Aligning 2026

Bringing The Patient Build Up back in line with the coach - and person - I’ve become.

Welcome to The Patient Build Up! If you love the World Game you’ve landed in the right place. You’re here but haven’t subscribed?! Let me help you with that…

I begin this with a sentence I’ve used more than I would have liked.

It’s been a while since I wrote my last article..

I launched The Patient Build Up in October 2022 as I left Sydney, Australia in pursuit of a dream - to coach at the highest level in Europe (via a detour through Colombia). Behind that dream was something deeper than ambition. It was a genuine thirst for knowledge. I wanted to meet, interact with, and learn from some of the best coaches and clubs in the world.

It was never just about “getting a job.”
It was - and still is - about building a life around the beautiful game.

The Patient Build Up became a place to share that journey. The experiences of moving through different countries, cultures and football environments. The lessons picked up along the way. The ideas that challenged me. The ones that stayed.

Three and a half years have passed.

I’m not the same person - and definitely not the same coach - who left Sydney. And so The Patient Build Up cannot be the same either. It is no longer written by the same eyes or the same hands.

Something I once loved slowly began to feel like a duty. “I have to write this article by this date, at this time.”

My current reality doesn’t allow for that - and more importantly, I don’t want it to.

I want coaches to find genuine value in what they read here. Whether it’s a reflection on my ever challenging journey, an analysis piece, or a training session. I want there to be real thought behind it. Real care. Something worth your time. Something worth supporting.

So, to the future.

The Patient Build Up will become more aligned with my current football and coaching reality.

I will continue to share my journey through The Coaching Journey - but when there is something meaningful to say, rather than simply because the calendar tells me to. The fortnightly rhythm may still serve as a natural checkpoint, but it will no longer be a constraint.

In For Coaches, I’ll continue to share training sessions, analysis and longer-form ideas. There are already over 50 sessions available here. Going forward, I want to prioritise depth over frequency. Fewer pieces, perhaps - but better ones.

I’ll also be adding an Individual Analysis section. This aligns closely with one of my current roles and reflects an area of the game that is evolving quickly. I hope it gives coaches practical insight and ideas they can apply immediately.

In truth, not that much is changing.

The real change, I hope, will be in the quality of what you read.

My current football roles take up most of my days. I’m often out of the house from early morning until late at night. Because of that, I no longer want The Patient Build Up to feel like a responsibility.

I want it to feel like it did at the beginning.

Patient. Thoughtful. Honest.

Speak soon,

J.A.