Our guest on Episode #67 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Genius Sports, is Andrew Nestor.

Andrew is the Sporting Director of West Brom, working under new owner Shilen Patel. When the duo arrived in February 2024, the club's finances were in a "perilous" position.

Since then, they have focused on rejuvenating the squad, while being mindful of profit and sustainability rules.

Speaking the morning after West Brom's last-gasp 2-1 defeat at Bristol City, Nestor told us about his role as Sporting Director, his strategy at the Championship club and how he cut his teeth in football as owner, CEO and General Manager of the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the US.

SHOW NOTES =>

03:35: Andrew's thoughts on Baggies manager Tony Mowbray and the squad.

04:35: How he has found his role so far.

06:02: First impressions of West Brom on arriving at the club.

07:23: The Baggies were known as being innovative before Andrew's arrival - was that the situation he found?

08:16: How he worked on changing the squad, which was the oldest, based on minutes played, and fifth highest-paid in Championship.

10:00: The part the club's Academy plays in Andrew's strategy and extending the stays of younger players.

11:40: His thoughts on West Brom's style of play and how to adapt it.

15:16: Bringing in a data team to support the club's scouting process.

18:40: Planning for life in either the Championship or the Premier League at the same time.

19:25: Why Tony Mowbray was appointed as head coach.

23:57: Keeping a long-term vision for the club despite external pressure.

25:08: Carlos Corberan's departure.

26:52: Andrew's first off-the-field job in football with the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

29:05: His career outside the game before that.

29:41: Success at Tampa Bay and working with Paul Mariner and Paul Dalglish.

31:39: Meeting WBA chairman Shilen Patel for the first time.

32:23: Leaving Tampa Bay to go to Bologna.

34:44: How Andrew and Shilen ended up joining West Brom.

35:42: Shilen's involvement with the club.

36:32: Andrew's first experience of being a Sporting Director.

37:33: His wide remit at The Hawthorns.

39:06: Working closely with Ian Pearce.

39:54: The club's financial situation, largely affected by the loss of parachute payments.

41:52: What are the Baggies' short and medium-term prospects?

43:56: Reflections on the January transfer window.

46:07: Where Andrew bases himself.

Our guest on Episode #66 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Genius Sports, is Vitor Matos.

Our guest on Episode #65 of the TGG Podcast is Robbie Savage.

As a player, Robbie made 346 Premier League appearances and captained four clubs. After retiring, he became a household name as a TV and radio pundit and appeared on Strictly in 2011.

Now he's pursuing a different career, as a Manager, with Macclesfield in the Northern Premier League. Robbie told us why he'd turned to coaching, about his approach to leadership and about his lofty ambitions as a Manager.

SHOW NOTES =>

02:07: Wishing he'd gone into coaching earlier. How move from Director of Football came about.

06:44: Coaching badges? Starts A Licence next year and then hopefully Pro. Need your badges. Sees coaching as a vocation and ambition to reach the top.

10:58: Engaging with fans. Pitching in. Change in relationship with players when you become Manager. Treat them like he would treat his son.

13:40: Change in man management since he was a player. Becoming less visibly emotional. Calmer. Use of video analysis. Macclesfield expected to win every week.

18:43: Style of play. Preferred formation. Players win matches, not tactics.

24:40: Behaviour on the touchline? Setting the mood or calm and composed? Heart rate going high in technical area.

27:55: Change in style of play in non-league. Guardiola influence. Wants his team to get the ball forward quickly when possible. Not keen on playing out from the back.

32:36: Assistant wears a GoPro because of abuse from fans. Doesn't get paid at the moment. Could change when they go full-time.

38:15: Approach has changed on 606 phone-in. More understanding of Managers. Important to have consistency of messaging as a pundit or Manager. Has had offers as a Manager at bigger clubs.

44:15: Released at Manchester United. Make or break. Coached a team at Macclesfield made up of players who had been released and had great success. Callum West went to Burnley and now at Barnsley.

49:21: Do the Academies prepare players well enough? James Edmondson from Blackburn. Difference between Academy and senior football. Strength of the pyramid.

54:16: Different than he seemed as a player. Pantomime character. More than 350 Premier League games and captained four clubs. Keeps a book about all matches and what the Managers said.

Our guest on Episode #64 of the TGG Podcast is Paul Fernie.

Paul is Sporting Director of SV Darmstadt in Germany. He grew up in Hull and worked in analysis roles in England before the opportunity came to join Wiesbaden.

He progressed from Head of Recruitment to Sporting Director and led the club from promotion to Bundesliga 2.

Paul told us how the Sporting Director role works in Germany, what it was like to work under Graham Potter and Paul Mitchell and why more English staff should give it a go abroad.

Our guest on Episode #63 of the TGG Podcast is Danny Röhl.

Danny led Sheffield Wednesday to one of English football's great escapes last season. When he took over in October, the club were seven points adrift of safety with no wins in 10. By the end of the campaign they were three points clear of relegation.

In this episode Danny told us how that remarkable metamorphosis was achieved and charted his meteoric rise as a coach, from RB Leipzig to Southampton, Bayern Munich, Germany and now Sheffield Wednesday, as a manager in his own right.

SHOW NOTES =>

02:11: Currently in Leipzig. Family have stayed there while he worked in Sheffield. About to work for ITV as a pundit at the Euros.

05:04: Now looking ahead to next season. Had offers from other clubs but journey not finished at Sheffield Wednesday. Need to improve the club and the squad.

08:15: Reflections on his first season in charge. Wanted an increase in intensity, while being mindful of injuries. Was always positive and believed in the players - something he learnt from Hansi Flick.

13:15: How did he win the players over so quickly? Laid out a plan for how they could be successful: pressing, counterpressing and improving ball possession. Developing players off the pitch as well as on it. "A good coach can change a game; a great coach can change a life."

19:07: Having different personalities and qualities in coaching team. He sets the plan and strategy for the week, but they get ownership of their area.

21:34: Influence of RB Leipzig on his playing philosophy. How this developed during his career. "I am not a manager to cross my fingers and wait."

27:20: Has principles and habits, but decision-making is down to the players and he builds this into his training sessions. Risk and reward in the final third.

29:17: Why did you take the Sheffield Wednesday job? Potential.

32:03: Start of coaching career at RB Leipzig as a coach-analyst. Why this dual role is important. "You cannot be just a tactical engineer on the laptop."

38:51: 6-0 defeat by Ipswich in March - took the decision to be proactive and take risks.

40:16: Ambitions for the future.

42:12: Is the owner fully behind the project? "We dream of the Premier League."

Our guest on Episode #62 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Hudl, is Natasha Patel.

Natasha is Assistant Academy Director at Southampton and one of the most experienced women working in men's professional football.

From 2011 to 2019 she was Academy Analyst and then Head of Performance Analysis at Southampton, before leaving to become Head of Performance Analysis at New York Red Bulls for the next three-and-a-half years.

Here is Part 2 of our interview with Bayern Munich Head of Coach Development & Playing Philosophy Rene Maric. In this second half, Rene told us how he kickstarted his career with the tactics blog Spielverlagerung, about coaching Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund, and about his brief spell as assistant at Leeds United.

SHOW NOTES =>

01:44: Reaction to announcement last night (February 21st) that Thomas Tuchel would be stepping down as Bayern Munich manager at the end of the season.

03:44: Start of his relationship with Tuchel, via his Spielverlagerung blog.

11:11: Meeting Marco Rose - a pivotal relationship in his career. Approach to social media and content creation nowadays.

18:24: Experiencing the Red Bull philosophy at RB Salzburg.

24:50: Onto first-team staff at Salzburg at 23; then onto Borussia Monchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund.

27:15: Being one of the 'laptop coaches'. "It would be pretty stupid nowadays if you don't use a laptop."

28:03: Working with stars like Dominik Szoboszlai, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland.

36:08: Joining Leeds United in July 2022.

38:06: Jesse Marsch seemed a great fit after Marcelo Bielsa. Why didn't it work out?

43:36: Ambitions for the future?

45:50: 'Tactics don't exist, you have decisions of players.'

50:03: What type of Head Coach would you be?

Our guest on Episode #61 of the TGG Podcast is René Marić.

The Austrian is one of the most interesting and highly-rated young coaches in European football. He made his name by founding the cult tactics blog Spielverlagerung and went on to become Assistant Manager at Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Monchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and Leeds United.

Now he's Head of Coach Development and Playing Philosophy at Bayern Munich. In Part 1 of this Episode, René told us about the 'Bayern Munich way', why the Academy is fundamental to the club, the importance of 'game insight', the relative age effect, raising the Academy entry age to 11 and liaising with manager Thomas Tuchel.

SHOW NOTES =>

02:41: Role as Head of Coaching and Playing Philosophy explained. The 'Red thread' that runs through the club.

08:36: What is the 'Bayern Munich Way' of playing?

11:55: Now the Head Coach of the U19s and Youth League team too! How has that been?

16:25: How important is the Academy at 'FC Hollywood'?

19:42: 'Game insight' and why legend Thomas Müller and young pretender Alex Pavlović are great exponents of this.

28:38: Relative age effect and why Real Sociedad are outliers in this area.

33:28: Raising age of entry to the Academy to 11 years old.

37:00: Transition to the first team and liaising with Thomas Tuchel.

39:05: Structure of the Academy/ different age groups.