Sunderland AFC is delighted to announce the appointment of Mike Dodds as the club’s Head of Individual Player Development (PDP). https://safc.com/news/academy-news/...pointed-head-of-individual-player-development Head of Coaching Stuart English said: “Mike has a fantastic enthusiasm for player development. He’s incredibly well respected and naturally had opportunities elsewhere, so it is a great endorsement of what we are doing that he felt this was the right place for him. In addition to the teams, his focus will be on the individual aspects of our coaching programme across the Under-18s and Under-23s, ensuring that each player receives an optimised and personalised development programme. We believe he will be a valuable addition to our existing backroom team and we are delighted to welcome him to Sunderland AFC.”
Don’t we seem so professional! After years of just throwing various amounts of money at a string of mostly journeymen managers, at last we have a visionary, with actual plans. Loving this metamorphosis.
Looks like he took over Birmingham academy when we got Speakman..... https://trainingground.guru/articles/mike-dodds-settling-in-after-the-storm-at-birmingham
I used to dread the announcement with each new manager ... ... " .... and he'll be bringing his backroom staff with him." That was absolute folly and totally disrupted the club when the manager was sacked ... ... this way the basis of the entire club remains the same and we.can replace a manager without blinking. The staff can move their families here and feel settled so they can work properly.
I wonder if they will be looking for a Head of Security with experience of working with rich people and France!!!!
I love this stuff......it seems as though we're building a fit for purpose team to manage our great club towards the better times...where we all think we deserve to be! I'm getting ever more relaxed about the time pressure,....I'm convinced we're getting ready for a really strong push forward. It won't be long till the intelligent media start noting......."and here come Sunderland,with their astute,financially strong management,their fabulous state of the art facilities,their very young,energetic side.....many of whom have been there since their teens...and their fantastic support,which other teams can only dream of." I'll be in second heaven if and when I see that.....and I am starting to dream!
This guy was rumoured to be coming to us but then he got offered the Birmingham academy job and we ended up appointing English (obviously no indication that English was second choice). It's great that he has ended up coming anyway.
"During his time at the club, Dodds played an important role in the development of future England star Jude Bellingham. After hearing the news about Dodds' departure, the player's father, Mark Bellingham, tweeted: "Kids need teachers. Doddsy is an incredible teacher. As a family, we thank him for the care he showed towards their learning. They would not have progressed in the same way elsewhere" "
We were talking about this at the weekend watching Brentford give Liverpool a run for their money. In five years time fans of other clubs will be saying "Why can't we be like Sunderland"
Yes,and, importantly,in the game. Word goes around like wildfire in this industry....the revolution happening at Sunderland will be out there.
Sounds very exciting once again and I think we can see improvements in younger players. Cirkin, the reserve hat trick last night, Neil, it’s all good. Can’t quite get my head around our progress but I love it.
Young ambitious players will be easier to sign .... .... the plodding mercenaries will be too embarrassed to come. Hopefully we've see the last of the drinking/shirking cliques.
Birmingham City madness continues with departure of academy manager Mike Dodds. Dodds is incredibly highly regarded and his success story goes way beyond just helping to produce Jude Bellingham as the club now has a raft of good youngsters while they also developed the likes of Demarai Gray. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/birmingham-city-madness-continues-departure-24847076.amp
This to me is as encouraging an appointment as any. Not so much the person, although it would appear he will be a great fit. For me individual player development is a massive opportunity at older age level that is too often overlooked. A real sign to me we are about long term investment in players.
