Kognia Q&A with James Vaughan, Head of Academy, Västerås SK
Västerås SK partnered with Kognia to bring detailed tactical data into its academy.
In this Q&A, James Vaughan, Head of Academy at the club, shares insight into his principles, philosophy and framework when it comes to player development at the elite level.
The Q&A in full is shared here, with notable insights and highlights also outlined below.
The player’s view is first person
The problem is that most game models and coaching principles are built from a zoomed-out, “helicopter” view. Players are then asked to remember them from the whiteboard and apply them on the pitch, where the game looks completely different.
“The view of an analyst or a coach watching the game is just not the same view as the players. The player’s view is first person.” — James Vaughan, Head of Academy, Västerås SK Fotboll
Through, around or over
Instead of layers of principles and sub-principles, the club looks for what James calls an “elegant simplicity”. Football is an invasion game, and there are three ways to get behind the opposition: play through the lines, around them or over them. Out of possession, the job is to stop the opponent doing the same, while keeping the intention to win the ball.
The idea is nested at every level, from the team as a whole to the player on the ball and each individual role. In possession, that shows up as more pass fakes and players changing their minds mid-action. Out of possession, it gives players the autonomy to read a cue, such as a centre-back who isn’t looking for the pass, and jump to press.
“It’s not based on the coach saying, ‘I want an inverted full back.’ It’s based on saying: if you can’t receive the ball around, then find another space.” — James Vaughan, Head of Academy, Västerås SK Fotboll
Off the ball: academy football’s blind spot
James sees play without the ball as a blind spot in academy football, rooted in a culture that celebrates what individuals do in possession. Removing abstract triggers and concepts has made his players far more active out of possession: more defensive scanning, more pointing, more pulling teammates along with them.
He likened it to an Amsterdam junction that kept seeing crashes despite traffic lights and road markings everywhere. The fix was to take it all away. With nothing to rely on, cyclists and drivers approached with more care and attention, and made eye contact.
“By stripping away, it actually led to more engagement and more interaction. And that’s what we see off the ball with the players.” — James Vaughan, Head of Academy, Västerås SK Fotboll
Players in charge of their development
Asked what the academy looks like in an ideal world, James described players who take ownership of their own progress, using Kognia to find specific moments and tactics, such as receiving between the lines or every pass they have played through the lines, and returning to them regularly to track their own development.
“Ideally we would have players taking ownership for their development, in a way whereby they can go on to Kognia and see specific moments or specific tactics.” — James Vaughan, Head of Academy, Västerås SK Fotboll
It starts with what players love about the game. James encourages coaches to ask players which footballers they enjoy watching, build performance profiles from those role models, and agree together on shared strengths, areas to improve and the things each player simply loves doing on the pitch.
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