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A decade ago, Barry competed at a lower division club. Currently, his attention is fixed supporting the England manager win the World Cup next summer. The road from athlete to trainer began with a voluntary role for Accrington's Under-16s. He recalls, “It was in the evenings, third of a pitch, asked to do 11 v 11 … flat balls, not enough bibs,” and he was hooked. He realized his destiny.

Rapid Rise

Barry's progression is incredible. Commencing with his first major job, he built a standing with creative training and great man-management. His club career took him to elite sides, and he held roles with national teams across multiple countries. His players include legends including top footballers. Currently, in the England setup, it’s full-time, the “pinnacle” as he describes it.

“Dreams are the starting point … But I’m a believer that obsession can move mountains. You have the dream and then you plan: ‘How do we do it, each day, each phase?’ We dream about winning the World Cup. However, vision doesn't suffice. It's essential to develop a structured plan that allows us to have the best chance.”

Obsession with Details

Obsession, particularly on fine points, characterizes his journey. Toiling around the clock under the sun—sometimes the moon, too, he and Tuchel test boundaries. Their methods include player analysis, a strategy for high temperatures for the finals abroad, and fostering teamwork. He stresses the national team spirit and avoids language including "pause".

“You’re not coming here for a holiday or a pause,” he explains. “We had to build something that attracts the squad and where they're challenged that going back is a relief.”

Greedy Coaches

The assistant coach says along with the manager as extremely driven. “Our goal is to master each element of play,” he states. “We seek to command every metre of the pitch and that’s what we spend many of our days on. Our responsibility not only to stay ahead of changes but to beat them and set new standards. It’s a constant process with a mindset of solving issues. And it’s to make the complex clear.

“There are 50 days together with the team before the World Cup finals. We need to execute an intricate approach that gives us a tactical advantage and we must clarify it in that period. It’s to take it from concept to details to knowledge to execution.

“To build a methodology for effective use in the 50 days, it's crucial to employ all the time available after our appointment. During periods without the team, we have to build relationships with each player. We must dedicate moments in calls with players, observing them live, feel them, touch them. Relying only on those 50 days, it's impossible.”

Final Qualifiers

The coach is focusing for the final pair for the World Cup preliminaries – facing Serbia at home and Albania in Tirana. They've already ensured their place at the finals after six consecutive victories and six clean sheets. But there will be no easing off; quite the opposite. This period to reinforce the team’s identity, to maintain progress.

“Thomas and I are both pretty clear that our playing approach should represent all the positives from the top division,” Barry says. “The athleticism, the versatility, the strength, the work ethic. The national team shirt must be difficult to earn yet easy to carry. It should feel like a cape instead of heavy armour.

“To ensure it's effortless, we need to provide an approach that enables them to move and run similar to weekly matches, that resonates with them and encourages attacking play. They must be stuck less in thinking and focus more on action.

“You can gain psychological edges for managers at both ends of the pitch – playing out from the back, pressing from the front. Yet, in the central zone of the pitch, those 24 metres, we believe play has stagnated, especially in England's top flight. Everybody has so much information these days. They can organize – defensive shapes. We are really trying to increase tempo in that central area.”

Drive for Growth

His desire for development is all-consuming. While training for the top coaching badge, he felt anxious about the presentation, especially as his class featured big names like Lampard and Carrick. So, to build his skill set, he entered the most challenging environments he could find to practise giving them. One was HMP Walton in Liverpool, where he also took inmates during an exercise.

He earned his license in 2020 at the top of the class, and his dissertation – focusing on set-pieces, in which he examined numerous set-plays – became a published work. Lampard was among those won over and he hired Barry as part of his backroom at Chelsea. When Frank was fired, it spoke volumes that Chelsea removed most of his staff while keeping Barry.

Lampard’s successor at Chelsea became Tuchel, and, four months later, they secured European glory. After Tuchel's exit, Barry stayed on with Potter. However, when Tuchel returned in Germany, he brought Barry over of Chelsea and back alongside him. The FA see them as a double act like previous management pairs.

“I’ve never seen anything like Thomas {in terms of personality and methodology|in character and approach|