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SOCCERCOACHING No. 29 October/November 2008

International

Gordon Strachan, Celtic FC coach

Ricardo Moniz,

Chris O’ Loughlin,

Dorival Júnior,

HSV Hamburg

SuperSport United South Africa

head coach of Coritiba

WWW.SOCCER COACHINGINTERNATIONAL.COM

Contents 4 10

GORDON STRACHAN, CELTIC FC COACH: “Systems don’t win you games, players do”

RICARDO MONIZ, HSV HAMBURG ASSISTANT COACH AND TECHNIQUE TRAINER: “I don’t work very differently with six year olds than I do with professionals”

RUUD WIELART, STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH AT THE FEYENOORD YOUTH ACADEMY: “Good body stabilization is important for injury prevention”

FILIPPO FABBRI AND VALTER SAPUCCI, RIMINI CALCIO YOUTH COACHES: “We have a prototype in mind for every role on the pitch”

TRAINING SESSIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

DORIVAL JÚNIOR, HEAD COACH OF CORITIBA

CHRIS O’ LOUGHLIN, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT TRAINER AT THE SUPERSPORT UNITED SOUTH AFRICA:

“The change in the training of Brazilian players”

“Preparing for the game of the future”

ANDREW BLIGHT, NEWCASTLE UNITED U15 COACH:

COLUMN PAUL COOPER

“The 1-4-3-3 System of play”

From the Editor

Dear subscribers, The end of the year is approaching and as with most companies and their products this is a time for evaluation and planning. SoccerCoachingInternational is no different: and eventhough we still have a couple of months left of 2008, I am already eagerly looking forward to 2009, when all our plans will be executed and implemented. I will not spoil the fun about all that we will be bringing you, but I can tell you this, it will have a major impact on your day to day coaching activities! Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about the present, the 29th issue of SoccerCoachingInternational! I personally really enjoyed working on this issue. First of all, it is packed with great articles on a wide array of subjects. For our cover story we talked to our Scottish friend, Gordon Strachan, an amazing interview which has resulted in an equally amazing article. From Strachan in Scotland we move to Ricardo Moniz in Germany, the technique trainer talks to us about being a motivator, the translation of technical skills to the game and attacking spaces. Back in Holland we talked to Feyenoord, Strength and Coordination trainer Ruud Wielaart. This former high jumper talks about his research and the implementation of the results at the Feyenoord academy. Our Italian correspond visits the Rimini Calcio U15 team, a serie B club from the East coast. From the Italian coast to Brazil where our friends from Cidade do Futebol talk to Dorival Júnior, head coach Coritiba FC on coaching Brazilian players. Across the Atlantic ocean to South Africa, where our South African correspondent Guy Oldenkotte talks to Chris O’ Loughlin, youth development trainer at SuperSport United on preparing for the game in the future. Back in Europe Andrew Blight, Newcastle United U15 coach talks about the 1-4-3-3 System of play. Seven articles from seven different countries and of course our permanent features, such as Paul Cooper’s excellent column and our training sessions from around the world section. All in all another diverse and stimulating issue of SoccerCoachingInternational! Before I wish you lots of reading and sur fing pleasure, I would like to point out our ‘Tell a Friend’ feature on page 25. Find out what you can do to win a SCI coaching pack.

Coverphoto by: Orange Pictures

Yours in soccer, Maaike Denkers Managing Editor

Gordon Strachan, Celtic FC coach:

Photo by: Orange Pictures

“Systems don’t win you games, players do” Gordon Strachan has been the coach of Celtic FC since June 2005. In his first year, after a tough start, he won the Scottish league with Celtic FC in record time and with six matches remaining. Over the next two years he would also win the league title to become only the third ever Celtic FC manager to guide the club to three consecutive Scottish league titles. Last year Celtic reached the 2nd round of the Champions League after beating AC Milan, Benfica and Shaktar Donetsk. SoccerCoachingInternational had a chance to talk to this successful coach about his vision on coaching, although he does not see himself as successful: “Whether you win or lose, it is basically always the players.” By: Frans Hoek and Paul van Veen

No. 29 October/November 2008

Photo by: Orange Pictures “Why am I so successful as a coach? I don’t see myself as successful. I have a problem with talking about I and me. I just feel part of a successful group of players. I am just a small part in that, so I never think I am successful. I think along with the people around me and I enjoy the successes we have, but I never think of me being the successful one.”

“I don’t have a plan as a coach. I don’t have the plan to be the coach of Manchester United in the future, my life is open. I think that is better than to plan ever ything, because you never know where you will end up. I never planned to be a Manchester United player, but I did end up there. I never planned to be the Celtic coach and here I am sitting being the coach.”

“This is my job. Once you get your coaching badge, it’s like taking an oath, just like when you become a doctor. When you become a doctor, you take an oath that you will make people better. When you become a coach, you take an oath that you will make football players better. As a coach, it’s not about you. You will get better in the job over the years, you’ll get more knowledge, but it is not my goal to make myself a better coach. My most important goal is to make the players better. I want to be a coach that lets people experience the excitement I felt when I was a player. Feel the joy I felt when I won trophies. So basically I am there for the players and my enjoyment comes from watching players being successful and improving themselves.”

“I can’t teach players everything. I can teach them about winning games, I can make them understand the system. But I can’t help them pass the ball anymore. When you come to this level, you either can pass the ball or you can’t. I can work on getting people in the correct position, but if you are 29 and you keep giving the ball away, I can’t do anything about that. What can you do if everybody is in perfect position and somebody can’t pass the ball 15 yards? That is a waste of time. So what comes first, the system or the ability to pass the ball? Of course, it is the ability to pass the ball. You can put Paul Scholes anywhere on the pitch; he will never give the ball away.”

“Why Celtic is so successful? I don’t analyze it that much, but I would say we have the best group of players. It is as simple as that and I think people just score goals, every season we have players scoring goals. Last year, Jan Vennegoor and McDonald together scored 50 goals and that’s basically it. We give them a platform, we play a system that give chances to people like them and they give us back 50 goals.”

“He is always looking for ward, always. Ferguson teaches players that after three square passes, it must go for ward. He doesn’t want square-square-square-back-back-back. And basically he is saying: I always want you to look for ward. How do you get that for ward pass of 10, 20 yards to eliminate the midfield of the opponent? Paul Scholes can do that.”

No. 29 October/November 2008

“But whatever system is used, systems don’t win you games. Players win you games. A system can help you not to lose a game, but players will help you win a game. For example, if you take the match we played last night (against Tottenham in the Rotterdam Tournament in August 2008 – ed.), Tottenham used the system I used when I first came here to Celtic. Today I no longer have the players to play that system. But the choice of the system did not beat us last night, the passing beat us. Just the ability to pass the ball properly beat us. In the first half we had 18 unforced errors in our passing, and that means we gave the ball away while there was no pressure. Those 18 bad passes lost us 8 minutes of possession and that’s what cost us the game last night.” “I saw the same at the European Championship. There was so much talk about the systems. But what I see: no matter what happens, when defending, they all defend 4-5-1. There were variations when you have the ball, but they all defend that way. But there is no one system that will let you win that tournament. Players will. So again, systems can stop you from conceding goals, but good players score you goals.” “My role is to understand why we play that system. That is the coaching side of my job. But on the other side there is also a managing side. I like coaching, but you also have to make a group of players. Our team that played last night cost 8 million pound, the Tottenham squad cost 125 million. If you play the better teams in Europe, you know you can beat them 1 out of 10 matches. You have to make sure your organization is as strong as possible by preparing your team as well as possible. Furthermore, you can beat such a team with team spirit. The technical ability can only be there when you also have the team spirit at that level and that’s where we can beat that team. If you are not as technical as the other team, you have to compensate. My job as a coach is to make them feel comfortable with each other. In other words: to create team spirit.” “In this process I didn’t encounter a lot of problems. If I had encountered a destructive player in the group I would say: you are a good player, but you are affecting other people. We watch this very closely and you have to treat players properly. I’m like a father for them. I can speak to them like a child while there is a fire. I can say: please don’t go near the fire, otherwise you will get burned. But if they keep going towards it, they have a problem and sometimes as a coach you have to be ruthless. I don’t enjoy it, but you have to do that. You hope that if you treat them properly you will get the same back. But sometimes you have to take action, but not too often luckily.” “As a coach, there is quite a difference between Coventry and Southampton and coaching here. When I was at Coventry and Southampton, 70 percent of my coaching was how to stop the opponent, because we were playing high level teams like Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester. How can I stop Roy Keane or Paul Scholes getting the ball so often? Now at Celtic, it is different as I now have to think about how we can beat systems that try to stop us from scoring goals. It is the other way around. I now have to break down systems, at Coventry and Southampton I had a system that was hard to beat. It took me three weeks at Celtic to think the Celtic way. I enjoy both, but they are two completely different preparations.”

No. 29 October/November 2008

“If I watch an opponent play in the week before they play against Celtic, I can forget about the way that team played in that match, because next week they will do something different, because we are Celtic. They will look at Celtic and think: how can we stop Celtic’s way of playing? And I understand that completely, because I did the same when I was coaching at Coventry and Southampton. I’ve been there too. I know coaches with less money than Celtic have to work very hard and don’t be disappointed or have the arrogance to say: everybody should play like us. No they don’t because that coach has to keep his job. If he wants to get better he should keep his job for 4 to 5 years. They have to learn how not to get beat and that man has to make a living for his family as well.” “The longer you stay in the game as a manager, the more you’ll learn and that means you will be able to survive. If you get through the first 4 to 5 years as a coach you normally go on. If you lose three jobs in three years, you usually don’t. It is as hard as that, because it’s a job everyone wants to do. I also found the first three years at Coventry very hard and when you get beaten, you can lose the belief in yourself sometimes. Every coach has experienced that at some point. Every coach thinks he is the only one that has that doubt, but he isn’t. We have all had our darkest moment.” “The more good players there are on the pitch, the less coaching you have to do. There is absolutely no doubt about that. You can feel at once when good players are on the pitch, at once. You can tell other players over and over again what they should do, but they keep making the same mistakes and after a certain time you know they will never get any better. You explain it to them and they forget. But good players pick up things. Nakamuri does not speak English, but he picks up everything you explain. The better players I’ve got, the better manager I become.” “But it is funny. Just listen to the coaches after a match. When their team won, they say: who choose the right tactics. But look at a team that was beaten: the players were bad today. So when the team wins, it is the coach and when the team loses it is the players. But basically it is always the players. Whether you win or lose. You as a coach can get all the players in the right

Photo by: Orange Pictures

positions, but they still need to have the ability to pass the ball and it is not that difficult ball I am talking about. That is not what makes a great player; it is the basic 10 to 15 yard passing. You don’t want games where you lose the ball in the middle of the park. The ball that gives you the most problems are the passes of 10 yards that look easy. They get intercepted and you have a very dangerous counter attack. Most people think: that is an easy pass, so I can relax. The long pass, the diagonal ones, are no big problem. But you need to do those passes to break down defenses.” “My problem at Celtic is that I hardly have time to coach as we play so many games, 2 to 3 games a week; it is always trying to reactivate them for the next game. The other problem is that everybody wants to beat Celtic. Every ground we go is full. I know the system will be different and the players will be different, because they are playing Celtic. It’s wearing for the players as there is a physical limit for a player, there is also a mental limit.” “You have to deal with that as a Celtic Player. A player we signed last year didn’t realize what Celtic was all about, because every game has to be won. If you concede a goal, there is a crisis in Glasgow. Sack the manager, because there were shots on goal. The same holds for players: one bad pass and you could be in trouble. You have to deal with that.” “I like the way Manchester United plays: 4-4-2. However, you have different sorts of 4-4-2 you can play. You can manipulate that. You can play with two players up front, but you can also play with two strikers where one of the two is a beneath striker. You can play with players coming of the wing, etc. But the Manchester way is the way I would like to play, but+ unfortunately it is not possible with our group of players and that is what you have to do as a coach. I just look at my players to see what we can accomplish but we always sign to get better. But I think every coach does. Alex Ferguson also tries to get his team better. To make a team that can win the Champions League three times in a row. But never sign an emotional defender because they will start tackling, get sent off, give away penalties and give away free kicks just outside the box if they get emotional. They can’t stay focused, they can’t stay above the things that happen.”

No. 29 October/November 2008

Photo by: Orange Pictures “At Celtic we try to pass the ball and try to get energy into a game. I like the players to be fit, because I think there is a psychological advantage when you know that you are fitter than the other team and that’s a really big advantage. If I have to play against you and I know you are fitter, I am already weakened. That’s what happens. I make them fit, so whatever ability they have, they can use it for longer in a game because if you get tired, your body gets tired, your brain gets tired and when your brain sends tired signals to your legs you can’t do what you want to do, because you are tired. That is the reason why so many defenders dive into tackles in the

No. 29 October/November 2008

last 5 minutes because they are tired. They can’t stay on their feet anymore. Last season we scored 20 goals in the last 15 minutes, but we conceded only 2 goals. That period is the most important period for us to win the championship, because they are fit, they know they are fit and they believe they are fit. They can dribble longer, they can do everything longer.” “I think that hard running and work can build a character. When I was at Manchester United, Alex Ferguson was doing running exercises to test your character. He wanted to see who mentally

people mentally stronger. It worked on me and it worked on other people. He did show me that making somebody physically stronger makes him mentally stronger. I know that is a fact.” “Football nowadays, here in Britain, is at its best. It is better now than it has ever been. Athletes are better and quicker, ever ything is getting better. So I don’t believe in people saying that the 60s were so good. And in the 80s there was some terrible football, especially here in Britain. But it is much better now. The back pass rule has made room for footballers. Ten years before the back pass coaches were taking shortcuts. But look at Leeds United, they won the championship, they changed the back pass rule and the year after that they are at the bottom of the league. Because the back 4 could not play football and that was a problem. The game is better now because of that rule and it is the best rule change in my time.” “Sometimes people in Britain say we should play more like the Dutch or the Spanish or the Italians. But those are different cultures. I can set up a box of 10 by 10 meters and let the Dutch play in it and I make a similar box and let Scottish players play football in it. In the Scottish box it will be like piranhas and in the Dutch box you will see them passing the ball around. That is a difference in culture. So we have to find a system that suits our style of play, our culture, because if you go to Spain, people take an hour and a half to eat their meal at night whereas the Scots will take only 10 minutes. We speak quickly, we walk quickly; ever ything is done quickly. For example, I like golf and I get the ball and hit it and ever ybody says to me: you need to slow down, but that doesn’t work. I met this golf coach and he said, “I watched you play football for 20 years and I know you can’t slow down”. I need to find you a club that suits your swing. You can’t change a culture. We can’t behave in a way that’s not the way we are. So you have to play a system that suits your culture. You can’t just copy the Dutch.” “When I was the coach of Coventr y I got involved in ever ything, so also in the youth development. I was a new manager and I wanted to get involved in ever ything. At Southampton I just helped and now I don’t have much to do anymore with the youth development. I think it is a different world. Have your plans, but don’t chop and change. I will help if they need my help, but you have to get on with it.”

stopped before the body did. He could tell when somebody’s body had enough. So if someone stopped before that, it meant the body went first, not the mind. If you see the mind go first, you have a problem. Because it is the mind that has to play on the football pitch, that’s why you make people mentally stronger and if you train them physically, you will make them mentally stronger. That physical weapon is a mental weapon. If you are fitter than the team you are playing against, you are 1-0 up already. You know that and the other team knows that. I think the stuff Alex Ferguson taught me when I was a young man is still relevant today. He knows how to make

“If I had a say in it, I would let people rotate positions a lot. If I need a right back, you’ll get a young player who has played there his whole life. He always had the pitch on his left, so he has no experience or vision if the ball comes from the other side. I believe they should play in different positions. Just like volleyball, where they change all the time. Play ten minutes and then change positions. That way ever ybody gets a par t of ever ything. That guy who plays right back, should know how a striker plays. He should be able to deal with an opponent from the other side. That player has not developed vision on his right side. They don’t know what it is like to come this way. They don’t know what it is like to come towards the goal, play a 1-2. They all have the mentality of a right back. This happens with all the players. They never played anywhere else since they were 8. So the striker does not understand what the midfield player wants. Players should understand ever y position on ever y par t of the pitch. That will help them in the future.”

No. 29 October/November 2008

Ricardo Moniz,

HSV Hamburg

In recent years I have uncovered certain aspects of ‘technique training’ for my vision and my experience working with the Coerver Method. The next time it will be fixed on the views and conversations that I've had with other trainercoaches, who use the method as their framework. In this first article I talk with Ricardo Moniz, a master in his field and a real trainer. We talk about the trainer as a motivator, the translation of technical skills to the game and attacking spaces. By: Michel Hordijk

“I don’t work very differ with six year olds than professionals” “I would like to point out that I don’t think the term technique trainer is correct. First of all I don’t think you should see learning individual technique as separate from all other aspects of football. Obviously learning techniques is the basis from where you start, but if you use the Coerver method then the philosophy behind it is your red line tactically, technically, physically and mentally. In other words; you are a trainer-coach, nothing more and certainly nothing less. Before I joined HSV I worked at Tottenham Hotspurs academy. I didn’t have a youth team to train there, something I did have when I was training at PSV. There I had the opportunity to train players like Ismaïl Aissati and Roy Beerens and I enabled

No. 29 October/November 2008

them to play from their qualities. This is essential, because if you are training individual qualities, but you are unable to translate them into the game and integrate them into your coaching style, then all those individual qualities will be lost. It is all about motivating players to take initiative, be creative and to always be forward thinking. At Tottenham I wasn’t able to do that, because I wasn’t coaching a specific team. In matches I often saw that the wingers weren’t delivering the cross from the end line or that the wingbacks weren’t beating their opponent or even trying to, and that the number 10 did not enter the opponent’s penalty area once during the entire match, not once! I think that is unbelievable.

The work method "At Tottenham I was involved with all the youth teams within the academy and before Martin Jol left Spurs I also worked daily with players from the first and second team. I do not work substantially different with six-year olds than I do with professionals. It is about the same things, with every player, young or old; developing the individual qualities, self and optimal deployment of possibilities. Of course with a six-year old the emphasis is on learning skills and the opponent in the beginning stage is therefore a 'partner', allowing a young player to experience success with the ball. Because of that success a young player will practice more frequently and that is essential. When you are talking about players like Cruyff, Pele, Maradona and Zidane, everybody always points out their exceptional talent. I think the most exceptional talent is the fact that they always worked very hard. When I say this people look at me in a funny way, but it’s the truth. Both during their youth as well as their professional career they always work 100% at improving themselves. That was their strength. Having talent is one thing, but developing it optimally is something you must work at.

ently I do with

In that aspect it is kind of odd that there aren’t any trainercoaches, who practice by themselves. I would say that is the case for nearly every trainer, because if you do not experience first hand what daily training can do, how can you stimulate and motivate players from the heart? In my opinion that is what it is all about: I see myself as a motivator, developing all potential qualities is something the players must do themselves. I can only guide them in the process. So I tell players: ‘alright your goal is to become a professional football player. I will help you with attaining that goal, but you are responsible for you own development.’ When players, from any age category, take that responsibility they can develop themselves infinitely, because deployment and progression are never ending. So what would happen if all youth players would leave there computer for one hour a day and spend this hour to train their individual qualities, outside the regular training? Wouldn’t that give the general level an incredible ‘boost’? None of us are idealistic enough in that aspect.”

Youth Academies in Holland

“A coach is an authority in England” A way of thinking “I try to get my way of thinking across in a very simple way: through small sided games. Two against two, three against three, five against five. Especially five against five in a large space, such as half a playing field, works great. The players must continuously attack the spaces. By possession and position play in a small space you don't get that result and those kinds of games are not always realistic. How often do you play 4:2 in a 10 by 10 area during a real game? That is why I almost never play 5:3; I would rather play 3:5.”

“The professional clubs in Holland have ver y low expectations. They are happy when one or two players per age category make it to professional football. I think that is wrong. At Tottenham we would scout talented players from the age of six. So you have twelve years to turn them into exceptional players, twelve years! Given the low amounts of players who eventually make it to the top we must ask ourselves what goes wrong in those twelve years.

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“We should never forget that the groundwork is being laid down at the amateur clubs”

I don’t want to be negative, because I know that most people who work in football have good intentions and I don’t question that. I just think that things must change. Americans have a saying that fits well here: If you do what you did, you‘ll get what you’ve got.”

Authority “Due to the disastrous elimination by Croatia for Euro 2008 there have been plenty of people in England who are standing up and saying: this is the limit, we are going to do things differently from now on. However, most Brits are very conservative. I always say: in Holland there are relatively few players with exceptional qualities that can be attributed to our academy model. However that same academy model also makes us tactically educated and our position play is good. In England they don’t spend much time on either. The focus here is still on strength, mentality and grueling match tempo. Fortunately some educators are slowly realizing that the classic English method is outdated, but most youth coaches would change that quickly. They are much further away from their players than their Dutch counterparts. A coach is an authority in England. There are probably coaches everywhere that like and adhere to this approach, but I don’t like having such a distant relationship with the players. Moreover, when I talk to players, regardless of their age, I am on the same plane as them and we work together based on a friendship. I think this is important, as this also teaches them social skills which are also important on the field. Players on the field must constantly help each other, by coaching positively, by creating space and being available to receive a pass, by passing well, by staying away from certain situations, etc. Helping each other is the basis, because football is a team sport and I believe you cannot create that basis when you train and coach in an authoritative way.”

“The professional clubs in Holland have very low expectations” Martin Jol “When Martin Jol was the head coach at Tottenham I was very closely involved with the first team. The relationship I have with Martin Jol is very good, both personally and professionally. That is a good starting point, without a good relationship you cannot work well together.

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Besides that the players reacted positively to my exercises, especially the more experienced players such as Edgar Davids and Robbie Keane who thought they were very refreshing. After Jol’s departure I was not involved with the first team anymore. With a new coach, Ramos, come new rules. That’s simply the way it works.”

HSV Hamburg In June this year HSV Hamburg announced the signing of Moniz to expand the coaching team of their new head coach Martin Jol. "Ricardo Moniz is an absolute expert. He has a superb reputation throughout the football world through his meticulous way of working and his competence. He will be an added strength to our coaching staff", said HSV sport director Dietmar Beiersdor fer. Ricardo is looking forward to his new job: "HSV is a huge club with a colorful past and a fine team. I have known the club since I was a kid. I had a good feeling as soon as the talks began. I can't wait to get started and am looking forward to live in this beautiful city."

Two-footed “No matter how important a trainer is, the player will eventually determine how good he is. Take Frank de Boer’s through pass, for example. You are right it was brilliant, but what if he had such a pass with his right foot as well? Frank would have been an even better player, who was even more capable of a superb buildup. And that is what it is all about: those top players also have to constantly be pushing their boundaries. When it comes to being two-footed it is odd that you rarely see players with two dribbling feet and two passing and shooting feet. That is another thing a player can develop in those twelve years. The innate ability to become two-footed can differ vastly per player. Johan Cruyff was right footed, Pele and Van Basten as well, Maradona was a lefty. You often see that two-footed players are innately right footed. It is important to realize this. Likewise it is important to realize what type of player he is. You strive for per fection with ever y type of player, but a player like Maduro is very different from a type like Messi. As a coach you have to recognize this, so a player can develop differently from his specific possibilities and qualities. When it comes to technical per fection: this can be attained by training, training and more training.”

Being tough “The U13s at the professional clubs in Holland have 3 training sessions per week, from which one training session will be replaced, once every two weeks, by a friendly match. I think that’s too little, regardless of the age group these kids should be training at least an hour a day, outside of regular practice. They should be developing their own qualities and when this doesn’t happen at the club, they should do it at home. Some of these kids have to be literally dragged from behind their computers, so I motivate them by simply telling them that if they do not master a certain move by the next training session they will not be allowed to participate in the game at the end of the session. This may sound tough, but these kids want to be professional football players, don’t they?

Well, then they shouldn’t be playing on their computers all day long. Besides, if it is a punishment for them to be playing outside with a ball every day they should find another dream. Fun always comes first, but once they have experienced success with the ball they simply want more and more. They will start to feel that the possibilities to develop themselves are more or less infinite. Sometimes it takes a bit more to motivate them, which is OK too, its all part of parcel of learning.”

A broad basis “Compared to seven years ago there is a lot of demand for the Coerver method, which is generally a good thing. However, we must not forget what it is all about. Coerver gave us a good frame to work with. Before Coerver developed his technical plan, there wasn’t anything like it out there. However: it is not just about technique. I think it is wrong that all those commercial football schools out there are trying to make money off of the Coerver name. Those people are often working in such a fragmented way, while it is really about the whole picture. It is all about the clubs, which is where it should happen. I worked for VV Neunen (a small Dutch amateur club – ed.) for a while, which was great. We should never forget that the groundwork is being laid at the amateur clubs. That is also where the strength of Dutch football comes from. A lot of countries do not have such a strong and broad amateur branch. So the possibilities in Holland are endless, but even there most are not being used. I think we should become more idealistic in Holland; we will be able to accomplish so much more if we were. We should make the basis even stronger, so we can create a higher summit. All Dutch youth players should develop themselves on a daily basis; I would love to find out what would happen then!”

No. 29 October/November 2008

Beating your opponent (1) Organization: - Five players in a queue, 2 balls

Progression: Players A and C (the wingers) have the ball. Player C steps out and receives the ball from A. Player C beats players B and A. Player B becomes the middle player, who steps out and receives the ball from player C. Player B beats players D and E, player D asks for the ball from player C, who has moved to the wing.

Coaching: - At first it is all about training match moves, the opponent functions as a partner.

Beating your opponent (1b) Organization: - 100 % pressure - 1 against 1, whereby the defenders defend on a line. They are not allowed to leave their line.

Variation: - 100% pressure, the first defender stays on the line, the second defender defends forward. This means the frequency of the attacker must be high.

Shooting technique training with left and right Organization: - Five players (2 strikers) and 2 goalkeepers - Two goals, one goal on the 16 meter line and one goal on the side (as illustrated) - Approx. 30 balls

Progression: - Player 1 passes the ball to player 2, who wall passes. Player 1 shows for the ball and passes with left to striker B, who finishes on goal. Player 2 walks to the balls behind the goal. Player 3 passes to player 1, who wall passes to incoming player 3, who passes with right top striker A, who finishes on goal. Player 2 passes to player 3, etc.

Variation: - Different ways to cross, such as: turning outwards, turning inwards, etc. - Different ways to finish: shooting, heading, tapping

No. 29 October/November 2008

2:2 + 1 Organization: - Neutral player is playmaker (Zidane) with 1 goalkeeper.

Progression: - The neutral player always plays with the team in possession, but is not allowed to score. This exercise is perfect for coaching the central defenders and especially the less talented players who will learn a lot from this exercise, because as a neutral player they become important. - The neutral player will have to move a lot, show for the ball, give through passes and by means of moves the neutral player has to bring others into scoring situations. - The two attackers are allowed to score into the large goal, the two defenders can score by means of dribbling across the 16 meter line

2:2 + 1 (2) Organization: - 2:2 + 1, the neutral player has to beat his opponent and score (Ronaldinho)

Progression: - Same organization as exercise 3, only the field will be longer and there are two goals, one on each side of the field. Whenever the neutral player gains possession he has full freedom. He can beat his opponents and score (a.k.a. be creative) or he can play the role of the playmaker. This exercise is perfect to develop the playmaking and penetrating identity of a player.

Advantages of exercises 3 and 4: -

Creativity and verbal capacity are being developed Always play towards the goal Transition Less talented player get the most attention

5:5 on half a field Organization: - Cross formation

Progression & objective: - Play always starts with the goalkeeper. When 4 asks left, 10 will have to ask right so the path to 9 remains open - Number 4 can enter midfield, 10 will stay below him - Everybody is allowed to penetrate, this often allows 9 to turn to the goal quickly - Whenever a winger has possession, 9 will stay away. So when 11 has the ball, 9 will move right. This creates two option for 11, lob the ball over the defense to 9 or beat his opponent and cross - A lot of 2v1 situations - You can only attack when you think defensively These exercises are all developed by Ricardo Moniz in cooperation with Wiel Coerver

No. 29 October/November 2008

Ruud Wielart, Strength and conditioning coach at the Feyenoord youth academy: Ruud Wielart was appointed as strength and conditioning coach at the Feyenoord youth academy in May 2007. The former high jumper has been active in football training since the 90s. Foppe de Haan, the former Heerenveen coach, was one of the many Dutch coaches who asked Wielart to help out. By: Paul van Veen

"Good body is important for injury prevention" Wielart began his football career by advising Foppe de Haan and the Heerenveen staff on strength training. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I went there because I had been working with Bert van Lingen (KNVB), but he went to coach at the Glasgow Rangers with Dick Advocaat. After he came back to Holland we picked up where we left of and together with Raymond Verheijen we started a research project on body stabilization and explosive capacity. During the two year course of our research we followed a group of U13 players from Haarlem and Volendam.â&#x20AC;?

No. 29 October/November 2008

“In the prevention of injuries is important to have good body stabilization.”

Extremes “The extremes you face while playing football are very diverse and you have to guard yourself against them as a player. They are all external situations that differ per match. One match you will be playing against a much heavier and stronger opponent, while the next match you may be playing against an opponent of equal height, weight and strength. This rarely happens in other contact sports, like martial arts, because you are locked into a specific weight category. Due to this playing against different opponents of varying shapes and sizes, you must work to improve your strength in relation to your body weight. The plan is to work on this and prepare yourself and then you must translate this into the game”

Football speed “Speed is important, but we are talking about football speed. There are people who compare footballers to sprinters, but a footballer is not a sprinter. You can never sprint at full speed in a match, because you have to deal with the path of the ball, opponents and other variables. You must always keep this in mind as a sprinter doesn’t have these problems. An opponent won’t interfere with his sprint and if it were to happen, it will most likely result in injury.”

Agility “A footballer must have speed, but has to also have the capacity to be agile, to stop at any given moment, sprint from a jump, and land correctly, etc. This means a footballer must have superb agility. In my research I noticed that this is an area that is often under-trained at the youth level. But agility really means being able to move well. Look at nature, for example. Animals that are agile cannot just move well, but they are often very quick too. This means that agility and speed are closely linked.”

Ronaldinho “A good example is a player like Ronaldinho. This is a player who is very agile, which also protects him from injuries. You can also tell he is very strong compared to his body weight. You frequently see players who appear to be very strong, but they have a lot of weaknesses. For example with someone who moves awkwardly, you will see injuries occurring more frequently. The player may have power, but he will not be able to do much for you as he will be frequently out injured.”

No. 29 October/November 2008

Available

Space

“That is what it is all about in football. Of course you need a good team with good players, but it is about having that team and all the players available. The longer you have a large selection, the more likely you are at a positive result at the end of the competition. You won’t be able to protect yourself against a kick to the knee, but you can protect yourself from a hamstring or ligature injury. As these injuries mainly occur when the body is not balanced, this can be trained.”

“Let’s take the Ajax goal against AC Milan in the 1995 Champions League final. Kluivert scored that goal, but Rijkaard created the play and the space. More than half of that goal should be attributed to Rijkaard’s per formance. Of course it is about the entire play from start to finish and therefore a collaborate effort, but without that action and the creation of space, Kluivert would not have scored.”

Pain Fun “It may not be fun for a player, as they prefer training with a ball, but the truth is that in a match there is only 1 ball and there are 22 players. At the grassroots level the players are all allowed to run towards the ball, but with older players it is about positioning and seeking the open spaces. These players have to be able to move in those spaces to be available to receive the ball or to help your teammate on the ball.”

“What you also often see is that players will play with little pains here and there. But a little pain does mean that there can be a disturbance in the sensory transfer, which can result in much bigger problems if you continue to play. For example, a small pain in your hamstring can result in a major hamstring injury. Let's make a very simple comparison. If you have a very good car, with a very good engine, but with bad tires, then you really have a problem if you need to brake. Even if you have good tires, but bad brakes you've got a problem. There is no balance in that car and it is the same with humans. Sometimes continue playing is necessarily in football, but if you can avoid it, do so. With an ankle distortion you are looking at 4-8 weeks recovery time and with a ligament injury you can be out for half a year to a year. And then you have to wait and see whether your career development will pick up where you left off.”

Football specific “Everything you train on should be football specific. When you are training a player on speed, you should do it in combination with a football and not just have improving speed as your objective. Jumping strength is great to develop, but when the landing is not good enough to take off right away, then training the jump is pointless. Another example is the so-called six-pack. This doesn’t do anything if your total body strength is not good. It is all about the uniformity.”

Abdominals “When you are just training abdominals, you will often develop a problem in your back. It will be too weak compared to the front.

No. 29 October/November 2008

You will notice this when you are trying to slow down after a sprint or when you are in a duel for the ball. Someone who is not steady on his feet can have the strongest abdominals in the world, but he will still fall down when challenged. Truth is you stand on your feet and legs, and your abdominals won’t help with that. Only when the rest of the body is strong will these strong abs be of any help. I think this is the problem with strength training, you must see it in its entirety and from the football moment where you apply it to. A football player doesn’t have to be a body builder, a sprinter or a high jumper. He has to be trained in order to execute his football duties and to protect him from injuries.”

Strength training “You can easily work on strength training using your own body weight. An example of a jumping with both feet, like a frog. When you make sure you stabilize yourself right after you land and you don’t see anymore movement, then you know you jumped right and by doing so you are training everything. The explosiveness, the braking effect (the exocentric phase), everything really. The moment you can brake from an explosive handling, you are being football specific. Someone who can jump really far from stance is also really fast on the first meters. When you are also able to absorb the speed you are giving to your body from after the jump you know you can handle the extremity. This is all intertwined into simple a exercise, the only thing you have to do is execute it correctly. When you repeat this jump eight or nine times in a row you are training everything you need in the game.”

Feet “I also think that the calves and feet are under-developed in football. How many players actually walk on the front of their feet? Or even stand on the front of their feet? Just make an analysis of when players are agile? When are they less vulnerable? Exactly, when they are using the front of the feet. When you are standing flat on your feet and you get kicked you will have a problem. When you are standing on the front of your feet, your lower leg will be kicked from beneath you, but the damage will be minimal. These are all advantages.”

What is body stability? “Body stability is a condition and not a type of strength training. It is a condition to start with strength training. The body is a sort of cylinder, the abdominal muscles as the sides of the cylinder; the back and buttocks muscles as the back of the cylinder; the diaphragm as the top and the pelvis area as the bottom. The large abdominal and back muscles take care of the stability and the smaller deep muscles take care of the joint stability. In other words: both the large and the small stabilizers must be well trained. Only then can we speak of general stability. Inadequate development of the, for example, small stabilizers can lead to ligament, groin and/or hamstring injuries.

Warning "It is important that an expert is present while executing these exercises, even with the simple ones. Also the execution is important, but also the ability to correct the execution must be at hand too. The wrong execution of these kinds of exercises can lead to injuries."

Speedladder “Of course you can train fast feet by means of a speed ladder, which is great and will have great effects, but very little on the development of the feet. So you will have to find other ways to develop the feet along with the calves and of course also in correlation with the upper leg. This means doing a total exercise, in which you make the entire leg stronger, including the feet.”

“Body stability is a condition and not a type of strength training” Research “During the course of our research we looked at jumping strength, speed and duel strength. After two years of intensive training (twice a week for 30 minutes) we gathered that developing these areas had a strong preventive result. The number of injuries reduced dramatically compared to the years before. Besides that we also saw an increase in the above mentioned qualities of the players. The phenomenon of this era is the scarcity in exercise. Schools are cutting physical education classes, meaning these activities are shifted to the football fields. The youth at the professional clubs are often the best players out there and still I am in awe on how underdeveloped they are in terms of physical activity. I wonder how bad it is at the amateur and grassroots levels. We really need to work on this collectively.”

Feyenoord “Raymond Verheijen has through his research gathered that training these areas has lead to positive results. So it is important in the development of top athletes, especially in their youth playing years, that you train these facets. They have been enthusiastic about this approach and this enthusiasm has only grown. This growth in enthusiasm can be attributed to the fact that the results are clearly visible. There is a clear development in the total body strength / duel strength and all trainers are very positive about this. You can quickly see the differences and this translates into the game. Of course we cannot ignore the fact that we work with much bigger talents at Feyenoord than we did at

Haarlem and Volendam, so the development is even quicker.” “We are working at the professional level here and the periodization that Raymond does here, the correct workrest ratio, the specific football moment (the line training), the nutritional advice, etc. You notice that we are working at the top sport climate in a broader sense. This caused a shift whereby we all, players included, are a lot more conscious about development. This asks for a change on how we work, especially for the people who have been involved in football for a longer period of time, but generally it is working well. I think we are on the right track”

No. 29 October/November 2008

Filippo Fabbri and Valter Sapucci, Rimini Calcio:

“We have a prototype in every role on the pitch”

Rimini Calcio became professional in 1929, at the time that the club’s Romeo Neri stadium was built. The club currently plays in the second division, Serie B, finishing seventh in the 2007-08 season. In the youth sector, Rimini has two teams at each level – U13, U15, U17 and U20 – with 25 players in each group, for a total of 200 players. Last year, the club opened a Soccer School for 5-10 year olds, which already has 200 players. By: Frank Dunne Valter Sapucci is head of youth football at the club. He has been at Rimini for 11 years, after a playing career as a semi-professional and many years spent coaching at local and regional level. Below, Sapucci outlines the approach of the youth set-up, while coach Filippo Fabbri (left) takes a typical training session with the U15s.

Craftsman’s workshop “Big clubs like Inter Milan and Roma might not produce many first-team players in their youth sectors but they produce 20-30 players a year who make it as professionals. We can’t compare ourselves with clubs like that. We don’t see ourselves as a “factory” of talent but more like a specialist craftsman’s workshop, trying to turn out a small handful of high quality players every year,” Sapucci explains.

No. 29 October/November 2008

A typical week for Fabbri’s squad is as follows:

mind for

Monday:

rest

Tuesday:

ball possession (technique, themed games)

Wednesday: non-possession phase (individual and team units, positioning, jockeying opponents etc) Thursday:

specialised work for individuals or team units

Friday:

a revision of all the main elements of the week (mostly in team situations), plus dead-ball situations for 10-15 minutes

Saturday:

rest

Sunday:

match

The U15s, with Filippo Fabbri The last time Soccer Coaching International caught up with Filippo Fabbri he was coaching the U13s at Parma. Two years ago he returned to his native Rimini where he now coaches the Giovanissimi Nazionali – an U15 team which plays in a national league. He has 21 outfield players plus two goalkeepers.

As in most clubs, every group at Rimini has its own technical staff, with a coach, a fitness coach and a goalkeeping coach. However, Sapucci has created two additional roles which he believes are of fundamental importance. Mirko Malferrari is a specialist coach who works with individual players or small groups on very specific aspects of technique or individual tactics, the kind of work that coaches do not always find time for when they have to coach a group of 25 players. Matteo Perazzini is the Scholastic Tutor, as well as being assistant coach to Fabbri. He looks after the young players who are brought in from outside the region, looking after relationships between the boys and their schools and the relationship between the club and the families of the boys.

Clear guidelines The youth set-up operates on clear guidelines regarding the kind of coaching required. There are guidelines for the sector as a whole and guidelines for each age group. “We have a prototype in mind for ever y role on the pitch – the characteristics required to play in a cer tain position – which is something which we produce together with the first-team coaches,” Sapucci says. “This informs ever y thing from the initial selection of players at 10 years of age, through to the coaching at each age group.”

Fabbri’s objectives for the season are: (1) Technical – the consolidation of fundamental skills, such as passing, controlling, running with the ball, and the ability of the player to perform the skills in match situations; (2) Situational – a lot of work on 2v1 and 2v2; (3) Tactical – the basics of team play, such as positioning, defensive covering, marking etc. “The U15s is an age group in which there is a clear break from playing like kids to playing football in a more mature and aware manner. It’s the first real step towards proper football. It’s where you expect them to start showing a real attachment to their colours, to be a bit more aggressive than in the past. It is also a phase where they require greater attention to particulars, greater awareness of team-mates and opponents – it’s no longer just about a relationship between the player and the ball.” “The base formation with this group is 4-3-3,” Fabbri says, “with two wide players who have the freedom to move inside. It’s not a group with great physical strength so having two players who stay out wide, hugging the line can create problems when you don’t have the ball. Creating greater density in the middle area by moving the wide players inside helps us to compensate for the deficit in strength compared to other teams,” Fabbri says.

Session 2 October 2008 “Ever y age group works on the three main elements of coaching: technical, physical, and tactical, both at individual and team level. The percentage breakdown of the three components doesn’t change over the years but obviously the content varies according to the age of the boys. In the time allotted to physical work, for example, the youngest boys work on motor skills and coordination, in later years they would work on speed and stamina.”

In every session Fabbri works with a fitness coach, Fabio De Luigi, and an assistant coach, Matteo Perazzini. This session was divided into five phases: (i) a warm-up phase using two different technical activities; (ii) the players in two groups, one working on the defensive line with Fabbri, the other with De Luigi; (iii) a 6v6 with a flat back four as a progression from the earlier exercise; (iv) attack v defence in just over half the pitch; (v) a normal match in just over half the pitch.

No. 29 October/November 2008

Phase 1 The players are split into two groups. The first group works on running with the ball, the second on passing and moving.

ball is played to the attacker. If it is a ball which is easy for him to control, the defender sits deep and doesn’t commit. If it is harder to control, the defender pushes up on him more aggressively.

Phase 2 (see diagrams below) Fabbri takes seven players to work on defending in a back four; the others work on motor skills and coordination with De Luigi. It is a 4v4 in which Fabbri takes up the position of the central midfielder. There are two wide midfield players and a striker. A sequence of moves begins with Fabbri playing the ball to one of the wide players who then either shields it or attacks the defence.

A goal can be scored in either of the two wide ‘goals’ (the spaces between the two wide discs). The first job of the attacking midfield when they win the ball is to spread the ball wide. Another way to score is by playing the ball through to a player who has run in behind the goal area. So an alternative for the midfield/forwards is to pick out a run off the ball with a through ball.

“Today we were focusing on the reading of the situation by the defence according to whether the ball is shielded by the attacker or is in open play,” Fabbri explains. As long as the ball is in an open situation, and can be played forward, the defence has to make sure that it doesn’t push up too far to allow space behind for a through ball or ball over the top. If the player with the ball turns to shield it so it can’t be played forward, the three other defenders (B, C, D) squeeze up the space, pushing up in a straight line.

Phase 4

Phase 3 A 6v6, in an area about 40m x 40m, marked out by plastic discs between the centre circle and the penalty area. Three midfielders and three attackers against a team lined up with a back four and two central midfield players. The first objective is to try to win possession. The defender’s movement depends on what kind of

Attack v defence in just over half the pitch, with a line of plastic markers across the pitch at about the halfway point. The defending team has to decide whether to push up and squeeze the space or to hold off. When they push up, they try to close down all of the short passing options, leaving the longer option passes available. When the ball is playable by the attacking team, the objective of the defending team is not to allow them to get the ball through the line of plastic discs. “The tactical key,” Fabbri explains, “is the positioning of the defensive players in such a way that they don’t allow balls played between the lines of midfield and defence. If the attackers succeed in getting a through ball along the ground, the defending team is “penalised” by only being able to defend with the back four. This is to emphasise the point that once the ball has passed this line it is a dangerous situation.”

Providing cover Organisation: The move begins with the central midfield player playing the ball wide to one winger, who prepares to attack. The central striker moves a few metres in the direction of the winger.

Coaching: -When the defence sees that the ball is “open”, i.e. that the winger has the ball at his feet and is facing the defence, the defenders make the following moves: the right back (A) pushes out towards the winger and holds his position, jockeying rather than tackling; the first centre back (B) marks the striker; the second centre back (C) drops back a few metres to provide cover; the other full back (D) squeezes in towards the centre keeping on the same line as the first central defender (B). So from starting on one line, the defence is now organised on three lines.

Starting position

No. 29 October/November 2008

Phase 5 Match for 20 minutes with full team line-ups in just over half the pitch, with normal rules.

Defending a cross Organisation: The move begins with a wide ball to a winger who attacks the space down the wing, looking to get to the dead-ball line to cross. For this exercise, the full back doesn’t make a tackle but follows the winger’s run, moving in a slight diagonal towards his own goal.

Coaching: The other three defenders retreat and take up positions to protect the front post, the centre of the goal and the back post. If the striker comes in to their zone, they have to mark him. It is preferable for the second centre back (C) and the left full back (D) to pick up the forwards when they arrive, leaving the first centre back (B) to protect the near post. It is zone defending with manmarking of the attacker who comes into the defender’s zone. If one of the defenders manages to get a header on the ball to clear it, the defence pushes up in line.

Filippo Fabbri Date of birth 11.3.79 Played for a junior team in Rimini and was spotted by FC Parma at the age of 12. Joined Parma’s youth sector where he was considered to be one the best young players at the club but a cartilage injury ended his career at 18. Worked as an assistant youth coach at the club for two years, 1998-2000, and then coached the U13s until his return to Rimini at the beginning of the 2007-08 season.

No. 29 October/November 2008

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Training sessions from ar his time the training sessions feature will consist of 2 zones: the ‘Possession Play Zone’, consisting of 12 instead of 6 exercises and the ‘U11 (Y-Exercises) Zone’, consisting of 6 exercises.

Possession: attacking in offensive waves Organization: -

3 teams An exercise with an overload situation in offense Can be played in various forms (2:1, 3:1, 4:2, 4:3, etc.) The accent is on the role of the attackers o What running actions do the players off the ball make? When do I stay away? When do I show for the ball?

Progression: - The pressure can be increased by giving the defenders scoring opportunities as well (by scoring in one of the small goals) - The coach decides when the attack is over and when he will substitute either the defenders or the attackers (i.e. after a goal, after a certain amount of time) - The start can also vary, i.e. start with the attackers or from a pass from the defensive team or goalkeeper - The defensive team has a goalkeeper, creating an outnumbering situation

Opponent possession: defending the offensive waves Organization: - When the accent is on defense it is good to use actual defenders and goalkeepers - Increase the field size (compared to the previous exercise), accentuating shifting and sagging (only applicable with exercises with 2 or more defenders)

Progression: - Defenders have to seek the deep player after winning the ball

Possession: Using the returning defender Organization: - With exercises when you are playing towards the goal you can use the extra returning defender. This trains various elements; 1. The pressure to beat the offense 2. The attackers must look around to see where the returning defender is coming from 3. The defenders must communicate with this defender to re-organize their defense

Coaching: - With youth players it may be good to give the player a sign when he is allowed to return to defense - This defender must sprint back to defense and take part in the organization

No. 29 October/November 2008

round the world POSSESSION PLAY ZONE Possession: build up with overload Organization: - When using bigger numbers (i.e. 6v5) it is not necessary/possible to use offensive waves or substituting players - This exercise is a combination of a match and a positional game - Bigger field with more lines

Progression: - When the accent is on the defense or interfering by the offense the defenders or the goalkeeper will start in possession

Possession: build up in two areas Organization: - Using areas will make it harder for the players, but the solution will be clearer (when can we play deep and when canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we? When do we ask for the ball? Who will join the attack? - Work with 2 areas, with possibly a neutral area in between - The smallest possible form is a 3:1 to 1:1 whereby one player will join the attack after a deep pass

Possession: build up in three areas Organization: - Accent can be on build up, interfering by the attackers, role of the midfield, joining the attack - Players can get more freedom by means of covering through or moving through, to eventually end in a regular game - The numbers per area depend on the objective and the system of play determined by the coach

No. 29 October/November 2008

POSSESSION PLAY ZONE 2 Possession game 3 v 1 in two areas Organization: -

Two 10x10 meter areas Play 3v1 in one area The ball can be passed to 1 of the 2 teammates in the other area One player will join this area to create another 3v1 situation

Progression: - After winning the ball a defender is allowed to scored by dribbling over the sideline - After a certain amount of points change positions - You can also play this in a 3v2 variation

Striker game 5 against 3 Organization: -

Playing field: 25 x 12 m Scoring area: 3 x 12 m The striker is part of the team which starts on the other side In the playing field there are two players of each team and two neutral players - Attacking team tries to score by seeking the striker - Defending team tries to keep the other team from scoring - After a goal the other team will starts with the attack

Variations: - Score after joining the opponents half of the field - Score whenever the striker passes to the third player afterwards - Scoring team maintains possession and is now part of the other strikers team - Substituting striker, one player at a time in the scoring area - Increase team sizes

Zone play on three goals Organization: - Field of 30 x 15 m with a middle area of 5m meters - One team scores on two small goals, the other team on grassroots goals - Goalkeeper starts with possession and plays along (5 against 3 including a neutral player) - With loss of possession the other team is allowed to score (4 against 3 + goalkeeper including neutral player)

Variations: - Change after three goals or five minutes - Opponent may only be attacked when the ball is in the danger zone - You can also play this with infinite ball possession in combination with attaining the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;right to attackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the middle area - Other numbers

No. 29 October/November 2008

POSSESSION PLAY ZONE 2 Possession game 3 against 1 Organization: -

Small square, approx. 10 x 10 m Team of three plays on possession and move along the sides Defender tries to intercept the ball Then change roles

Variation: - Maximum 2 touches - Maximum 1 touch - After a pass move to the other side

Coaching - Move on the front of your feet - Turn inwards to receive the ball - Always be positioned in such a way that you have to passing options

Possession game 8 against 4 with three teams Organization: -

Square 40 x 25 m 3 teams of 4 players Two teams play together on possession When a blue player loses the ball team white will play with team red When a red player loses the ball team blue will play with team white

Variation: - Add transition when things are going well

Coaching: - Quick transitions and look around to see who you belong to - When in possession look at positioning, anticipate on loss of possession - This exercise demands a lot of concentration

Possession game 10 against 8 from positions Organization: - Width of the field and from edge of the penalty area to the middle line - Team of 10 plays from their regular formation (4-3-3, 4-4-2 of 3-5-2) - Team of 8 plays 3-2-3, so a man more situation can always be created - Play on possession

Variation: - Ball must remain in motion - Ball may not be passed back to the same player

Coaching: - Movement off the ball, get away from your opponent, create space for yourself and for others - Adjust ball speed to distance - Try to create a man more situation around the ball - Retain ball from busy area and shift it quickly No. 29 October/November 2008

U11 (Y-Exercises) ZONE Y-Exercise (basis) Organization: -

A passes to B B turns and passes to C C receives the ball and passes to D who dribbles to E Every player rotates 1 position in the direction of the ball

Coaching: -

Ask for the ball Make pre-move (move away then back) Show where you want the ball Move functionally, not just straight to the ball, but also sideways Look around you, not just to the ball Receive ball with 1 touch Pass hard (improve each other!)

Y- Exercise (advancement 1) Organization: -

A passes to B B wall passes to A and A passes to C C receives the ball and passes to D, who receives and dribbles to E Every player rotates 1 position in the direction of the ball

Coaching: - See basis exercise - Pass to the correct foot

Y- Exercise (advancement 2) Organization: - Same as advancement, only now with a defender behind player B who defends passively first, then actively - This player is the next player in line behind player B, so not a separate defender

Coaching: -

See earlier exercises First away from the opponent and then to the ball Pass the correct foot becomes even more important now Look at where the defender is Feel where the defender is

No. 29 October/November 2008

U11 (Y-Exercises) ZONE Y- Exercise (advancement 3) Organization: - A passes to B, B wall passes to A and A passes to C - C wall passes to incoming B, who got away from the defender - C passes to D, who receives and dribbles to E

Coaching: - See earlier exercises - Player D do not just stand at your cone! Participate and ask for the ball on the side

Y- Exercise (advancement 4) Organization: -

A passes to B, B wall passes to A and A passes to C C wall passes to incoming player B and passes to D D wall passes to incoming player C and receives the ball on the run D dribbles to the beginning 1 touch play The defender is behind B

Coaching: - See earlier exercises - Pass in front of the cone, so stay behind the ball

Y- Exercise (advancement 5) Organization: - Same exercise, but with 1 ball, stay on the same side, without a defender - C passes to A, A wall passes to D and D passes to B

Coaching: - See earlier exercises - Concentration - Help each other

Teambuilding: - Play with two groups against each other. Which group will be able to do 5 rounds, without touching the ball twice?

No. 29 October/November 2008

Dorival Júnior, head coach of Coritiba

“The change in the of Brazilian players

Dorival Junior began his work as head coach in 2003. The next year he won his first title, the state championship with Figueirense, of Santa Catarina. The connection with Coritiba began when he was still a player. Since 1982, the year he began his playing career at Ferroviária, Junior always showed leadership and tactical knowledge that indicated a future as a coach. He served as a defensive midfielder and was captain in the majority of teams that he played for.

Photo by: Divulgação/Coritiba

The preparation to be a coach started in his later playing career. Junior started to study the training and record the purpose of each activity. Now he is respected as a strong leader and a good decision maker. The training has changed a great deal since Dorival finished his playing career. He finished playing in 1995 and since then radical change in training has followed. The main innovation that Dorival Junior identified in practices during that period was greater integration. Physical activities are no longer purely physical and are incorporated into tactical and technical functions. This made the training far more interesting for the players. The need to optimize this work has coincided with the change in the training of Brazilian players. With a generation that didn’t play much in the streets and had less space to play in childhood, the clubs seek ways to address this. By: Guilherme Costa

No. 29 October/November 2008

training s”

Transition from player to coach “The transition is not simple. Firstly because you are no longer a player and this is a time of great indecision. Retirement is always complicated. Also you always want to remain a player, but now have to start from scratch again in a new career, because it is very different. To build the new career step by step, it is important that you use all that you learned and observed as a professional player. In the last six or seven years of my career as a player I started to prepare myself for the new role. For this, I tried to observe the work that was done in the field, record and see what was the intention of those activities was.”

The importance of experience as a player “When I was a player, I had knowledge about the things that happen within the group. That helps me to understand the reactions of the players today. This ability to analyze what happens with the players is fundamental to the work of any coach and I put that in my work to see how this can be done.” The master absorbs much of the problems of the group and tries to help. The role of coach is more or less similar to that effect. As the captain, he is a trustee of problems. The things that change are the responsibilities and the need for planning.

Experience as captain “Apart from being a player, I was captain in most of the teams that I played for. That teaches you to deal with an open channel with a little more coaching and management. The leadership of a group teaches you to take a more global view and starts to create an identity that you can consolidate then to become a technician. From the experience as a player and as a captain of that experience, I tried to prepare and study work as a technician. This is very dynamic and you cannot stop moving ever. I was always studying and trying to talk to my companions that a trend can be continuously.”

What changed in football? “Some training that I did when I was a player I still use today, but in a renewed way. The evolution of the sport has meant that professionals seek a system of work which adapts to the needs of each moment, and this directly affected the training sessions. Most things I did when I was athlete still appear on a day-to-day basis, but differently.” In recent years, football has lost a lot technically, but has become faster and more dynamic. One other thing that has changed is the attitude of the players.

The psychological part in the work of coaches “When you win a game, some players are happy and others are upset that they have not been part of the team. The coach must be prepared to deal with this situation and find an environment that is favorable for results. You need to motivate the players who are outside, encourage them and show that they are always important. From this, it is important to say that the psychological work has a great influence in the development of the day-to-day life of a coach. You must learn to deal with the players and make the best of them. They must always be targeted and focused so they can render the best of them on the field. You can have the best tactical scheme in the world, but on the day of departure must be willing and obsessed. These are two fundamental qualities for its time finding spaces in defending opponent and not provide loopholes. The way that football today is capped, the team that doesn’t work at the limit and don’t use the maximum capacity of their players will only do an ordinary job and will not achieve results.”

No. 29 October/November 2008

Photo by: Divulgação/Coritiba

Name: Dorival Silvestre Júnior (Dorival Júnior) Place of birth: Araraquara (SP) Date of birth: 25th April of 1962 Club: Coritiba Clubs as a coach: Figueirense, Fortaleza, Criciúma, Juventude, Sport, Avaí, São Caetano, Cruzeiro e Coritiba Titles as a coach: Santa Catarina state championship (2004), Pernambuco state championship (2006) and Parana state championship (2008) Clubs as a player: Ferroviária-SP, Guarani, Avaí, Joinville, São José, Coritiba, Palmeiras, Grêmio e Juventude Titles as a player: Santa Catarina state championship (1987) e Rio Grande do Sul state championship (1993)

Working with the ball

Teaching of volleyball

“There was a re-adaptation in the work of coaches lately and much of this hinges on work with the ball. We use the ball, even in physical training. Players are more prepared when the work is more game like. In any physical work we do today, almost 100% activity is with ball. Almost everything we do with athletes is performed within the field and you must adapt them to a condition similar to that will happen in games. The players find it much more interesting when a ball is used in physical work, they are much more motivated. This has been one of the biggest changes since I was a player. Everything that is done must take into account what happens in the game. If before you did training on just pure speed, today you put an opponent in and make it more game like. Or you can devise small sided games and try to reduce the transition time between defense and attack.”

“Brazilian has always had very big attacking potential, just look at volleyball, but was not as good in other areas. Brazil only became a major competitor in the world when other things started to work. Out volleyball techniques improved in terms of receiving the ball, blocking and the basis of technique. That was the foundation for our teams to become prominent in the global arena. After improving these areas we also began to produce more athletes in volleyball both male, female as well as beach volleyball. Football has never had a development like that and thus never worked on training players with the same attention as volleyball.”

The training of Brazilian players “Children used to climb trees and walls and play much more outside. That gave them dexterity and agility, and our players were always very dynamic. Over the last 20 years that has changed with society. We have fields and courts and it is much more about coaching and organized football. We have to bear this in mind when coaching the modern players.”

Training in football “If you compare the younger generations with the players who were formerly produced in Brazil, you will realize that football was a natural process. The players have been given less technical resources because the change of direction has changed.”

Tactical work “Today, technicians from Brazil use a very small field to work in. This gives a much greater momentum to the activities and requires the player to repeat several times the movements and actions that he must play during a match. Moreover, the work is done with offensive marking and without marking. These two situations are important to fit in with the movement of a player with another. In addition to doing the job right, the player needs to know where his team mate is and where are the empty spaces?” “After working on a small pitch we increase the size of the pitch and do the same things for 15-20 minutes. It’s an opportunity for players to work in an environment that’s more like they find during games.”

Photo by: Divulgação/Coritiba

Tactical planning “Having to change tactics every week to counter your opponent for me is a farce. You don’t have to prepare the team from one week to another. The good coach concentrates on his own team and has them dictating the game. The coach that says his team is assembled in accordance with each opponent is lying. He cannot change their pattern every Wednesday and every Sunday. That is impossible. The preparation is made up of the capacity and the profile of their own team. Each player has a different characteristic and that is fundamental to the overall outcome.”

No. 29 October/November 2008

Speed Organization: - Players line up on the bottom line - All players have a ball - Large goal with goalkeeper at opposite end of the field

Progression 1:

Progression 2:

- 2 players run with the ball towards the goal, first to enter the penalty area, shoot on goal

- 1 player at the time runs in a straight line with the ball, dribbling at an opponent and finishes on goal

Reduced field Organization:

Variation:

- 2 teams of 11 players each - Half a field - Offensive team plays (red): 4-4-2 with 2 offensive midfielders (in a bowl) - Defensive team plays (blue): 4-4-2

- Increase field to full field - The wingers must cross the ball from one side to another before shooting on goal (red team)

No. 29 October/November 2008

Brazilian Corner Unlike Europe, Brazil empties the area when the ball is in the air

Positioning differentiates work of coaches in the two regions There are many aspects which differentiate the preparation of teams in Brazil and the rest of the world. However, the difference is probably at its greatest when we look at balls played in the air. While in the country that has been five times world champions, they try to reduce the number of players in the area in those moments; the Europeans take the opposite view and increase the amount of players. "The trend in Brazil is to empty the area. Two or three players are responsible to stop a counter-attack. If the opponent is to check all these players, one more player on the left and one more that will make the cross, will have a maximum of five men in the area. The chance of scoring a goal is less", argued Carlos Alberto Parreira, the coach that won the World Cup in 1994.

The idea of reducing the amount of players in the area is a concern for Brazilian coaches with the structure of counterattacks. In Europe, by contrast, the trend is to expand the number of players in the area to avoid the action of the attackers and in this sector.

While the Europeans arrive to mark up with ten defenders, the Brazilians reduce the number. The difference can be explained by the style of defense, which is individual marking in Europe. In Brazil, the majority of coaches adopt zonal marking.

"What they advocate is basically this: There are 8-10 defenders against attackers. The team that has the ball only lost one player who is delivering the cross and one that is spare. But when the defense can clear, it is more difficult for the other teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position", reported Parreira.

"We have a player by the first post to cut to out low crosses, and a few to avoid infiltration and another at the far post as added security for the goalkeeper. Then, the goalkeeper has more mobility in the area", explained Vanderlei Luxemburgo, of Palmeiras.

No. 29 October/November 2008

Paul Cooper’s Small Sided Games Book:

Now Available in our online shop! WWW.SOCCER COACHINGINTERNATIONAL.COM No. 29 October/November 2008

Chris O’ Loughlin, youth development trainer at the SuperSport United South Africa:

“Preparing for the g Inspired by the question of what ‘the game of football will look like in 10 years time’, Chris O’ Loughlin, youth development trainer at the SuperSport United / Tottenham Hotspur Academy in Pretoria, South Africa, is preparing for ‘the game of the future’. This trainer believes that inclusion of specialists, and particularly of sports psychologists, in the technical staff is essential. By: Guy Oldenkotte

While much emphasis is currently being put on the ‘legacy’ football will leave behind once the 2010 FIFA World Cup has left South Africa - by July of that year - the prospect is far from promising. Certainly the countr y will have a string of new and upgraded facilities, improved infrastructure and accommodation and, most probably, a much nicer picture taken back home by the many overseas visitors than they had on their arrival. But it remains to be seen if South Africa will become a stable contender at international football competitions and one that has to be taken seriously. The national squad is currently holding a

Photo by: Guy Oldenkotte

No. 29 October/November 2008

Photo by: Guy Oldenkotte

game of the future” disappointing 73rd place on the FIFA Coca-Cola World Ranking. They also face elimination in qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament - an essential platform for many players to get international experience under their belt before the World Cup takes place. In short, the current players in the squad are facing an almost impossible challenge to prove differently. But that could change at the Summer Olympics in London in 2012 or at the next FIFA World Cup in Brazil in 2014, Chris O’Loughlin believes. He prepares the next generation of top players at the SuperSpor t United / Tottenham Hotspur Academy in Pretoria, South Africa. “In the future, elements like awareness, vision, confidence, composure and the ability to make decisions quickly, will play an even more dominant role in the game than they do nowadays,” he says. “This justifies the introduction of football psychology and psychologists with specific training,” the trainer advocates. “The body of a footballer has become so finely-tuned nowadays that it is fair to ask where the balance will be between physicality and technicality.”

Increasingly faster The football game has become much faster over the years. This is clearly shown in the decrease in the number of touches during counter-attacks during the last decade. Information and statistics provided by the English FA, where O’Loughlin is currently following part two of his UEFA licence-A classes, supports this view. Improvement of the ball and the increasing level of acceptance of artificial grass further contributes to this. But the improvements are not spread equally all over the world. “In parts of Africa, there are still many fields that are not flat or that have no proper surface, making it difficult for players of those countries to get prepared for international competitions.” Players in those areas should therefore be pushed to adapt to the ‘game of the future’. Certainly African players are known for their skills and strength, but these characteristics won’t be enough in the future, where everything will boil down to the speed of communication ‘between the brain and the legs’. Strikers have already improved their speed, O’Loughlin says, and during the European Championship this summer that was clearly shown by several players. “When you take the 2-0 scored by the Dutch mid-fielder, Wesley Sneijder,

No. 29 October/November 2008

Photo by: Guy Oldenkotte

during the 2008 European Championship match versus Italy, you see how important it has become for defenders to become agile and that they are able to distribute or shift their weight very quickly. Sneijder’s acceptance of the ball and the move he made to create space for a strike at the goal all took place in a very small area and in a fraction of time,” O’Loughlin points out.

Chris O’ Loughlin Date of birth: 1 August 1978 Place of birth: Limerick, Republic of Ireland) Coaching Career: - Raiders FC, South Africa - Orlando Pirates, South Africa - AS Vita Club, Democratic Republic of Congo - SuperSport United / Tottenham Hotspur Academy Education: UEFA A part 1 UEFA B Contact: Email: chris@prostarcoaching.com Website: www.prostarcoaching.com

Photo by: Guy Oldenkotte

No. 29 October/November 2008

The ability to decide and change quickly is no longer reserved for certain positions in the field; it has become essential for every player of the team. “In the olden days, the centre-half was typically a big guy, a leader and a very committed player who, because of that, would always win. Tony Adams is a perfect example. The modern centre-half has, however, changed. He has more composure, technical ability and vision.” These characteristics fit Rio Ferdinand - a player, O’Loughlin feels, resembles the modern centre-half. Another player O’ Loughlin likes to take as an example is Cesc Fabregas of Arsenal. “Fabregas is not known for his pace while running with the ball, contrary to Thierry Henry for example. But his ability to make a decision almost instantly makes up for his lack of speed.” As a trainer, O’ Loughlin translates his obser vations by throwing in rapid decision making elements during training session so as to speed up the decision making process by his players. “At a professional level, players will train ever y day. That allows them to get accustomed to certain exercises. Here in Africa, ver y often, at a lower level, or with younger players, you have less time to practise this properly – and that is without even mentioning the availability of resources.” But it is not always a major investment that is required. “The ladder is a popular instrument that we use for our training exercises. We have brought in an extra dimension by holding up yellow and red cones up to enforce a certain decision a player has to make. This forces the player to keep an eye on other elements of the game, but also to make a decision quickly.”

Include sport psychologists The complexity of the game and the ample time that is left for players to decide the next move justifies the inclusion of a sports psychologist in the technical team, O’ Loughlin believes. At the SuperSport United / Tottenham Hotspur Academy, he mainly works with youth, a group that allows him time to educate them and who are still open to education. “As a trainer who works with

With the information from his courses at the FA, O’Loughlin has started introducing certain elements slowly at his club. “As preparation for our tour with the U-15 team in the UK this summer, we carefully built up a presentation that we used to motivate and arouse the players. It worked. There was a variation in the speed of the slides and particular colours and pictures were used to enhance the psychological preparedness of the players. We also used video-stimulation to boost their self-confidence.” The SuperSport United U-15 team eventually made it to the finals in the Manchester United Nike Cup tournament.

Alternative motivation So far, O’Loughlin has worked as a trainer at various clubs throughout Africa, ranging from being a trainer at grass-roots level with a local township team, to Assistant Coach at national giants Orlando Pirates in South Africa and AS Vita in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter is a good example where with little money much was achieved. Simple things can easily make a major improvement. “When it comes to warming-up before a match I

almost say, ‘Focus on the mental part. Sure, the warming up will loosen the muscles and make the players familiar with the field, but they must also focus on the game.” In Africa, getting the team to concentrate is not difficult. “Players are encouraged to sing. This relaxes the player. But as the songs have a meaning and a message it also motivates them. And by singing together it will help to build the team.” During the warm-up, O’ Loughlin almost literally throws key-moments at his players they could expect on the field and pushes them to visualize these moments. “Football is constantly concentrating, for the full 90 minutes. If a player lacks the ability to concentrate for one minute, he will have to deal with a goal scored. It is, therefore, essential that they focus on those key moments when they have to beat their opponent ... the defender who deals with a fast striker or a corner situation that is known to be dangerous.” The ability to rely on confidence, instead of sheer luck, thereby determines the difference in the game, he insists. “By having them visualize the situation before it has become reality, the player will be prepared. He will be focused and will know exactly what to do.” The preparedness will save the player valuable seconds during the match and allows him to make that deciding move or score that match-deciding goal. “During the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Diego Maradona was the starplayer of the event. He managed to do so because he was focused. When you look at the expression of his face before the match you can see that he was already visualizing those keymoments that would eventually make the difference.” Exactly what the game will be like in 10 years time is difficult to predict, but it will certainly be different. “Ten years ago, a counter attack used to go over several passes: a number that has significantly been reduced. What will it be in 10 years time? One-touch counterattacks?” What is for sure is that players won’t have time anymore to negotiate their moves, but will be expected to know upfront what they are going to do. A with a thin line between physicality and mentality they will definitely have to be prepared for all of that.

No. 29 October/November 2008

Photo by: Guy Oldenkotte

youth, you can focus on the improvement of the individual player; whereas as a trainer of the main squad, you have to focus on the improvement of the team,” O’ Loughlin says, explaining the different approaches he takes. “What is important, is that we focus on the end-product. ‘What is it that we want to achieve and how are we going to get there?’ The result can only be achieved by surrounding ourselves with professionals and experts. Sports psychology plays a vital role in that.” History has proven the success. “During his successful reign at Middlesbrough, Steve McLaren worked closely with Bill Beswick, who is a sports psychologist. Beswick was working with the mind part, addressing issues that are psychologically based. It is something that is far from being recognised by many clubs.” McLaren is hailed by many as being the ‘best manager in the history of the club’, but the input of his assistant, O’Loughlin believes, is also significant.

Andrew Blight, Newcastle United U15 coach:

“The 1-4-3-3 System of play”

No. 29 October/November 2008

I have recently started to focus more of my coaching philosophy and teams I am working with on the 1-4-3-3 system of play. If you observe the starting positions on the field of play, it comprises of many triangles and opportunity for rotation of positions (see diagram 1). Depending on your playing personnel, there are several variations to the 1-4-3-3 and can be easily adjusted to 1-4-5-1 or 1-4-4-2.

English academy teams have generally been educated more towards the 1-4-4-2 system. I try to build the system around the players as very rarely can you select the exact players to match your ideal system. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game, you need to be flexible and cope with the strategy that other teams play and match their strengths and manipulate their weaknesses. As a game commences and unfolds, I carefully observe the opposition and examine whether I can change the playing shape to the benefit of my team. The days of playing and coaching one system have disappeared and we all have a responsibility to coach players to be able to adapt to any formation. In the 1-4-3-3 system, the wide players (7+11) try to make the pitch expansive when their team is in possession and have the opportunity to work on their 1v1 individual skills. They should have good pace, and have a confident attacking mindset. Joe Cole (Chelsea FC) is a good example of such a player who can attack the full-back both inside and outside. With loss of possession, I encourage the wide players to become compact and switch to a 45-1 system if under pressure. The decision when to press can be triggered in the middle third, with the goal of denying space behind and forcing the opposition to play in front of you.

Diagram 1: 1-4-3-3 triangles

No. 29 October/November 2008

It is vital; the number 10 has space in which to seek the ball. Making the pitch more expansive for the number 10 to play in requires confidence in your team-mates on the ball and audacity to spread-out when back players are in possession of the ball. If the number 10 drops into a deeper midfield role, an element of doubt is created for a back player who might be tempted to go mark and follow. If this happens, space will be created (see diagram 3); ~ For the number 9 around his opponent number 5. ~ Wide players 7+11, to attack the space inside. ~ Midfield forward runs via the number 8 or 4.

In this system, the role of the number 10 is a key factor to attacking success. This player, plays between defenders and units of the opposition team E.g. midfield and back units. The number 10, often causes uncertainty and confusion as to who has the responsibility in the defence for ‘picking him up’.

The midfield triangle, will utilize players 7 and 11 frequently through quick switches of play. It is important to recognise that incise combination play is vital to create the opportunity for longer penetrative passes. This in turn, will ‘shift’ the opposing players’ and alter their team shape to facilitate incisive, impact passes. Quick interplay between players’ 4, 8 and 10 will create openings for; ~ Offensive minded full-backs (2, 3) ~ Well positioned wide players’ (7, 11) ~ Forward running midfield player with attacking mindset (4, 8, 10)

Players such as Rooney, Totti, Hleb, cause problems for the defence because of their dual role, as a midfield and forward player with licence to move with freedom and operate quite subjectively. The cited players’ have clever minds and understand how to draw a marker, lose a marker and how to attack beyond a marker. As much as possible, they must see and know the movements of the number 9 and operate in opposite directions. Their cute awareness and vision, and ability to weight passes through defences is key. As a coach, I see the number 10 as the fulcrum of the creative attack and helped in this role by making the midfield areas as ‘big’ as possible. For this to happen, the two wide players spread onto the touchlines and the central striker pushes ‘high’ onto the centre-backs, then problems are created for the opposition defence (see diagram 2).

Diagram 2: Helping the No. 10 on the ball

Diagram 3: Exploiting space in behind

No. 29 October/November 2008

Diagram 4: Movement to lose marker

As a game develops, you will often find an opposition midfield player allocated to mark the number 10. The number 10 must look to continually move him around and open up other passing channels and space for team-mates to exploit. He can do this by moving across the field, dropping deeper into central midfield or pushing higher up and impacting the defensive back line. Diagram 4, illustrates the movement options for the number 10 if marked by a midfield player. A key component for the number 10 is to subtly move into ‘pockets’ of space between and behind opposing midfield players. He must have the ability to ‘show’ for passes from the back four and to play sideways on where possible. It is very difficult to attack successfully in a 1-4-3-3, without a strong, physical and technically competent number 9 who can receive and hold the ball up when under pressure and link teammates. This creates an opportunity for numbers 7 and 11 to make forward runs behind their markers, midfield to support with the option of playing diagonal passes to either flank to exploit the space behind or to a supporting full-back (player 2 or 3). The striker who has effectively combined with the midfield player must also show mobility to spin and attack the penalty box. Players such as Toni, Anelka, Van Nistelrooy, Drogba, Viduka demonstrate the key attributes for this role. The full-backs (players 2 and 3) in a 1-4-3-3 must be mobile and have an attacking mindset. They often create an overload 2 v 1 situation with players 7 and 11 on the flanks. It is important they are tactically aware of when and how to over/underlap to facilitate offensive opportunities. Good exponents of this include- Cole, Clichy, Evra, Carlos, and Cafu. If the ball can be moved quickly from end to end and side to side, this can create space for fullbacks to venture forward and create an overload. From my experiences in coaching academy football, players who make progress beyond age 16 generally pick up the ‘cues’ much quicker and make good decisions. The awareness of when and where to direct the pass, along with the timing, angle and pace of movement to exploit space are key factors. Various attacking patterns of play/movement are shown in diagrams 5 and 6.

Name:

Andy Blight

Date of Birth: Nationality: Email:

November 15,1973 British Andib20@hotmail.com

Education:

Coaching:

BA Hons degree PGCE PE UEFA ‘A’ coaching license FA Coach Education tutor SAQ tutor

Middlesbrough FC Academy Newcastle United Academy England schools’ FA U18 coach

Coaching Opportunities Overseas? Andrew is interested in coaching overseas in the future. If you have any openings or leads, please contact Andrew or SoccerCoachingInternational. His entire CV is available in the members area of our website or visit the job posting section on our homepage.

Diagram 5: Movement drill centrally

Diagram 6: Movement drill out wide

No. 29 October/November 2008

The right

“One only has to look at the child in the playground, whether its football, touch, cricket or an ad hoc game of rugby, they play to please themselves. There are no tears (at the result) no recriminations, few arguments. They are not told tactics, strategies or moves. There are no limits. There is no referee, little cheating and little cynicism. Lynn Kidman

The players had been lost in play for twenty minutes, completely unaware of time and place. “Come on guys, time to pack up, they will be locking up in a minute.” One player turns, a mixture of shock and frustration spreading across his face and before I have finished my sentence he blurts out “Next goal wins!” This is certain to delay the end for at least two minutes and the play becomes more frenetic to try and fit more in. In the end they play for another ten minutes with five more goals being added. The player who shouted out is an overweight, balding, 55 year old marketing director and children’s football coach. He is on a paid coaching course but as they were struggling with the last conditioned game I just let them get on with it. They probably got their full money’s worth with that one incident. If just playing football for fun, on your own terms is important for a man of 55, what must it be like for a seven year old child? By: Paul Cooper

No. 29 October/November 2008

play

“If children don't play, their minds don't grow. Play is where they learn to make their own decisions, trust their own judgement, set their own targets. It's where they learn to get along with other kids, meet triumph and disaster, and then come home for tea. Adults can help by helping them find somewhere to play, sorting out the boundaries, being handy with the plasters if something goes wrong. But otherwise we should leave them to it!” Sue Palmer (writer and GUBOG supporter)

A simple game Football is such a simple game; you just need players, a ball and something that can improvise as two goals, trees, jumpers or just about anything will do. So why is it so difficult for children to be able to do just that? Play without adults, referees, conditions or time limits. It is the simplest form of play imaginable which is why millions of us did it as a matter of choice. It is virtually impossible for children to do what you want as adults rule everything. If the only time we let our children outside is to be told what to do every few minutes, where is the freedom to chose what you want to do? A session at a club usually contains warm ups and stretches, drills and lines and perhaps a referred game at the end with shouts, instructions and positions.

“Any set-up in which adults are in charge of kids, telling them what to do and what not to do, is bound to contain an element of intimidation. Most kids do not respond well to that; they would rather get on with things in their own way and make their own mistakes and have fun doing it. It is unlikely that a serious academy could ever be allowed to operate in that easy-going way. Education is all about instruction - though, in the case of football, there's not much evidence that concentrated instruction produces players.”

"A worrying statistic from The Department of Education Inspectorate is that 60% of all our eleven year olds leaving primary school are physically illiterate. This means that they do not possess the basic ABC of physical movement which are agility, balance and coordination.” Trevor Brooking

Could this be linked, by any chance, to the fact children are mostly kept indoors and have few opportunities to ‘play’ outside? So the government, schools and the FA make sure that these key ABC’s are carried out at the start of each session. In one school playground a teacher boasted that before the children play any games they must do the ABC of physical movement and then think about how they can introduce them into whatever games they play. Please just let them play and they will overdose on agility, balance and coordination. They will run forward, sideways and backwards, turn, jump, skip, dive, duck, swerve, slide, use their arms to balance, and these are just a few of the movements they will use playing a simple game of football. We have had ABC’s before with children in the form of vitamins. Why give them a supplement when they can just as easily get them by eating proper food?

Parks Talking to a play ranger recently he told me that they have play pods full of different gear for making all kinds of things and equipment for different sports. These are situated in parks but he said that over 70% of children just want to play a game of football. We have made it so complicated for our children and we surely must give them as many opportunities as possible to just play. Coaching of course has its place and especially later on at a higher level. Many coaches tell me that it is a question of balance. Well fine, but at the moment there is none.

Paul Gardener (World Soccer Magazine)

The playground A third of primary schools have banned football from the school playground, and those that still can are in a rota so usually play just once a week. Even low key after school clubs and community programmes involve lines and structures and never just matches as we have this strange notion that the children won’t learn that way and the coach would not be doing his job properly. At expensive skills franchises, very often children play no games whatsoever but repeat individual skills for an hour and a half.

No. 29 October/November 2008

The complete soccer coaching experience

SOCCERCOACHING International

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Soccer Training Technique and Exercises

Technique is hot! There is a lot of demand for methods from Coerver, Meulensteen, Moniz, etc. One of the problems is the supply of information. There are very few technique books and DVDs focusing solely on technique training.

Cor van Dijk, academy head at Dutch amateur club Barendrecht, also faced this problem. At his club a lot of attention is paid to improve youth players’ technique. They use a lot of the moves that made Coerver famous. Van Dijk: “Coerver was probably the first person who realized that isolated technique and skills training make players better. However, I believe the last Coerver DVD is not as suitable for the amateur soccer coach. First of all because the DVD shows players who are very technically skilled, something that is usually not the case in amateur soccer. Secondly the exercises are very complex

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY - Small Sided Games Just as street football was for a previous generation, small sided games are fun and foster a lifelong passion for the beautiful game for a new generation of players

and again often not suitable for the amateur level." This is why Cor van Dijk made a DVD, at first with the intention to use it internally at his own club. However, the project became much bigger and resulted in a DVD that is very suitable for youth coaches at the amateur level.

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Learning through play is a collection of adapted small sided games which can be used for both children and adults alike. The games are developed to create intelligent players and help them become better decision makers. The games include; possession, shooting, dribbling, defending from the front, winning the ball back quickly, communication, movement off the ball, building from the back and vision to name just a few.

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In this DVD one of Brazil`s top coaches, Ney Franco of FC Flemengo, talks about the 4-4-2 system of play, its tactical application, the correct positioning of the players in the field and exercises in game situations to help prepare players to play in this system as it is used by the best teams in Brazil.

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Coordination & Agility Training With A Soccer Ball (DVD)

Effective Use of the Agility Ladder for Soccer

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EDITORIAL

No. 29 – October/November 2008 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. Chief editor Paul van Veen Beatrixlaan 21, 2811 LZ REEUWIJK THE NETHERLANDS E-mail: paul@soccercoachinginternational.com Publisher Sportfacilities & Media BV Visiting address: Steynlaan 19 B-D ZEIST THE NETHERLANDS Postal address: P.O. Box 952, 3700 AZ ZEIST THE NETHERLANDS E-mail: info@soccercoachinginternational.com Phone: +31 (0)30 697 7710 Fax: +31 (0)30 697 7720 Project Manager Floris Schmitz f.schmitz@sportfacilities.com Managing Editor and Translations Maaike Denkers maaike@soccercoachinginternational.com

Editorial Staff Andrew Blight, Paul Cooper, Guilherme Costa, Maaike Denkers, Tania Dimitrova, Anton Gouverneur, Tom van den Heiligenberg, Michel Hordijk, Guy Oldenkotte, James Robertson, Paul van Veen Photographers: Tom van den Heiligenberg Jan Soek 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.

Graphic Design Anton Gouverneur / Tania Dimitrova studio@sportfacilities.com

ISSN 1571 - 8794

No. 29 October/November 2008