MScFootball Performance

Year one

Core modules

Independent Football Project

In this module, you will carry out research on a topic or issue relevant to you, your practice, or your area of interest, providing an opportunity for you to construct a report to demonstrate your academic skills within a unique area of study. Issues concerning ethical implications, research design, empirical data collection and subsequent analysis will be fundamental to the successful completion of the module and will be taught at fortnightly sessions throughout both period two and three.

Coaching Insights

Do you have a passion for coaching? This module focuses on contemporary coaching techniques and methodologies. From the earliest years of young player development in both the male and female game, to senior coaching, this module will enable you to formulate the appropriate methods to adopt in a given scenario and real-world setting. Dividing the module into three distinct phases, you will critically analyse player development systems, individual and positional coaching methods, and coaching in a results driven environment.

Team Leadership and Management

This module is designed to provide you with the necessary skills to become a departmental lead or head. Leadership is setting a new direction or vision for the team to follow. On the other hand, management controls or directs people or resources in a group according to principles or values that have already been established. Creating a philosophy or vision for the department aligned to the club's ethos and culture is a key strategic consideration for any departmental lead. You will also develop further learning of core qualities of human resource management necessary to influence departmental productivity, as well as effective negotiation skills, financial forecasting, budgeting, and an expectation to contribute to the wider strategic aims of the organisation.

Football Analysis

In this module you will evaluate the different components that combine to form performance analysis in football. You will understand the various roles and responsibilities of an analysis department and how they combine to provide analytical support to the management team, coaches, players, and other stakeholders within a club or organisation. You will also learn the multidisciplinary approach data acquisition, analysis, visualisation and contextualisation, enabling you to examine appropriate technical, tactical and physical training that accelerates player learning and match preparation. You will critique football analysis software and tools used in academy and senior games programmes.

Football Innovation

The use of technology in football is constantly evolving. This short module gives you the opportunity to investigate the latest technology related to player development, care, and support. You will critique the latest in wearable tracking technology and investigate the use of artificial intelligence, data science and visualisation in training, match, and recruitment analysis. The module also offers the opportunity to evaluate the latest in equipment design, from boots, to balls, to goal line technology. Investigating these advances will enable you to construct innovative methods to apply in real world settings.

Football Performance

Focussing on the application of the physical and mental components in football, this module investigates the concept of periodisation - specifically the division of yearly training plans into phases which apply to the principles of training. You will evaluate the many factors influencing the demands on a player, such as physical capacity, technical qualities, playing position, tactical role, psychological preparation, and style of play. The module will focus on the competitive calendar and the appropriate field-based training, gym-based training, nutritional, psychological, and recovery strategies available to optimise physiological response to training and match play. This will provide you with the knowledge to construct impactful programmes and plans.

Player Care

The health and welfare of football players, particularly those in the professional game, has been an increasing topic of focus. This has seen further research being carried out to better inform key stakeholders, enabling more efficient and proactive support mechanisms to be constructed. Those working with and close to players should be aware of these support mechanisms to create an informed approach to player supervision. Throughout this module you will appraise the players' career journey, incorporating both transitions into and out of the professional game. You will also investigate further education for players, providing a foundation for future career options. You will construct an understanding of the effects of these periods on players' mental, emotional and physical wellbeing and the mechanisms in player to support the process.