With the help of his granddad, Thomas Fielding, aged 9, recently applied for the manager's position at Bolton Wanderers. He didn't get the job, but the man who did saw his application and paid him a visit at his local side's (Oxford Grove U10s) training session.
His letter said the team's players were "unfit and overweight", adding "we give the other team too much space to play".
He concluded his letter saying: "I know I am young but I am cheap and people tell me I read the game well."
in more ways than one
in more ways than one
Pre-season is your one window to build a real engine. This July, ditch the endless laps and learn how to condition your players with a ball at their feet.
A clear game model turns a squad into a team. Use pre-season to decide who you want to be, then train it every single week so your side is recognisable from the first whistle.
Roughly a fifth of Premier League goals come from set pieces, and the gap between teams who plan their routines and teams who do not has never been wider. Here is how the modern set-piece specialists design attacking corners, free kicks, and throw-ins - and how you can apply their ideas at any level.