I will quickly tell you a story about "Dudu". In my team there is this random black guy called Dudu. He's 21 and after a match on reserve game on Saturday, I was with him and he was talking about where he played and stuff. What he's doing in the 4th division of Hungary I don't know, but I think because of his girlfriend and his agent he's having trouble with. Now he's good, reminds me of Essien. But not amazing. He said he was offered a contract in Finland for 5000 euro a month and has lots of managers calling him up. Of course, I don't know how true the things he's saying are, but if he's getting offers, then surely I can get offers too and I am four years younger than him! Back in October, one of my coaches was talking about possibly playing in Finland and now I'm beginning to see over that huge wall of doubt and thinking "will I be a professional footballer?" I'm guessing that I have a very good chance of starting my career in one of the lower leagues around Europe and work my way up to playing in the Premier league of course!

Janos told me this week that he will be sending over my CV and video to his friend that just became a director at a 1st division Belgium club. He sternly told me that I can't go and screw up there because "It won't look good for anyone." One of my fears and motivaters is not getting my coach angry! I can't fail him and I don't want to fail myself anymore! I have to make it!

Training Review

20 hours like always. One thing I saw observing games this week were Hernandez' (Man united) runs. There always really good, he's always trying to get to the nearpost and on the attack his movement is soo nice. I'm going to try make more the runs that he does.

• 60 – 80x attempted high pace dribbiling through five cones and touch left foot crosses
• 150 right foot free kick from 20 – 25 yards.
• 100x left foot free kick from 20 – 25 yards
• 60x Dribble 5 cones shift ball and finish left and right foot
• 100-120x dribble 5 cones, shift ball right/left finish into corner
• Crossing work with friend 45 min
• Juggling and shooting 15 min
• Free train, shooting, crossing, penalties, passing 2 hours.

Game Review
Played with the reserves for some reason.. it sucks.. I don't like playing the reserves, most players are rubbish. I should be playing with the a-team but I'm not sure why. Played 45 min, right mid (only could play one half, because of u/19's)
- come to ball more, want it. Didn't want it enough.
- one on ones shit.
- I'm making more runs = good.
 

Since I had less training this week, I had the chance to think more of my future training plans this week and I'm going to try change from having personal training seshs where I just dribble, juggle and shoot around and can seem repeatedly long and boring, to games where I challenge myself and play a fun game to get 200 shots in the bottom right corner or 100 accurate crosses in with my left foot over an hour and If I don't reach the goal I have to sacrifice playing fifa for a week or something like that (fear of loss is more motivating than gaining).

So this new training plan will mean, each time before I have a personal session:
1. Commit to what excercises I'm going to do based on what I need to work on strength/weakness wise (ex: left foot finishing)
2. Have a goal of how many times I successfully complete the excercise (ex: 200 goals in bottom right corner in 90 minutes)
3. What happens if I achieve / don't achieve my goal (ex: If I achieve, I can go to George's party, If I don't, I can't go to George's party and I have to do extra school work)
Note: I will keep a rough check on time and make sure I do the hours I need to everyday, so I will still have a time schedule.

As for drinking more water, eating breakfast everyday and drinking protein shakes, I don't know if it improves my football, but I feel it increases your well-being. I think I feel less tired throughout the day and have more energy which is pretty important now that I have final school exams coming up and have to juggle school and my business stuff. I think a protein shake will be better for me as a meal replacement for breakfast, my coach Moses said that it's not good to take any supplements because after you retire your body doesn't know how to produce muscle without supplements. I'll drink more water too.

Oh and about going to the gym, well I'll regulary keep doing pushups and situps as part of my trainings. I got a new book called the Four Hour Body by Tim Ferris, there are many excercises in there I can use which allow me to get maximum effect for minimum time, I will check those out.

Next Weeks Training Plan
Back to a 20 hour schedule text week. I roughly did 8 hours this week, but I feel more refreshed and more motivated so it was good I had more rest than usual.
 

One word to describe this week was quiet. Training as always, but over the last few weeks I've began to feel like I've been overtraining. It's not a physical problem, but a mental one. The last 10 months I've been on a 20 hour a week schedule which makes you calculate every single day, how many hours you have to do, etc and I never let myself get away with anything. Even if I am really tired, weak, want to go to bed and it's cold and snowing outside (well I don't mind that ). I guess discipline is a good thing, but I've been feeling like you can lose motivation from being on this schedule too long. I'm pretty sure I haven't had a period over the last year or so, where I've stopped calculating the hours I have to do, and scheduling time, and just let myself go for a little bit. It's not the training's with club that bothers me, it's forcing to work all by myself on the pitch and forcing myself to watch and analyse games. There's no doubt this work is definently paying off and progressing my skills but I just feel that it can detrimental to football, to do what I prefer not to do every day, repeating the same movements over and over.

But maybe this is a good thing at the same time. Because you don't get pleasure without pain. You don't succeed without hard work. Maybe I need to train even more! I think I need to re-focus, re-channel my ambition and thoughts.

So I've thought, maybe I should switch it up and live life next week without a schedule and do as I feel, so I feel a little refreshed. Not counting the hours all the time. I'm on holidays next week as well. What I dream of is the day I sign a professional contract, when I've achieved the hardest step. Then I will take a long vacation.

I've had other thoughts on my mind and they are similar to what I said back in June last year

I was watching an nikefootball interview with Arsene Wenger the other day, and when asked what he looks for in a player he said:
“none of us is perfect…what makes a player go to the top is that he has one quality“.

I have a few strengths  like shooting, dribbiling and speed, but I don’t know what my one single best quality is, I’m gonna think about it and then once I find it, I’ll work on it every day.

I still have this issue of my one biggest quality. I think it is speed. When I'm playing for my adult team, I hear they comment on how fast I am. But that's in the 4th division of the Hungarian league, I don't know how it would compare to the Premier league or Bundesliga. But in the short-term while I'm going for lower league clubs, speed is that quality I should show the most. It's what stands out. To show my speed, I should make as many runs as I can, left and right wings. Try receive the ball when I'm in motion rather than receving the ball flat footed and then making a sprint, because I seem to always lose the ball like that. Or, keep the ball in fast motion and keep moving, don't stop. Get it out of my feet and in the grass behind the defenders. At the same time, get one of my stinging, powerful shots away, or accurate cross and putting on pressure on defenders high up the pitch. For now, I've decided that's my football style.

If I had to compare myself to one player, it would be Gareth Bale, but right footed.

Finally, I decided to create a Recovery plan, because now that I'm playing more games and such, it's important to follow one. One thing that I found is that everyday I'm drinking on average 1.5 litres of water per day, when you should be drinking 2. I read somewhere that you should be drinking 3 – 5 litres everday if your an athelete. Sometimes I will not drink any water at all (just juice and tea, or something). So from Tuesday to Sunday, I'm going to commit drinking 3 litres of water everyday and drinking a 250ml protein shake once a day, after training and see how I feel and if I have more energy. I also skip breakfast, so I'm gonna stop doing that next week too.

Also played a game, 45 minute, with the b-team for some reason. Not going to comment on it, not worth it.

Next Week

I did 18.5 hours of training last week, A LOT was game analysis. I felt that I needed more structure in my personal sessions. A specific thing or style I work on, rather than just say something and not ending up doing it. This week, as I have more freedom without a schedule, I'll think of what I could do and imitate Gareth Bale, as well as maybe a young Ryan Giggs, Adam Johnson, James Milner.

So I think it’s time for a re-focus to get my self physically and most importantly mentally fit again. because when I do lose my routine, I tend to get pretty paranoid. So for this week, I am going to commit myself doing something everyday (expect one day for rest) whether that’s going to the gym, or going to the oval for a kick around, watching games and learning. I need it, it’s like my food!

There’s really not much to say this week, nothing really exciting happened. I am just here in Australia, but the hot sun, 30 degree weather and blue skies I’ve prayed for, has for the most part been replaced with grey skies, and rain. I was watching an a-league game and I just realised how sloppy they play. It’s slow, unimaginative, and just not that great. The a-league would definently have to be the minimum playing level of my career. I have to be just as good they are at some point (if not now) with what I’m seeing. But whatever, my goal always remains of playing in the 2014 world cup and for a world class team.

Next Week
7 hours in total, missed 3. No penalty (holiday). Next week 13 hours.

So next week I am going to make sure I can look back and reflect on what was a reaaaaaalllly good week!

I thought I'd create a My Rules page. This is my own policy from now on I have to abide to, in order to become a better footballer and especially a leader on the pitch this forthcoming season.

Check it out.

Tuesday:
- Better awareness of other players
- Need to somehow get more power on long range shots.

Thursday:
- Shooting has improved
- Trained better than Flo, played better.
- Lost concentration sometimes

Notes:
- Don’t be afraid to take players on, you get noticed and the worst thing that can happen is a tackle and ball going out for throw.

This week is the most I’ve trained than any other week. I had a stomach bug on Wednesday but all the other days have been filled with touches, shots and improvement. This week’s focus was on my left foot. I felt doing constant work on it throughout the personal, by myself training sessions I had, has given it some improvement overall. I’m going to focus on it again this week and my overall weaknesses + strengths before I head off to England for the April one week FootballCV Trials camp on Friday.

I’ll report on how that goes, every single day if I can. It should be a fun week filled with good trainings, a talk from an ex-england international and on the last day, a trials game with several scouts from various pro clubs coming to watch the camp members play. It also gives me a chance to asses my skills against the other players. Right now, I feel like I could be one of the best players in the camp after all the training i’ve done this week.

This Week

There’s really only two days I can reflect on in club training this week. Aside from club training, I trained roughly 11-12 hours this week on my own and with friends.

Thursday:
- Touch was poor
- Need to be more aware of the players around me
- Cossing was good
- One on ones I just don’t feel confident

Saturday:
- Long range shots were accurate, but need to be more powerful.
should cut inside more from the right wing to showcase one of my best assets and affect the game more.
- Crossing was really good.

Next week

So this week all the 600 euros worth of stuff that I ordered from Germany and Holland arrived! Now I have a proper backyard training set up, with proper equipment and all. Now it’s about using it effectively and to my advantage!

Tuesday: Was a fitness/power training, nothing to report.

Wednesday: running, power training, nothing to report.

Thursday:
- Left foot crossing needs work.

Saturday:
- I need to really want the ball, like I can’t live without it!
- Need to be stronger, don’t be afraid to push.

Didn’t really do any technical ball work over the week, so I did not really develop on the technical skills. I also trained quite alot on my own over the weekend and my muscles are pretty sor, I want to find some ways to reduce soreness and tiredness.

Other than that, check this out! Here is my new training schedule for this week, this is the first time I’m doing this so i’m interested to see how it goes and how I feel at the end of the week.

This week’s focus is my left foot.

“Anxiety is nothing…but repeatedly re-experiencing failure in advance”.

If ever I get nervous or scared again to do something again in life and in football. I’ll re-experience failure in advance. What a waste of time. I have nothing to fear.

I’ve kept it low-profile again this week, although I haven’t been doing any extra “planned” sessions in the mornings or evenings, I did go to the fields yesterday and this evening for an hour or two to work on my shooting + I am playing with my mini ball alot of the time in my small room.

I’ve decided to once and for all combat my “laziness” of not doing extra training by buying around 600 euro of new equipment (yes 600 euro!). It’s being paid all with my own money, and i’m buying the following:

• 3x Nike Omni Fifa Approved Balls (the real ball premier league players train/play with)
• 1x 3.60 x 1.80m Rebounder goal
• 1x 1.10 x 1.10 small target rebounder
• 12x traffic cones
• 10x 1.80 tall pogo sticks
• 1x UltimaGoal rebounder

It’s all going to be used in my backyard, I hope my parents don’t get upset that after a week the yard is going to look like a shithole.  I’ll take a photo once I got it all set up.

I’ve made everything more convenient now, I can just wake up, go to the backyard and train with whatever I have planned. All the stuff should arrive by this week, I hope :S

This Week’s training

I have found before that how you train, affects how you play and the same is true for me this week. I need to make sure that in every training, every kick around with friends, needs to be high intensity just like in a match, otherwise i’ll fail. I just realised that my goal is to be in a premier league academy within the next 15 months! I really gotta work very hard! I can’t just give a 100%, but a 110% every time.

That’s all for now, onto next week!

What to say about this week…

I’ve only really trained twice this week due to a little sprain in my toe and a knock in my knee. Probably which I could’ve trained on but seeing as I am finally going to England next week to trial, I didn’t want to risk injuring myself further.

In the round up of how my two trainings went, here it is:

Thursday:
- Too relaxed on the ball
- Shooting was way off! Missed all chances.
- Turning with the ball was good, something I have worked on (training pays off once again!)

Saturday:
- Played game, had three one on one chances and finished none! Should have finished all of them.
- Dribbling through cones only with inside of one foot needs a lot of improvement.

I’m about 100% again and next week will be about catching up and getting ready, preparation week. I’m feeling a little out of fitness and I need to work on a couple of things so I don’t embarrass my self. I’ve worked out a schedule which I will stick to until Saturday when I leave to the airport. If I am not at my best at 100% before going into the trial, then I won’t really know how I measure up.

Monday Morning: 10 minutes right/left foot one touch passing,  10 minutes two touch passing, finish with 50 pushups, 50 situps, 150 leg co-ordination exercises / Lunch: 15-20 minute game with friends / Afternoon: 40 minute treadmill run.

Tuesday Morning: Same as Monday / Lunch: Same / Evening: Club training.

Wednesday Morning: 30 minute run / Lunch: Same / Evening: Club training.

Thursday Morning: 10 minutes juggling, 20 minutes dribbling exercises, 10 minutes one touch, two touch/ Lunch: Same / Evening: Club training.

Friday Morning: 60 minutes run / Lunch: Same / Afternoon: Swim

Saturday Morning: Club training and then leave to England.

Sunday: Trials day at FootballCV.

Monday – Saturday: Wimbledon.

So last night after watching Will Smith’s video on wisdom, I became really motivated. I have this red, mini football I got from my club’s Christmas party.  I set a unreasonable target for myself that I would get 100 juggles with this mini ball by the end of the night. I could barley do 10 or 15 kick ups to start, my record was probably about 20, but I never stopped believing that I wouldn’t get 100 and eventually I got closer and closer until around two hours later YES! I got over 100 juggles.

So basically what seemed like an impossible task to start wasn’t actually impossible at all, it was just a state of mind.

I have also just come back home from a pretty hard fitness training, I hate them so much but I have realised that in order for me to become one of the best players that ever lived I need to have tough mental challenges for myself and so things like that is good for me and now I am enjoying it, that while i’m going through physical exhaustion that the exhaustion is just a state of mind, by body telling me that I can’t keep going. But in truth I can and like Will Smith says “I’m not afraid to die on the treadmill” ha ha

Starting off with the game which is the freshest in my mind at the moment, I think I played good. We won 8-0 against a pretty average team. I first assisted a goal from taking a corner kick and then scored a one on one, I had just one other shot on goal. My goal came from the determination to score as I made a run through the middle of defence and received a through ball which paid off when I nutmegged the keeper. What I did well was making runs with the ball, tackling and touch was good.

If we look at my main focuses for improvement:

1. ONE ON ONE FINISHING
2. PLAYING PACE
3. DECISION MAKING
4. FIRST TOUCH

I think all of these things were done ok – good in the game which this game I guess shows i’ve done a little improvement in those areas.

On the negative side, there wasn’t too much. Positioning could of been a a little quicker in some cases, I think I should of made more runs and received passes through the middle of the pitch, too one sided. I also didn’t feel as though I was really, really important like if I was Rooney when he scored those 4 goals. I want to mean much more to my coach and in my football so I think I just got to take my game to the next level as if I were just untouchable on and off the ball.

But going back earlier in the week here is what I reflected on in trainings, the fitness side of things is postponed until this coming week:

Tuesday:

• Improving my playing intelligence of the game
• Knowing when to run, sprint and pass
• My confidence really lacked in drills and didn’t think things through.
• Balance and co-ordination needs improvement
• Finishing needs improvement.

Thursday:

• CONFIDENCE, It wasn’t there!

Saturday:

• Two touch passing could have some more perfection

So as you can see, the confidence side of things wasn’t so great. When I stuff up in training or get shouted at by my coach I tend to put my head down. I am learning that these things will only make me stronger so it’s not worth putting my head down for anything, it shows that I lack confidence in myself to others and that’s something I can’t do.

Anyway that’s all for this week, it’s a month to go now before I go off to AFC Wimbledon and see how I go with my one week trial there, can’t wait!

I think the first week has gotten off to a good start. We’ve started our two months of mostly fitness trainings this week. Although I thought I was going to struggle in training because I didn’t really follow my coaches training plan over my one month break, the running session we had really wasn’t so bad and I was keeping up with the best;  so it was kind of surprising but I probably keep my fitness because i’m young. I reflected after each session I had with my club, these are the things I learnt and need to improve on:

Wednesday:

• Although i’ve heard this before I heard it again and that is to use your body to shield the defender from a pass, don’t be scared if you get kicked because it’s and foul anyway + it will make you a stronger player.
• Need to work on having smaller touches for better control, especially smaller touches with left foot as it feels a bit uncoordinated.

Thursday:

• Improve on first touch a little
• One on one finishing still a big problem
• One on one with an opponent.

Saturday:

• Look up first then pass
• On the positive: One touch passing has definently improved, mostly from passing ball against wall.

I think I am being really self critical, but I also need to properly identify my strengths so i’ll do a little reflection on that too next week.

Also, I worked a little on my free kick technique using the side of my foot to strike the ball. I got it off Drogba’s free kick 3-0 goal against Arsenal last year. I’ve worked on my style heaps and heaps over the years, but I think this way is definently working for me and the ball seems to go where I want it too when I strike the ball. I have to post a video of myself doing it, but here is that Drogba goal.

Anyway, there’s four trainings and a game to cap it off next week so can’t wait for that.

Hallo my name a borat.

No. Anyway today in training we played against some random group of orphans (gypsy kids) from the countryside  who randomly came to play our team. They were shit, but anyway we won a 8 vs 8 game like 3-1. I scored one (it was kinda like rooney’s goal against Tottenham if you saw it), but I lost the ball a couple of times and this really pisses me off as my aim is not to lose a ball at all in a game, yet I lost a few against crappy 13-14 year old kids who are not even a proper team. Fuck. My aim to be pro, when I do crap like this it has a hit on my confidence.

What pisses me off more is that we had a shooting drill where we dribble the ball from about 25m out and we take a shot from about 20m from goal. Now shooting from long range is like my best skill asset, i’ve practiced it for years and I can pull off some good powerful, accurate goals. Now when i’m by myself at the oval and I practice this it makes me pissed even when I score down the middle of the goal because a keeper can easily save it, now you can imagine when I keep missing the goal in this drill, the coach gets pissed and other people score more than me how guttered you can be… maybe it’s the shit hard, field, ditchy , hole we play on and the hard, fully pumped up balls we play with is why my true skill doesn’t show but still.. fuck!

I guess all I can do is use today as motivation to do better.

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