The Lowdown

Conor Walsh
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  • AMERICAN FOOTBALL
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The Lowdown is a football podcast giving listeners unprecedented access to the minds shaping the modern game. Each week, we sit down with the people driving football forward — from club owners and technical directors to academy heads, coaches, and broadcasters — to uncover the lessons, challenges, and stories behind their journeys. Whether you’re a young coach, a player chasing the next step, or simply fascinated by what happens behind the scenes, The Lowdown offers honest insights to inspire the next generation of football professionals. Get in touch; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/ LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/conor-walsh-847b08127/ YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPod Email: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

  1. #189 - A Coaching Journey w/ Martin Foyston

    5 DAYS AGO

    #189 - A Coaching Journey w/ Martin Foyston

    In this episode, we sit down with Martin Foyston whose journey into football leadership didn’t start on the pitch—but in film studies. From early days using analysis as a competitive edge, to learning under elite mentors like Roy Hodgson, to taking bold career risks that led to over a decade as a head coach in Scandinavia, this conversation explores the human side of modern coaching. We dive into the highs of historic promotions, the importance of culture when success arrives, and the lows that come with being sacked. Now, for the first time in a while, Martin has stepped away from the day-to-day grind of the field—offering rare perspective, honesty, and reflection on how the game (and the person coaching it) has evolved. A thoughtful, candid conversation about growth, resilience, and what truly shapes a coach over time. A must listen. Listen to find out more including; - Utilizing analysis as a competitive advantage. - Why Martin chases the feeling of discomfort? - What powerful role models taught Martin about leadership and development? - How Scandinavia has shaped Martin as a coach and person? - Every gamble each assistant coach must eventually make. Timestamps; 00:00 - 10:39 - Intro 10:40 - 25:32 - Fulham 25:33 - 34:22 - Analysis 34:23 - 45:16 - Scandinavia 45:17 - 53:06 - Osters 53:07 - 1:05:42 - Culture 1:05:43 - 1:23:19 - Reflections Get in touch; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/ YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPod Email: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

    1h 23m
  2. #188 - Master the Paradox w/ Hamburg's Head of Performance; Basil More-Chevalier

    27 JAN

    #188 - Master the Paradox w/ Hamburg's Head of Performance; Basil More-Chevalier

    What's it like to be the youngest Director of Performance in the Top 5 leagues in Europe? Furthermore what is it also like when your role also entails being the Assistant Coach readying your players for weekly Bundesliga games? Today we are joined by Hamburg's Director of Performance & Assistant Coach; Basil More-Chevalier. He discusses the influences that sparked his curiosity to merge neuroscience with football, and how his time at Lyon, across multiple roles, helped form his thinking around methodology, learning, and developing players coming through the system. In his current role at Hamburg, Basil shares how research is applied in the reality of week-to-week competition. He breaks down the difference between training to maintain and training to perform, how Individual Development Plans can be adapted to enhance learning, and the challenge of carving out time to study while preparing for games. Listen to find out more including; - Creating a training methodology to further bridge the gap between theory and practice. - What coaches do not understand about cognitive fatigue? - How Basil manages the short and long term in his daily work? - What does integrated coach development look like? - Training to maintain vs training to perform and adapting IDPs for learning. Timestamps; 00:00 - 13:06 - Neuroscience 13:07 - 27:46 - Lyon 27:47 - 35:06 - Culture 35:07 - 43:10 - Coach Development 43:11 - 51:21 - Advice Get in touch; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/ YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPod Email: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

    51 min
  3. #187 - Making the Complex Simple w/ AFC Bournemouth's; Jonas Munkvold

    20 JAN

    #187 - Making the Complex Simple w/ AFC Bournemouth's; Jonas Munkvold

    In this episode, we sit down with Jonas Munkvold; First Team Recruitment Analyst with Bournemouth & Analyst with the IFA whose coaching journey offers a window into how football minds are shaped. He explains how writing and deep reflection on the game helped him clarify his ideas, sharpen his thinking, and develop a more considered approach to coaching and analysis. The conversation explores the growing prominence of the coach/analyst hybrid role, with Jonas sharing how he has seen this space evolve over time and what it now demands from practitioners. We also dive into the idea of the player as analyst, discussing how players can take learning from the pitch, build their football intelligence, and become more self-directed in their development. Jonas looks back on his five years at Nottingham Forest, where he worked across a variety of roles and gathered lessons that continue to shape his perspective today. He shares insights from his early specialization in developing 1v1 players, including what he believes is most important in nurturing creativity and decision-making in those moments. Finally, he explains his transition from coaching into recruitment, what motivated that move, and how his coaching background still informs the way he evaluates talent. Listen to find out more including; - Jonas revealing the single most formative experience of his early coaching career. - How writing about football fundamentally changed the way he sees the game? - His inside view on how the coach/analyst role has transformed in modern football. - Why he believes players should think more like analysts on and off the pitch? - The real reasons behind his move from coaching into recruitment. Get in touch; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/ YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPod Email: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

    38 min
  4. #186 - Step by Step w/ Gabriel Calderon

    17/12/2025

    #186 - Step by Step w/ Gabriel Calderon

    Next summer Haiti and Gabriel Calderon will compete in the 2026 World Cup. It is the latest chapter in the Calderon's family relationship with the trophy. As a four year old inspired by watching his father in the 1990 World Cup Final Gabriel had his mind set on etching his own mark on the game. A childhood spent across France, Spain and the Middle East has shaped Gabriel's worldview, leadership style and understanding of the game beyond the touchline. Forging his trade across several Spanish clubs gave Gabriel the tools to lead prior to embarking on a leadership role with FIFA working closely with developing countries. One of which was Haiti where Gabriel has served several roles including First Team Coach, Assistant & Technical Advisor. On the back of last week's World Cup draw Gabriel joined the podcast to discuss his journey to date. Listen to find out more including; - Why Gabriel believes "football has the same language"? - The impact working in FIFA's Technical Department had on his development? - Inside Haiti's historic World Cup Qualifying campaign. - How Haiti will prepare for Brazil, Scotland and Morocco? - How technical leadership is evolving and what skills matter most? Get in touch; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/ YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPod Email: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

    36 min
  5. #185 - Start with Self w/ Simone Lewis

    02/12/2025

    #185 - Start with Self w/ Simone Lewis

    It was not long into Simone Lewis' sporting career where she first realised that developing people skills were as if not more important than developing one's craft knowledge. Through her work at the Premier League, Right to Dream and elsewhere she has cultivated a reputation for developing transformational change amongst leaders with purpose, performance and wellbeing all equally important as another. The following episode is a deep dive into the behaviours and habits one must embody to bring that change to life. In a world with attention at a premium Simone goes deep on how one can remove interferences and focus more on the key fundamentals which will ultimately sustain one's career in the sporting world. Listen to find out more including; - How her understanding of transformational leadership gained layers going from step to step? - What we get wrong about self reflection? - Over-indexing on craft knowledge at the behest of understanding one's self. - What behavioural change looks like at the very top amongst the executives Simone works with? - What authentic people & leadership development looks like in today's AI driven world? Timestamps; 00:00 - 08:00 - Knowledge 08:01 - 15:36 - Start with Self 15:37 - 23:04 - Reflection 23:05 - 38:35 - Executive Coaching 38:36 - 40:29 - Advice Get in touch; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/ YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPod Email: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

    40 min
  6. #184 - MLS Coach Education w/ Fred Lipka

    18/11/2025

    #184 - MLS Coach Education w/ Fred Lipka

    “We don’t just want consumers; we want people who think deeply about who they are and what kind of coach they want to be.” Today we are joined by the Technical Director of Player Development for MLS; Fred Lipka. In this episode, we dive deep into coach development, pedagogy, and the evolution of youth football from France to the United States. Fred shares a journey that spans Le Havre’s world-renowned academy, consulting across the U.S. youth landscape, and shaping the next generation of MLS coaches through the Elite Formation Coaching License (EFCL). Graduates like Wilfried Nancy, Greg Vanney, Nico Estevez, and Luchi Gonzalez have gone onto esteemed success coaching first team football. Here Fred explains how the course is taught and the unique approach they take to social learning. Listen to find out more including; - Growing up in the Le Havre environment, sharing insights into what made Le Havre’s developmental culture so influential. - What surprised him most about the structure, culture, and coaching approaches in the U.S? - Do US based coaches spend sufficient time on field developing their craft? - The link between teaching and coaching — and why coaching must evolve ? - Why coaches focusing on developing their players individual game insight is key to US success over the next decade? - Creating environments where coaches want to contribute, support each other and give back. Timestamps; 00:00 - 11:10 - Le Havre 11:11 - 25:16 - EFCL 25:17 - 37:08 - Coaching Pathways 37:09 - 54:20 - Game Insight 54:21 - 57:57 - Advice Get in touch; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/ YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPod Email: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

    58 min
  7. #183 - Unlocking Potential w/ Kasper Thornton

    11/11/2025

    #183 - Unlocking Potential w/ Kasper Thornton

    In this episode, we sit down with Kasper Thornton, the Group Director of Human Performance at Right to Dream. From the academies of Ghana to world-class facilities in Europe and the U.S., Right to Dream is more than a football program — it’s a philosophy about opportunity, character, and purpose. Kasper shares his personal journey through the world of sport, what drew him to Right to Dream’s mission, and the values that underpin their success. We go deep inside the student-athlete experience, explore how collaboration drives performance outcomes, and reflect on some of the toughest leadership decisions that come with leading across continents. Listen to find out more including; - What is the optimum balance of challenge and support in working with student-athletes? - How working cross continent has shaped Kasper's leadership journey? - Insights on sustaining a shared mission and identity as Right to Dream build. - "Infinite trust" and how Kasper empowers others to lead. - Why "how we win" & "who we win with" matters most? - How working with Gen-Z is reshaping Kasper's own work routine and weekly architecture? Get in touch; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/ YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPod Email: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

    40 min
  8. #182 - Building Pathways w/ Gareth Henderby

    22/10/2025

    #182 - Building Pathways w/ Gareth Henderby

    In this episode, we sit down with Gareth Henderby, Director of International Football at Blue Crow Sports Group, and formerly a cornerstone figure at Right to Dream and FC Nordsjælland. From being Employee #1 at Right to Dream in Ghana to shaping academies across continents, Gareth shares a remarkable 25-year journey dedicated to developing people through football — not just producing players, but nurturing character, education, and opportunity. Now leading international strategy at Blue Crow, Gareth discusses how multi-club ownership, data-driven development, and education-centric talent systems are redefining the future of football. Listen to find out more including; - Inside the early days at Right to Dream. - The partner mindset which gave RTD success in Africa? - How they got the transition right developing players from Academy through to First Team Football? - What multi club ownership means for global football pathways? - Building alignment through a centralized football department at Blue Crow. Timestamps; 00:00 - 05:32 - Ghana 05:33 - 15:34 - Right to Dream 15:35 - 20:17 - Partner Mindset 20:18 - 26:02 - International Academy 26:03 - 36:40 - Blue Crow 36:41 - 44:22 - Advice Get in touch; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/ YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPod Email: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

    44 min
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About

The Lowdown is a football podcast giving listeners unprecedented access to the minds shaping the modern game. Each week, we sit down with the people driving football forward — from club owners and technical directors to academy heads, coaches, and broadcasters — to uncover the lessons, challenges, and stories behind their journeys. Whether you’re a young coach, a player chasing the next step, or simply fascinated by what happens behind the scenes, The Lowdown offers honest insights to inspire the next generation of football professionals. Get in touch; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/ LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/conor-walsh-847b08127/ YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPod Email: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

Information

  • Creator
    Conor Walsh
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    190
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Conor Walsh 2019
  • Show Website
    The Lowdown

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