Three losses, five wins, five losses. On this week’s It’s Only Kids Football, Ben and Mike struggle to cope with the team’s erratic form. As die-hard Gooners, their Spurs-like inconsistency cuts even deeper.

Ben works to help Alfie battle through a crisis of confidence that turns bedtime into a tearful therapy session. Meanwhile, Mike realises he needs to coach Raph on the nuances of effort—sometimes it’s more effective to work smart, not just hard.

The management duo discuss potential formations to shore up their leaky defence, fears of losing their best players, the challenge of motivating the boys to run harder and the endless debate over shouting versus silence.

Holding it all together with little more than duct tape and denial, the lads wonder: will 2025 finally bring better results or are they doomed to remain the Grassroots Tottenham?

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This week, Ben and Mike are joined by Asmir Begovic—a Premier League-winning goalkeeper who’s faced Messi, endured Tony Pulis’ gruelling pre-seasons and played under prime José Mourinho.

Begovic shares his remarkable journey from fleeing war-torn Bosnia as a child to becoming a top-class keeper. With stories of training like Rocky—running up snowy hills and battling brutal Canadian winters under his dad’s unforgiving training regime—he reveals the immense dedication and grit required to reach the top.

He also takes time to assess young Alby’s goalkeeping highlights, offering invaluable advice on bravery, technique and what it takes to excel in the game. Packed with life lessons from an elite-level goalkeeper and a reminder to enjoy it all, because let’s be honest, it’s only kids’ football, isn’t it?

Asmir Begovic gloves: https://ab1gk.com/

Asmir Begovic Academy: https://ab1academy.com/

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This week, Ben and Mike find themselves deep in the trenches as the team endures a streak of disappointing defeats, including tough losses to their inter-club rivals.

Ben opens up about the challenges he's facing with his son Alfie, who's struggling with a loss of confidence and learning how to bounce back after mistakes. Balancing support and discipline proves trickier than ever, as Alfie's emotional highs and lows leave Ben questioning his coaching approach.

Amidst the chaos and tears, there's a hamster to bury and cheeky voice notes from a rival manager taunting Ben and Mike after inflicting a painful defeat. The duo try implementing new motivational techniques but fail to spark the boys, leaving the managers wondering if they're speaking another language.

Messy, emotional, and seemingly more serious than life or death—it's just kids' football, right?

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