In-Depth Look At All The Backroom Staff At Football Clubs

As Premier League clubs have encountered new problems in aiming to become the best in the country and in the world, new job positions have been created in order to get the best out of the players and the facilities.

While the manager, coaches and players are all the primary members of staff that affect the football betting odds on Paddy Power there are new members of staff that are fast becoming instrumental in the results on the pitch.

Sports scientists have become a big part of the modern day backroom staff at football clubs, providing the managers with crucial insights into their players. Their aim is to use scientific methods in order to change individuals or teams in a positive way, whether this be mentally or physically.

With the vast amounts of money spent on players in this day and age, it is hardly surprising that the top clubs have turned to sports scientists in order to get the best performances out of their multi-million pound players.

They analyse everything about the footballers, from their nutrition to their psychology, while also assisting the manager in working out who is fit enough for an upcoming match. They can also inform the boss and coaching staff as to how hard they can push each player in training so they are not overworked prior to the big game.

While the sports scientists work on getting the best out of the stars, it is the groundsmen who make sure they have the best possible pitch to play on. A poorly maintained pitch can lead to injuries to the players and can also affect the style of play that a coach can train his players to play.

A manager that likes the ball to be passed amongst his players along the ground will have a tough time implementing this system if the pitch is covered with bumps. The groundsmen will ensure that the playing surface is flat enough in order to play like this. In the lead up to kick off, the groundsmen will be at the ground making sure the pitch is in perfect condition, which sometimes means that they have to soften up the ground using sprinklers.

Medical staff have taken on a more significant role at football clubs as they look to assist in making sure the players are back to full health in time for the next fixture. Whether this be recovering from injury or just to making sure they recover from any fatigue from the previous match, they play a crucial role in helping the manager have his best starting eleven ready to compete.

When a serious injury occurs, they know the best course of action in order to get the player back to full fitness in the shortest amount of time, while also being the course of action that prevents a reoccurrence of the injury. Players like Ledley King, Owen Hargreaves and Michael Owen all know the importance of the medical team, having all been blighted by injuries in their careers.

Every player has to start somewhere and it’s thanks to the academy staff at clubs that some of these players go on to become superstars. Academy recruiters will be looking for players with potential. The academy coaches will be using different coaching methods in order to mould each player into a particular role for their position. The staff will analyse each player’s strengths and weaknesses in order to understand which training drills they need to focus on in order to excel in their position.

Players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi wouldn’t have been exposed to the kind of technology used these days to help younger players fulfil their potential, however they do demonstrate that when the coaching techniques used are correctly, that they can pay off big time.

Kit men also have a role to play at football clubs, as they are responsible for the players looking respectable each time they proudly walk onto the pitch wearing their club’s colours. They are responsible for making sure all of the correct kits are in the dressing room because without a kit, a player won’t be playing, which could have a detrimental effect on the team’s result. The likes of Vic Ackers of Arsenal and Neil Baldwin of Stoke City are highly thought of at their clubs, with Vic even receiving an OBE in the 2010 New Year’s Honours.

It takes a lot to get a football club running like a well oiled machine and most don’t get the credit they deserve.

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