

The sessions themselves composed of players watching videos on the opposition on Thursdays, followed by a group discussion about the home team's strengths that they can focus on to wrongfoot opposition.

"On Friday, you would get an email with a bundle of notes with a breakdown of each individual player.

"I would read about the attacking players, whether they were in-swinging or out-swinging, what areas they like to hit, the movements.

"I would always get the biggest player - whoever their best header of the ball was, I would always get him.

"I used to watch a lot of tape on those guys because there usually there would be blockers and a lot of traffic.

"You would take the long way round and then you would need to get around the end of the pack and reattach yourself to your man straight away."

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