CV's Weekly Coaching News
His last season managing in the English Championship?ended in promotion with Sheffield United, and now?Paul Heckingbottom?is back. The 47-year-old has taken over at second-bottom?Preston North End, who parted company with?Ryan Lowe?after one game of the new season. “The short-term goals are to get back on track,” said?Heckingbottom, who will be assisted by Stuart McCall. “Longer-term, we want to be a really, really competitive team in this league.” ? ? New?Wales?head coach Craig Bellamy?has been adding to his coaching team, meanwhile.?Brighton?first-team coach Andrew Crofts is assistant manager, with former?Newport?boss James Rowberry, former?Manchester Cityhead of performance analysis Piet Cremers, and former?Swansea?and?Liverpoolcoach Ryland Morgans all joining too.?Goalkeeping coach?Martyn Margetson is widely expected to come on board, too – he this week stepped down after eight years with the?England?national team.
Departures in the past week?are led by?Thierry Henry?(above), who has resigned?as?France Under-21?manager after leading his country to a home silver medal at this summer’s Paris Olympics. Neil Critchley’s second spell in charge at?Blackpool?ended after 15 months, and on the back of consecutive defeats to start the League One season. Also gone is?Neil Lennon, sacked as Rapid Bucharest boss after six winless games, and the now ex-Arbroath manager Jim McIntyre, who won only three of his 32 games in charge. ? In the Bundesliga,?Alex Clapham has joined?Nuri Sahin’s first-team staff at?Borussia Dortmund. Even further afield, meanwhile, Michael Matricciani is the new head coach of Melbourne City Women. Back in England, finally, two clubs have hired new academy directors this week:?Ipswich?have appointed Dmitri Halajko, who leaves his previous job as technical director at Colchester; while Jeremy Sauer, who has held academy roles at AFC Wimbledon,?West Ham?and?Brighton, becomes the first-ever academy director at Wycombe Wanderers.
SCOUT REPORT?/ TAKEFUSA KUBO
Mikel Merino and Martín Zubimendi?have been attracting Premier League attention this summer, but the Euro 2024 winners aren't the only Real Sociedad players to have impressed in recent times. Japanese attacker Takefusa Kubo is a left-footer who plays on the right, who has?been mentioned as a potential long-term replacement for Mo Salah at Liverpool.?Here, our UEFA-licensed coaches have assessed his qualities, and where he can improve. Check out all our player scout reports?here