Building Creativity

Building Creativity

The creators, a rare breed of footballer who have the eye for a pass that no-one can see, the skill to dribble and perform a little bit of magic, unexpected by everyone else.

Loved by many, but they can be hard to find.

Can we, as coaches, or players, help develop the creative talents that allow the gifted player to thrive?

Some players have a natural talent for being creative, providing a little bit of magic that others can't. There is a worry, however, that these players can have this talent coached out of them.

Do we want every player to be comfortable on the ball, able to make a pass and keep possession, but with little imagination? Are we developing players to play it safe and play keep ball? In some cases, we may be.

We don't want every player to become a midfielder; let's coach and encourage creativity. Allow players to take risks in the game and watch their decision making and technical ability flourish.

But how do we do this though?

We don't want all players t0 train as midfieldeRs. possession is important, but we can also encourage risk taking, flair and skilful enthusiasm.

Players find themselvesthrough an enthusiastic, notlimiting, environment.

How do we go about helping develop creativity in players? We don't need to always provide sessions, or train as if creativity has to happen, but we as coaches, and players, want to be able to try something new, take risks, in the right situations. Can this be encouraged in our training?

It definitely can.

Firstly, there is a time and place for certain restrictions and rules within sessions. If, for instance, we are aiming to keep possession and move the ball quickly from player to player, then it is best to limit touches. Top players in midfield all possess the ability to control the ball and pass it on in a fluid and efficient movement. If, however, we are always involved in training sessions that have limited touches, then we are stifling players. Give players variation in their training, allowing them to use different skills and decisions that they have learned.

Without an enthusiastic, encouraging, environment that allows players to express themselves, then we will struggle to develop the imaginative footballer. Currently, we have a fantastic example of the environment at one of the biggest clubs in the world, Manchester United. Players with huge levels of creativity, such as Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford, weren't able to express themselves under the reign of Jose Mourinho. There seemed to be a very rigid style of play and limited risk in the attacking areas of the pitch. This led to stagnant performances with little excitement and enthusiasm.

Even though these players are at the top of world football, they still didn't feel like they would have had the support of the Manager if they made a mistake while taking a risk.

The very best players are able to take risks, at the right times. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has allowed players to take these risks and accepts that there will be mistakes. Gareth Southgate, with England, is another; gone are the days of English centre backs clearing the ball as long and as far as they can. They now play confidently out of the back, stepping into midfield at the right times to create overloads.

It just shows how important the support of the Manager and the Coach is, even at the most elite levels. To develop creativity we need to encourage the enthusiastic and motivating environments needed to allow players to flourish.

Attacking Third

Attack, take risks

Midfield Third

Keep Possession

Defensive ThirdSafety First

The picture above gives an idea, or guideline, of how coaches could potentially help their players with their decision making on the pitch. We love creative players but it must be in the correct areas. It is incredibly frustrating to see a full back perform a step-over in their own defensive third of the pitch but the closer we get to the attacking third, the more acceptable it is.

Firstly, defenders should work on the basis of safety first. If there are no other options, clear the ball far from the goal, or out of play so that the team can reset positionally. If the defender can gain control, can they play into the midfield third quickly and positively, taking advantage of a progressive pass forward?

Once we are in the midfield area of the pitch we want to make sure that we can keep possession. No rushed decisions or heavy passes, play into the team-mates' feet, looking to move forwards into the attacking third. The closer we are to our defensive third, the more important it is to keep possession, making sure that we are not losing the ball in a dangerous area close to our own goal. As the players begin to progress forwards toward the attacking third we can take more risk. Are they able to drop their shoulder creating space, beat an opponent in a one v one situation, or play a cutting pass through the back line into the space for the attackers?

While in the attacking third the aim should be to give the players freedom in their choices. An attacking player, especially at youth level, should be encouraged to take people on. If they make a mistake, then no problem. Players learn best through going out and doing. Providing them with the knowledge and belief that they won't get criticised for losing the ball in a one v one situation is very important.

The more enthusiasm that we, as coaches or players, can give to the individual, the more creative decisions and techniques that we will see.

Are we developing players to play like midfielders?

Possession is an incredibly important part of the game. The ability to keep the ball as a team is highly valuable, but we mustn't let that take our focus off developing the individuals.

Football has its trends. It used to be that 4-4-2 was the go to formation with rigid positions. Now it is much more fluid with three attacking players but one main striker. Players interchange positions regularly, moving fluidly across the attacking areas of the pitch.

It is quite common to see youth players who are good on the ball and who can keep possession and pass. This is a fantastic ability to have, but can we encourage the dribblers, the skilful players to shine? We want all players to be comfortable on the ball, but if there are some players in the team who like to take risks, create opportunities, or do something different, then encourage them.

Plenty of mistakes by these players will happen, sometimes in situations that we really would prefer them not to happen, but if we persevere providing the player with the passion to be creative, then we will see more individually creative and technical footballers.

We can work on individual one to ones, positive decision making and quick movement. If we work on allowing the attacking players to take creative risks in the final third of the pitch, then we will see great development in young, creative footballers.

Creating Skilful, technical, players

with this training drill

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