Ryan Edwards

General Manager & Men’s First team coach at Christchurch United. We do it different. Let’s put NZFootball on the map… | LLB | BA | OFCB

[South Island United @SouthIslandUtd]

First ever match, first ever North vs South Derby! ⚔️

Tomorow 7PM, Eden Park 🤩

[South Island United @SouthIslandUtd]

We were lucky enough to have Christchurch Mayor, Phil Mauger come out last week & wish us well ahead of our opening game 🥹❤️

[South Island United @SouthIslandUtd]

Introducing your South Island United away jersey 🖤💛

A strip that unites the southern football community, featuring club logos from right across the South Island.

We are proud to be wearing this jersey tomorow in our first ever match vs Auckland FC 🥹

[NZ National League 🏆🇳🇿 @nzleagues]

Round 1 | @Auckland_United 0-2 @ChristchurchUtd

Noah Karutnaratne announces himself with two goals on debut 👊

📸 @PhotosportNZ

#NZFootbal

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

@_ToddBeane Also, bringing order to chaos is surely one of the most engaging things for a player to solve… too often it is the coach that has to come up with the ways to establish order. If a player can come up with a novel way to reduce chaos you have a truly powerful operator…

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

@_ToddBeane Interesting. A question for you: If you are attacked by a swarm of bees - the best/most creative solution would be found in a) the moment you are attacked (chaos) or b) prior/after the bees attack (order)?

Likely b), but not always - and does the soultion need chaos to be testd

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

@Coach_Temisan @StephenMcDowe11 Also Matthew Syed’s book “Black box thinking” is an absolute gem.

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

@tombillac 👌 Nice work. Is this your team?

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

RELATIONISM

The water avatars metaphor… we want to fight you in the water where we have the advantage

I.e We love playing in tight spaces. We train everyday in this. Do you? Do you press opponents like us every day? Are you comfortable in chaos? Because we are. Its our water

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

Credit to Declan Edge for this, the godfather of football in NZ.

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

@RhoadesTam57126 @coach_tolley @stirling_j @ChristchurchUtd @nzleagues And using metaphors to paint pictures… that way we are all clear in our minds of the pictures we want to create on the field.

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

RELATIONISM

Bringing it to NZ. Freedom of position. Freedom of decision making. Close distances, quick passes, individual x-factor, combining with your mates. The elements of what made football fun for us when played as 5yo

In an era of analysis how do you analyse randomness?

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

@RhoadesTam57126 @coach_tolley @stirling_j @ChristchurchUtd @nzleagues More than happy to have a conversation about it. Last season with a different team I coached a more positional based system. This new approach is levels above. Im taking a very patient, layered, approach to coaching it.

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

@RhoadesTam57126 @coach_tolley @stirling_j @ChristchurchUtd @nzleagues A lot of freedom at trainings, with a focus on building game intelligence and not over coaching information. Only delivering what I think is ‘needed’. Also, a lot of video with the team and individuals - Encouraging players to play to their strengths and learn teammates strengths

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

@tombillac @ChristchurchUtd @nzleagues Thanks mate. Stoked to hear.

If you are keen I would love to have you do some analysis on us? be fascinating to see what you come up with…

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

COMBINATIONS

We practice combination play every training. These moments hit my 3 Es:

Enjoyable to play
Entertaining to watch
Energising to coach

Perhaps time to start practice finishing too…

#coaching
#football
#nzfootball

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

@MacAodhagainJ Sounds like they have valid reasons for being the “bad guy”… hopefully they provide some meaningful compensation

[Todd Beane @_ToddBeane]

The Fun Part 🕺💃

You remember, don’t you?

When you were a player you despised the boring drills and loved the dynamic training games.

So you’re in charge now - let them play.

#TOVO

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

@ootai2 @ChristchurchUtd Yep: fantastic working with players that are intrinsically motivated

[Ryan Edwards @Ryan_Edwards_NZ]

RAMS vs DUNEDIN CITY
5-0 win

Fun game, we moved the ball well and played consistently well in tight spaces.

This goal may look fortunate but its straight from the training ground, we sucked the opponent in, we broke their press, and with counter pressure we forced the error.