I walked to the whiteboard and started to draw. I didn't use the fancy magnetic counters or the colour-coded pens. I just used a black marker and my own, hard-won knowledge. I drew out a compact 4-5-1 formation, the lines of defence and midfield tight, the spaces between them compressed.
I talked about dropping the defensive line, about protecting the space in behind, about forcing the opposition into wide areas where they couldn't hurt us.
I talked about the psychological side of it, about staying calm, about communicating, about managing the clock. I talked about the importance of the goalkeeper becoming a vocal leader, organizing the defence, and killing time on goal kicks.
I wasn't using the jargon. I was just talking football. Simple, honest, real football. The kind of football my players at Moss Side would understand.
