Manchester United are competing in this year’s Otten Innovation Cup. With a young squad, head coach Darren Fletcher aims to go as far as possible in this international youth tournament. At the end of the first day, we spoke to the former United player and current U18 head coach.
Darren, you have literally seen it all and won a lot….
[Laughs]
You're with us at the Otten Innovation Cup, it's your first time here, so how are you finding it?
It’s been enjoyable, an amazing facility first and foremost in terms of the training ground, the pitches, the quality is fantastic. I've heard a lot about it with the club, Manchester United have been coming for a few years and a lot of the staff speak very highly of it, so everything's been amazing in terms of organization, people helping us out, the pitches, the facilities around - amazing! It's also really interesting to see as a football person how high-level teams work and what facilities they have, and obviously high-level football games as well with some interesting rules which have been a challenge, but I can definitely see why it's so innovative and a good challenge for the players.
Under 21 coach Adam Lawrence was here a couple of seasons ago with Manchester United and he's told us previously how he has been able to use some of those different rules that we have here in Eindhoven, and employed them into his training sessions back in Manchester. Is that something you think you're going to do as well with the Under 18 side?
To be honest, we do a lot of them anyway, we always have. We don't really take throw-ins in training, we try to dribble the ball in, we stop the clock, and obviously everything's timed at training, so there's a lot of similarities. I think the goal kicks rule is an interesting one and the dribble-in free kicks too. We use these sorts of things in training sessions regularly, it's just obviously something for the players to experience in a 11 v 11 match, they usually do it in small-sided games and things like that where it's less numbers, so to experience them on a bigger scale has been interesting. I think it adds to the game to be perfectly honest with you; I think it makes it fast, it makes it exciting, and it's definitely more of an advantage than a disadvantage to be able to dribble the ball in. I think actually having a throw-in is a bit of a disadvantage, so when you can dribble the ball in, it's definitely an advantage so yes, I really like the rules.
You've brought a good squad with you - how are they adapting to these rules - playing back in England is obviously very different to playing here, especially with lots of different opposition. How are they adjusting to the different opposition and games?
Well, first and foremost, we're very young, I think, compared to other teams, which we knew that beforehand, so it was going to be a good challenge, but it's great for the players because it means as well as their pass detail and their quality, they'll also have to rely on physicality, so their ball-playing has to be so much better. It's a great challenge for the players physically.
I also like the fact that the clock stops so you know the game's fair and teams can't waste time, so all these things, for me, are the future of football and are really innovative and something that I feel should be in football. It's a great experience for the players and they're learning so much.
We have played against PSV, the home team, we have played against Palmeiras, who are a completely different style of team, and we play against Adelaide tomorrow, so another different experience as well, so it's great for their development to play against all these different teams styles and to take on the challenge.
And what about your development as a coach?
Oh yeah, listen, it's great for me but fundamentally, it's more for the players development. I think I'm developing as a coach in terms of putting on sessions, but it's different from developing for me for whatever future in management.
For me it's important that I'm developing these players as individuals and that they're getting better. Results are important, of course, but it's more important for me that the players get better than me winning football matches. If I win football matches that are good for me and the players don't get better, that's not the objective. So, for me, it's fundamentally about player development because that's the role as an under-18s coach. Of course, I'm developing within that, no doubt, but fundamentally the most important thing is that the players improve as players.
If we go back to when you went through the youth system at Manchester United, how are you trying to bring in what you've learned as a former player and also adapt to the future?
Well, the game's evolved, and football's constantly evolving, so you have to be up to date with trends, but also football doesn't change. There's a lot of fundamentals though in the club's DNA. We should be innovative, we should be trying new things, we have to evolve with how football's evolved through the time, through the rules, through the way the game's played, through how it's refereed. All these different factors mean you have to change and adapt, but fundamentals stay the same and the DNA and fundamentals of Manchester United Football Club stay the same, so it's nice to have a mix of both and to keep progressing with the times, but also carry the traditions of Manchester United and of football in general.
You mentioned the DNA of Manchester United and there have been big changes with Ruben Amorim leaving and Michael Carrick coming as head coach of the first team and also attending youth games - he seems to have calmed everything around the club
Michael's a calm guy and he's done a fantastic job in difficult circumstances when he took over to come in mid-season, but Michael knows the club, so that's where he has an advantage over other coaches. It is very, very difficult coming into the biggest club in the world to understand it, to feel the magnitude of it, the pressure of it, so it's not easy for anybody.
Where Michael comes in is he's been there and done it as a player, so he knows what Manchester United is. He knows how to deal with it, he takes it in his stride, and he's shown a calmness and an authoritativeness that the club has needed. Obviously he takes a keen interest in the young players in the club, and he's present at those, but that's just him as a guy. But also, he knows that's part of the club's tradition, so he's just doing what he does normally. And what Michael does normally is Manchester United, so he's not overthinking it, he's just being himself and being Manchester United because that's who he is.
Darren, thanks so much for spending some time with us and enjoy the rest of the tournament here in Eindhoven!