John Walker
@johnwalker_1986 • 96,532 subscribers
UEFA A Licence Football Coach & Analyst
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Mexico v South Africa: Pre-Match Analysis Here is your guide to the Opening Match of the 2026 World Cup. Mexico will be in a 4-3-3: > Lots of Central Combinations > Wingers Moving Inside > Fullbacks Overlapping > Crosses in for Jimenez > Real Threat from Corners South Africa will be in a 4-2-3-1: > Brave in Building Out > Risks & Quick Play in Front-Line > Wingers 1v1 and Crosses Absolutely buzzing for this 👇
John Walker5,200,183 views • 2 months ago
Fernandez - Don't Drop Him, Develop Him 📈 I see a lot of comments around Fernandez, lazy ones, "he's lazy", "head turned" & "disinterested" but he consistently covers top distances, ridiculous high-speed sprint numbers for a CB & has also jumped National League to European Football in 2.5yrs. The penalty yesterday, in my opinion, comes from a clear man for man philosophy when defending: > Dealing with a 3v2 > Doesn't Address Ball-Side Danger (Stays with Phillips) > Sterling Does the Same > Narrows and Engages Too Late Exact same error Sterling made for me v Dundee Utd or McCrorie makes v Jagiellonia & it has to be the approach to follow man instead of space. That is totally fine, but what is meant to happen when a player is breached, when do players adjust & what is expected then?! Manny Fernandez has the potential to be a goldmine record-sale for Rangers but it needs to be intense development and coaching to ensure he doesn't drop levels and keeps the confidence up.
John Walker237,075 views • 16 days ago
Rangers Midfield: Progressing Play Disclaimer in the video, I am not "picking on" the players involved, I am giving my Analysis of, in my opinion, what I expect of Midfielders. In most of these clips, it is alarming how often: > Forward Pass is Missed > No Scanning to Approach the Play > Poor Body Shape & Distancing to Play Forward Then the end clip in the 50th minute, around Rest-Defence, is just another red flag of lack of discipline either in the structure or players. I watch Manny Fernandez closely, shouting at people to "not go" and leave Rangers in 3v2 counter attacks without a midfield in front of them. You can't be refusing forward passes, lack structure & be successful in the long run.
John Walker299,717 views • 23 days ago
Rangers: Inverting James Penrice Rangers have struggled so far to progress play and really implement a "Style" to Build from the Back under McInnes. Last night we tried to invert James Penrice in the 1st Half, similar with Dragojevic v Jagiellonia, but that requires a lot of work. 1. Worked on the Training Pitch with the Team: > Allows the Player (Penrice) to Feel It > Helps the Player Understand WHEN & WHY > Allows CB's to Understand WHEN to Play It > Gives a Chance to CM's to see "Counter-Movements" Then the coaches can address any tweaks based on how Jablonec press & where the gaps are 2. Individual Work on Training Pitch (5-10mins) > Fullbacks are used to having pitch infront of them > Work on Back-Foot Receiving > Work on Playing Passes through Lines > Work on Driving Inside the Pitch > Underlapping from an Inside 8 Position & Crossing 3. 121 Analysis with the Analysts (15-20mins) > Show Player Visuals from Previous Game > Show Player Examples of Good Inverting (Ange Teams) It is very clear that we have just told James Penrice to play as an "Inverted Fullback" & not done any training ground preparation or in-depth 121 Analysis of it to help him. Absolutely none of that sits with James Penrice, I watched the work Ange Postecoglou did at Celtic with Harry Kewell on 121 work with Greg Taylor, Alastair Johnston & the other fullbacks.
John Walker25,403 views • 5 days ago
Manny & Makhanya: Brave Building Out Yesterday, I felt both CB's were really brave in building out from the back and most of the attacks were as a result of their play. Manny Fernandez with the ball is exceptional: > Delays to Provoke Pressure > Brave Breaking Lines under Pressure > Takes Responsibility at All Times > Created 2 of the Best Chances in the Game Also thought Makhanya grew into a decent performance. We can argue defensively on Manny, I think he can definitely develop and improve but I also believe he wants to & understand's why he delays play. As for the laziness recovery stuff, he covers ridiculous High-Sprint Distances for a CB per 90, especially for a Rangers defender. More players with his Game-Understanding and Midfielders to demand the ball off of him then Rangers will be in a much better place.
John Walker81,563 views • 23 days ago
Elliot Watt: Finally a "Number 6" Are Rangers finally about to replace the most important position they've had to address since losing Steven Davis?! Elliot Watt represents all of those attributes you'd want in a Modern No.6: > Exceptional Variety of Passes > Goals from Range > Bravery on the Ball > Plays Under Pressure > Duel & 2nd Ball Positional Awareness Anything under £3m & it would represent and unbelievable start to the window adding to Lawrence Shankland. Definitely a "Scottish" led recruitment model
John Walker299,236 views • 3 months ago
🇪🇸 Spain v Argentina 🇦🇷 - Analysis 🏆 This is your most complete & in-depth pre-match analysis for the World Cup Final 👇 Spain Play > 1v1 Wing-Play > Overlapping & Underlapping Fullbacks > Combinations Centrally to Create > Exceptional Rest-Defence and Waves of Attack Potential Success: > Exploiting Argentina's Fullback Areas Argentina Play > Vertical Play & Crosses into the Box > Messi Creating Overloads Anywhere > Transition Attacks > Set-Plays Potential Success: > Set-Plays or a bit of Messi Magic might be the only way this side can unlock this ridiculous Spanish defence. Will Yamal stamp his name on the Biggest Stage or will Messi leave on the highest of highs?!
John Walker132,224 views • 1 month ago
"Connor Barron Can't Pass" 👌 The idea that he is poor with the ball is wild, perfect for a 6 role & far superior to Raskin & Devlin for those type of passes. The type of passes that help control tempo and speed it up through lines. Keen to add also, looking at those septlays today, his 2 corner Assists v Aberdeen... Could've used him today without a doubt 👌
John Walker62,600 views • 23 days ago
Group C: Scotland v Brazil - Decider Potentially the biggest game in Scotlands Footballing History but especially for this generation with a point required to guarantee progression. Scotland Potential Success: > Switching to a Back-5 to Protect Space > Counter-Attacking Down Left or Doak > Crosses into the Box & Players on the Edge Brazil Potential Success: > 1v1 Wingers & Freedom to Create > Runners Behind the Line of Defence > Protecting Against Counters If Brazil get their set-up right, I fear it can only go one way but we have seen with Cape Verde, DR Congo and Curacao that teams can defend out for the point they require. Come on Scotland 🏴
John Walker166,272 views • 2 months ago
Adaptable Alex Robertson v Norwich I've said before that Alex is a proper old school box-to-box midfielder, can score goals, created chances but duel winning & reading the game is top. It's a shame Rangers don't have the money, as he has the qualities of a "Number 6" we have missed since Steven Davis retired. Due to some injuries, dropped into CB in the 2nd half & got MOTM: > Assist from CB > 2 Chances Created > 4/5 Ground Duels Won > 2/2 Tackles > 6 Recovery Tackles Good players can adapt to play any positions for the team, well, within reason but exceptional last night despite the result.
John Walker19,077 views • 7 days ago
Scotland: What Are We Coached? I am sorry for the negativity but we are: > 3rd Lowest Scorers > 8th Lowest Shots on Target > 27th Best Accurate Passers > 2nd Highest xG Against So we are a team that can't create chances, can't control games & then can't defend when we turnover the ball. We switched to this Back-4 & it was obvious, with all the Qualification evidence that it was a huge mistake and it's been proven. Belarus, Greece and Denmark were all able to play through our press and it hasn't changed an ounce since those games: > Huge Distances Between Lines > Standing Off or Man for Man Clarity > High-Line or Block Low The fact the same errors happening between games that were 5 days apart is the biggest concern for me. We have been at a camp for 4-weeks now and looked genuinely, so poorly instructed/coached. A mentality swing is required, Clarke was the man to move us forward in 2018 but he isn't the man to take us forward in 2026.
John Walker151,862 views • 2 months ago
QF3: 🇳🇴 Norway v England 🏴 10pm (UK) Live on ITV Will the Vikings Row to Victory or Will England Excel to the Semi's? Norway Potential Success: > Wide 1v1 Play & Crosses into Haaland > Low-Block & Counter at Speed (Old Haaland) > Set-Plays Key Concern: > Underlapping 8 Runs from Bellingham and Rice to help Gordon and Saka either cut inside or play through. England Potential Success: > Crosses into the Box > Direct Play & Quick Transition into Attack > Set-Plays Key Concern: > Losing the ball with fullbacks and wingers high in attack and allowing transitions against with Odegaard, Haaland & Bobb breaking at speed. Key Battles: > Haaland v Konsa/Guehi; He dominated Gabriel when it mattered, can he do the same to other EPL players?! > Kane v Ajer; Ajer will get physical but can he cope with Kane's movements into all areas of the pitch or will he stay and allow the overloads > Gordon v Ryerson; Norway could be missing their RB or at best, he has a hamstring strain restricting sprints then its Aursnes, a CM, coming in. Final Thoughts: I expect a very tight game, both teams dropping into a block instead of pressing & whoever defends transitions and set-plays best will progress.
John Walker118,464 views • 1 month ago
Cammy Devlin: Progress Play This again, is not a video to bash him, it's hard being a Rangers player & adapting to it, the attention and analysis from people like myself. Everything I do video wise, is the stuff I'd be open and honest with my own clients in professional football and with the same demands to "Play". Devlin is only just on & being a sub is not ideal but there are 3 occasions before his red card where he can do so much more with "little adjustments". The ball is with Dujon Sterling (RB): > Adjust to the Highest Central Point to support > Scan for the "Next Pass" before receiving > Explore Forward & Central Options First If you have done all that and still need to go back to where it came from, fine, do that but then re-adjust to get it forward or switched. Playing safe and being passive has contributed to the situation where he is trying to crash the box.
John Walker28,588 views • 12 days ago
Scotland - Building out from the Back I feel like there is a huge lack of clarity in the way we play & that responsibility sits with coaches as much as the players: > Are Defenders to Play? > Are the "CDM's" to Show & Build? > Fullbacks Allowed to Find Space? I have watched McKenna & Hendry play out successfully in Belgium and Croatia with possession based teams and be good at it. I have watched Ferguson & McLean play in Top-5 Leagues and show for the ball and dictate play. Is this a lack of clarity, lack of coached "Style" or individual errors or a mixture of both?!
John Walker144,305 views • 2 months ago
Rangers: Defending & Dujon Decisions It is the first game of the season and if this was an isolated lack of concentration, it wouldn't even have been analysed in this way. Dujon Sterling, in this goal, made a lot of similar missteps to the Motherwell goal last season: > Decision-Making to Jump Early > Late to Identify Real Risk > Fernandez Press & Back-4 Can't Narrow > Recovery Run is Not Quick Enough My main concern is this is very basic defensive principles, it is nothing that every coach won't demand & it's lapses in concentration/desire that we have seen season on season. Players are now facing an issue that this is a Manager we all wanted and now responsibility will sit with them majorly.
John Walker67,565 views • 1 month ago
🏴England v Argentina 🇦🇷: Pre-Match Analysis Spain awaits the winner but this tie needs zero billing & in it's own right with both teams ready to go to war and attack their way to the final: - Argentina are the Highest Scorers - England have missed the most Big Chances England - 13th Best Passers at the WC; More Direct and with Purpose: - 6.7 Shots on Target per 90 - 15 Big Chances Missed (2nd) Unlocking Argentina from Wide Areas - 6 Accurate Crosses per Match (3rd) > Kane v DR Congo > Underlapping Run for Kane v Panama > Bellingham v Mexico Transition Attacks from Deep or Pressing - Lowest Ave. Possession of Semi-Finalists & prefer to break on teams quickly: > Bellingham v Croatia > Bellingham v Mexico x2 Argentina - Highest Scorers with 2.8 Goals per 90 - Highest Accurate Passers - 2 Clean Sheets (14th) Unlocking England Centrally - Accurate Passing but with Purpose and using "Vertical Play" to break teams open through centre: > Messi v Saudi > Messi v Austria Transition from Low into Attack - Not a team that stand out with Pace but with willingness to do hard running > Enzo Fernandez v Egypt > Enzo and Messi v Austria Key Battles/Decisive Areas - England have to improve their distances in Midfield without the ball & watch for those Vertical Passes into Messi/Enzo/Alvarez that can get Argentina straight onto the Defence - Bellingham v Paredes: I could see a scenario where Paredes follows Bellingham around the pitch and sacrifices himself and the structure to protect against their star. - Messi Freedom: I am unsure how you cope with this because as he will float between Guehi(CB) and O'Reilly(LB) then deeper into midfield, it becomes about communication to pass on but that is risky. Let's F*cking Gooo
John Walker91,935 views • 1 month ago
Rangers: 121/Unit Analysis Example Same disclaimers, this isn't "having a go" or "singling out" players, just simply an example of the type of Performance Analysis I do with International Footballers. If I was reviewing the Midfield Unit at Rangers today and having 121/Unit meetings with the 4 CM's this is where I'd be focussed. Playing Forward It is far too lazy just to show examples and go, we didn't get the ball forward or we didn't get Aasgaard into the game. You need to go deeper: > How Do We Get Aasgaard on the Ball? > Can Midfielders Adjust to Play Forward? > What Adjustments Would Help? > Show Video Scenarios & Discuss In all of these clips, it's so vital on the little adjustments: > Constantly Scanning for the Space > Adjusting to the Opposition > Body-Shape When Receiving > Knowing the Next Pass I don't believe Rangers do any of this on a 121 Level or Unit Level just now but it is an absolute necessity game to game to help develop individuals and a team. No Rangers players are my clients, work with me, or have ever worked with myself 👌
John Walker37,209 views • 19 days ago
Enzo v England: Set-Play Shambles We can argue all day about whether it was Tuchel's changes or the player mentality & for me, it's just basics. The difference in corners before and after the changes are astonishing: > Gordon & James reacted to 3 short corners correctly and were not punished at any point > Bellingham and Anderson had great distances in the 1st example and wouldn't have allowed Enzo's shot However, a double sub happens on the 82nd minute: > 3 Subs are now on > England changed 6 positions at corners > Kane gets a new role but does his previous job > Anderson reacts correctly > Bellingham can't do 2 jobs An FA & Nation the size of England, with the available faciltiies, staff and quality of analysts should never have a situation where in a WC Semi-Final they lose their lead simply down to lack of responsibility.
John Walker83,255 views • 1 month ago