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Footy Families in Focus with John Walker
Episode 1413th March 2025 • Pro Sports Podcasters • PSP Media
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Host Nii Wallace-Bruce sits down with John Walker, Scottish football coach and analyst, to discuss the evolving role of analytics in football [1:35], focusing on its adoption in the UK and the impact of American investment in clubs like Glasgow Rangers. They delve into the success of Brentford and Brighton using data-driven recruitment [2:15] and the innovative model of the Right to Dream Academy [6:29]. They also touch on the rising popularity and unique challenges of the A-League in Australia [14:58], and the future prospects of San Diego in MLS [13:37] and the Canadian national team ahead of the next World Cup [17:19].

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Opening and closing music courtesy of Jeremiah Alves - "Evermore".

Transcripts

PSP:

I am your host, me, Wallace Bruce, and football is in session.

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It's, international break

coming up in the men's

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John Walker: Okay.

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PSP: A guy with the most

refreshing name in football.

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John Walker.

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You can find on X.

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At Walker underscore John, how

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John Walker: Sorry, Oh, I'm good, mate.

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Just finished my working day and

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PSP: Tell us about that

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John Walker: I'm a coach by trade,

coaching football and academy

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football for about five or six years.

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it's a closed shop if you've never had a

professional or semi professional career.

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So I started turning my hand a little

bit to analysis and throughout that,

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again, I started working with individual

players on a one to one basis when

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I was at teams, but then started to

realise that within Scottish football

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there was probably a massive gap.

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And the market for that type of work

with people playing professionally at

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clubs because not a lot of money in

Scottish football and if players want

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to improve, it's off their own back.

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So I work with a couple of confidential

clients within the Scottish Premier

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League who I do work for literally just

going for the clips in an individual

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basis, technical and discussions around

their clubs, what they think they can

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do better and nothing that's tactical

because that's always going to fall on

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the the management and coaching staff

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So I can't interfere with that.

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from that I've started working with

not my own agency, but an agency in

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Scotland who, who deal with players.

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So I'm kind of working with their

clientele on onboarding one to one clips,

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PSP: Now,

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in North America, where I am.

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only need to look at baseball, the

Moneyball era of the:

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way it's changed the game since.

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Basketball has the game, where teams

are more inclined to shoot three

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pointers, As opposed to going for

a more attainable two point shot.

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You're seeing it in hockey and

in the NFL The NFL teams are

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more likely to go for it in short

yardage situations on fourth down.

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How has analytics shaped

the round ball game

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John Walker: So it's a slow burn.

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especially within the UK, America and

North America are always going to be miles

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ahead of us just because of funding and

access to better technology and software.

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the money ball system

adopted by Brentford,

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PSP: to go,

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John Walker: especially in recruitment,

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PSP: hour

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John Walker: we don't know

what the Jamestown Analytics

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model is that Brighton use,

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they're using computerized

data to recruit,

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PSP: interview.

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John Walker: there isn't

anyone better than Brighton.

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PSP: project

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John Walker: on recruitment and

consistent performance within the team

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It's not like they're just recruiting

and selling players for better money.

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They're also performing on the pitch

and staying in the Premier League.

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I think that's going to fall into

place Hart of Midlodian in the

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Scottish Premier League a top six

side, usually top three or four, are

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now working with Jamestown Analytics.

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In Scottish football, we're starting to

see people leverage against those, those

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data models that can help potentially

recruitment and help potentially then

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get player sales increased and then on

the pitch it's going to have results

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as well because if you're recruiting

well and getting good players that

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are going to improve at your club,

so data sets and the data modelling

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and all that good stuff on the

recruitment side is definitely working.

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In the actual playing side,

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PSP: Transcription

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John Walker: to understand

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PSP: Okay.

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John Walker: people learn differently.

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whether that's in

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PSP: So

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John Walker: Corporate working

environments, and financial environments,

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PSP: I'll see

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John Walker: learn by doing, some

people need to see what they're

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doing, some people need both.

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And that's the bit that analysis

is probably bringing, and that

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you're seeing footballers decision

making become better and better.

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As time's going on and I think

the analysis and the coverage

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of analysis is, is doing that.

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And I think we're seeing that with, with

coaches as well, which is why there's

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so many non playing coaches coming

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PSP: president of FC Porto, Villas Boas.

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Remember him He was one of the

frontline coaches who didn't have

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a big playing career interesting

to see that proliferation nowadays.

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I guess the trend of foreign ownership

with clubs, particularly in the UK,

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seeing a lot of North Americans coming

in to buy clubs, do you think we might

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see a faster transition to analytics?

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John Walker: Yes, I think you're going

to see that with Glasgow Rangers, over

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the next 6 to 24 months with the 49ers

group having apparently purchased a

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majority share They're connected with

Leeds United on the cusp of becoming

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a Premier League team, I imagine their

deal with Glasgow Rangers looks to be

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concluded pretty much everything but in

due diligence and putting names to paper.

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They will have looked at Rangers and

Scottish football if they have data

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models for recruitment playing style

and identifying coaches already in place

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within the 49ers group in Leeds United.

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It's very little cost to roll that

model out into Rangers, get the right

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players in, use them in Scottish

football, promote them sell them, and

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do what Celtic have been doing winning

trophies, qualifying for Champions League

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football, which brings them massive

dividends that they can take back out

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to their shareholders, recruit well,

sell better, and continue that process.

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you'll see a lot of these US firms

that have got good data models

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already set up within other clubs

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PSP: Yes.

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John Walker: if they do

it right, I think maybe

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PSP: Rangers

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John Walker: is unique in that because

Because Celtic are so profitable and you

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can see that, but there'll be a lot of

people that will try the Wrexham route,

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will try the Birmingham route, will

try the Burnley route, Leeds United,

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that will go and try and buy teams who

are just underneath the Premier League

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in England, access to the Champions

League in Scotland, and so on, and

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just kind of leverage the data models

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PSP: Rangers

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they're a big club, a relatively big

club, but just that they've had a

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few years where they were essentially

in the wilderness because of.

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Some off field stuff.

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They're definitely the sleeping giant.

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You know exactly what I'm talking about.

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I'm sure we could go on about that

for hours, but I'm not gonna bring

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up any previous trauma there.

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Now John, you've touched on something

that's interesting because the 49ers With

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what they're doing at Leeds, what they

could potentially do with Rangers, they

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could have a family of football clubs.

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that's on the rise in football nowadays.

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Because the City Football Group,

they're the most famous ones.

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subject to penalties.

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I think there are 115 penalties

that Man City has to answer to.

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Overall, they have a number

of clubs around the world,

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almost on every continent.

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You have the Red Bull.

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They have clubs, again, in different

leagues, different continents,

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their footprints, around the world.

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One, group that is underrated,

hasn't been talked about enough,

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is the Right to Dream Academy.

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So, got clubs in Denmark, in

Ghana, in Egypt, I believe.

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And now, San Diego, in the MLS,

You did a deep dive analysis

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into the Right to Dream Academy.

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Tell us about that.

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John Walker: Yeah, they're a fascinating

one, I came across 24 months ago

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through journalist, Jordan Campbell,

and a Scottish coach, Fraser Robertson,

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now, with Standard Liège, I think,

who had kind of worked in that

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academy when it was kind of growing.

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And Rangers were then, Glasgow Rangers

were then linked with buying a player

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from Norseland, Mohamed Diamondi, who'd

come through that Right to Dream Academy.

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He's Ivorian, he was picked up and

moved to Ghana when he was 12 to be

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part of the Right to Dream Academy

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PSP: just

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John Walker: Ghana then to Norseland

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Denmark, breaks into their academy.

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PSP: part

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John Walker: selling players

regularly for 15, 20 million.

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Even players they sell for less tend to

go for massive money on their next move.

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Mohamed Kudos and Damsgaard at

Brentford went from Sampdoria.

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the recruitment model is

brilliant at the back end.

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PSP: helpful.

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John Walker: they're doing at

the front end is they have a very

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clear philosophy from under 12s all

the way through to a first team.

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And that doesn't change.

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Same with women's football age

groups to their first team.

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It's the same coaching philosophy.

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same analysis protocols with all

the players on a one to one basis

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and the players with a team basis.

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It's all the games,

same coaching sessions.

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same game model.

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So realistically all they're doing is

realise that if you have that consistent

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model the whole way through your

academy, male or female, from Ghana

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to Denmark, you can then roll out a

team, as you're seeing, in the MLS in

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USA, that follows the same model, and

having watched the pre season friendly

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against New York Red Bulls, I could

have put Norseland strips on the players

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and it would have looked the same.

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The way they set up, the way they

press, the way they play, the way

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they break out of teams, the way

they attack in the front three.

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It's the exact same team.

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they'll leverage recruitment if young

players that maybe can't quite physically

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cope with danish football yet they

might move them to the mls for a season

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that might benefit them and get them

back it's it seems to me if you do it

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right it's a very very clever model

same way that union san joel are being

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used for brighton to kind of develop

i think mitoma was probably the best

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example of that he spent a season on

loan there After signing for Brighton,

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and he's now one of the most dangerous

swingers in the Premier League, so

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PSP: Right.

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John Walker: you would kinda expand on

what works good once you've got it in

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a position that can be scaled up And

Norseland, from everything I see, is that

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They've done a YouTube video, which I

think is where we discovered each other

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PSP: Yeah.

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John Walker: through all age groups

How they implement that to the first

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team, develop first team players

and continue to grow those players,

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because it's It's pretty remarkable

when you see the consistency in

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which they are selling players for

10 15 million almost every season.

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it's not like they're just creating

one position, although the wide

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area positions are the ones that are

bringing in the most money attackers

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go for the biggest fees because

that's the ones that everyone wants.

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just smart.

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A lot is leveraged

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PSP: how

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John Walker: attacking football, which

recruitment is 99 percent data now.

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PSP: ahead

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John Walker: unlikely to find a

footballer just off the naked eye,

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although it will still happen.

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There'll still be players that come

through that don't hit data markers, but

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you can see there's something in there.

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PSP: excited

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John Walker: the first part is appearing

on data scout reports, and if you've

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got wingers getting 10 assists every

season, from 17 years old to 20,

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it's going to raise some eyebrows and

people are going to be interested.

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And if you can do that consistently,

you become a trusted buyer.

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If people are looking for a player,

they will go look at Norrish

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Land first and see what's there.

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So everything that they're

doing, I don't see.

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A negative for me in the fact they've

managed to keep it so consistent

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PSP: Comparing City and Red Bull built

on significant capital, whether it

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was corporate capital with Red Bull,

or state capital when you look at the

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Abu Dhabi on the City group of clubs.

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But it seems like Right to Dream

has come from opposite end.

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It's more about, it's more

player based, it seems less about

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Pumping money in and more about

generating from the play of sales.

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John Walker: Yeah, that's exactly it.

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once you've got it working,

it becomes easy to run.

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they had to set up the

academy points in Africa.

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So they had to get the scouts in place.

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get the coaches willing to

work scout and live in Africa.

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Once they get that and make a reputation

for themselves and those players

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start going to Europe those academies

are then becoming like a homing

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beacon for players around Africa who

if they hear it right to dream are

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interested They're going to go there.

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They know there's a likeliness if they

do well there They're going to go to

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Norseland or now you've got the NLS

link There is pathways to go to first

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team clubs in good environments where

they can constantly see You a pathway

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to Premier League football, and that's,

once that's becoming, you're getting

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just income coming in every year, you've

got a blanket over Africa, to say,

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we're the leading developer of youth

talent from Africa, if you want your

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kid to be successful, he needs to come

to Ghana, or one of our hubs in Africa,

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PSP: sort

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John Walker: working for them.

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Are starting to be so consistently in

the top four in the Danish league helps.

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The fact that they're going to

make the playoffs and probably

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PSP: know,

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John Walker: imagine, if they

keep up the way they're playing.

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I've been impressed by how they started.

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That then becomes a club that you

would want to go to in the MLS.

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it just kind of snowballs from

there with, with very little.

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There'll never be a team that go

and start signing people for 10, 15

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million because they don't need to.

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15 million pound players.

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continually coming through a

conveyor belt in their academy.

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And I just don't see how that stops.

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The only way that stops if everyone

involved was to get a blank

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check from a Manchester United

to run Man United the same way.

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But I even think when listening to and

talking to people from within it, I think

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their infrastructure is just so sound.

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PSP: some

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John Walker: You could lose 10, 15

staff and as long as the blueprint

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is there, it's going to be there,

which I think is really impressive.

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PSP: less common.

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John Walker: to me more clubs at

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PSP: don't

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John Walker: higher level aren't doing.

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We're consistently seeing

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PSP: but

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John Walker: how much

money Man United are losing

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PSP: can just

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John Walker: hundreds

of millions every year.

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PSP: don't

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John Walker: you would assume Man

United would have the best academy.

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people linked to Man United went to

the Right to Dream Academy and have

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set up this kind of feeder club.

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Yeah.

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That's working in a way that Man United

have just paid 37 million for Dorgoo.

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They left link back.

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Who was that in Norseland four years ago?

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So it's quite, it's quite remarkable

and I just All they can do now in

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Norseland is continually scale up.

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But they don't strike me as

people that will have a bite

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off more than they can chew.

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the San Diego MLS branch

is a very clever one.

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I think you could see something in

the A League potentially, or Asia.

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That could happen down the line, but

yeah, it's very clever the way they've

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done it, it's your bamboo shooting up,

you've not really seen much of the ground

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work, and then all of a sudden you're

like, oh my god, where's this example

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of almost perfect corporate structure

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PSP: There's always something bubbling

under the surface Now, you've piqued

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my interest with a couple of things.

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I was born and raised in Australia,

so have an intimate knowledge of

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the A League and the trials and

tribulations they've gone through,

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particularly when it comes to ownership.

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We'll get to that in a moment.

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I just want to get a quick

thoughts on San Diego.

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It's a youthful setup.

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They're going into one of the

biggest leagues in the world.

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There's going to be some groin pains,

but can we see this club, contending

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in the next Boothway seasons?

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John Walker: I think the way they've

signed, bringing players in that suit

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the system, I know they've brought a

couple of players that have actually

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played for Knowledge Land and actually

played for the company already, so that

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helps with bedding and the process.

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I think they'll challenge this year.

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I don't see a scenario in the, the

results that I've seen pre season,

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especially the last one against New

York, and then they're picking up seven

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points and they're opening three games

and the two wins that they've had.

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I just don't see it.

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I see the first game, they had 69 percent

possession, which I was like, that's

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exactly what we're seeing with Norseland.

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It's absolute dominance of the ball.

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It's attacking football.

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Yes, they'll come up against

loading, and the amount of games

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that we're going to have to play.

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But I think there'll be

a team that regularly.

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quickly in the playoffs and then once

you're in the playoffs it is your lottery

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to see how who you've kept fit for that

point in the season, how you get on I

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really like the recruitment they've done.

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this year was about embedding in the

process with experienced heads which is

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why the age of the squad is a bit higher

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PSP: promising signs

the MLS season is, long.

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Although one advantage San Diego has

is they don't have any competitions.

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They're not making long trips to,

Costa Rica They're well positioned.

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The A League is positioning itself

as a league of renown in Asia.

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You touched on the fact that

the Right to Dream Academy

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could have a footprint there.

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What's your take on the A League,

particularly when the Socceroos

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have been poaching Scottish players?

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John Walker: I am a,

massive fan of the A League.

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It used to run a betting podcast

about four or five seasons ago and

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that became a staple for Saturday and

Sunday morning kick offs in the UK.

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We used to love the over 2.

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5 market because I could

not believe the culture.

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now in Scotland having seen Ange

Postacoglu appear at Celtic.

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I now understand a little bit more

as to what the Australian culture and

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Australian style of football It's very

aggressive, very attacking, and sometimes

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not as technically gifted as it could be.

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Some of the pitches could be better.

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But I do like the fact that

it does seem full throttle

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and everyone's out for goals.

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Really, really impressive.

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I've obviously kept a wee eye,

when Jack Hendry went over.

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Unfortunately, he got injured in his

first game, which was detrimental.

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Ziggy Gordon went over and was

with Central Coast Mariners.

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I really enjoyed watching them.

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I thought that was the first real

insight I had to Australian football.

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I really like it.

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I think there will be a struggle for A

lot of Australian footballers to go into

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the UK, I know his, is it Marco Tillio?

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I know Celtic signed a player and they

just couldn't quite get his physique to

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where they thought it needed to be to

play in Scotland, every time I watched

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him I had a bit of fear because I thought

Celtic had signed an absolute world

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beater, this seems like the first player

that I've watched, that's came through.

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And being young he could come

to the UK and be comfortable But

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maybe you're missing the nuance of

how physical British football is.

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And that kind of gap appears there.

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But as a league, it's, it's a

very enjoyable thing to switch on.

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I'm, I'm, I'm very often on a Friday

morning starting my working day with

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the A League game on BT Sport or TNT

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PSP: is on the rise.

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The coaching talent has

also increased and improved.

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Poskoglu is the headline.

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You've got Tony Popovich, Harry Kuhl,

former soccerers making their names.

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The Matildas women's side,

they've been going strong.

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They've had a good Cup last time out.

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They are rebuilding but doing well.

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John, I wanted to get one last thought

because the Men's World Cup next

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year is in the US, Mexico and Canada.

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and the US always get the, the attention.

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What have you seen with the Canadian

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John Walker: Next slide,

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PSP: Jesse Martian, the way

he's been running things?

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John Walker: I've missed quite a lot

of Canada's recent stuff, I probably

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kept more of an eye on Canada when

Scott Arfield was more prevalent.

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it was kind of funny, I was watching

the opening weekend of MLS, I keep an

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eye on Vancouver because of Ryan Gauld.

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I had completely forgot.

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And he was somebody I tweeted

about five years ago when he

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made his debut for Toronto.

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I'd completely forgot about Jaden Nelson.

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I watched him in the opening

game in the LIS and the fact

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he's only 22 is astounding.

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But that makes sense.

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'cause he was 15, 16

when he made his debut.

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He's someone that, for me, if he

can put an MLS season, I'd be really

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excited to see him with David.

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Alfonso Davis, I'm caught in two minds.

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:

I'm happy Ryan Gould chose Scotland,

but I know there was little rumours

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:

around him, potentially, seeking

some sort of citizenship to beat the

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World Cup, but Canada are improving.

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:

Canada will continue to improve.

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I think I'll probably be able to watch

David in an hour against Dortmund.

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:

There are players playing for big clubs.

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Alphonso Davies went through last night.

385

:

So there are, I mean, there's players

playing for Kennedy National Team that

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:

are playing at a higher level than

Scottish footballers are in Europe

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:

now I think it's exciting for all

three home nations for the World Cup.

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:

Canada will probably get

the right coach in place.

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:

I think it's exciting.

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:

I think there may still be

surprises coming through the next

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:

international break there's a good core

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:

PSP: And Daniel Jettison has

committed to Canada, the Bournemouth

393

:

player, and also promised David

planning his trade in Belgium.

394

:

Marsh has definitely been

using the charm offensive.

395

:

In the lead up to the World Cup,

so the squad continues to evolve.

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:

One thing that continues to

evolve is your tactical analysis.

397

:

We can find you on Twitter,

at JohnWalkerUnderscore:

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:

The most refreshing name in football.

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:

I say that as, Johnnie Walker

bottles are being taken off the

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:

shelves here in Canada because of

tariffs, but we won't get into that.

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Where else can we find your work, John?

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:

John Walker: on LinkedIn, John

Walker on LinkedIn, Facebook,

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:

John Walker Football Analytics.

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:

I've got a TikTok somewhere, but

to say it's used would be a lie.

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I'm mainly on Twitter.

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:

that's my main place.

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:

PSP: When you can cut through the

chaff it's a much nicer place to be.

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:

I'd definitely cosign that.

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:

I've been your host, Nameless Bruce, and

this has been another episode of PSP.

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