20_ by pscoach.pl

The complete soccer coaching experience

SOCCERCOACHING No. 20 April/May 2007

International

Slaven Bilic:

Croatian National Team Coach Vagner Mancini, Paulista FC coach Fernando Brassard, Portuguese National Team Goalkeeping Coach WWW.SOCCER COACHINGINTERNATIONAL.COM

Editorial No. 20 – April/May 2007 SoccerCoachingInternational is a magazine for soccer coaches all over the world from the publisher of TrainersMagazine, the Dutch magazine for soccer coaches. The Magazine will be released six times a year.

Contents

Chief editor Paul van Veen Beatrixlaan 21, 2811 LZ REEUWIJK THE NETHERLANDS E-mail: paul@soccercoachinginternational.com Publisher Sportfacilities & Media BV Visiting Address: Steynlaan 19H ZEIST THE NETHERLANDS Postal Address: Postbus 952, 3700 AZ ZEIST THE NETHERLANDS E-mail: info@soccercoachinginternational.com Phone: +31-(0)30 - 697 77 10 Fax: +31-(0)030 - 697 77 20 Project Manager Floris Schmitz f.schmitz@sportfacilities.com Managing Editor and Translations Maaike Denkers maaike@soccercoachinginternational.com Graphic Design Anton Gouverneur studio@sportfacilities.com Advertising Michel van der Neut sales@sportfacilities.com Editorial Staff Estevão Bertoldi Sanches, Paul Cooper, Guilherme Costa, Maaike Denkers, Mischa Fisherman, Anton Gouverneur, Bert-Jan Heijmans, Tom van den Heiligenberg, Guy Oldenkotte, Dušan Petrović, Paul van Veen, Hugo Vicente Subscription Rates You can subscribe to this magazine through its website: www.soccercoachinginternational.com. The subscription rate are as follows: US and CND subscribers: $49,95 for the first year ($59,95 for years thereafter) UK subscribers: £28,50 for the first year (£33,95 for years thereafter) Subscribers from the rest of the world: € 49,95 for the first year (€ 59,90 for years thereafter) You will receive six magazines per year and access to all subscriber features on the website. This publication is purchased with the understanding that information presented is from many sources for which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher as to accuracy, originality or completeness. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering product endorsements or providing instruction as a substitue for appropriate training by qualified sources. SoccerCoachingInternational assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Copyright All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

ISSN 1571 - 8794

SLAVEN BILIC CROATIAN NATIONAL TEAM COACH: “One can attain much more when one has knowledge”

TONY WHELAN, MANCHESTER UNITED ASSISTANT ACADEMY MANAGER: Creating the right environment for children

VAGNER MANCINI, PAULISTA FC COACH

TRAINING SESSIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

ERIK MUNTENDAM, FC GRONINGEN U13 COACH:

THE BRAZILIAN CORNER

PSV’S FIELD LAB:

FERNANDO BRASSARD:

COLUMN PAUL COOPER

Champion of 2005 Brazil Cup

“Top, Dribbling and Agility Ladder”

Repeat technical exercises 100,000 times

Physical Training comparison

Knowledge is everything

Portuguese National Team Goalkeeping Coach

From the Editor

Welcome to already the 20th issue of SoccerCoachingInternational, volume 4! As promised in our previous issue we will continue to update both our magazine and website this year. Last year I was sitting in my apartment, looking around and decided I wanted a new look, with a fresh new feel to it. So I painted my walls, redecorated and finished it off with some new accessories. And a fresh new feel it was! After four years we have decided to do the same to our magazine; we started by re-styling the cover, held on to that style while re-decorating the interior and finishing off with some accessories. The result is a fresh new look, which we hope you like. Please let us know your thoughts by email or on our discussion forum. As for the website; we started by adding a Members Area. The members’ area will feature bonus materials on articles published in the magazine, but also additional articles, reviews, templates, and glossaries not published in the magazine. The members area will not just focus on coaching materials, we are also aiming to include club management and administrative articles. This newly re-styled issue features more than a new paintjob and interior decoration; it once again features interviews with top coaches from around the world, starting in Croatia with an exclusive combined inter view with the Croatian Football Federation’s president Mr. Vlatko Markovic, their Secretary General Mr. Zorislav Srebric, and the Croatian national team coach Mr. Slaven Bilic. From Croatia we move to England, where Paul Cooper visited the Manchester United academy, where he spoke with assistant academy director Tony Whelan. However, there is more, as we move from England to Brasil, where Cidade do Futebol interviewed Vagner

Mancini, Paulista FC coach. This issue also marks the introduction of the ‘Brazilian Corner’ a platform for Cidade do Futebol to share their knowledge with us. From Brazil we travel back to Europe where Mischa Fisherman interviewed FC Groningen U13 coach Erik Muntendam. As Mischa was visiting FC Groningen our other Dutch correspondent Guy Oldenkotte visited PSV’s so called field lab, resulting in an interesting article on the newest technology on monitoring player behaviors. Our next stop is Portugal, where Hugo Vicente talked to Fernando Brassard, Portuguese national team’s goalkeeping coach and last but not least we have a re-occurring feature ‘Training Sessions from around the World’ once again featuring 18 exercises divided into 3 zones: Top, Dribbling and the Agility Ladder. 48 re-styled pages filled with soccer coaching information! I wish you lots of reading and surfing pleasure!

Yours in soccer, Maaike Denkers

Slaven Bilic Croatian National Team coach:

The reason for visiting the Croatian national centre of football was because of the national side’s excellent performances in the qualification group for the EURO 2008 led by their new coach Slaven Bilic. Another reason was the Croatian Football Federation prepared and presented bid to jointly host EURO2012 with the Hungarian Football Federation. SoccerCoachingInternational was welcomed by Croatian Football Federation’s president Mr. Vlatko Markovic, their Secretary General Mr. Zorislav Srebric, and the Croatian national team coach Mr. Slaven Bilic. These three men have dedicated their life to football. To these people football is a job, a love and a passion. A relaxed friendly atmosphere was felt everywhere from the reception to the President’s office. We were welcomed as if we had come home and the results of the national side in the last few months didn’t surprise us anymore. By: Dusan Petrovic

“One can attain much more when one has knowledge” 4

No. 20 April/May 2007

“The Croatian Football Federation with 38 employees is one of the financially stable companies in Croatia, thanks to the national team’s showings in major competitions for a number of years.” says President Mr. Vlatko Markovic, the man who has been at the head of the Croatian Football Federation for more than ten years and who from within football and not from politics, which was the norm at the time. “The Croatian football team is one of the biggest Croatian brands and it is recognized everywhere in the world. This isn’t a coincidence; we invested a lot into football development in Croatia by opening football schools and updating the entire administration system using one of the most contemporary computer systems in the world to monitor every competition.” “I surrounded myself with smart, hardworking people, who are ready to invest in the development of football in Croatia. Together, we push ahead in each and every field. Here I would like to single out Secretary General Mr. Srebric who, by his remarkable selflessness, unifies our work and aims it in the right direction. The Croatian Football Federation has 25 different national selections in its structure which are, I can freely say, sponsored by the national team and whose life depends on the success of the national team.”

Mr. Vlatko Markovic, Croatian Football Federation president

“The Croatian football team is one of the biggest Croatian brands” “We set extremely high demands and goals for our national team simply because our football publicity demands it. Our people are used to successes dating back to the former Yugoslavia, so it is demanded of us to achieve the highest results no matter what difficulties we are faced with. In my opinion no matter what the conditions all teams or clubs from the former Yugoslavian territory are training and preparing to attain very good results and they are motivated to go even further and demand a little more from themselves. Our teams and clubs are pretty small if we compare them to world standards and the placement of Croatia, Serbia or Slovenian within the great world competition is a miracle and a fantastic result in itself.”

Mr. Zorislav Srebric, Croatian Football Federation Secretary General

“The Croatian Football Federation has always had extremely big football names, such as Ciro Blazevic, Mirko Jozic, Oto Baric, Cico Kranjicar. We are fortunate to have these great players return to be our coaches. We decided to put Slaven Bilic at the head of our national team firstly because he, as a football player, has reached the top with the clubs and teams for which he played. Secondly, because he has showed exceptional quality during with his coaching work; mainly with the young Croatian teams. We have decided to make a brave move and it has proved to be the right one. He chose his assistants, all ex and successful football players from Croatia: Robert Prosinecki, Asanovic, Jurcevic and Mrmic, collectively they make a great team that works well together.” The conversation continues with Slaven Bilic, once an exceptional player and now an exceptional coach. He was welcomed by the players and accepted as their coach even though not long ago, he was their teammate.

No. 20 April/May 2007

The Authority of knowledge “As a coach I am trying not to just be a tactician. The job of a coach is like a mosaic, composed of segments. I’m trying to be as good as I can in all those segments, to be good as a motivator and psychologist, and as a critic. The question of authority was questioned by my coming to the top of Croatian Football, because I was a team mate to the majority of the players I now coach. However, in my opinion there are two kinds of authority in football: one is a dictator the other is about knowledge. I prefer the later.”

The freedom in the game “My players play modern football based on whether we are attacking or defending. Each of them has an obligation which he tries to fulfill as best as he can and yet he has enough freedom to show his individual qualities. Only by excellent organization in the game and by doing all the basics on the field, one can reach freedom, improvisation and maximum capacity. With the organization within a system and template in the game, the opponent’s goal can be reached, but the final shot or killer pass can be the result of freedom, improvisation and the momentary flash of imagination from one of our players and cannot be realized by the system alone. But, for me, the pure freedom on the field without any obligations to the game would be anarchy.”

Psychological pressure “According to my opinion Psychological pressure is necessary, because only under pressure a does man gives his maximum. I mean motivational - positive pressure. If the pressure is negative then it disastrous in the game. Considering the fact that we cherish

No. 20 April/May 2007

offensive game, positive pressure that motivates players, helps us a lot in the offensive phase. I like it when my players keep the ball as long as they can although I believe that the base of every team is in defense. Every player has his obligations in defense. Sometimes we defend with 10 players but after successfully defending they have to get into transition mode very quickly. But the defense is the base; certain defense gives you a privilege for momentary and successful offense. So, I put a ladder of demands of the game in front of me and my players and I have it very high, and with motivation and professional relationships, players and the expert back up from the Croatian FA helps us achieve our goals. For this kind of “total football” the players must be extremely well prepared physically and motivationally and to hold the maximum concentration in the game during the whole 90 minutes.”

The system “If it is possible I try to defend and attack with as more players as I can. As I think the system in the game is about the movement of 10 players across the length and width of the field. If I play against an opponent who is equal to our qualities, I often use four players in the last line as a base. There was opinion that our team cannot play to a system in Croatia. That persisted for a long time and was the attitude of some our elder colleagues. However I think that was just fear about something new which can often appear and an excuse for negative results. I looked at what we could do, because of the systems our players play at their clubs, outside of Croatia. I have such players that can rotate during a game. They are so qualitative and intelligent and with a little practice we have reached the level that we can do a lot of rotation without personnel

changes. During the game we can easily transform from the 4-4-2 system into 4-3-3 or 4-5-1. One thing is certain, the quality of the players determine the system of the game. With high quality players, well prepared and motivated the system 4-4-2 can be the most closed and the most opened system of the game.”

practiced. The communication with the players is very important, to speak with the players and their club coach and to analyze their work every day. The players must be convinced they can realize the aims and every coach must remind them on that and convince them every day.”

The work with Croatian National Team

“As a trainer I ‘m trying to do with my players the things that I liked to do with my coaches. I practice that with a bit of modification and applied to our conditions. As a player I didn’t like long meetings before the very game. Ever y day, in the preparator y period for the game I always hold a meeting, but just a short one before the game. Then I inform the players what we are going to do in the training and why we are doing that, considering our opponent. This lasts 10 minutes no longer but during these 10 minutes I meet them with their opponent and what they should expect on the field and what will be asked of them. Two days before the game we watch the DVD on our opponent, explain the tactics and comment on the game so at the end day of the match our meeting is just a summary of the things we already know. I believe that this is a better way than to hold the players in suspense for a long time and then tell them before the very game what they are expected to do. It is much better to give them information step by step and give them enough time to prepare themselves for the following match. We analyze every opponent. We respect every opponent and we have quite a serious approach to every opponent. We are trying to impose ourselves on the field and not to give up of our basic principles of the game no matter who is the opponent and what kind of game he plays. We have so many quality players who can play and can change the system or the game

“I see myself as a club coach. To be a coach of the national team is an honor and privilege and this job I’m doing now will be the highest achievement for me. Being a coach of the national team is the greatest thing, nevertheless I see myself as a club coach. The coach has more possibilities in a club. He has an opportunity to choose players he wants to work with, and he works with those players preparing them every day. The preparation lasts much longer and there are a larger number of matches where a coach can put his ideas into practice. The work at international level is much harder. The players arrive 5 days before very important games, usually qualification games or big competitions and there are just a small number of matches. There shouldn’t be too much information when working with the national team, there must be a plan. The players’ selection should be done first, those who don’t play together must be integrated to live and function as one team. The players should be informed on what they are expected to do and should be convinced of the aims and that I also believe in those aims. When I convince them of that then I have to work with them there is no time for improvisation and searching for something, there is simply no time for something like that when you work with the national team. At the beginning it is very hard, but further along we are just upgrading the thing we have already

No. 20 April/May 2007

without any personal changes and this is one of the greatest qualities of this team. If we see during the game that it is necessary and possible, on my signal my players change their positions quickly, which can surprise the opponent and in that way we scored many goals. I have complete trust in my players and they have in me.”

The task during the game “Every player has his place. He knows very well what that place means, what kind of requirements and obligations are placed there. A player has his role, which he has to fulfill on the field no matter, whether he is playing against weaker or much stronger opponent. A player must try as hard as he can to completely fulfill the requirements. A player is not a robot, of course and he cannot play all the time without mistakes but we strive to eliminate those mistakes and that the concentration of the players lasts throughout the 90 minutes. Sometimes I warn the players to pay attention to an opposition player and to help each other depending on the style of his game. These are changed from match to match, but I never do strict marking of players and send only some players to do the task. Our tactics can vary but never drastically.“

Associates “The back room team I chose myself. This was one of the conditions of the negotiations with President Markovic. My only condition was to be independent in what I am doing and to choose my team alone. He accepted that. If that condition hadn’t been accepted I would not have taken the job. That is my team of people and everyone is of the same importance, even the doctor is an important factor in making the system work. I haven’t taken them because they are my friends but because they are professionals and

“The pressure is huge. It is present despite our isolation during the preparations”

No. 20 April/May 2007

experts, the people whose vision match mine in 90% of cases. Asanovic – a proven football expert, my team mate from the national team, Prosinecki - the great name of Croatian football, a man who did a remarkable job with FC Zagreb, a hardworking man and an enthusiast, Jurcevic- a exceptional coach. Mrmic- a exceptional goalkeeper coach. This is a team of people with great energy and desire to work. We have a relationship based on trust and they have freedom to tell me their opinions about the work, without hesitation. However, up to now our opinions coincide and at the end we get the thing which is very good for the atmosphere in the team and the reason for that is because we are friends. We don’t meet each other just in our jobs, we “hung out” years ago. That is shown to be positive, and that atmosphere was transferred to the players in the team. We usually work in two groups: in one there is Prosinecki and me and in the other Asanovic and Jurcevic. Mimic works with the goalkeepers alone. Everyone is in charge for his part of the job, and it is done very well. In our work there aren’t any problems and among us there aren’t any secrets.”

The pressure of publicity during the build up and matches “The pressure is huge. It is present despite our isolation during the preparations. Nevertheless, pressure in certain cases, as I mentioned earlier, can be helpful. I emphasize it. I emphasize the pressure that influences players as a moving force. The players have responsibility to fulfill their requirements in the training as well as in the match. I am under great pressure too, it influences me quite positively and it makes me do my job even better. If I notice that the pressure has a rather negative effect on one of my player then I talk to him. I try to explain to him to take over the risk in the game, to act freely in the field and that only by playing free one can reach the success. There were such conversations, especially with younger players who are sometimes impressed by the greatness of their team mates and importance of the following match so they play in their shell and don’t give their maximum. Everything could be solved by talking and that can be an extremely good injection of self-confidence for each player. I’m not here to torture the players; I talk to them about everything. I believe that the coaches who don’t speak with the players and who try to make an impression by screaming at them, do not have enough knowledge and that is the very reason why they avoid open conversation with the players.”

No. 20 April/May 2007

9v9 (5+4 : 5+4) Organization: - Field size: 16m by 16m with goals and goalkeepers - 9 players on each half of the field (4 defenders on own half and 5 forwards on opponents half)

Progression: - Blue team starts the attack against the red team on their own half of the field - After a finish (goal, shot on goal, loss of possession) red team will attain possession

Tasks: - Defenders: line defense - Forwards: finish on goal

Variation: - One defender may join the attack on other side of the field, creating a 6v4 situation - Finishing game 9v9

4v4+4 Organization: - Field size: 30 x 20 m - Three teams: blue, red, yellow - 4 players each team (two teams in the field, one team outside of the field)

Progression: - 4v4 with the objective to maintain possession - Team in possession can use players outside from team 3 for combinations (8v4).

Variations: - 1 more neutral player in field, who joins team in possession - 5v5 (+5) - 2 touches

Coaching: -

Fast plays Quick reactions Fast combination play Changing sides

Crossing and finishing Organization: -

9 10 2

7 C

Variation:

5 4

Progression: - Player A dribbles (1) and shoots on goal from 18 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 20 m (2), he remains in that position - Player B dribbles the ball (3) and passes to player A (4), who back passes (5) to incoming player B (6), who shoots on goal from18-20 m (7) - Players A and B cross one another in their runs and enter the penalty area (8) where they receive a cross from player C (9). One of them receives the pass and finishes on goal (10)

1/2 field Goal with goalkeeper Players start play from center circle and each player has a ball (A and B) Player C also has a ball

- Add a defender in the penalty area with high or medium intensity defense

Coaching: - Timing - Quality crossing - Precision 10

No. 20 April/May 2007

Frans Hoek - FIFA UEFA – KNVB teacher Former professional player and assistant/ goalkeeping coach of Ajax Amsterdam, FC Barcelona and the Dutch National Team

www.footbally.com NEW

NEW

MULTIFUNCTIONAL MOBILE CLIPBOARD Indispensable for the modern trainer–coach Very practical for trainers-coaches, but also for companions. You can keep game-forms en worthful things in the clipboard. GENERAL: • light • easy transportable by handle • you can hang it up (for example on the door-handle of chaning-room handle for explanation to the players • windproof • easy to open • material: light high quality plastic BASIC PACKAGE: • clipboard • Frans Hoek Sports A4 bloc • Frans Hoek Sports A5 wirebloc • Frans Hoek Sports pen

NEW

ORGANIZATION OF: COACHING CLINICS GOALKEEPING-PLAYER CAMPS, ETC. DEVELOPMENT AND SALES OF: Top-coaching instructional materials, DVD’s, books, video’s, balls, shoes/cleats, goalkeeping products, etc. For more information please visit:

ww.footbally.com USA ACTIVITIES:

FRANS HOEK COACHING SYMPOSIUM: “The roles of the Head Coach and Goalkeeper Coach in dealing with the team system” by FIFA instructor and former Holland, AJAX and Barcelona Assistant / goalkeepercoach. WHEN: Friday September 29, 2006 from 06.30am – 09.00 pm Saturday September 30, 2006 from 09.00 am – 10.30 pm Sunday October 1 2006 from 09.00 am – 01.00 pm COSTS: $ 295,00

Art.nr. FH1717 € 25,00

Where: Wingate Motel on FowlerAvenue in Tampa Florida

EXTENSIVE PACKAGE:

ORGANISED BY: Black Watch Soccer Club and University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida.

• • • • • •

clipboard Frans Hoek Sports A4 bloc Frans Hoek Sports A5 wirebloc Frans Hoek Sports pen Writable and dry whipe playfield folie A4 2 boardmarkers

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION: Contact: Jim DiNobile – Jim.DiNo@knology.net Tel: 0017278585253 www. blackwatchsoccer.com

Art. FH1718 € 32,00

Prices excluding shipping costs which depends from the country you want to send it to.

Interested? Order now: Frans Hoek Sports website:

www.footbally.com

or place your order by mailing or calling: shop@footbally.nl, (+31)229-240034 / fax: (+31)229-241074 Official sponsors Frans Hoek

Frans Hoek Sports De Compagnie 33d 1689 AG Zwaag (The Netherlands) Phone: 0229 – 240034 Fax: 0229 – 241074 E-mail : shop@footbally.nl

Tony Whelan, Manchester United Assistant Academy Manager:

Creating environm It is never dull when interviewing Tony Whelan, Manchester Unitedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Assistant Academy Manager U9s -U16s. For much of the interview he is out of his chair, either to show me a fun heading game they play with the kids or demonstrating a Cruyff turn. I thought at one stage he would take me out into the car park for a quick game of three and in, such is his burning passion for the beautiful game. When it comes to charisma it is abundantly clear that somewhere in his past he fell into a swimming pool, filled with the stuff. Tonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s football philosophy is linked with his past and you can easily picture him kicking a ball around and laughing with his friends at school and in the streets around Manchester where he lived as a boy.

By: Paul Cooper 12

No. 20 April/May 2007

the right ent for children Tony developed his love for the game through playing in the streets and schools football. Most days he played out in the streets with his mates but on a Sunday they would head down to the local park where they played from dawn till dusk and were joined by their dads for an hour or two before pub opening time. The only thing that interrupted these marathon sessions was tea-time or if a sibling came looking for you with a message to run an errand for your mum. That was the time to hide until the danger had passed and it was back to the footie. There was also football in the school yard. You could not bring a ball into school but you could hire one, so all the kids would pool their threepenny bits, knock on the teacher’s door, pay for the ball and a game would begin. A typical day at school would be a session before the bell rang more football at lunch and break-time, followed by an hour after school before the school gates were shut. Then there was the school team. This was by and large run by the kids with the ‘better players’ often picking the teams and organising the positions. The teachers did not interfere and certainly

did not shout and bark orders from the sideline. Tony calls them “Good men in Wellingtons” who cared about the kids and had a love for the game. Tony recalls that the teachers would occasionally give them little nuggets of advice. “I played inside forward and one of the teachers said, you don’t need to worry about coming all the way back into defence when we lose the ball, the half way line will do.” It was the equivalent of telling the Count of Monte Cristo, a speed boat was waiting to take him off the island. It meant freedom for Tony who was an attack minded player wanting to show off his skills. These little pearls of wisdom stuck in Tony’s mind and when he took up coaching years later he wanted to be able to give the children the same sense of freedom that he had enjoyed playing as boy.

“How much fun can I give the kids’?” Tony Whelan

No. 20 April/May 2007

Creating the right environment Tony took his inspiration from those experiences in the street and schools football. He argues that children need their own space where they can play and make their own choices. They must be able to make mistakes as this is a huge part of the learning process. Most successful people in life have made mistakes and it is learning from those mistakes that have made them the success they are. The important issue is creating the right environment where children can be creative, have fun and learn. Tony says they have a motto at the club. Before each session the coaches ask themselves: “How much fun can I give the kids?”

that the coach is only an observer when they play. This is their game and a chance to play with freedom and make their own decisions. The coaches are like the teachers back in Tony’s school, “Good men in Wellingtons”, only the Wellingtons have been replaced by Nike boots.

If that simple phrase was adopted by all coaches the game would change for ever and I can imagine how many little sets of ears would prick up on hearing those words. From Falmouth to Felixstowe and from Hereford to Hull, tens of thousands of children have left the game because the F word (fun) was sadly missing from their football experience. Since Tony’s childhood the cult of The Coach, ‘the fountain of all knowledge’, has dominated the children’s game. Who would ever think to ask a child what they thought? No, all those hours on courses and writing out session plans must mean something? But the over regimentation and lack of fun is gradually squeezing the life out of the game for our children and spontaneous play is something that happened in another life time.

Empower the kids Tony reflects on a trip they once made with the under 10s to Andorra which echoed his experience at school when it was the children that made the decisions. “When we arrived we gave kids the responsibility of sorting out their own sleeping arrangements, we let them pick the team, the system and the captain.” Talking to the kids they found that there were some decisions the young players still wanted the coaches to make, such as awarding the ‘man of the match’. The children were also encouraged to take ownership of the game so, for example, if they were 2-1 up at half time, what would be their plan for the second half, how would they play? Tony explained that they are often astonished at what children can do if they are given the freedom to think for themselves. It is creating this kind of environment that is essential for long term development.

The stool philosophy On a recent trip to watch a Manchester United Academy U9s and U10s games day programme I was amazed to see so many smiling children. Whenever you were approached by a child he would fix you with a huge grin, look you in the eye and shake your hand. I thought I had walked in on the set of a remake of ‘Goodbye Mr.Chips’ with so many happy, polite kids. The football is wonderful. It is played with a smile and a swagger, kids being creative and having fun. One of the United coaches, Tom Statham is sitting on his treasured African stool. Apparently it went in for repair recently and he used a low slung fishing chair as a short term replacement which made him look as if was waiting for a prize winning Carp rather than watching some of the country’s finest young footballing talents. He gets some funny looks from the opposition coaches and parents but Tony explains that it sends a strong message to the kids

No. 20 April/May 2007

“Play is often talked about as if it w

But for children play is serious learning

Fred R

The adult game v the children’s game I watched the Manchester United Academy U10s play a game where the opposition were generally bigger than the United boys. The opposition played well but they played more of an adult game and passed it quickly, one and two touch. They did not dribble nearly as much as the United Academy lads.

were a relief from serious learning.

So when do you get the chance to be creative and run with the ball and take player’s on? As United Academy coach Tom Statham says, “How are you going to create the next Christiano Ronaldo or the next Messi if you don’t give them the freedom to run at people, take risks and be creative. If you can’t do it at nine and ten when can you?” Tom adds, “They are going through the player and the ball stage, the other stuff comes later. At the end of the day we are trying to develop players for the Champions League.” The other notable difference was that the opposition team had a number of subs where as Manchester United had a game on the next pitch for the substitutes and players not involve in the main game. They seemed to be having so much fun that it was difficult to tell which game they enjoyed being in the most. Tom Statham explained that they want all their kids to play and not have subs. Recently an opposition team travelled several hours to play United and had their eight starting players and five subs. Tom suggested they play two 7v7 games instead of one 8v8 game. United lent them one of their keepers, which meant that all of the opposition and all of the United kids played every minute. It is this common sense approach and putting the children first that is helping United lead the way in developing young footballers in this country. The club have also pioneered playing 4v4 at U9s with the players refereeing their own games. They have done this for five years now with excellent results and have encouraged some other clubs such as Watford to take up the same format.

Parental involvement Tony feels that adults need to re-think what being a sports parent means. He doesn’t think that parents are enjoying the experience on the touch line. “If a young keeper lets in a soft goal and he is lying in the mud, laugh with him.” He adds, “Football, like life is about making loads of mistakes, but that is how you learn. We also learnt by experimenting, watching each other and our football idols. Parents should learn to enjoy the journey with their children by being a suppor t to them and taking them to training and matches, but never interfering with their game.” There is a growing problem in today’s society with parents tr ying to live their lives through their children. But childhood is all too brief and something you can never bring back. Tony has backed the grassroots campaign Give Us Back Our Game and his warning for football in general should be heeded by all adults involved in the game. “For a young boy, playing football should be one of the most wonderful experiences of his life, but sadly many young players don't find it an enjoyable or pleasurable activity because too many adults (parents/coaches) are getting in the way by over coaching, shouting, screaming and raving, and having a ‘win at all costs’ philosophy. Unless we adults (who have the power) get our act together on behalf of our young players, we will not have any football at all because young boys simply won't want to play - and who could blame them!"

g. Play is really the work of childhood.”

Rogers No. 20 April/May 2007

Vagner Mancini, Paulista FC coach:

Champion of 2005 Brazil Cup With new investments at the club, Paulista FC coach Vanger Mancini believes that it will herald a new dawn at the club. When Fator Bank met a group of sponsors to invest in a Brazilian club, they carried out some research to find the ideal organization. Surprisingly, did not chose one of the biggest clubs in Brazil, or even a medium-sized association from the Brazilian Serie A. They decided to spend their capital at Paulista FC from Jundiai in the state of Sao Paulo. By: EstevĂŁo Bertoldi Sanches and Guilherme Costa

No. 20 April/May 2007

Mancini began as Paulistaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coach in May/2004. He did not have any coaching experience and had to learn his new job by being thrown in at the deep end, as he was still a player when he was invited to take the role by the board of directors. With no time to study or develop his own methods, he used what he considered important from his previous coaches and adapted it. He even used some exercises from the time when he was a player. However, he never just applied his knowledge as an athlete. After a while in his new role, Mancini concluded that he could keep training methods form the past, but that modern soccer imposes movements at greater speed. So, his training sessions are based on speed exercises and movements with oxygen debt.

Now, Mancini expects to establish these methods at the Youth Academy as well. The Fator Bank project encompasses some investments in this area, with modification in the structure and philosophy. The goal is to maximize the fact that Brazil is a country of soccer players and develop these kids with intellectual and athletic learning to be successful internationally. Within this Fator Bank project, there is a partnership with FC Lausanne Sport of the Swiss second division. This initiative with the help of Pelé will mean that the club is going to be the gateway for Paulista’s players into Europe. Mancini talked to SoccerCoachingInternational about his thoughts on the new era at Paulista FC, the role of the Youth Academy in this process and the importance of speed in his sessions. What are your expectations with this partnership? “This is a new era for Paulista FC. The Youth Department is going to be the main focus, but of course there will be investments for the Pro team. As the main aspect is to breed players, we need to invest in structure in order to develop players annually and replenish our teams.”

new era at Paulista, because we are going to improve the structure of our Youth Academy. This new organization is going to be vital for the development of more players.” So, is the idea of Paulista FC to have a main squad completely composed of players from the Youth Academy? “The most important thing is to maintain balance and harmony in the group of players. It includes age. It is not possible to have a team made up of only young players and expect those athletes to be able to compete in every aspect of the game. There is a need for older and more experienced players, who can show the correct way and be able to instruct and calm them. It is critical for those kids coming from U-20 or U-17 to become more mature and perform at their maximum in a shorter time.” You have a small squad. Is it a strategy to provide more opportunities for young players at Paulista? “Exactly, I never liked to have too many people in a group because you use 22 players and have six or seven left out. Then you create frustration in your players. It starts with a few of them, but it increases. It is not nice and I do not work like that. I like to have up to 24, 25 players. Instead of quantity, they should be adapted to our culture and way of play.” With your present team, you are used to changing players’ positions. Midfielders play as defenders and vice-versa. Is this mobility the solution for such a small group? “Yes it is. It is better to have 20 athletes who can play in three or four different positions than 30 players where, for instance, one is just a right full back and another is only a central defender. I believe soccer today requires much more. If you have a problem such as a red card or an injury at an early time in a game, you do not need to put a new player in your team. I train my players to be able to perform various roles on the field.”

What is your relation with the Youth Department today? “I always try to help them. My department is always open to the Youth coaching staff. During the past years, we have not been too involved because the Youth Academy has been modified a lot. But I always make an effort to watch the games and training sessions of our teams. If I am not available, someone else from our coaching staff will follow the youngsters. It is very important to have this follow-up. My current team was the U-20 squad 2 or 3 years ago. If you do not have this base in the club, you will not be able to develop players in one or two years.” Is there any pattern to the work applied at Paulista’s Youth Academy? “We are setting up a work program. Our belief is that the U-15 team plays in a specific way, the U-17 in a different way, and the U-20 should be almost a copy of our first team. This is essential in order to facilitate a smooth transition when needed. If we have to bring a U-20 player to our first team, he must already know what he is going to be required to do. It will be possible with this

No. 20 April/May 2007

And how do you train these changes in positioning? “One thing that I like is to coach my team defending with 7 or 8 players against 11 (see diagram 1). This makes our defense stronger and we cover all the spaces without man-to-man marking. The team moves according to the ball. Because there are fewer players in the field, you need to use zonal marking. If I have 7 players, I put a line of 4 defenders and another line of 3 players in front. I start to change the position of players, so if I need to do it during a game, I have players able to perform other roles. I will never train a central defender only as a central defender. I always invert positions. For example, I place a fullback as a defensive midfielder and change his side; I use a sweeper in a wider position or an offensive midfielder as a defensive midfielder. It makes our team dynamic.

Diagram 1

Does it also work with offensive training? “Usually I set up two teams in the field. Team A plays in a way I want them to do and team B marks. Then, team B plays and team A marks. Sometimes I train 11 vs 8 to simulate a situation with a team with 3 players sent off. If you do not practice, you will not know how to fill this space. You have to play on the sides, with a lot of movement. Everything is practiced with game-like situations. I always think about the most difficult situations in a game and try to translate it into exercises. I usually train attack in one day, defense another day, then put both together.” So, do you only work with game-like situations? “We set up situations that might happen in games, most of the time on small sized fields. It makes players step up to the mark and move quicker. With less space, you challenge your player to have quicker thoughts. Also, they shoot more on goal and have to free themselves from their opponent. I still like tactical training. You can not organize a team without a tactical plan and players need to know what to do in the field. In an adverse situation, he has to be prepared for a change in positioning. I am able to modify my team with only a gesture. They know what to do. We also have shooting sessions, always using speed. Basically, this is what we do. We work on everything in the most intense way with anaerobic exercises.” How important is speed in your training sessions? Total, we do not have any aerobic activity. All the exercises are anaerobic, where the players work with oxygen debt. This is a real game situation. Nobody is able to breathe for 2 or 3 minutes in the field because soccer today is very fast and dynamic. So, all the sessions focus on anaerobic aspects. But how is it in the exercises? “Depending on the size of the field, we make the ball go to the end line in 2 or 3 touches. So, we have to use a cross or a long ball, and there is recovery with speed. For instance, the shooting sessions use speed on a half field or less. Two players on the sidelines and two in the center area. They run, changing their positions by overlapping each other. When the ball reaches the end line, one player crosses and the other shoots. Then, they return with speed to the

7 v 11 (Defending)

No. 20 April/May 2007

trained. So I adapt the training sessions from the past in a new context, with much more power and speed without losing the technical part.” So, do you emphasize physical activities? “This year we innovated. We had only 20 vacation days and we trained for 29 days prior to our debut in the Sao Paulo State Championship. We did not have any exclusive physical activity in our pre-season. It is unheard of in Brazil. Some teams in Europe are used to do it, with a mix of technical, tactical and physical work integrated into practices. It must be a tendency in modern soccer.”

starting point, and the players that started on the wings go to the middle and vice-versa. They start the play again, overlap, cross, shoot and come back quickly. This sequence where you go, come back, recover the ball, go again and so on gives you a very useful advantage (see diagram 2).” “Furthermore, we have some exercises on rotation and shooting. The forward runs with the defender, rotates, receive the ball in front of the opponent and shoots. I do not use any static exercise. Everything is done with speed. For example, even the act of running back after a cross has to be fast, not just jogging (see diagram 3).” Why do you think speed is so significant for modern soccer? “Watching a soccer game in the near future will look like a tennis match, where you sometimes do not see the ball. When I began my career as a player, the training sessions were all aerobic, very slow. Coaches wanted players to perform nice technically but not related to speed. So, I still use a lot of things from the time I was a player, but in a different way. It is where soccer has changed. Today, the requirements are anaerobic. A player has to run as fast as possible and recover at the same pace, and it must be

And fun activities? Do you use them? “I use a lot of fun activities. I think everyone must be exposed to it. Sometimes we intentionally leave some balls around the field before players come to practices. Normally we see players having fun. Every time they come up with a new game. Now they are shooting the ball from outside the field, trying to reach the goal by bouncing the ball and making it spin. Another game is to try to reach the posts. This kind of activities develops other characteristics, but the most important thing is to have fun. We want players to be talented and we do not restrict their imagination. I want all 11 players to be marking, but when we have the ball, I give them total freedom to do what they know. I encourage my forwards to play individually because I think this is what is attractive in soccer.” You have a Japanese player in your team (Kenta Kazai, full back form Paulista FC Youth Academy). What is the difference in working with him? “He is Japanese, but lived in Canada and the USA, and has been here for more than 2 years. So, he speaks Portuguese well and understands everything. He is committed and does everything seriously. He knows he has some weak points, but has developed a lot because he is the last one to leave our practices. I trust him, he plays when I need man-to-man marking or in some area where we need to have stronger marking. He has a very specific role. He is a defender and gives me a better response than a Brazilian player.” How does your playing experience help you as a coach? “It helps a lot. I played for 19 years and I always wanted my coaches to give me answers for what I considered right. So I try

Diagram 2

Diagram 3

Forward

Finishing – running, crossing, shooting

Finishing – rotating and shooting

No. 20 April/May 2007

to be the best coach to my players today. I want to be a coach that solves doubts, teaches, gives the positioning on the field and shows the easiest ways to do things. I always try to show my players that we need a balance between marking and attacking, and that speed is our strong point.” Did you study to be a coach? Or did you use your experience as a player? “I did not have much time to study. On May 15th, 2004 I was a player and negotiating a new contract. Then the Paulista’s directors gave me this job and in 24 hours I was taking the team over in the Brazilian Second Division. I started to do something I did not ever think would happen. Actually, I thought one day it would be the normal route, but not too soon. So, in one day, I accepted, arrived at the club and started training sessions. Of course I had support from everyone in the club, but it was still a new thing for me. I had to train some players that used to play with me.” How was your relation with these players that played with you? “In my last years as a player I was always respected. I was older than most of them and I represented them with the press and the board of directors. Even though I was close to them, they respected me because I was older, the captain and a leader. So, when I assumed this new role, they knew their limits. I am friend of theirs and I have not had any problems with any player in 3 years. I let them talk about any issue and they need to be heard. They can not only enter the field, play, turn their back and go home. Soccer today requires more from players. If we develop this kind of player, the job of the coach becomes easier.” Is Paulista’s development focused on this kind of player? “The development is going to be modified now, with new professionals in this structure, but our routine is already focused on social and cultural aspects. We always gave emphasis to education. It is different than a regular school, but we are far away from most

No. 20 April/May 2007

of the clubs. We are going to intensify this process due to the new investments. It is very important for athletes to have moral principles. If we improve the human being, we have a high level player.” How do you try to help in this process? “Movies and books are a nice thing to recommend to players. We have a busy routine, with a lot of practices, and reading is a great chance of exchange information during our schedule, even during our trips. In addition, we have draws with prizes like books and movies. We think it is necessary to touch our players in this aspect. It makes players relax and develop their self-expression. It should be better used by other teams.” Among the clubs in the Brazilian First and Second Divisions (Serie A and Serie B), you are the coach with more time in a club. Why do you think this happens? “Above everything, there are the results. You have to see the statistics since I arrived at Paulista. Winning is what breeds stability in this job. Of course, Paulista is a different club, with a different mentality. They do not fire a coach after 3 or 4 defeats. It was always like that. Paulista never changed a lot of coaches, but there has to be a synergy between directors, fans, coaching staff and players. We have it today and our fans realize it when coming to our games. The speeches of directors, coaches and players are similar. There is not any perceptible difference between Paulista’s employees. It reflects on the stability of the coach. When I was invited to come to the club, the board of directors gave me all the help needed and great chances for my development. I was a player with no coaching experience and had the support to do what I considered right at that time and I have learnt much during this time.” Article in collaboration with Cidade do Futebol

www.cidadedofutebol.com.br

N EW ! Free for subscribers! Coming in April!

SoccerCoachingInternationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Player Tracking System As promised we will be adding various new features to our website, which are ones again FREE for subscribers. In April we will be adding the Player Tracking System by means of which our subscribers can track training attendance, game data and evaluate their players.

What can you do with the Player Tracking System? -

Add a team

Add a player

Insert training data

Add a game

Add evaluation criteria

Evaluate players

View statistics

Training session from This re-occurring section will once again feature 3 so called zones: the ‘Top Zone’, ‘Dribbling Zone’ and ‘Agility Ladder Zone’. Starting with the ‘Top Zone’ below:

Warming-Up (Arsenal) Organization: - Two groups of 4-6 players each - 3 cones in a row across approx. 10 meters - The first players in line start by sprinting over the cones (with feet wide apart, one foot on each side of the cone) and join the back of their line - The second players in line start when the first player has reached the last cone

Variation (see insert): - The players zigzag with short steps between the cones

Middle line game (AC Milan) Organization: - 8 against 8 with goalkeepers - Reduced field size (just over half a field)

Progression: - Teams are only allowed to score when all players (excl. their goalkeeper) have crossed the middle line: hence all players are on the opponent’s half

Conditioning (Real Madrid) Organization: - 4 poles are placed in a zigzag, followed by 5 cones also in a zigzag - The defenders line up just in front of the first pole - On the coach’s signal the first player in line zigzag’s at full speed in between the poles, from the poles onto and zigzagging in between the cones and they join the back of the line - When the first player has reached the end of the pole zigzag the next player in line starts

Coaching: - Quick turning - Full speed

No. 20 April/May 2007

around the World TOP ZONE Ball control and finishing (Bayern Munich) Organization: - The players are positioned in a triangle in front of a goal with a goalkeeper

Progression: - A passes to B, who receives the ball, dribbles in Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s direction and passes the ball to him - C receives the ball and dribbles to the edge of the penalty area and shoots on goal - Every player rotates one position

Variation: - Vary distance between the players

4 against 3 + goalkeepers (HSV Hamburg) Organization: - Field size: 20 x 30 meters - On both baselines a 5 meters wide goal is made with cones - 2 teams of 4 players each

Progression: - 1 player on the defending team functions as a goalkeeper when the opponent is in possession, creating a 4 against 3 situation - Duration: 5 minutes

Variation: - 2 players from the defending team function as goalkeepers, creating a 4 against 2 situation

Goalkeeping (FC Dallas) Organization: - 1 goalkeeper and a goalkeeping coach - 8 balls are lined up approx. 2 meters apart

Progression: - Goalkeeper starts by sitting on his knees approx. 2 meters away from the first ball - The coach acts like he is going to kick the ball, at the same time the goalkeeper dives on (saves) the ball - The coach quickly moves to the next ball and the goalkeeper quickly moves to dive on (save) the ball again - Etc.

No. 20 April/May 2007

DRIBBLING ZONE Gate dribble Organization: - In a marked field 5 to 6 gates are evenly distributed. Each gate is 2 meters wide - The players have one ball each and move with different tasks from gate to gate - Varied dribbles - Avoid collisions

Progression: -

Move through as many different gates as possible Dribble with many directional and speed changes Direction changes after every gate Competition: Who goes dribbles through 10 gates first? 2 defenders disturb player by the gates

Dribbling with field change Organization: - Field setup: 3 even areas (i.e. 3 areas of 20x7) - In the middle area a gate of 3 meters in width is setup - All players have a ball and are evenly divided amongst the two end lines

Progression: - Players dribble in their own area - On the coaches signal all players leave their area, dribble through the gate in the middle and dribble to the opposite area - The team who reaches the other side first scores one point - Team to reach 5 point first wins!

Circuit dribble Organization: - 3 dribbling courses are setup in a circuit - Each player has a ball

Progression: -

No. 20 April/May 2007

Each player has a ball They successively dribble through the circuit Consistent dribbling and avoid collisions The players execute each slalom 2 times one behind the other

DRIBBLING ZONE Dribble and shooting game Organization: - 2 groups with a maximum of 5 players each - In front of the groups three cones (slalom) are positioned (1 slalom per group) - 1 goal with a goalkeeper

Progression: - Player A from group 1 starts by dribbles through the cones and shoots on goal - As soon as player A has shot on goal, player A from group 2 starts his slalom, etc. - Which group scores the most goals in 5 minutes? A Group 1

A Group 2

4 against 4 with small gates Organization: - Field size: approx. 30 x 30 meters - 3 small gate of 3 meters in width are placed at random the field - 2 teams, 4 players each

Progression: - Teams score by dribbling the ball through one of the gates - After one team has scored they remain in possession, however they must now score in a different gate - The other team tries to steal the ball to attain possession

Variations: - 5v5 on larger field - Neutral player on team with possession

4 against 4 with end line gates Organization: - Field size: approx. 25x25 meters - 4 gates are marked on the end lines (2 on each side) - 2 teams, 4 players each

Progression: - Teams score by dribbling the ball through one of the gates positioned on the end lines - After one team has scored the other team attains possession

Variations: - Teams remain in possession after they score, but must now score on the other end line - 3v3 on same field size

No. 20 April/May 2007

AGILITY LADDER ZONE Speedfoot Organization: - Approximately 8 players per ladder - Position frontally behind the ladder

Variations - Speedfoot, run through the ladder with one foot in each box - Skips (knee raises) one step in each box - Heels/buttocks one step in each box - Tripplings / keep feet low one step in each box

Two-foot run Organization - Approximately 8 players per ladder - Position frontally behind the ladder

Variations - Two-foot run, higher frequency one step with every foot in every box - Skips (knee raises) two steps in each box - Heels/buttocks in each box two steps - Tripplings/keep feet low two steps in each box

Dummy step Organization - Approximately 8 players per ladder - Start facing forward and beside the first box of the ladder

Variations - Step in the ladder with one foot then the other, exit again with the first foot and step diagonally forward in the next box - With extra tap in between the moment you step beside the ladder and with tapping foot diagonally forward

No. 20 April/May 2007

AGILITY LADDER ZONE Sideward Organization - Approximately 8 players per ladder - Body sideways right behind the ladder

Variations - Place foot in the first box and then second foot, the into next box - Same implementation, but then jumping - Same implementation, but then with knee raises - Step in the first box and cross other leg in front to the second box - Step in the first box and cross other leg behind to the second box - Alternatively cross in front and behind

Skipping Organization - Approximately 8 players per ladder - Start right behind the ladder

Variations - Skip whereby one box is passed over (possibly over a cone) - Skip with a step in each box - Start besides the ladder, into the ladder, exit on the other side and diagonally forward back into the ladder

Hopping Organization - Approximately 8 players per ladder - Start right behind the ladder

Variations - Jump starting with one foot at each side of the ladder (spread out) and jump with both feet into the next box - Feet beside each other in each box - Pass over one box and hop back one box and proceed by passing over one box again - With one foot in the ladder and one foot beside the ladder and then the same on the other side.

No. 20 April/May 2007

Photo: www.fcgroningen.nl

Erik Muntendam, FC Groningen U13 coach: As the spectators are taking their places along the field with a cup of coffee on a cold Saturday morning, FC Groningen U13’s left winger receives the ball around the halfway line. With a scissor move and quick acceleration he beats his direct opponent. He speeds to the left corner of the field, the spectators stare at the corner and the substitutes have to come out of the dugout to see the action. The left winger has his doubts for a second on what to do next and the opposition defender has a chance to intervene. “Darn, he should have shown more courage and should have executed another fake move without thinking.” Erik Muntendam is talking, who’s in his sixth year as a youth coach at FC Groningen. For the fifth successive season he has been responsible for the U13 team. In this article he talks about passing, cutting and turning at the U13 level. By: Mischa Fisherman

Repeat technical exercises 100.000 times “Winning by means of playing good football, that’s what we want with the FC Groningen U13 team. I repeat this statement almost daily to ‘my boys’. After a game we must have played good football. After all when you play good football you are more likely to win. What I also regularly tell them is that we want the fans on their feet. It must be fun to watch the FC Groningen U13s. A youth player must show courage, make the action, go on an adventure, dribble and look at where your action will end. If this does not work, the players must have the vision for each other and pass the ball around. I work daily with the U13s on several technique exercises that they must master at the end of the season to the best of their ability. The players must always work hard and must want to improve. As the basis, technique is of course very important as well as the aggressiveness and speed of players. But also the will to make it is very important. Players must, for example, be intrinsically motivated to practice at home.”

cutting/turning with active resistance. This happens mostly by playing several small sided games, 1:1, 2:2, 3:3 and 4:4. On Friday I train a little shorter. I generally spend this training on finishing exercises. Within the Friday training passing/shooting, receiving and taking, and shooting with left/right are frequently repeated. I use this setup every week. The exercises however do differ almost every training session. For example at one training session I will let them play 1:1 in the middle, in another training session I will have to play it more from the sides. Eventually I want to come off the field with the feeling the players did a lot, learned a lot and experienced a lot each time.”

Technique “By technique I mean passing/shooting, beating an opponent, cutting/turning, receiving/taking, dribbling and juggling/ball feeling. I pay a lot of attention to passing and cutting/turning in my training session. Passing/shooting, dribbling, receiving and taking therefore automatically return in almost every exercise.”

Increasing resistance “On Mondays I train with the U13s for an hour on improving their weak foot. I do this predominantly by means of cutting and turning exercises in combination with passing and shooting. On Tuesday I train with the boys on passing (beating) moves and cutting turning with passive resistance. I do this by letting the defenders defend on a line. On Thursday we train on passing and

No. 20 April/May 2007

Beating an opponent, cutting and turning “I stimulate as much as possible to learn as many different moves. The moment you practice a lot of moves the ball feeling of a player will increase. Players must no longer think in situations, they must simply execute a movement. This must become automatic. To execute moves automatically they must be practiced a

lot. The players’ train 4 times a week, but it is only 4 times 1.5 hour. This may seem like a lot, but in fact it is not enough. They must practice at home as well. Players must practice as long as is needed to master a move. The moment a player masters a move he should not be satisfied yet, it is a matter of repeating it 100,000 times. Eventually you will see that a player will have one or two favourite moves that he will execute. This is even evident at the professional level. Arjen Robben dribbles a lot and frequently beats his opponent by means of a fast inside outside cutting move with his left foot. Robin van Persie threatens to shoot with his right foot and then cuts back and Zidane is famous for the shuffle.”

Coaching points “The coaching points passing, cutting and turning are frequently the same. The moment a player receives the ball he must look up to observe the spaces around him. The player must make a quick decision whether to go for the action or for teamwork. If the player sees the possibility for an action, then he must do it quickly. The movement must be executed on time, so that the opponent cannot come to the ball. The moment the movement is executed the player must have always have his legs bent, because he will be able to launch himself so to speak, whenever he has executed the fake move. The next step is to pass into space. It frequently occurs that players pass too short along side the defender. A defender merely has to stretch his leg to reach the ball. Because the player has launched himself he is moving quickly. This speed must be kept up to shake off the opponent. Within cutting and turning you can distinguish between short cutting/turning work and cutting/turning with more space

Monday: Tuesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday:

Week schedule FC Groningen U13 Cutting/turning and passing with the weak foot Technique with passive resistance Technique with active resistance Exercises toward the goal Game

around you. When a player is briefly covered by an opponent, he can free himself with one or two fast and short cutting moves from this difficult situation. The moment the player with the ball has more space and has to change direction, he can do this by means of bigger cutting moves. Issues to be learnt here are getting the ball from farther away and hitting the ball. With passing, cutting and turning it is important to position your body between the ball and the opponent. If a left winger wants to reach the end line and he does this with his left foot it is much harder for the opponent to defend than when he does it with his right foot. Try to cut with the foot that is farthest away from your opponent.“

Two footed “What I do on Mondays are all kinds of cutting and turning exercises in combination with passing and asking for the ball, which can only be carried out by the players with their weak foot. I do this for an hour. In the past I did many exercises with both feet. Now they can only do it with their weak foot and you notice that the players are picking it up faster. You do not see the progress from one training session to the next. The first time that you do this you are thinking can it be any worse. In the course of the time you will see that the ball jumps off their foot less and that everything goes smoother and faster. Again with training to use both feet it is a matter of repeating it 100,000 times.”

No. 20 April/May 2007

Passing moves Organization: - Groups of 3 players across from each other - The players dribble towards the cone, will make a fake move in front of the cone and speed up - Fakes: scissor, double scissor, drag, step over, etc.

Coaching: -

Speed Threat Pass wide and sit low when passing Speed up Exaggerate fake moves using arms and feet

Variation: - In stead of using a cone, the players will dribble towards each other, or use a real defender in the middle

1 against 1 Organization: -

Player 1 passes the ball to player 2, who wall passes Player 1 seeks the 1 against 1 duel Player 2 walks back during the duel facing the attacker Player 1 beats him and plays the ball to player 3 Player 3 becomes 1, 2 becomes 3 and 1 becomes 2

Coaching: -