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Biweekly Staff Roundup, 30 Aug-13 September

13 Sep, 2024
Biweekly Staff Roundup, 30 Aug-13 September

For English clubs, the summer transfer window slammed shut at 11pm on Friday 30 August. But for coaches, scouts, analysts and other backroom staff members, opportunities keep on opening up within world football. The vast majority of clubs may have everything in place behind the scenes for the new season; however, because of the domino effect that sees gaps in personnel opening up when coaches or other professionals are offered new opportunities, there have still been some staff movements over the last two weeks. In this article, we'll wrap up the key switches that have taken place in that time.

Mauricio Pochettino, USMNT 

US soccer is in an exciting position right now, with player participation and fan engagement in the sport in the US at an all-time high, and a raft of world-class talents choosing to play out their final seasons in the MLS, from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to Sergio Busquets and Olivier Giroud. With their new managerial appointment, USMNT are looking to capitalise on this increased popularity by bringing in a household name in the world of football: Mauricio Pochettino.

There's no denying that this is a major coup from US soccer; despite failing to win trophies at any club other than Ligue 1-dominating PSG, the Argentinian is still generally regarded as one of the best coaches in world football, in roughly the same conversation as managers like Thomas Tuchel, Hansi Flick or Unai Emery. Having managed various top Champions League teams including Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and PSG, the 52-year-old seems to be a serious upgrade on former boss Gregg Berhalter, who was sacked in July after a disappointing Copa America campaign. "The decision to join US soccer wasn't just about football for me; it's about the journey that this team and this country are on," said Pochettino." The energy, the passion, and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here - those are the things that inspired me."

Jack Robinson, US Soccer

It's been a busy summer for US soccer; another key appointment they've made in the last fortnight has seen former Liverpool coach Jack Robinson brought in as the new Head of Goalkeeping. He joins other new arrivals such as Matt Crocker (Technical Director) and Natasha Patel (Director of Sporting Analytics), and he brings a strong reputation with him. As Assistant Goalkeeper Coach with Liverpool for six seasons, Robinson built on the skills he'd developed in prior roles at the English FA, Manchester United and Leeds United. With the USA the lead host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (with cities in Canada and Mexico also hosting), they will be hoping their men's national team can strengthen significantly in the near future, and Robinson will play a key part in that.

"I am delighted to be joining US Soccer as Head of Goalkeeping in what is an exciting time for the men's and women's game both on and off the pitch," Robinson wrote on LinkedIn. "My aim is to challenge, inspire and engage with the goalkeeping community to help the national teams, coaches and players in the short and long term."

Graeme Jones, Hearts

Edinburgh outfit Heart of Midlothian were ranked the 3rd-best-run club in the UK in a recent report by the Fair Game Index, in which several Scottish clubs performed well. And on 5 September, Hearts announced an appointment which they will be hoping will further improve the day-to-day running of the club. Graeme Jones, who previously spent nine years working as Performance Director at the Scottish Football Association, joins the club as Sporting Director, where he will "oversee all aspects of the football department" relating to recruitment, performance, and youth development, controlling both the men's and women's football operations.

For now, he remains in post at the SFA too, but is likely to leave that position soon to concentrate fully on the new Hearts role. The club's CEO Andrew McKinlay said: "[Graeme] has huge experience in the game across many different functions, and his reputation within the Scottish FA is peerless. We're getting a top operator, someone with the determination and the ability to drive standards as high as they can possibly be and I'm certain the club will reap the benefits of having Graeme as its Sporting Director."

Sam Erith, Manchester United

It's been all change at Manchester United over the last few months, with head coach Erik ten Hag one of the only key senior staff members to have survived the new regime's many changes (and who knows how long he'll last). The latest person to join the club is Sam Erith, who previously worked as Manchester City's Head of Human Performance, effectively helping to ensure peak physical fitness for players having developed a strong background in sport science and performance.

He's now joined Manchester United as a Performance Director, and with this experience he'll be tasked with working to reduce the number of injuries the Red Devils' first team have been sustaining over the past two seasons; in 2023/24, they had a whopping 45 time-loss injuries.

Mariela Nisotaki, Norwich City

As one of the most talented and successful female scouts and analysts working in the men's game, Mariela Nisotaki has developed a strong reputation within the world of football over the last few years. She's been at Championship outfit Norwich City since 2016, gradually building this reputation, and on 6 September she was promoted to a brand new role: Assistant Head of Recruitment.

Having demonstrated her knack for spotting talent in roles such as Lead Recruitment Analyst, European and Domestic Lead Scout and Head of Emerging Talent — she played a key role in the signing of Argentina and Aston Villa playmaker Emi Buendia for a bargain price — Nisotaki will gain greater responsibility as Assistant Head of Recruitment at the East Anglian club. The 35-year-old will work closely with Lee Dunn, City's Head of Recruitment.

Curtis Fleming, James Brayne, Luke Sanders & Elliot Plant, Charlton Athletic

Charlton Athletic's appointment of former Premier League boss Nathan Jones in February appeared to be a major coup for the League One side. However, it hasn't all been plain sailing for Jones, with one of the biggest obstacles he's faced being the recent departure of his long-standing assistant Paul Hart. Now, Hart's replacement has been confirmed: former Republic of Ireland international Curtis Fleming, who has been at Charlton in a coaching capacity since January and who stepped in as Interim Head Coach when Michael Appleton left his post (before Jones' arrival).

The experienced coach — who has worked at Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace, Bolton, QPR and Punjab FC in India, will be joined by another seasoned coach who knows Charlton well, James Brayne. Formerly Individual Development Coach for the south east London club, Brayne has been promoted to Set Piece and First-Team Coach, while Luke Sanders has also been brought in from Luton Town as Head of Sports Science. Finally, Elliot Plant has also been poached from Luton to become the new Strength and Conditioning Coach.

Damien Roden, Burnley

Burnley have made a solid start to life back in the Championship, with new boss Scott Parker and his close team of coaches and analysts winning their first two games before dropping down to 6th place following a draw and a loss. Behind the scenes, work is being done to ensure that everything is in place to equip the coaching staff for a long, gruelling EFL season ahead.

The newest addition sees Damian Roden replace David Rhodes as Head of Performance, stepping in having worked as Head of Sport Science for various clubs including Manchester City, Stoke City and Anderlecht, as well as the Wales national team. It's been reported that Roden's prior relationship with former Burnley coaches Vincent Kompany and Craig Bellamy helped get the move over the line, despite the fact that both coaches have recently departed the club.

Matt Radcliffe, Burnley

Roden will be backed up in his new position by Matt Radcliff, the club's new Head of Player Performance and Medical. Between them, the pair will be tasked with revamping this department at the Lancashire club, and Radcliffe has big boots to fill in this regard — he replaces Mark Sertori, who worked at Manchester City for nearly 15 years and joined Serie A side AS Roma last year. Burnley's new appointment will be confident that his experience at clubs like Manchester United, Fenerbahce and Middlesbrough will pay allow him to thrive in this role.

Adam Brett, Tottenham Hotspur

Another professional with a strong background in sport science and performance, Adam Brett became well-regarded in the English game during his decade-long spell at Brighton & Hove Albion, where he eventually headed up a newly-structured medical and performance department from 2020 until 2023. Now, he takes on a new role at North London club Tottenham Hotspur, joining as Director of Performance Services after the departure of long-standing Head of Medicine and Sports Science Geoff Scott last month. Brett's new role involves overseeing sports science, medical, nutrition and psychology provision for men's, women's and Academy teams at Spurs.