Advantages and Disadvantages of Technocratic Coaching in Football

        ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TECHNOCRATIC COACHING IN FOOTBALL       by Student's Name       Code + Course Name Professor's Name University Name City, State Date   Advantages and Disadvantages of Technocratic Coaching in Football Introduction Technocracy is a form of governance or management. The decision-maker(s) are selected based on their expertise in each area of responsibility, largely characterized by scientific and technical knowledge (Larsson, 2020). These decision-makers are technocrats and are selected based on their expertise in a given field of knowledge. In their decision-making processes, technocrats are guided by objective methodology or scientific data backed by scientific findings and explanations instead of mere opinion (McCosker et al., 2021, p. 440). Today, technocracy has made its way into the football arena, where coaches are increasingly relying on technological tools and scientific data and theories to realize optimum performance from players (Cushion, 2007). Technocratic coaching is an approach to coaching where coaches make decisions based on objective methods and data. This approach to coaching appears to be consistent with developments in technological advancement and Big Data analytics that will continuously benefit from other emerging concepts like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to help coaches in making more accurate, precise, and reliable decisions (Lawrence & Crawford, 2021). While this approach is promisingly transformative of the contemporary coaching approaches and styles, it also comes with several disadvantages. In this regard, the current paper aims to discuss the nuances of technocratic coaches and analyze their advantages and disadvantages. Aims Objective methods record a phenomenon from which the dimensions of physical activity can be inferred. Objectives methods would not have been possible in football if there were no adequate technological tools to provide real-time recording of the phenomenon during training and through matches (Lawrence & Crawford, 2021, p. 58). Today, heart rate monitors, GPS trackers, advanced monitoring & camera systems, and the use of drones are just but examples of technological concepts used to collect data. These concepts provide a wealth of data and information that empowers coaches to make accurate decisions on players, squad, training regimes, and tactics (Cushion & Townsend, 2018, p. 6). The technical know-how of incorporating these technologies into coaching regimes makes technocratic coaching. Thus, the current paper aims to establish whether technocratic coaching is ideal in modern football by weighing its advantages against the disadvantages. Objectives The current paper's purpose and aim will be realized by accomplishing the following three objectives: -                      Positioning technocratic coaching within the football industry, -                      Establish the key advantages of technocratic coaching in football, and -                      Establish the key drawbacks of technocratic coaching in football.   Theory According to Loftman (2020), the scope of the modern football coach has expanded significantly through the 20^th into the 21^st century. Today, coaches must deal with a wider dimension of concepts, including understanding behavior, coaching mindset & skillset, management of individuals, design and execution of sessions, and monitoring & analysis of player & team performance. The application of theories is increasingly crucial since technology and data analysis influence contemporary coaching theories in football. Contemporary Coaching Styles             In sports, and football, in particular, there are three generally accepted styles of coaching: autocratic, democratic, and holistic (Jones, 2022). Having defined a technocratic coach as heavily relying on data and objective methods to make decisions (Loftman, 2020), it is essential to understand how such coaches fit within the scope of each coaching style. According to Ancelotti (2016), every coach must find a management style that suits their character. Even as coaches make this decision, they cannot be separated from the influence of technology or scientific approaches in coaching (Woods et al., 2021). Thus, regardless of the perceived style of a coach, the elements of technocratic coaching are inevitable. Autocratic Coaching Style "My way or the highway" is a common phrase used to describe autocratic coaching. In this style, coaches make decisions with little or no input from the player(s) (González-García, et al., 2019). The coach comes up with the vision, goals, and objectives that players should accomplish, or the team and players are expected to perform towards these aims. This coaching style is focused on winning and is typically characterized by inflexible training structures or designs geared towards accomplishing the set vision (Yusoff & Muhamad, 2018). Experts argue that autocratic coaching is suitable for team sports, making it ideal for coaching football. Studies across gender have further highlighted the acceptability of this style in football (Cruz & Kim, 2017). For instance, it has been established that female teams respond better to a male autocratic coach than female autocratic coaches. Even though the style is coach-centered, it is more effective among adult players than youth because the former group can comprehend the relevance of what is being asked of them. However, the style may have a long-term negative outcome among youth players since the young players will fail to develop a sense of autonomy (Yusoff & Muhamad, 2018). This coaching style is not free of technocratic elements because elite coaches are increasingly relying on scientific data and methods to establish goals and objectives and monitor how players are progressing towards the realization of the coaches' aims. Democratic Coaching Style Democratic coaching is the opposite of autocratic coaching in the sense that players have a say in the team's direction. In this style, the coach facilitates goal setting and decision making instead of dictating them (González-García, et al., 2019). Therefore, the coach's role is to develop a framework within which players can shape their objectives. Players enjoy autonomy in democratic coaching, acting as active collaborators in personal and team development. Since the style is athlete-centered, it is ideal for individual styles, like track & field events and tennis. However, this does not mean that team sports like football do not have democratic approaches (Yusoff & Muhamad, 2018). Coaches like Carlo Ancelotti have highlighted that democratic temperament to coaching in which the player's consent is required for team projects (Ancelotti, 2016). Like the autocratic coaching style, democratic coaching is also not free of elements of technocracy as managers are increasingly seeking experts in key areas like physiotherapy, sports science, sports data analytics, and strength and conditioning expertise. Therefore, even in a democratic coaching style, technocratic approaches are equally prevalent. Holistic Coaching Style While the holistic coaching style appears to be independent of the first two styles it borrows extensively from them to recognize that various aspects of each technique are instrumental to positive coaching outcomes in football (González-García, et al., 2019). Central to holistic coaching is that sporting performance is not just the time run, distance covered, or matches won. Instead, holistic coaching theory posits an intricate and deep mesh of psychological, physiological, and biomechanical factors that result in optimal sports performance. Thus, holistic coaching encompasses physical health, mental wellbeing, diet & nutrition, training, motivation, rest & recovery, availability of the right resources, and tactics (Lindgren & Barker-Ruchti, 2017). Examples of technocrats in modern football coaching, based on relevant domains, include nutritionists, podiatrists, sports therapists, equipment specialists, psychologists, osteopaths, and chiropractors, among others. It is in holistic coaching that the technocratic approach is even more visible. Here, each of the mentioned dimensions is governed by professionals with specific expertise and training in assessing players in each domain. Identifying experts (or technocrats) in each field sums up technocratic coaching (Rudd, 2021). In other words, aside from relying on technology and scientific data or methods, modern football coaches rely on experts in psychology, nutrition, health, and data analysis to inform decisions about players and teams. If anything, holistic coaching is not achievable without incorporating technocratic approaches (Lindgren & Barker-Ruchti, 2017). This explains why football increasingly relies on technology and science because the two provide a basis on which data from various dimensions of physical activities is captured, stored, analyzed, and used to inform coaching decisions. Advantages and Disadvantages of Technocratic Coaching The technocratic approach to coaching surpasses the boundaries of contemporary coaching styles and theories in football because it relies on the technical expertise of different professionals to cumulatively construct an elite winning team (Wright & Carling, 2016). The prevalence of technocratic coaching implies that it is an approach that has yielded results and, therefore, has significant advantages for football as a sport. However, this does not imply a lack of shortcomings. Advantages of Technocratic Coaching The aspect of technocratic coaching relies on technological tools and scientific methods that avail real-time data and information that shapes decisions. According to Williams and Manley (2014, p. 15), "overreliance on technology is becoming perceived as the gold standard of professional practice amongst the coaching fraternity, " making football coaching a technocratic activity. The reliance on technology, objective methods, and scientific methods has influenced football coaching and has also revolutionized it positively. Indeed, some speculators (Lawrence & Crawford, 2021, p. 65) have argued that for sports like football to remain appealing to the current and future generations, integration of technology and scientific methods must feature heavily. Technology-enhanced Players GPS trackers, heart rate monitors, advanced surveillance & camera systems, and applications are increasingly used in football to provide information like players' muscle fatigue or a player's evolutionary performance throughout a season (Feng et al., 2021). An example is the GMR product from EA, Adidas, and Google, consisting of an intelligent shoe insole and application system that measures passing, distance-covered locational points, and different kicks (Sunarya et al., 2020). Some jerseys, such as those of the German national men's team, are kitted with intelligence that measures pulse, speed, and distance (Claudino et al., 2019). Further, elite football clubs and national teams have access to extensive video databases, which are key in monitoring and optimizing player performance and team outcomes. The information provided across all fronts is used to develop a vision and training sessions and is also useful in analyzing. Coaches may not necessarily be experts in the use of these technologies, so they must come up with a team of technocrats to assist them in capturing and interpreting information (Molefe, 2020 and Dillon, 2012 ). Thus, technocratic coaching is advantageous because it relies on extensive data rather than opinions or perceived notions in making decisions (Memmert & Raabe, 2018). Furthermore, it is beneficial because it allows coaches to make impartial decisions about players based on performance (Gamble et al., 2020). The assumption, therefore, is that data collected through scientific methods is a reliable predictor of a player's contribution to the team. Talent Scouting Scouting is an essential aspect of modern football, especially when players are becoming increasingly expensive (Lawlor et al., 2021). Instead of focusing on accomplished players who are typically costly, coaches are increasingly seeking young and upcoming talent to nurture and develop youth into elite players (Radicchi & Michele, 2016). Like training sessions, scouting is also influenced highly by technology and scientific approaches, which call for the need for technocracy. Today, scouting is a sophisticated undertaking that spills across national and continental borders. It involves a network of talent spotters, analysts, and advanced technology that sorts vast amounts of data. According to AiSCOUT CEO (PA_Media, 2021), the prevalence of technology in scouting has made it possible to sco...