🔗 Share this article

A decade ago, Anthony Barry competed for Accrington Stanley. Today, he is focused on helping the England manager win the World Cup in 2026. His path from player to coach started with a voluntary role coaching youngsters. Barry reflects, “It was in the evenings, third of a pitch, asked to do 11 v 11 … flat balls, not enough bibs,” and it captivated him. He realized his calling.

Staggering Ascent

His advancement is incredible. Beginning with his first major job, he built a name for innovative drills and excellent people skills. His stints with teams included elite sides, plus he took on roles with national teams across multiple countries. He's coached stars like top footballers. Currently, in the England setup, it's all-consuming, the peak according to him.

“Dreams are the starting point … But I’m a believer that obsession can move mountains. You envision the goal and then you plan: ‘How do we do it, gradually?’ We dream about winning the World Cup. Yet dreams alone aren't enough. It's essential to develop a methodical process enabling us for optimal success.”

Obsession with Details

Dedication, focusing on tiny aspects, defines Barry’s story. Working every hour day and night, they both test boundaries. The approach feature player analysis, a plan for hot conditions for the World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico, and creating a unified squad. Barry emphasizes “Team England” and avoids language including "pause".

“This isn't a vacation or a pause,” he explains. “We needed to create an environment that attracts the squad and where they're challenged that it’s a breather.”

Driven Leaders

He characterizes himself and the head coach as “very greedy”. “We aim to control all parts of the match,” Barry affirms. “We strive to own the entire field and that's our focus many of our days on. We must not just to keep up of the trends but to surpass them and set new standards. It's an ongoing effort to have this problem/solution-finding mentality. And to simplify complexity.

“There are 50 days alongside the squad ahead of the tournament. We have to play a sophisticated style that gives us a tactical advantage and we have to make it so clear in our 50 days with them. We need to progress from thought to data to know-how to performance.

“To create a system for effective use in the 50 days, we have to use all the time available from when we started. During periods without the team, we need to foster connections with them. It's essential to invest time communicating regularly, we need to watch them play, understand them, connect with them. If we limit ourselves to that time, we won't succeed.”

World Cup Qualifiers

Barry is preparing ahead of the concluding matches in the qualifying campaign – versus Serbia in London and Albania in Tirana. They've already ensured a spot in the tournament with six wins out of six without conceding a goal. But there will be no easing off; instead. Now is the moment to build on the team's style, for further momentum.

“We are both certain that our playing approach should represent the best aspects of English football,” he comments. “The athleticism, the adaptability, the strength, the work ethic. The England jersey should be harder than ever to get but comfortable to have on. It must resemble a cloak and not body armour.

“To ensure it's effortless, we have to give them an approach that enables them to play freely as they do in club games, that feels natural and allows them to take the handbrake off. They must be stuck less in thinking and focus more on action.

“There are emotional wins available to trainers at both ends of the pitch – building from the defense, pressing from the front. However, in midfield in that part of the ground, we feel the game has become stuck, especially in England's top flight. All teams are well-prepared now. They understand tactics – defensive shapes. Our aim is to speed up play through midfield.”

Drive for Growth

Barry’s hunger for development is all-consuming. During his education for his pro license, he had concerns over the speaking requirement, as his cohort featured big names like Lampard and Carrick. To enhance his abilities, he sought out difficult settings he could find to hone his presentations. Such as Walton jail in Liverpool, and he trained detainees during an exercise.

He earned his license with top honors, and his dissertation – about dead-ball situations, for which he analysed 16,154 throw-ins – became a published work. Lampard included impressed and he hired Barry to his team at Stamford Bridge. After Lampard's dismissal, it said plenty that the club got rid of nearly all assistants but not Barry.

His replacement at Stamford Bridge became Tuchel, and shortly after, they claimed the Champions League. When Tuchel was dismissed, the coach continued under Graham Potter. But when Tuchel re-emerged at Munich, he got Barry out of Chelsea to work together again. The FA see them as a double act akin to Gareth Southgate and Steve Holland.

“Thomas is unique {in terms of personality and methodology|in character and approach|