Coaches Corner | Wes Fagan

Wes is coach of the AA1s

How did you get into coaching football?
Sounds quite strange, but a combination of reasons – as a kid my Dad’s good friend was a coach for the professional football team in Ireland, Bohemians FC. I can remember how much enjoyment I had in talking to him about formations and systems. And then I discovered a computer game called Championship Manager, I was hooked. I did my first coaching course when I was 18 in Dublin, and have been hooked ever since.

What has the focus for your team been during the first few weeks of the season?
This season, given the dramatic change in my squad and moving up a division, my focus has been on team structure and my playing philosophy. To back that all up, I also want to focus on match fitness and creating a fighting team spirit. I’m a strong believer that a collective team spirit can be the difference when it comes down to the final games. Last year, I can recall 6 points won largely based on the team having the depth, character and determination to drag each other over the line. In the end, it accumulated to our League Championship.

How many seasons have you been with the club?
This is my 5th Season with Dunbar Rovers

What excites you the most about Season 2015?
The joy of getting a group of guys together, educating them as players, and then watching them push past all your expectations. Another exciting aspect for this year is the challenge that no Dunbar team has ever won the All Age 1 Division. This has always been a problematic division for our club. Given the strength of our now State, Prems and Reserves Division, the AA1 Division usually becomes a hard place to fill. So, I would say personally that excites me.

What do you or would you want your players to say about you?
I would like them to say that they enjoy working with me; that they believe in what I’m doing and trust the decisions I’m making. All of which I feel with this group is apparent already. I would love for them to say that they enjoy playing for a team I coach, and that they have become better players from it.

Any standout coaches in your life who helped shape you?
I’m constantly reading about coaching, watching videos, talking, and tweeting about football.

In the early days I would say Dermot O’Neill as that was the first person I really saw as a coach. He was a First team coach at Bohemians and played over 200 times in the League of Ireland.

My cousin Graham Brennan, who is head coach of Roosevelt Lakers Collegiate team in Chicago. I love to debate formations and shapes with him. And also Jason McGuiness, currently he’s doing his badges in Ireland, playing for St Pats. He is one of the most successful players in modern football in Ireland with 10 Titles to his name. It’s great to talk to guys like them about drills and formations that are at an elite level. They can offer suggestions or validate ideas.

Coaches that I’ve never met, but I’ve followed and tried to assimilate as much of their teachings into what I do, would be Antonio Conte, Marcelo Biesla and Eddie Howe.