Gert Kruys,
FC Volendam
Issue 57, February 2012
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contents
16 tactics
5 FROM the editor Around the time of writing the Editor’s Foreword for the past 56 Editions of SoccerCoachingInternational, I would get this a great rush of excitement and feeling of pride within me....
John Bosman, Striker Coach, Ajax
24 Training Sessions AttackingPhases, Part 5
36 Youth training
Tonny Hulleman and John Hofman, SV Dedemsvaart U13s
44 NEW IN ONLINE SHOP
6
Technique training
Wim van Zeist,
Technique Trainer De Graafschap
Gert Kruys, the Dutch midfielder played his entire career for FC Utrecht (1978-1988) apart from one short spell at RKC Waalwijk (1987). He retired from the game in 1988, and soon afterwards became a coach for AGOVV Apeldoorn, Cambuur Leeuwarden, FC Den Bosch, De Graafschap, and then FC Dordrecht. His son Rick Kruys is also a professional footballer, and both father and son are currently employed by Jupiler League (Dutch first division) club FC Volendam. SoccerCoachingInternational talked to the experienced coach about his current position in the small Dutch town of Volendam.
46 goalkeeping
Hans Segers, Goalkeeping Coach, PSV Youth
55 next issue
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No. 57 February 2012
SoccerCoachingInternational is an e-magazine for soccer coaches all over the world from the publisher of TrainersMagazine, the Dutch magazine for soccer coaches. The magazine publishes 10 Issues per year. Chief Editor Paul van Veen Beatrixlaan 21, 2811 LZ REEUWIJK THE NETHERLANDS 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 info@soccercoachinginternational.com Phone: +31 (0)30 697 7710 Fax: +31 (0)30 697 7720
Managing Editor and Translations Maaike Denkers maaike@soccercoachinginternational.com Copy Editing Michael Francis Pollin Graphic Design Anton Gouverneur Tania Dimitrova Rumen Krastev studio@sportfacilities.com Editorial Staff Maarten Bax, Rogier Cuypers, Maaike Denkers, Tom van den Heiligenberg, Hanne Meijers, Michael Francis Pollin, Erik Stekelenburg, Paul van Veen, Jan Zoutman Copyright All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission of the publisher.
Project Manager Floris Schmitz f.schmitz@sportfacilities.com ISSN 1571 - 8794
From the Editor
Dear Subscribers, Contributors and Partners,
Around the time of writing the Editor’s Foreword for the past 56 Editions of SoccerCoachingInternational, I would get this a great rush of excitement and feeling of pride within me. This time the feeling of pride is no different, but the excitement is somewhat unusual. It is not that I do not have that excited feeling about the fact that we have once again managed to put another great issue together. No. The difference is that this will not only be the 57th Issue of SoccerCoachingInternational, but also my last. After eight and half years I am leaving my position at Sportfacilities & Media BV, which includes my function as Managing Editor for SoccerCoachingInternational. I have enjoyed my time at SoccerCoachingInternational and I am so grateful for having had the opportunity to be involved with this innovative football coaching resource since its launch in 2003. But the time has come for me to take the next step in my career. My colleague Tom van den Heiligenberg (tom@sportfacilities.com) will be taking over my work as Managing Editor from 1st March 2012, with Paul van Veen continuing as Chief Editor. Although this is my last issue I am sure SoccerCoachingInternational will continue to provide you with a multitude of perspectives and visions of coaching, training and playing in so many dimensions of the beautiful game from all around the World. I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for these past eight and a half years. SoccerCoachingInternational will always have a special place in my heart. Yours in soccer, Maaike Denkers Managing Editor SCI
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Gert Kruys, the Dutch midfielder played his entire career for FC Utrecht (19781988) apart from one short spell at RKC Waalwijk (1987). He retired from the game in 1988, and soon afterwards became a coach for AGOVV Apeldoorn, Cambuur Leeuwarden, FC Den Bosch, De Graafschap, and then FC Dordrecht. His son Rick Kruys is also a professional footballer, and both father and son are currently employed by Jupiler League (Dutch first division) club FC Volendam. SoccerCoachingInternational talked to the experienced coach about his current position in the small Dutch town of Volendam. By: Jan Zoutman Edited by Michael Francis Pollin
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Gert Kruys, FC Volendam:
“Ready for the Eredivisie”
I had barely taken a sip of my coffee when Gert Kruys starts his enthusiastic dialogue on football and coaching. For over an hour Kruys passionately talks about his vision within football, Louis van Gaal and his influence, and also the think-tank at Volendam. “I also want to attack, but we do this in a way that fits Volendam. The people here are very critical, they want to see good offensive football and preferably with a team consisting of local lads. We currently have a really good home record, but away form needs some attention.”
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Volendam
Volendam is a small town in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands. The town has about 22,000 inhabitants, and was originally a principle harbour town until in 1357 the inhabitants of Edam dug a shorter canal to the Zuiderzee with its own separate harbour. This removed the need for the original harbour, which was then dammed and used as reclaimed land. Farmers and local fishermen settled there, forming the new community of Volendam, which literally translates as; ‘filled dam.’ In the early part of the 20th century it became something of an artists’ retreat, with both Picasso and Renoir spending time there. Nowadays, Volendam is a popular tourist attraction in the Netherlands, well-known for its old fishing boats and the traditional clothing still worn by some residents. Besides tourism, fishing and being one of the most traditional towns in the Netherlands, Volendam also has a huge and rich football culture. FC Volendam is the pride of the town and has regularly played in the Dutch Eredivisie, though at present they play in the next division down. Volendam is also well known for its distinctive music, which is called Palingsound, literally ‘eel sound,’ in reference to Volendam’s status as a fishing village. During the 1960s, a local group, The Cats, were a very popular group in the Netherlands and also abroad, and they were really the start of the local music scene with many other following to contribute to the town’s remarkable music culture which blends and enriches the local football.
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Game play The coach, one of the most experienced coach in the Jupiler League, is really enjoying his life and vocation in the fishing town. On the question of whether there is such a thing as typical First division football, Kruys answers that he would like to see Volendam promoted to the Eredivisie. “In Eredivisie they play a more constructive and controlled smarter game. Teams are more patient and play from through the zones. Good organisation is extremely important in Eredivisie. In the First division, the football is not so cultured; more aggressive, direct and at full speed with players and teams required to be more opportunistic. Volendam play a well organised game, with a lot of positional changes and always with offensive wingbacks. This game play is probably more suited to Eredivisie. We are currently working a lot on positional games with a maximum of two touches and finding the third man/player running. This way of playing has a faster ball speed and a lot of movement off the ball, avoiding man-onman duels. We have the players to do this and this strategy fits with the culture of the club.” The main starting point, according to Kruys, is the quality of the players. “Our striker, Jack Tuyp, plays his best game when he is close to the opponent’s goal. He is not a counter attacking striker. We also have a
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few players who are very good on the ball and can combine well and effectively in short passing movements. We use these qualities to put opponents under pressure and create a lot of chances.”
Staff According to Kruys, Volendam’s staff structure is well balanced. “Johan Steur is head of scouting and in charge of player performance in video analysis. He is from Volendam, just like Berry Smit, Kruys’ other assistant, who is also in charge of the reserves. Harald Wapenaar is the goalkeeping coach and Peter Visser is conditioning coach.”
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Kruys uses all means he has to get the performance of his team to a higher level. “I especially enjoy Mondays. All coaches are on the pitch on Monday, with the additional support of Kees Tol, who works specifically with the strikers. We also have some players who get additional stability training from Ben Stelte, who is a wrestling coach with a wide array of exercises that will help our players with strength. Harald will be coaching the goalkeepers, Johan will focus on the defenders and Berry and I will work on positioning with the remainder of the team. I enjoy participating in the training sessions, because it is a great way to actually demonstrate to players exactly what you mean.”
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Think-tank Kruys describes himself as ‘open’ and gathers people around him with whom he can brainstorm. “Our president, Mr Kras, has been around the game for years and knows his football. On top of that he is able to see if something is wrong from a player’s behaviour. I also watch the players and their body language. When I first started here, just a couple of players would celebrate a goal. Now they are all involved in the celebration which is good to see!” Singer Jan Smit is also a big part of the club. “Jan knows the town culture like no other and he knows how the fans will react to certain situations and has helped me to understand this aspect. Football is an important part of the town and Jan was born and raised in this town and is a huge football fan with a FC Volendam heart.”
I enjoy working in a town where there is a great culture and with a lot of football knowhow. Technical director Arie Opdam played at a high level for years and the village actually can claim to have produced many former professional players. “I frequently talk to Arnold Mühren and Wim Kwakman about the first team. I often refer to them as my think-tank. It is very educational and valuable to talk to all of these men about football and its value and meaning to the town. They are honest, critical but fair and like many of the people in Volendam they enjoy good, offensive football.” Kruys has been asked by the club to advise them on the technical approach and system within the entire club. The amateur part of the club has been the club’s lifeline for years, and so many talents from Volendam
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Photo: Fred Rotgans
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“Work towards tailored programs for
Photo: Fred Rotgans
each individual player�
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have taken their first football steps on those amateur pitches next to the stadium. “The first team must contain Volendam born and raised players. The art is to find a good fit between home-grown talent and ‘foreign’ (to Volendam) talent and make a tight-knit team. The newcomers always need time to get used to the criticism they sometimes receive. The town is very involved with the team, and in fact with the entire club, and they will be critical when they need to be. The staff must prepare the newcomers for that, because playing in Volendam is different than playing for any other team.”
Week planning The Dutch first division games are played on Friday and their week planning is as follows. “On Saturday, the starting team will have a recuperation training session and the U21s (who play their matches on Monday nights) will have their last training session. We also have a short post-match meeting on Saturday, but the official and more comprehensive meeting is held on Tuesday. This will give me the time to analyse the match and discuss it with the entire team.” As mentioned earlier, Volendam train in small groups on Mondays. The morning session is dedicated to individual training programmes, and the afternoons are sessions and practices dedicated to the individual lines and units. Tuesday
mornings are always conditioning days, where Volendam uses Raymond Verheijen’s 6 week cycle which Kruys has been working with for years. “The difficult aspect of working periodisation cycles is that we have players who play on Friday nights and the reserve team plays on Monday nights. This makes it hard to find a good moment in the week to give the players the appropriate conditioning training. We have, therefore, opted to work towards tailored programs for each individual player.” Tuesday afternoons are all about technique. “We focus a lot on passing, shooting and receiving. This session does not have a very high intensity, because we have to bear in mind that the players have just had a conditioning session that morning. We look at things like; ball speed, passing the ball to the correct foot, receiving the ball and being ready for the next action after you have received the ball.” “Wednesday is an optional training session. The staff are present and available for the players who may have missed a session, who are injured or recovering, and for players who want an extra session to work on something they feel needs more attention. On Thursday we have our prematch training session and we then inform the players on the next opponents, training specifically for that match.”
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Development of the coach A head coach in professional football can sometimes feel that they live in an insulated world, and to remedy this possible situation, Kruys values the important people around him who keep him grounded. “I am very proud of my wife and our two kids. When I am at home I have tranquillity and companionship which is complimentary to my other busy activities. I also get together with two of my friends once a month as a social outlet, normally for dinner and conversation. They are not associated with football, so it is nice to chat about other things.”
and take stock. “At De Graafschap, which is a great club, things just did not work out. When I was let go, I called Louis van Gaal and asked him if I could pursue a traineeship with him, to which he agreed and I learned a lot in that time. Before then, I would coach mainly by my own intuition, but Van Gaal taught me how to work within and from an objective plan. A plan will allow you to create a framework, which provides the foundation which gives more structure, meaning and value to the coaching. On top of that Louis taught me how to guide players and prepare them for a match. I use some of those things in my own coaching methods now.”
Like many other coaches, Kruys has also been in the situation where he has had to leave a club before the end of his contract. He used this spare time very useful to reflect
Kruys also works as a football expert for a regional TV station, RTV Utrecht. “The advantage of working here is that I am constantly up-to-date on everything that
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is going on in the Eredivisie. Besides that, an analyst must be able to watch a match calmly and critically and be able to put those observations into words. It is a huge advantage to me as a coach.”
home of football. The atmosphere and energy is amazing in that country.” It is clear that Gert Kruys would feel right at home there with his expertise, his enthusiasm and his energy.
Co Adriaanse Besides Van Gaal, Kruys has a couple of other coaches that he admires; people he likes to observe and listen to. “I am a big fan of Co Adriaanse, as his attitude, composure and his offensive football vision is admirable, all delivered with great personality. Leo Beenhakker is an idol, he lives and breathes football. It is beautiful to watch him talk about football. And Foppe de Haan; capable, like no other, to realise development and transfer them from training to the match. I can listen to that man talk about football for hours.” Lastly, Kruys talked to us about his future. He has already mentioned that he would like to work in Eredivisie again, and preferably with FC Volendam. “I would really like to work as a professional coach for many more years, and it is my dream to work in England - the
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Tactics
The appointment of John Bosman to the technical staff of Ajax was somewhat of a surprise considering the former striker who played for FC Twente, PSV, Anderlecht, Ajax and the Dutch National team had also been a scout for AZ Alkmaar for a number of years; a job which seemed to suit him well. Regardless, Bosman took the decision to join the technical staff of Ajax. He talked exclusively about this to SoccerCoachingInternational. By: Maarten Bax Edited by Michael Francis Pollin
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Tactics
John Bosman, striker COACH Ajax: “As a Striker, you must score, so if you get a chance you should take it. Do not doubt, just shoot!” It is a cold day on the ‘De Toekomst’ sport complex, where Ajax Youth train and where we talked to Bosman about his first months in the job at Ajax. “Surprising?” Was his first comment, “well, I was called by Wim Jonk, who asked me if I was interested. At first I declined, mainly because they wanted me to become Assistant coach to Gery Vink for the U21s and I had no ambitions to become an assistant coach, only an individual coach, a striker coach like the position I had at AZ. And I was looking for a new challenge. Scouting was a great job, but I was getting tired of all the travelling, and as a scout you are always on the go, spending a lot of weekends away from home watching matches all around the world.
he joined Ajax as the new striker coach. “I had been asked twice and felt that this was the moment to make the transition. I really like the one-on-one coaching method and with the large amount of former Ajax players joining the technical staff, both for the first team and the youth academy, it felt like a real homecoming. Enjoying your work and the people you work with is so important; Orlando Trustfull, Fred Grim, Ronald de Boer... They are all part of the staff at ‘De Toekomst.’ I am still learning a lot as I do not have the theoretical knowledge, but with Gery Vink in charge of designing the sessions that is very helpful. I compliment these sessions technically and I am usually in charge of the warm-up.”
Bosman has past history with Ajax, also with a lot of international experience as a player, but he knew that he wanted to coach strikers one-on-one, so instead of becoming the assistant coach for the U21s,
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“Messi always knows exactly where the ball is” Receiving, passing to the correct foot, firm passes, getting in front of your opponent, step left, step right, looking over the ball, etc. “Messi knows exactly where the ball is but does not have to watch the ball in order to know.” Bosman is responsible for these sorts of details. “Being open, turning out; you must be able to pass the ball immediately, so the ball speed is constant. The players at Ajax master this quite well, but that is logical as most of them have come through the Ajax academy.” Bosman continues, “keeping the ball on the ground (with a pass) and without it bouncing is something we hammer on about, both at the academy as well as with the first team. In the first team they pass the ball hard and fast, so they focus the coaching on this.” Bosman trained under Cruijff for almost 3 years and he always expected a lot from him; above all concentration. Bosman had to fight for every ball and if he did not Cruijff would go nuts. “He would immediately see if I was not as sharp as he would expect, and would yell across the pitch for me to concentrate. I would think, ‘here we go
again.’ I would start doubting myself, but always fought through it, and he knew I would. In the end it helped me a lot. Professional football is tough and you are always under pressure to perform.” Tom Boere is a striker for the U21s. Bosman is trying to make him better and give him advice. “To the near post, move off the ball, use you arms!” Bosman points
“I would coach strikers to finish from crosses with headers every day” out the things he sees, just like Dennis Bergkamp does with the first team, who is mostly working on showing the strikers how to create space and score. “Boere is a different type of striker than I was, I never sought contact with the defenders, he does, just like Bulykin and Eijkelkamp (former PSV player). Eijkelkamp would also put his arms behind him, I never played like that. Boere is still developing, he still has to learn when to apply the appropriate technique. As a striker, you must score, so if you get a chance you should take it. Do not doubt, just shoot.”
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Goalkeepers are often said to be ‘crazy,’ but they are not! A good goalkeeper knows where the striker is going to play the ball. “Van der Sar, with all of that experience, knew exactly what was happening around him. So as a striker you need to understand that goalkeepers are not crazy and know what you are going to do; they know more than you think you do. When I played for KV Mechelen I would play a game with Preud’homme (former goalkeeper of the Belgian national team); it was a constant battle of where I was going to shoot the ball. Preud’homme was really good, so I always had to come up with another trick to outfox him. This proved both very interesting and great for my development as a striker.” Ajax always demand a lot from their strikers. Sigthórsson makes a lot of movement off the ball, and whenever the Icelandic striker leaves his striker position, the two attacking midfielders can use that space. This is concurrent with the Ajax playing style these days. Former Ajax striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was the type of player who would mainly position himself closer to the goal. “Sigthórsson, is in my opinion, although being an attacker, does not completely conform to my definition of a real striker. But he is the ideal striker for Ajax and is ultimately judged on the amount of goals he scores. He is an all-rounder, you can pass to him anywhere, he is fast, he is strong,
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and he has good finishing ability (with feet and head), and also he remains calm in front of the goal. I think the combination Sigthórsson and Bulykin is a good recipe for success.” Unfortunately we have not had the chance to see this combination in action much this season, as Sigthórsson broke his ankle in October in a match against FC Groningen and will not be back until the end of season. Then for heading the ball, which was Bosman’s speciality. His nickname was ‘the Giraffe,’ because of his long neck which would rise above everyone when a cross from the flanks was launched into the penalty area. Bosman taught himself how to head the ball by throwing the ball against a wall, jumping up and heading it. A disadvantage of being able to head the ball well is, that like Bosman, you would be very dependent on the wingers’ service and quality of the crosses. Some wingers like to dribble and seek to beat their opponent which would sometimes annoy Bosman, because it would take forever for them to cross the ball into the penalty area. This effects his movement and timings, when all he wanted to do was score. Bosman was seventeen when he joined Ajax and at that time there were no specific striker coaches, so he taught himself much of his trade, including heading.
Tactics
“The best way to develop your heading technique is by throwing the ball and heading it. Heading is about not being afraid, keeping your eyes open and timing. I always wanted the ball right on my forehead as this maximises your ability to give direction to the ball. When you head the ball with your forehead you will have a better view of the ball. I would train on finishing crosses with a header every day, and it is a shame that you do not see a lot of old-fashioned headers anymore, although I must admit that Ronaldo, Rooney and Bulykin are bad at all.” FC Barcelona, the best prime example of today’s football. “It is like they play football from out of this world, but it is how so many teams would like to be. The football that we played with Ajax in the 1980s is different to that of today, as if a winger beats his opponent now, there will be a covering defender to confront him instantly. It is much more physical and difficult now. Barcelona constantly combines in midfield and they always looking for the through-pass, looking to get through the opponent’s defence with combinations. If they cannot do it on one side, they will switch to the other side, trying to create an outnumbered situation. “The Barcelona attackers go through the centre, as does Derk Boerrigter (left winger at Ajax).”
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Bosman has to think for a while about whether he would be comfortable playing in today’s game. After a while he answers.... “No, I do not think so. From the 1974 national team selection, I do not think anybody would be able to play in today’s football, except for Cruijff. It is much more physical and faster.
The spaces are small and you have to be able to quickly transition from a 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 or any other necessary variation. Ajax Youth are doing fitness training almost every day. At AZ (under Gertjan Verbeek) they have strength training before the training session. We do that once a week.
Passport John Bosman Full name Date of birth Place of birth Height Playing position
Johannes Jacobus Bosman 1 February, 1965 Bovenkerk, Netherlands 1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in) Striker
Playing career Years Team Apps (Gls) 1983–1988 Ajax 126 (77) 1988–1990 Mechelen 61 (34) 1990–1991 PSV 30 (11) 1991–1996 Anderlecht 156 (71) 1996–1999 Twente 87 (34) 1999–2002 AZ 62 (24) Total 522 (241) Between 1986 and 1997 Bosman played 30 caps for the Dutch National team, scoring 17 goals.
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Training Sessions from around the World
Attacking phases, part 5 Edited by Michael Francis Pollin No. 57 February 2012
Anyone who knows anything about football will know that it is the only sports in which a team can dominate an entire match and still lose. A team can dominate possession, the number of chances, the number of set plays, and yet fail to win the match. Football, like all offensive sports, can be broken down into ‘phases of play,’ with the team that demonstrates competence in most of these phases theoretically having the better opportunity to emerge victorious. By definition, a phase of play involves at least two lines of a team, such as the defensive and midfield lines, or the midfield and forward lines; very often at least part of all three lines are involved.
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The Attacking Phases
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Attacking and building-up The moment of transition
Build-up in the opponents half
ATTACKING
Counter-attacking
Transitioning to attack Build-up from the back
DEFENDING
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Attacking and build-up play Build-up from the back Transitioning to attack Build-up in the opponent’s half The moment of transition Counter-Attacking
In this part of training sessions from around the world we will focus on the fifth of these six phases: The moment of transition.
Zone 5: The moment of transition In any game, teams will find themselves with, and, without possession, and often the most dangerous moments in open play are; during transitions from defence to attack and from attack to defence. When a team is building up, the players are usually spread out from back-to-front and from side-to-side. The opposite is true of the defence, whose organised shape will be very compact, as players move towards the ball; from the sides and from the front and back. While a good attacking team will have wide players as much as 75 yards apart, and will have committed defensive and midfield players forward for attacking support, a good defending team will try to move as compact as possible in order
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to help create layers of cover and support around the ball. Transition is the most important moment in football; the moment in the match when individual players switch from defence to attack or attack to defence. Transition is best coached individually, then in smaller groups and then later as a team. The moment of transition should first be a mental recognition of the situation followed by a decision that initiates a physical action. The faster the ‘recognition-decisionaction’ connection is made the better the performance will be. Individual players must first be able to quickly make the
Training Sessions
It is important for the transition from one phase to the next to happen quickly, meaning all players should transit as a team. It is about anticipation, awareness and decision-making. This involves tactical awareness which is about knowing where you are on the field, where the ball is, positions and movements of your teammates and opponents, and also where you are in relation to them. It is the ability to read the game; to anticipate what will happen next and not merely reacting to what just happened. In the following section we will provide you with exercises that will focus on transitioning as a team, as well as exercises that will help your players to develop the tactical awareness to ensure effective and efficient transition.
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transition from one phase of play to the next, before you can ensure the team is able to execute quick and skilful transition, both from defence to attack or vice versa.
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Phase: Warm-up Team function: Passing to maintain possession Team task: Maintaining possession Objective: Improve passing and combination play Pitch size: 15x15 metres Players: 6 players per session Age: U13-adults No. 57 February 2012
Training Sessions
2v2 with targets
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Phase: Possession Team function: Transition from defence to attack Team task: Look to play the vertical pass immediately to target Objective: Winning the ball and looking forward Pitch size: 40x20 metres Players: 4 outfield players, 4 target players Age: U13-Adults
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T - Play 2v2 with 2 target players per team positioned on the end-line. Target players may move sideways along the endline. - Each end-line has a flag goal, approx. 3 metres wide - Teams can only score via a 1-2 combination with teammate on end-line - Target players are restricted to one touch.
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4v4 with 4 servers
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Phase: Possession Team function: Transition from defence to attack Team task: Quick transition Objective: To have players constantly in a transition mentality, by having balls served in immediately whenever the ball goes out of play. Pitch size: 50 x 25 metres Players: 8 field players, 4 suppliers Age: U15-Adults
- Play 4v4 - Four suppliers (one per touchline and one per end-line) surround the pitch
Progression
S
- When the ball goes over the touchline puts ball immediately into play. When a goal is scored or the ball crosses over the end-line, or puts the ball back into play immediately.
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6v6
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Organisation
Phase: Possession Team function: Transition from defence to attack Team task: Quick transition Objective: Quick speed of play and decision making on and off the ball Pitch size: 30 x 30 metres Players: 12 Age: U13-Adults
- Play 6v6 (4 v 4 in the middle with 2 target players on the outside) - Teams maintain possession of the ball while trying to switch the ball to one of the outside target players * Once the ball is passed to an outside target player, the target player enters the field with the ball, and the player passing the ball becomes the target player. Target players do not defend each other, and are mobile along the touch-line - Continuous play, award points for successful switches to one of the target players - Encourage quick play - Keep the ball moving at all times - Keep the number of touches to a minimum in possession - Correct supporting positions in relationship to the ball and space - Quick decision making on and off the ball - Passing and receiving techniques
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2v2 on each half
Coaching
Organisation
Phase: Possession Team function: Transition from defence to attack Team task: Quick transition Objective: Improve transitional support Pitch size: 40 x 40 metres Players: 16 Age: U13-Adults
- 40 x 40 metre pitch divided in half, play 2 v 2 in each half, with each team having 4 target players (depth and width) on the outside as illustrated - Players maintain possession and score by switching with one of the target players * Once the ball is passed to an outside target player, the target player enters the field with the ball, and the player passing the ball becomes the target player. - To score again with another target player, the ball must first be played to the other half of the field - Target players cannot defend the other target player and can move freely along their line in support of the ball - Creating space by running off of the ball - Quality passing both long and short - Support play with proper angles and distances - Receiving and turning under pressure - Quick and appropriate decision making, and transitional support
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Training Sessions
8v6
training sessions
5
Coaching
Organisation
Phase: Possession Team function: Transition from defence to attack Team task: Quick transition Objective: Improve moment of transition Pitch size: 35 x 40 metres Players: 16 Age: U13-Adults
- Play 8v8 on a 35 by 40 metre pitch, divided into two areas - Organise 8v6 in one area and two target players from the defending team in the opposite area - Play begins with the team of 8 (blue team), the yellow team is the defending team and is attempting to win the ball quickly and transition from defending to attacking to one of their two target players in the other area - All players transition to the opposite area, except two players from the defending team must stay in the opposite grid as target players - Play is continuous, and forces the defending team to work as a group to win possession and switch the ball quickly to their target players in the opposite area - Points are awarded for successful switches of the ball - Limit touches for the team in possession of needed to increase the speed of play - Working together to defend as a group and with a purpose to win and keep the ball - Regain possession quickly and pass to the target player (in his feet) - Speed of play and decision making - Transition ‘travel’ quickly in support of the ball
No. 57 February 2012
Training Sessions
7v5
Phase: Possession Team function: Transition from defence to attack Team task: Retain possession Opponent task: Maintain possession Objective: Improve the moment of transition and going deep Pitch size: 35 x 35 metres Players: 20 Age: U17-Adults
Organisation
training sessions
6
33
- Dependant on the amount of players I have two equally big squares are made (7 against 7, 35 x 35m) - In one square 7 attackers will play against 5 defenders. Two defenders play in the other square. The attackers have to try to get as many ball contacts (passes) as possible against the 5 defenders (10 ball contacts = 1 point) - When the defense wins the ball, they have to pass to one of the defenders in the other square. Change sides, 2 attackers will remain in their original square. The 7 defenders will now try to get 10 passes of the ball
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Training Sessions
training sessions
7
Transition from opponent possession to possession 1
Phase: Possession Team function: Transition from defence to attack Objective: Improve the moment of transition Pitch size: Length full pitch, width penalty area Players: 14 + 2 goalkeepers Age: U15-Adults
Organisation
1
- Divide the pitch into 3 areas - Play 6v6 in the centre area, each team will have 1 striker and a goalkeeper in their attacking area. Two neutral wingers are positioned on the flanks and play with the team in possession - Teams can attack by passing the ball from the middle area to the flanks or the striker and joining the attack - The team not in possession must choose when the pressure and must quickly and add variation to their transitions
No. 57 February 2012
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No. 50 June/July 2011
36
Youth Tactics Training
Tonny Hulleman and John Hofman are responsible for the U13 section of SV Dedemsvaart, an amateur club in the East of Holland. Both coaches played football at intermediate level which has given them experience, expertise and intuition. Besides pure Dutch views like good positional play, good technical abilities and offensive football, the duo value discipline and motivation; both from individual players as well as the team as a whole. ‘We used to laugh at everybody when they started talking about discipline,’ the coaches say, ‘now it is the basis for everything in the way they work.’ By: Erik Stekelenburg Edited by Michael Francis Pollin
Tonny Hulleman and John Hofman, SV Dedemsvaart U13s
Experience, expertise and intuition No. 57 February 2012
Youth Training
“We like to attack! We play 1:4:3:3, with advanced defender(s) and a central midfielder who adopts positions close to the striker. With the build up from the back, we change to a 1:3:3:4 formation towards the end of the match in order create more scoring opportunities which creates a more congested situation in front of the opponent’s goal. When we lose possession we immediately apply pressure high on the opponent in their own half. We coach a lot on simple positional plays, especially 3v1 exercises in a square. We do this in every training session, even if it is just for five minutes. It seems a very simple exercise but it depends what you as a coach bring into the exercise. Achieving the maximum learning and development effect with simple exercises, that is what it is about for us.”
Simplify “In the simple 3v1 exercise, it seems easy, but is it really so easy for these young lads? How many U13 players fully understand, or know; how, why, where and when they can most effectively utilise the concepts of that practice? They have to keep moving, to be open, and also how they do that, and how they have to pass the ball to someone in a certain situation. You often see that larger scale positional plays are used with these players, sometimes even with 12 or 14 players. The important thing is that you do not offer them too many options, whereby
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38
Youth Training
wrong choices could be made more; possibly too hastily. Within the game and practice context and for that age group, it is too complex to have more than four possible solutions. Before the kids have been able to make a choice, possession is often lost again. ‘So keep it simple,’ is our motto. For example, let them first beat the player in the middle, time after time, before we work with more complex variations of those exercises.”
The Core “With just two passing options, they will develop faster processing and decisionmaking, then we get right to the core. Because they only have two options, we can pay much more attention to the passing, shooting, being open, receiving, turning out, wall passing, or even peer coaching of each other. The football problem is of course; how do I pass the ball in the right way, with the right speed and to the correct foot? When do I approach the ball, or when do I keep my distance? Am I open and do I have space and time? Within the named exercise you increase the number of times they must perform a technical or tactical act. You, as a coach, force them into those learning situations and you must take full advantage of that. You create more situational coaching opportunities to raise the efficiency within the learning process to a higher level.” Carousel “Another simple exercise is the ‘Carousel.’ It requires players to think fast and really concentrate. This exercise can be done with the whole group; one player in the middle and the others forming a surrounding circle. The first player passes the ball to the player in the middle and then takes his place, and then he passes to someone in the circle and takes his place, and so on... You can coach technical detail such as passing,
No. 57 February 2012
Youth Training
shooting, receiving, correct feet, speed, etc., but it is as much about getting players to thinking about the direction in which they move or the action after the receiving and passing, as it is about that technical detail. They must be consistent and constant in their thinking and action alike; what am I actually doing now? Where did I pass the ball and where should I go? Clockwise is usually not a problem for them, but try doing it counter-clockwise once. And you can also limit the size of the circle, then the spaces become smaller and the time to think limited. Raising the orientation and concentration level is very important and transfers to matches as they must assume any position and be able to optimize and utilise space and distance.�
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Youth Training
Steps “Because we work a lot on the basic skills, we can also make other great steps in learning and development. For example, we translate even the simplest exercises into continuous relevant and realistic plays with passing and shooting exercises, or attacking plays in which positional transitions are the focuses. Because the players are already familiar with the rules and objectives as in small exercises, the players will more easily recognize the situations and it will be easier to perform. There are many coaching opportunities in these exercises and we maximize all learning potential. Situational coaching works best with this age, but it is not always straight forward as they do not always like it when an attack is stopped because the coach needs to give instruction.” Discipline “If one of us shouts ‘stop,’ the whole group stops, no exceptions! We agreed on that
No. 57 February 2012
and it works well, then you can really work on improvement and development with the whole team. If you have to get the players together every time, because they do not give the coach attention for the trainer, that is frustrating. Some people outside the team think that a couple of our disciplinary agreements go too far. Kids at this age need clarity, boundaries, rules and structure, for there to be control for optimal lerning and coaching. There must be rules and order as in school, and everybody has to stick to those rules, including the coaches.” Level “We are pleased with our level and standard, but there is so much left to improve, and we continue to use every coaching and match opportunity to develop further. Unfortunately competition in our league is not sufficient to present enough of a challenge to push our performance. That is why we play a lot of friendly matches against higher standard teams. We have players that participate in
Youth Training
the football academy of FC Zwolle and FC Emmen (2nd division) academies that help to differentiate the learning and players’ abilities .”
often separate the group, so we can both work within a smaller group, and upon different aspects. Thereby we can give even more attention to the individual.”
Pure Football “Everything is based on a good functional technique, with an overview of remaining calm when on the ball. Our kids do not require conditional training as they play outside all day long, playing football on the street and they are full of energy. We actually want to train three times a week, but that is not always possible, or necessary. They are always there, training seriously even when they are just hanging out. In matches, official training or just kicking about; they are always committed to football playing, learning and developing; formal or informal.”
Discipline “We want to totally live for the football, but attach a lot of value to strict discipline. That means; being punctual; looking after your kit, doing the warming-up together on the field, professional appearance, showing respect for the opponent and the referee and listening to the staff. After the match we do the cool-down together, and that is not that a cool-down is highly necessary with U13s, but as a team building aspect it is good to do.”
Maximum Impact “We train this team with two coaches and we have four more people on the staff. Some people had their doubts about that, and it relatively a large number, yes, but we want to give the maximum level of attention and input to the good cause. This is important as it is the age group that is most influential and susceptible to learning. We hope to give them a basis and make them better players and we ourselves think it is so great for all the people to work together, because we share the same views. We No. 57 February 2012
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Youth Training
5 meter
Pre-match warm-up
Warm-up (A)
15 meter
b
5 meter
a
Start
Start
Start
A
B
C
- Run 3 laps, before continue with the below drills - Execute A (from a to b): • Knee raises (3 x) • Heel kicks (3 x) • Cross step - left over right (2 x) • Cross step - right over left (2 x) • Short dribble run (3 x) • Left knee over right knee (2 x) • Right knee over left knee (2 x) • Left hand to right inside foot (2 x) • Right hand to left inside foot (2 x) • Left hand to left outside foot (2 x) • Right hand to right outside foot (2 x) • Jump up (2 x) • Jump forward (2 x) - 2 laps walking (relax)
15 meter
5 meter
d
5 meter
EXERCISES
1
Warm-Up (B)
42
Start
A
c Start
B
Start
C
No. 57 February 2012
- Execute B (from c to d) • Short steps between discs (3 x, on toes) • Stay on the left, touch discs with right foot (2 x) • Stay on the right, touch discs with left foot (2 x) • Cross step left over right (2 x) • Cross step right over left (2 x) • Jump over the discs with two feet (2 x) • 2 discs forward, one discs back (3 x) - 2 laps walking (relax)
Youth Training
7
EXERCISES
5 meter
2
6
3
15 meter
5 4 3
5 meter
2
Start
1
A
Start
1 Start
B
C
5 meter
2
7 6
3
15 meter
5 4 3
5 meter
2
Start
Warm- Up (C + D)
D
1
1 Start
Start
B
C
43
- Execute C (from 1 to 7) • From 1 to 2, to 3, 4, etc. • Run around discs quickly • 3 x - Execute A • Sprint from 1 to 2 • Back to 3 then to 2 (Figure 8) • 3 x - 2 laps walking (relax)
No. 57 February 2012
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46
Goalkeeping
“In the last twenty years, not one goalkeeper from the PSV youth academy has managed to progress through to claim a spot in the first team. When I took the job as goalkeeping coach, I made it my personal challenge to change this. Whilst working in England I had built a good record for coaching goalkeepers through to the professional ranks and that is the aim I want to achieve here as well. As a coach you need to have a challenge and a goal; this aim represents both of these. Practically speaking, we will not produce ten goalkeepers to professional first team standard, but there are some goalkeepers in the youth academy who I think can potentially achieve that. If you guide, develop and coach them, they might just succeed.� We talked to Hans Segers, PSV youth academy goalkeeping coach about his vision and mission. Text: Paul van Veen Edited by Michael Francis Pollin
No. 57 February 2012
Goalkeeping
Hans Segers, goalkeeping coach PSV youth: “Even those daily aspects are so important for the goalkeepers” “At PSV they want a goalkeeper who is technically skilled, can control the penalty area and beyond, and also is able to link in with outfield players. It is not so easy to get such a goalkeeper with all those qualities, there are those already playing or that have been produced; playing in England, Germany or Spain. That is why we try to coach our goalkeepers to learn and develop all those aforementioned qualities. Of course, it is not always possible to achieve all those attributes, taking into accounts strengths and weaknesses, and also natural ability. But with all, we try to nurture that natural talent and coach them to their full potential; a massive step towards that first team place.”
Thousands of balls “In observing the technical aspect, you would be able to see that some are able exhibit better catching ability than others.
We technically develop catching by using a lot of repetition; hundreds of balls a week, thousands of balls a month are fired at, over, across and around the goalkeeper. So loads of repetition and plenty of practice, which builds an experiential ability towards a level of autonomy, where they can perform the technical skill without having to consciously think about it.”
Save and Secure “In almost every training session we start with volleys and half-volleys, thereby we try to train all the different type of balls you deal with around the body; bouncing balls, half bounce etc., so again the goalkeeper builds an experience of dealing with all sorts of balls with control and safely. Besides that, I always perform the same exercise after the training session is finished: than they get ten volleys, ten volleys and ten half-volleys fired at them in goal. They must attempt
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Goalkeeping
securely save ten of those balls; just saving is not enough, they must secure the ball. In this practice, if they drop two balls, the next goalkeeper takes his position, so there is a strong psychological aspect to the training, with focus and concentration and a clear objective.”
Shot-stoppers “In those exercises I shoot all of the balls myself. I used to be a goalkeeper and so I know how important it is to get a good delivery to have to deal with, and besides that the goalkeepers have to focus on securing those thirty balls, so I want them to just focus on that really. Balls need to be fired in accurately (to achieve the technical objective) at fast; 80 to 90 km/h is about right and a realistic challenge.”
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Kick and rush “Luckily I also had that good, long kick when I was a goalkeeper. After I went from Nottingham Forest to Wimbledon this worked well as we had a tall, rangy striker, we played the old kick and rush, long ball game or route one; straight to the big man, for him to; knock it on, knock it down, hold it up (for support) or just attempt to smash it in the goal.”
Gomez “When a goalkeeper has the technical and tactical aspects of the goalkeeper in order, you may notice that they will become more confident. A good example of a goalkeeper with great character and charisma was Heurelho Gomes when he was at PSV. He secured almost every cross ball out of the
Goalkeeping
air, and also commanded and controlled his penalty area. Maybe he was not one of the best technically, but because of his charisma and confidence, opponents feared him.”
Style, Technically Good and Character “Gomez now plays in England and when you compare many goalkeepers from different countries you will notice that the demands on goalkeepers will depend upon the country they play in, and thus the style of football played there. For example, a goalkeeper playing in England must be strong on crosses, in the Netherlands you
must be able to link into outfield play, while in England you do not really need that. If in England, the goalkeeper is called upon to support or switch across the back four, then most times he would just hit the long ball. In the Netherlands you must actually be a bit more of an all-rounder; good with crosses, shot stopping, securing the ball, throwing out, supporting and switching behind back four and clearing long if required. And, of course, at the end of the day the most important task of a goalkeeper is to keep a clean sheet. A goalkeeper like Edwin van der Sar has everything in this sense, he is technically very good in every department and a great character.”
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Consistency “Here at PSV, I try to keep the U13s training sessions consistent and concurrent with the sessions of the other age groups. But when it comes to the execution of the technical aspect it is totally different. I work at a slower pace and lower intensity with the U13s and I focus more on that technical aspect. At the U19s’ level and also the reserves, they must be familiar with the technical aspects and the focus moves to higher frequency and repetition. If a player still has technical short comings at that age, then, I afraid they are not good enough for PSV. They must be able to save and secure the ball at 80 km/h, and then be able to perform the next task. Of course you do not have to do this at U13 level, as they are
No. 57 February 2012
still developing, so you make sure that the technique is good, and stays good, during the developmental process.”
Trophies “Enjoying what you are doing is important, and it is high on the agenda at PSV that they have fun. The training sessions must not be just rote and repetition; to produce robot-like players. We invent exercises with ‘real materia trophy rewarding objectives. For example, I use the marking discs as trophies, and when they win those, they can display them behind their goal. After the exercise has finished they look at which player or team has won the most trophies. We also work with a bonus system, where they must save and really
Goalkeeping
secure the ball, because if you let it go, the server/shooter will get another ball to fire in. This is how we challenge one another, to objectively compete to improve attitude and performance; having fun.”
Height “It is difficult to draw up an exact plan within the academy for goalkeepers. We now have two goalkeepers at U13s, both are technically very good. We try to improve them step by step, although you must bear in mind that you can work by following a curriculum plan, but later they might turn out to be too small to become a professional goalkeeper. In current football I must add: sadly, we search for a goalkeeper with a minimum height of 1.86m, with the ideal height for a goalkeeper being between 1.86m and 1.95m. So, when working with young goalkeepers from U13 or even younger, they may acquire good technical ability but then physically mature to no higher than 1.75m, then you can still become a very good goalkeeper, but this may not be tall enough for some clubs.”
Crucial Role “It is crucial that when the goalkeepers play within the team that the goalkeeping coach is involved to support them within their very important roles and responsibilities. So you are right there; besides, behind or in close proximity to the goalkeeper, to coach,
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goalkeeper. Everything they do in the match must be right and even especially if they barely have anything to do. Therefore, an emphatic victory might not be a very good development opportunity for a goalkeeper making the training session even more important.”
Bread and butter
facilitate and supporting them, whilst checking their understanding. This could involve giving examples, demonstrating, pointing things out, guiding them and putting all the technical aspects into the tactical context of the practice or game. They can also learn by finding out for themselves in so many of these situations and my coaching is complimentary to that process.”
Choosing position “I demand that they consistently choose and adopt correct positions; making the right decisions. Even when we win 8-0 there are no exceptions to the attention given to the technical and positional play of the
No. 57 February 2012
“Everybody can save a ball, but not everybody can read a match. Do I come out or do I hold my position? Do I catch and secure the ball or punch it? It is not about those spectacular saves where everybody calls, ‘ooh’ or ‘ah!’ Even the daily or normal things are important for the goalkeeper, as ‘the bread and butter,’ as they call it in England. Those basic things must be done perfectly, that is what it is about, and then the foundations are laid for all the technical building blocks to be developed on top; those spectacular saves will follow. But getting the basics perfect and developing and learning on top will ensure consistency, which is important to me.”
Confidence “You must be able to rely on a goalkeeper. When a goalkeeper has character, it will permeate to the defensive line and that is fundamental to a solid foundation. Therefore the physiological and character is important, and if you are strong mentally, you are also very confident. How does
Goalkeeping
a goalkeeper react to a mistake? What is he going to do in the next actions? Does he come out for every cross to try to compensate? Or will he act more defensively and stay positioned on his goal line?”
Psychology “You talk with the players about what to do and what not to do. But sometimes I also try to sketch situations in the training sessions: ‘it’s the cup final against Feyenoord and the last ball of the game is coming towards you’ things like that. In England that approach is even bigger, there they use sport psychologists in sessions and the players are asked what they would do in certain situations, which develops interesting discussion and perspectives as well as good mental approach. I witnessed this for myself in the qualification match against Croatia. Paul Robinson kicks over the ball, from a back pass from Gary Neville, because of a bump on the pitch, and Croatia score; 2-0. Of course, the whole English press obliterated him, and it was very difficult for him to get over, not so much for the world watching on television, but the way the press destroyed his confidence, self-esteem and performance. You can tell him it was not his fault, but that will not make much difference, but he did learn from the situation as the bump was a result of him denting the ground from
a goal kick he took. Every time I see him play nowadays, he immediately levels the ground after a goal kick. It will not happen to him again. That is also what I say to the players here. Change something negative, into something positive, and of course you can make mistakes, as you are playing in the youth of PSV, but be sure to learn from your mistakes.”
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Tibor Sisa, FC Kaposvari Rakoczi
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