How the work is allocated in Team JFH
JIMMY Floyd Hasseelbaink may well be the boss – but the Burton Albion manager gave a small insight into how the workload is distributed in training this week.
It is clear that assistant manager Dino Maamria has a big role to play – having been a manager in his own right of course – and the Brewers’ rise from the bottom of League One to safety has been very much a “Jimmy and Dino” thing.
That was emphasised by the news that they share a house when working in Burton and they were pictured side by side on the sofa when they did a question and answer session online with season ticket holders earlier in the season.
But it is also clear that sports scientist and coach Chris Beardsley, who was nominally Jake Buxton’s assistant, is very much involved too.
Hasselbaink says it is important that the players do not only hear everything from him.
“It’s a mix,” he said.
“We watch the opponents separately, the same matches. Then we speak about them and we agree what their strengths and weaknesses are.
“Then we put sesssions together so that we can be better against them.
“Sometimes I take those, sometimes Dino does and sometimes Chris Beardsley does.
“For work on set-pieces, we come together.”
It is usually Maamria who conducts Monday morning’s critical dissection of the weekend’s game.
“The de-briefing of the games, normally, Dino does,” said Hasselbaink.
“I am in the room usually, too, but we don’t want them to hear my voice always, it’s good to hear different voices.
“Sometimes it has to be the boss speaking but Dino does a lot.”
What has also been apparent is that Maamria loves a laugh and there are plenty of pictures and video clips of him joking around with the players before games or in training.
“I’m a big believer in that,” said Hasselbaink.
“Things have gone really well and you smile a lot more when they are going well but I think you have to do your work with a smile on your face and try to enjoy it.
“Don’t get me wrong, sometimes there is shouting as well and putting people in place, it does happen, but we want the players to enjoy their work.
“It’s hard work, of course, but if you want to be successful it has to be done.”