🔗 Share this article

A decade ago, the England assistant coach was playing in League Two. Currently, he is focused supporting the England manager claim the World Cup trophy next summer. His path from athlete to trainer commenced with a voluntary role for Accrington's Under-16s. Barry reflects, “Evening sessions, a partial pitch, organizing 11-a-side … deflated balls, scarce bibs,” and he was hooked. He realized his destiny.

Metoric Climb

The coach's journey stands out. Beginning as Paul Cook’s assistant, he established a name through unique exercises and great man-management. His club career included elite sides, while also serving in international positions across multiple countries. He has worked with legends including world-class talents. Currently, in the England setup, it's all-consuming, the peak in his words.

“All begins with a vision … Yet I'm convinced that dedication shifts obstacles. You have the dream but then you bring it down: ‘What's the process, day-by-day, step-by-step?’ Our goal is the World Cup. Yet dreams alone aren't enough. We must create a systematic approach that allows us to have the best chance.”

Obsession with Details

Dedication, focusing on tiny aspects, characterizes his journey. Toiling around the clock all the time, the coaching duo challenge limits. Their strategies feature psychological profiling, a heat-proof game model ahead of the tournament in North America, and building a true team. He stresses “Team England” and dislikes phrases such as "break".

“You’re not coming here for a holiday or a break,” he explains. “We had to build something that attracts the squad and, secondly, they feel so stretched that it’s a breather.”

Driven Leaders

He characterizes himself along with the manager as extremely driven. “We aim to control all parts of the match,” Barry affirms. “We want to conquer every metre of the pitch and we dedicate many of our days on. Our responsibility not only to stay ahead with developments but to beat them and innovate. It’s a constant process focused on finding solutions. And it’s to make the complex clear.

“We get 50 days together with the team ahead of the tournament. We have to play a sophisticated style that gives us a tactical advantage and we must clarify it in our 50 days with them. It’s to take it from idea to information to knowledge to execution.

“To develop a process that allows us to be productive in the 50 days, we have to use the whole 500 we’ll have had after our appointment. When the squad is away, it's vital to develop bonds among them. We must dedicate moments in calls with players, we have to see them in stadiums, understand them, connect with them. Relying only on those 50 days, it's impossible.”

Upcoming Matches

He is getting ready for the final pair in the qualifying campaign – versus Serbia in London and Albania in Tirana. The team has secured 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 build on the team's style, for further momentum.

“The manager and I agree that the football philosophy should represent everything that is good of English football,” Barry says. “The athleticism, the flexibility, the physicality, the integrity. The Three Lions kit should be harder than ever to get yet easy to carry. It should feel like a cape not protective gear.

“To make it light, we need to provide a style that allows them to move and run like they do every week, that connects with them and allows them to take the handbrake off. They should overthink less and increase execution.

“There are morale boosts for managers in the first and final thirds – playing out from the back, closing down early. However, in midfield on the field, that section, we believe play has stagnated, notably in domestic leagues. Coaches have extensive data these days. They understand tactics – defensive shapes. We are really trying to increase tempo in that central area.”

Thirst for Improvement

Barry’s hunger for improvement knows no bounds. When he studied for the Uefa pro licence, he had concerns over the speaking requirement, as his cohort included stars such as Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick. So, to build his skill set, he entered the most challenging environments available to him to improve his talks. One was HMP Walton in Liverpool, where he coached prisoners in a football drill.

He completed the course in 2020 at the top of the class, with his thesis – The Undervalued Set Piece, in which he examined 16,154 throw-ins – got into print. Lampard was among those convinced and he brought Barry to his team with the Blues. When Lampard was sacked, 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. When he was let go, Barry stayed on in the setup. But when Tuchel re-emerged with Bayern, he got Barry out from Chelsea to rejoin him. English football's governing body consider them a duo akin to Gareth Southgate and Steve Holland.

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