The psychology evolution in football – how elite managers cope with pressure

Football Daily

BBC

Soccer, Sports, News, Sports News, Sport

4.3 • 4.5K Ratings

🗓️ 15 March 2025

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Rick Edwards heads to Brentford’s training ground to speak to head coach Thomas Frank and the club’s psychologist Michael Caulfield.

They sit down in the manager’s office to discuss the evolution of psychology in football, dealing with the extreme highs and lows and unique pressures.

Thomas Frank was appointed Bees boss back in October 2018 making him the second longest serving manager in the Premier League behind Pep Guardiola. As well as Brentford Michael Caulfield has worked with a number of other football clubs and managers including Gareth Southgate and a wide range of other sports from horseracing to darts.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Football, a game of passion, rivalry and loyalty.
0:05.0	But decades ago, beneath the cheers and the chance,
0:09.0	lay a different kind of warfare called hooliganism.
0:13.0	On a match day, everyone was your enemy.
0:15.0	We'll uncover the brutal, bloody battles where punching below the belt was a way of life.
0:19.0	It was just a die of my him. Gangster presents hooligans.
0:22.6	They were destroying the football club.
0:24.8	The game I alone.
0:26.0	Listen first on BBC Sounds.
0:30.8	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:35.3	The Football Daily podcast with Rick Edwards.
0:43.4	Hello, welcome to a special Football Daily podcast with me, Rick Edwards.
0:47.1	I'm here at Brentford's Training Ground in West London, just waiting for the club's manager,
0:51.9	Thomas Frank, and their resident sports sports psychologist Michael Caulfield.
0:56.1	I'm planning to chat to them about how elite football managers cope with pressure,
1:00.6	being a leader, managed relationships,
1:03.8	work within a limited budget, say goodbye to players.
1:07.8	I've actually got quite a long list and they are coming in now.
1:16.1	Thomas, Michael, first thing to say is thank you very much for inviting us in. We've had a
1:21.9	lovely day. It's like a night, I never have had access like this a football club, so I don't have anything to compare
1:29.6	it to, but everyone seems nice and happy, and I don't think that's a coincidence.
1:36.6	That's nice. Thank you. I'm very happy that you have had a good day so far.
	...

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