A Look into Tactical Periodisation

I am quite a bookworm and have been reading a lot recently, two of the books I enjoyed are The European Game by Daniel Fieldsend and The Barcelona Legacy by Jonathan Wilson. Both books mention the ever-controversial Jose Mourinho and his chosen method of training, known as Tactical Periodisation. 

What is Tactical Periodisation? It is a training methodology developed by Sports Scientist Vitor Frade about 30-35 years ago, (as a football coach myself I was aware of the basis and ideas behind the method but have really delved into it recently to develop my knowledge and understanding).

The methodology has since gone on to be used most famously by Mourinho but does have other subscribers such as Brendan Rogers, Nuno Espirito Santo, and Andre Villas-Boas to name a few. So, the idea is that the Tactical Element of the game is the overarching element that is the most important while the other three elements; Physical, Psychological and Technical should be trained in a way that compliments/reinforces the tactical aspect.

Prior to Frade developing this methodology, all four elements would be trained separately, for example, the physical element would require gym sessions with a designated fitness coach, the technical element would be trained in sessions specifically designed to improve a player’s technical abilities such as first touch, dribbling, crossing.