PLAYER DEVELOPMENT THE TRENDS OF THE WORLD CUP
Contents Page 3 - Welcome Page 4-7: Trends of the World Cup Page 8-10: Player Development Plan Page 11: Training Videos Page 12: Player and Coach Corner Page 13: Our World Cup Moment So Far Page 14-18: Communication, a Two Way Process Page 19: Join the Ball Mastery Elite Page 20: Strength and Conditioning Page 21: Follow us
Welcome Welcome to this month's magazine. We are right in the middle of the world's greatest sporting event and I hope you have all been enjoying it as much as I have! Some great football has been played and with lots more exciting matches to come. In this month's edition we'll be looking at some of the trends of the World Cup so far, in an individual and team sense. There have been some interesting set ups and tactics used which we will shed some light on. I hope you enjoy the read and continue to enjoy all of the games!
Elliott Everson, Owner of OpportunityElite
Trends of the World Cup With the group stages just finishing there have been some very interesting styles of play from teams and individuals. We'll take a look at some of the key moments and how play has developed in this World Cup.
Individually we have seen some fantastic skill from players throughout this World Cup. Watching the games it has been noticeable that most teams have a key player that they have as the focal point for their attack; namely Messi for Argentina, Ronaldo for Portugal, Kane for England, and Neymar for Brazil. The aim of these teams is to give these quality attacking players space and freedom to go and create.Â
The very best players in the world have developed since the last World Cup or championship, such as the Euro's or Copa America. The game changes and players need to become more fluid and open to change, developing their game to be in the best possible position to make a big impact at the tournament. All of the big players have developed their game in order to give themselves the best chance of success.
At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Lionel Messi was very advanced within Argentina's formation. His aim was to get on the ball and run at the opposing defenders, leading to a number of goals in the group stages. This year Messi has played differently, with a deeper role within the team. As the ball goes wide, quite frequently he drops off to the edge of the area to provide support or create further opportunities, which has led to a more possession-based game for Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo has also developed his game greatly, setting the tournament alight in the early stages. Four years ago he was more inclined to drift out to the left of the pitch, attacking players down the wing and cutting in to take shots on goal. This year, he is more of a traditional number 9, being the focal point of the team.
Ronaldo's focus now is to be the goalscorer and the closest player to the opposition's goal. To play in this position he has needed to improve his hold up play and movement into the box. Gone are the days of Ronaldo dribbling and beating players in a one on one situation. He has had to practise with his back to goal, rather than facing the opposition. Another example is Harry Kane, someone who has gone through huge transformation over the last two years since his disappointing European Championships. Kane has developed greatly, he looks quicker, leaner, sharper off the mark and much stronger. In addition to that, his left foot has improved and his finishing looks even more clinical. Someone at the top of the game like Harry Kane has still seen areas of his game that he needs to improve and has worked on them very hard. We are now seeing the results. The key to all three of these players, arguably the best three in the world right now, is development. Even those at the very top strive to improve and develop their game, allowing their teams to become more effective and dangerous to the opposition.Â
There has also been a change in how teams play, largely down to the development of the players. Attacking phases of play seem to be more fluid, with interchanging players behind a main striker. This is largely down to the development of players' coaching. Midfielders and attacking players are now more comfortable using both feet and possess the ability to change the pace of the game with a quick turn, or skill, very quickly.
If you were to watch every goal scored so far in the World Cup you would see an interesting trend of the majority of goals being scored with one touch. Teams have put emphasis on putting dangerous balls into the box and having their most attacking players ready to finish with a one touch shot inside the area.
We are seeing more one-twos and quick feet around the edge of the box - a great example of this is Jesse Lingard's fantastic goal against Panama.
Mitrovic's goal for Serbia against Switzerland, Kane's double against Tunisia, Ronaldo's header against Morocco, all had one thing in common - one touch and coming from a cross or set piece.
When teams are faced with technical players like this they are forced to defend deep and protect their penalty area, aiming to reduce the space around the edge of the box. To counter this, teams now are beginning to cross the ball into the box more.
The fluid attacking players creating opportunities behind the main striker, create space and draw the defence in to make them narrow, providing space on the wings for dangerous delivery from the full backs or wingers.
Over the last few years the number of crosses into the box from wide players has reduced, however, this World Cup we are beginning to see more. Crossing is highly effective and important to break down teams that are defending narrowly and deep, stretching the play and forcing gaps to appear in the opponent's defence.
This provides the ammunition for the key players who are now closer to the goal due to the team's possession and trickery.
With more crosses going into the box there will be more blocks and deflections, leading to corners and set pieces. This is an area of the game which is highly important, something that England are capitalising on greatly. Kieran Trippier has provided fantastic delivery, with players such as Harry Maguire and John Stones attacking the ball.
If you can get your key players in the most dangerous positions on the pitch, then you have a much higher chance of succeeding, something that we are seeing within this World Cup. We are seeing some very interesting and exciting games. I expect we will see more great goals from crosses and set pieces.
As the trends in the game change, so do the players. Player development never stops, no matter what level!
Let's take a look at some of the players and their recent development over the last few years:
Harry Kane Increase in strength Increase in speed Improved finishing Better left foot
Jordan Henderson Increased passing range More foward passes Higher fitness levels Increased creativity
Cristiano Ronaldo
James Rodriguez
Improved hold up play Better first touch Intelligent movement into the penalty area Better passing to the wide players
Lionel Messi Better passing Becoming more of a playmaker Dropping deeper to receive the ball
Playing more centrally Improved passing More efficient in possession
Romelu Lukaku Improved first touch Better movement Quicker Improved right foot
Player Development Plan: How to Develop the Individual Even the very best strive to continually develop as an individual. How as a player, or coach, do you aid development and give yourself, or the player, the best chance to succeed within the game?
Even the very best strive to continue their individual development. As a player, or coach, how can you help yourself, or others improve? As an individual, you may know your potential, but can feel that it is difficult to get there. Coaches can feel the same about their players. They can see the potential, but how do they commit the time to help that player realise their undoubted talent? The most important aspect is planning how you can reach your potential, developing your game to develop all areas, including weaknesses and strengths. Focusing on the individual's development can lead to long term results, and huge development in their abilities.
Think of player development as similar to building a house. You can't build a house on poor foundations, therefore the size and quality of the house will be limited. It is best not to rush the build, instead, taking your time to build a house that will stand strong and tall for years and years. Player development is very similar: you can't rush through the development of a player, or yourself, because you feel that they should be at the next stage already. It is important that if you are training, you train and practise until you are comfortable and confident in that area.
Many players can skip an area of their game because they are finding it difficult to master. It is easy to think that we will leave that skill to another day, or that one day we will just understand it. However, it is very important to keep persevering.
Whether it is your own individual training, or individuals in your team that you are coaching, you must remain patient.
Repetition is key to development.
The more that it is practised, the better the player will become. If you rush past an aspect of your own development, then you will be putting yourself at a disadvantage in the future.
As players and coaches, we can feel under pressure to move on quickly to the next drill, practice, or skill. We can worry about what others are thinking of us, and whether we are behind our teammates in our development. We must not feel like this. In reality, repetition is the key to mastering a skill. Players must continually practise, building the foundations of their game. Don't be afraid to take your time. You, as an individual, or coach, will benefit from it in the years to come.
Make mistakes and don't try to rush past a technique or skill.
How many times do we see a player who is big and strong, dominating the game when they are younger?  However, as others grow, they begin to lose their influence. Those players haven't focused on the foundations of their game, instead focusing on their abilities at that very moment in time. As a player developing your game individually, or a coach developing individuals within the team setting, focus on making sure that player develops their skills and technique. It may take more time, but the repetition and technical practices will give the player a much higher chance of succeeding.
What are the Foundations of Individual Development? How do you begin to develop the individual and build the foundations of your, or their, game? Firstly, you should focus upon their close control and ball skills. All players need to be comfortable with the ball at their feet. Whether you are the player training individually, or the coach, this should be the most important beginning for individual development. Practise on both feet and take as many repetitions as possible. The more you can touch and manipulate the ball, the better. It may be that you plan to focus on fitness in a session, or another area of the game. Even though these are your main focuses for your training, aim to begin and end with plenty of close control ball work.
The other foundations to focus upon are: Dribbling Passing Close Control Skill First touch With focus on these areas initially, players will develop hugely. Make sure not to rush the training and take as many attempts as possible to master the techniques. Doing this will build the strong foundations to progress within the game. Once you as the player, or coach, feel more comfortable with the grasp of these skills, then develop larger techniques, such as the striking of the ball, volleys, long passing. These can then be used in leading up to close control drills and practices. During this period it is always good to bring in pressurised drills such as 1v1's, 2v2's etc. This can be done very early on to help players get used to the skill in a pressurised environment.
The primary aim is to improve confidence, coordination, speed and balance with the ball at the players' feet. These are the foundations of the player's game.
Just make sure to regularly practise the foundations of individual development in isolation within each training, or session, you participate in.
Videos and Drills to Develop the Foundations of the Individual's Game. Click on the pictures for the video drills
First Touch Techniques
Control in tight areas
20 Turning Techniques
Quick Feet
Click on the Amazon link to view QuickPlay Football Goal: https://amzn.to/2lFS6wZ PlayerTek GPS Tracker:Â https://amzn.to/2KBpymF Gary Curneen, Modern Soccer Coach: https://amzn.to/2Kf7FdI
Deliberate Soccer Practice, 50 Passing & Possession Exercises to improve decision making: https://amzn.to/2MzyjuK
Our Moment of the World Cup, So Far
Practise, and master, it here
Communication: A two way process
By Trevor Gray
Our Sports Performance coach and psychologist, Trevor Gray, talks us through communication and why it is essential to successful team building and individual development. Trevor uses this work to help budding footballers within the Ultimate Athlete programme. See Trevor's work at Ultimate Athlete here, by clicking the logo:
Without good communication it is impossible to be a good team player and for a team to work together effectively. The dictionary definition of Communication is:
“the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviours to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts or feelings”.
Communication is a two-way process, giving, and receiving information. Providing too much negative information can cause friction between team members, whereas too much praise (when it isn't warranted) can cause complacency. Communication is a two way process, verbal, and non-verbal, while also positive, or negative. We'll take a look at the forms of communication and how we can use it to our benefit both as an individual and as a team.
Forms of Verbal Communication
Information Instructions Feedback Praise/Criticism Encouragement/Hurt
Non-Verbal Communication
Body gestures Hand signals Body shape Facial expressions Diagrams Demonstrations
We are communicating constantly in all manner of different situations, whether that be in games, training, the changing room or even over social media. Take notice of your communication and see how you can affect yourself, and others.
Good and bad communication Examples of Good Communication Sharing information. Giving instructions. Praising teammates. Encouraging others. Support. Listening. Paying attention to coaches and teammates. Asking questions if you don't know what to do.
Examples of Bad Communication
Staying quiet. Criticising teammates. Showing negative body language. Ignoring teammates. Ignoring coaches' instructions. Not asking questions.
How do you feel when your teammates criticise or blame you? Â Â How do you feel when your teammates praise, encourage or support you? Do you praise, encourage and support your teammates? Improve your communication skills, become a better team player and get the most out of your potential!
How can you improve your communication? Negative Communication
What we could say instead
"Whatever you do, don't miss the penalty"
"Hit the ball cleanly"
"Don't give the ball away"
"Keep the ball"
"Don't concede a goal"
"Let's keep a clean sheet"
"Rubbish shot"
"Keep shooting, next one's a goal"
"Why didn't you pass to me?"
"Keep your head up, let's work together"
"Shut up"
"Let's keep encouraging each other"
"Don't lose your cool'
"Stay calm"
"We always lose to this team"
"Let's break the habit and beat this team"
"You're rubbish today!"
"Let's improve in the second half"
Think about how you can improve your communication in your next match: Are you encouraging your teammates? Are you giving them good information? Are you paying attention to coach instructions? Are you asking your coach good questions? Are you listening to your teammates? Good communication makes you and your teammates feel good, while also helping your team get organised. It is crucial if you want to play at your best.
Always remember that communication can be misinterpreted - make it as clear as you can. It can't be recalled once you have given it, just like text messages or social media, once it is sent, you cannot delete it. Improving communication will help you take the next step in your game, as an individual, and as a team. Trevor will continue to give us great advice in his monthly column. If you would like to speak with Trevor directly to discuss team or individual situations then please feel free to contact him below: www.trevorgraytherapy.co.uk trevor@trevorgraytherapy.co.uk
Develop the Foundations of Close Control and Skills here...
Strength and Conditioning Our Strength and Conditioning coach, George Lyons takes us through this month's exercise, designed to give you stability and strength when holding off players, or jumping for a header.
The Overhead Kettlebell Press Step 1 In the lunge position, hold the kettlebell just above shoulder height.
Step 2 Fully extend the elbow, ensuring that the kettlebell doesn't change position.
For training advice contact George through:
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