David Artell is flying to Atlanta to watch two World Cup games, and the Grimsby Town manager insists he is not going shopping. “There’s a business element to it, but that doesn’t mean I’m off to look at Harry Kane, or any player for that matter,” he said.
The trip is about his own coaching. Managers can only travel like this at one point in the year, because once a season starts every bit of their focus goes on the job. Artell, the Grimsby Telegraph noted, has always said he wants to keep learning.
Six days, full on
Besides the matches, he will visit the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United and the USA National Soccer Centre, the new purpose-built central base for the US teams. The United States is one of three World Cup host nations.
The visit is part of a League Managers Association course. “Dean Smith is coming down from Charlotte, and Mark Warburton, who is also working out there, as well as some other pro-license coaches from America,” Artell said.
“It will be full on for six days, but it is just part of my own process to get better as a coach. I can’t ask the players to get better every day if I’m not trying to do the same as a coach, so this is a chance for me to pick up some more good practices or principles that I can apply back here.”
He called it “always a pleasure to go to a World Cup.” After the six days he plans a week away with his family, landing back in the evening and starting pre-season at the club the next morning.
Pre-season
Town report back on Friday, July 3. The first friendly, against Cleethorpes Town, follows a week later. Then Artell and the squad head to Slovenia for a week-long training camp.
