An all time cult hero at Leicester City, Steve Walsh captained the Foxes to victory in the 1997 League Cup Final. During a playing career spanning 21 years he also played for Wigan, Norwich and Coventry City.

He now runs his own Soccer Academy with Muzzy Izzet called Future Foxes. The former defender has also set up Legends UK, an event and memorabilia company. On top of this he writes a weekly column for the Leicester Mercury.  He is an ambassador of Special Olympics Leicester 2009. 

I'm the manager of a Sunday League team. In the first half we keep it tight, but then in the second half we just fall apart and end up getting stuffed. What can I do to turn this around?
Luke McDanielson, via e-mail
My first concern would be the fitness of your team. Any side that is conceding goals towards the end of the game must ask themselves some serious questions.

Do you work on fitness in training? Can your players do more to help themselves away from the training ground? Once you have addressed this you will be halfway there.

The other consideration would be your team’s attitude. Do their heads go down as the first or second goals go in?

Perhaps look to build some togetherness in the squad by spending some social time together? This can forge stronger relationships and result in the players giving their all for each other.


A dejected Roy Carroll looks on in despair after Derby suffered another spanking last season.

I’m 14 years old not very muscular. Do you have to be strong to execute a throw long or is about technique? Did you work on long throw tactics – defending and attacking when you were a player?
Billy, via e-mail
Throw-ins are all about technique. There are benefits to being strong, but wiry players like Rory Delay prove that the art of the throw-in is all in the way you take it, not your muscles.

Back in the early 1990’s at Leicester, Tony James was our long-throw specialist. We used to practice attacking moves based around this under Brian Little and it often worked to my advantage as I loved venturing forward to get my head on the end of one.

As for defensively, under Martin O’Neill we were renowned for having tall, strong centre-halves such as myself, Matt Elliott, Gerry Taggart and Spencer Prior. We never worked on throw-ins as we were all competent in the air.

Even when Dave Challinor was launching them in for Tranmere we never felt under threat, but even sides like Chelsea have had to prepare for games against Stoke this season – and I bet Arsene Wenger wishes he had done more to be ready for Delap.


Rory Delap - 'The Human Slingshot'

I'm looking to break into my club's first team next season. I've already trained with them a few times, but I keep giving the ball away.  I'm worried about making a mistake. Can you help?
James, via e-mail
It sounds like you may be trying to impersonate Roy of the Rovers! Only Steven Gerrard can do that mate! I’m only kidding.

Perhaps you need your teammates to offer a little more. There is no harm in playing a wall pass to one of your colleagues and then use your pace to move in to space to receive the ball back.

You will need to work hard on your ability to spot a pass and then to actually execute that pass, which is one of the most difficult skills in the game.

As for fearing mistakes, everyone, even the best players in the world make errors. It is important that you learn from what you’ve done and work even harder to put things right.

That is difference between a show-pony player and a team player. If you choose to work hard, you’ll soon see a response from your fellow players.


"Steve Gerrard, Gerrard. He'll pass the ball 40 yards. He's big and he's f*cking hard, Steve Gerrard, Gerrard".