WELCOME…
October 20 2010 Issue 182 Under 4s - Under 16s
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to Soccer Coach Weekly. As always, we scour the globe for the best training tips to pass on to you, and in this issue we’ve influences from Italy, Spain, Holland, Hungary, England and even Egypt! Football truly is a global game! Enjoy the issue...
SECONDS OUT! If the opposing team is stronger than yours, play like Jose Mourinho...
PLAY THE MOURINHO WAY In the 2010 Champions League Final, Inter Milan frustrated Barcelona to such an extent it was hard not to wonder whether tactical historians of the future would look back on that game as a turning point as significant as Hungary’s 6-3 win over England in 1953. What that victory did was to challenge the assumption that the ‘best’ way to play is to maintain possession and pass a side to death – a tactic used to devastating effect by World Champions Spain. To counter that, teams can be very organised defensively before breaking out into quick and ruthless attacking moves – after all, most goals are scored using fewer than five passes, or within 20 seconds of winning the ball. The ethos in modern football is about constructing moves slowly and precisely, but sometimes pushing forward at pace is a great foil against teams who attempt to suffocate play by retaining possession. Ultimately, this move is formed by simple build-up play using passing and receiving skills, and ending in a shot at goal. What could be simpler?
PLAY THE MOURINHO WAY 1
Approach, lay off and shoot at pace
2
In the 4v2, both teams have 20 seconds to score
How to set it up: • •
Start by using a standard penalty box and goal for the first phase of the session. Then progress by setting up a 40x30 yard box with a goal at each end. It is in this space that the second phase will develop.
Getting started: •
In the first phase you’re looking to get players used to running at pace, laying off a precise pass, then finishing with a first-time shot. Speed is of the essence in this first element. • The coach or helper should be laying the ball off so that the shot is taken from 3 somewhere near the penalty spot. Once a player has taken his shot he joins the back of the queue and a new • player approaches. • In the second phase, begin with a 4v2 small-sided game (plus two goalkeepers) in the 40x30 yard box. • Play begins with the team of four. They have 20 seconds in which to score, something they should be able to achieve easily given their overload of players. • A move ends if (a) a goal is scored, (b) the ball goes out of play, (c) the 20 seconds elapse, or (d) possession is won by the other team. • The team of two then attack. Their two-man disadvantage means they must be quick and accurate. direction of run direction of direction of run run • Turn this into a 3v3 game with the same rules. Remember, if the opposition team wins the ball, they have a maximum of 20 seconds in order to unleash a shot. • Vary the time to suit your players - 20 seconds might be too short a time for direction of run younger age groups but too long for older ones.
Why this works: The speed element of the practice phase will have put your players in the right frame of mind for the competitive part of this session, the small-sided games. Much of football coaching these days is about measured approach play and patience, but many situations dictate speed and urgency, and with a limits on time, this game is great for encouraging players to attack quickly and decisively. And progressing from a 4v2 to a 3v3 means players are developing their methods against different numbers of team-mates and opponents.
Watch The recovering how defender sprintsplayer back as hisactions teamalterto in mate looks 3v3 hold upaplay scenario
pass pass pass
pass
shot shot shot
shot
PASS MASTERS
You wouldn’t find the Egypt national team paying too much attention to the above session! The African side hold the world record for the number of consecutive passes leading to a goal, after clocking up an incredible 37 in the course of the move which saw Mohamed Abdel-Shafy make it 3-0 against Algeria in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.
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COACHING COLLECTION
a
WARM-UP
CONE CALL
How to set it up: •
Place a football on each of four cones, arranged in a line. • There should be 5 yards between each cone. • Position yourself in the middle. • Your players should be about 15 yards in front of you, lined up in two rows.
KEY ELEMENTS
A reaction game that gets players on the move...
CONE WARMCALL UP 4
• Reactions • Pace • Agility • Awareness
Getting started: • •
A player from each row steps forward. They will go 1v1. Get the players to continuously bounce around in random directions, as they await their first instruction. • Call out a numbered cone. The players must react, sprint and try to be the first to knock the ball off the cone. • The players can use their bodies and arms to hold each other off but must not commit a foul. • At the end of the move, each player rejoins the back of his queue.
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Why this works: This is a simple and quick game that gets players mentally and physically tuned in. They’ll take pleasure in outmuscling an opponent in a 1v1 situation, and given that all of their team-mates are watching, you can be sure of getting 100% commitment!
player movement
SAID LIKE A PRO We ask some of the game’s professionals about their training ground gripes, past and present. This week, it’s Sheffield United’s defensive midfielder, Johannes Ertl. “It seems that the variety and style of football boots around the training ground is bigger now than ever before. For me, it’s always interesting to see which players favour the traditional boots and which go for something a bit more up-todate. Typically, it seems to be the strikers who like the bright colours and synthetic materials, whereas defenders are happier with sturdy, protective leather boots - most of them black! “Once I’ve played in a pair of boots and they have brought me special memories I tend to stick with them for as long as I can. I am a little superstitious in that sense, but I don’t really mind if they aren’t in style because they have served me well, so I remain loyal to them for as long as possible. At the moment that’s a pair of Puma XL Pros. And I would never play with moulds because they don’t give me any confidence on the pitch. The pitches in England are usually wet and the grip with moulds isn’t anywhere near as good as studs. “I’m a player who loves the physical side of the game, in training just as in a match
scenario. Obviously, I would never want to injure any of my own team-mates, but training for me is a dress rehearsal for what happens on a Saturday afternoon, so you have to take it seriously and really approach it in the same committed frame of mind that you would do a league or cup match. “Austrian football has suffered from some tough experiences over the past couple of decades, losing to the Faroe Islands and being hammered 9-0 by Spain to name but two. So back home training methods have toughened up as a result. We know we will rarely be able to compete technically with our neighbours Germany, so the reaction on the training pitches has been to become more physical. I am glad to have brought that ethos to the Championship because it has become an important part of my game, and I’d hate to think the art of tackling is something that might be lost in the new era of football.”
FOOTBALL PHILOSOPHIES... SAY WHAT?
Good training habits mean good match habits, but getting your players to go that extra yard can be difficult. Here are four ways you can inspire them to keep their effort levels up: “Come on, you’ve done so well up until now” - no player would want to spoil a decent showing by letting their performance tail off at the end. “You’ll be under that hot shower in 10 minutes” - give your players a reward at the end of a tough session. Making them visualise something good will improve their mental outlook whilst still on the pitch. “Don’t let you team down, now” - remind them that football is a team game and that they are there to help others as well as themselves. It might be worth an extra yard. “I bet you can’t improve on your last time/shot/save” - give the player something personal to aim at. Not only are you showing that you’ve paid attention to what they’ve done before, but they’ll thrive on the opportunity to prove you wrong. And if they do, everyone’s a winner!
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COACHING COLLECTION
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DAVID CLARKE’S TOUCHLINE TALES This is a great game for angles of defence and changing roles in attack.
M IS FOR MOTIVATION
It’s important that your players know they have no divine right to a starting place in your team. If the best player you have believes there are no consequences to turning in below par performances, he won’t remain the star man for long. I find ‘best player’ a horrible expression. Best at what, exactly? Well, if you watch plenty of seven-a-side matches like I do you’ll see lots of Steven Gerrard-type players. They can run games because they get around the pitch, tackle, take throw-ins, goal kicks, free-kicks, the lot... they have the air of a player who believes in himself. Every team could do with a player like this, but not every team exploits that player well. Take our match last Saturday, for instance. My so-called best player was still half asleep when we kicked off – yawning and barely running. He’d seemed fine in the warm-up but come the game he just didn’t fancy it. So I took him off and put in his place one of my keen up-and-coming players. ‘Best
player’ was not happy at the substitution and neither were his watching family. “Why have you taken our biggest threat off?” asked one of the dads. “Exactly my point!” grimaced the mum. The player looked shell-shocked. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he would be substituted. It was a lesson he had to learn, and so too did his parents. Without his negativity, the team played much better and scored two goals. The upand-coming replacement had a great game and even contributed a slick back-heel which set up a goal. He came off the pitch elated. At training during the week the ‘best player’ made sure he played his best. He was back to his usual self and was trying his hardest to make sure no upstarts took his place in the team! If I hadn’t made that substitution he would have continued to play without putting in the 100% effort that I demand of all my players. What we always need to remember as
coaches is that whatever flak we get off the parents, we must watch the players on the pitch and react accordingly. No one player is better than the team, not even the best player.
“He didn’t think he would be substituted. It was a lesson he had to learn, and so too did his parents.”
SCW SURGERY THIS WEEK’S COACH: JERRY MOUNTFIELD GROUP: 12 TO 15-YEAR-OLDS Jerry is Level 3 coach who runs three boys sides in Birmingham...
Q
I’ve heard that the Level 1 coaching badge doesn’t even cover technical skills. Is that right? Terry Anson, Hereford
A
The Level 1 qualification is a great entry point into the world of coaching, and looks at the organisational side of the game as much as skills and tactics. I’ve heard some criticism of it recently because it doesn’t specifically address player technique, but the incentive is always there for coaches to move up the ladder and secure that kind of knowledge with future qualifications. What the Level 1 qualification does very well is help coaches organise and supervise, promotes working relationships and assists in understanding the challenges that will be faced along the way. It also introduces activities and sessions and looks at player development, so there’s still a lot to be taken out of it if, as a coach, you’re enthusiastic, willing and committed.
Got a question for SCW Surgery? Email it in to us at james.evans@coach-soccer.com
Q
Our boys’ team has recently merged with a local side. Things are a bit frosty between the two groups - how can I get the players to come together as one unit? Winston Reid, London
Q
A
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There’s also the issue that competition for places is increased significantly, and with that may come bitterness and resentment. I’m afraid it’s inevitable that some players will leave and join other clubs, but there are obviously good reasons behind the merger and hopefully your club, as a whole, will become stronger.
You may find the situation resolves itself and one of the two goalkeepers goes to play for another team, but if you can keep them both happy then you’re providing a useful lesson into what it is to be a keeper, always battling someone else for one solitary slot in the team.
As a player myself many years ago we encountered a similar scenario. You will always get some friction when trying to force together two groups of lads who have their own friends and their own way of doing things – it’s never easy.
Why not plan a team day out, maybe to a local professional game? It will give your players the chance to see what they do have in common.
I’ve got two goalkeepers of similar standard. At the moment they play a half each, but I’m worried they’re not going to be happy with that arrangement for too much longer. What can I do? Andre Ackman, Texas It’s a tricky situation and you’re probably going about it the right way, for the time being at least. But players in this age group will quickly tire of not playing, particularly as their competitive spirit is really starting to mature and develop.
Unfortunately, giving them a half each doesn’t really instil the idea that they need to fight for their place. You may want to select one keeper as your first choice and see what effect it has on the other, but it’s a tactic that might backfire.
Soccer Coach Weekly is published by Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford, GU5 0AB, UK. Email: james.evans@coach-soccer.com Tel: +44 (0)1483 892894 Fax: +44 (0)1483 894148 Editor: James Evans Publisher: Kevin Barrow Managing Director: Andrew Griffiths Customer Service: Duncan Heard Contributors: David Clarke, Paul Dargan, Chris Galea, Steve Southern © Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved.
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COACHING COLLECTION
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THE ART OF COACHING CHILDREN
CORRECTING ERRORS A big part of coaching is knowing how and when to correct errors that players make, or bad habits they adopt – showing them what they’re doing wrong is the only way they’ll improve. Here is a fivestep guide to help you achieve this:
LOOK FOR PROBLEMS Watch the player closely. If errors occur consistently in training and matches then they are ‘technical’ errors. These are fixed by correcting a specific part of the player’s technique. If errors occur during matches only, they are ‘performance’ errors.
FIND EVIDENCE While observing the player gather as much evidence as you can. Statistics on how often the error occurs and video footage are both valuable if you are able to get them.
A lot of players will be unaware that they are making recurring errors so evidence is essential to convince them they need help.
“You need to be able to provide the player with solutions rather than simply point out their problems.” THINK ABOUT SOLUTIONS You need to be able to provide the player with solutions rather than simply point out their problems. Think carefully before speaking to the player about how you are going to help them overcome their technical problem.
FEEDBACK Feedback needs to be given in the right circumstances. Wait until the player does something you can praise them for and then address the problem you want to raise. Be positive and make them aware that you have solutions for them and are determined to help them improve their technique.
SUPPORT Once you have gone through the above process you must make sure you support the player. Give them regular feedback on how they are progressing and let them know you are available if they need more help. Be aware that correcting ingrained errors doesn’t happen quickly and in many cases the skill can get worse before it gets better. Players can become very despondent if they feel they are not being supported fully.
FORMATION FORUM THIS WEEK: 4-3-2-1, AKA THE CHRISTMAS TREE FORMATION
We delve once more under the surface of the tactical formations that famously make teams tick... As portrayed by: Terry Venables for England in Euro ’96, and Carlo Ancelotti at AC Milan and Chelsea. The legacy: England almost won their second tournament on home soil using the 4-3-2-1 formation, whilst Milan utilised it to cover the wings in a way that made the lateral game hard to counter under coach Ancelotti.
BACKGROUND: •
Two central defenders and a defensive midfielder are the only outfield players with fixed roles. Other players are needed to be versatile and fluid in order to turn what, on paper, is a narrow formation, into something that offers midfield strength and attacking versatility. • The formation can be adapted easily to suit scenarios in the game, e.g. dropping the defensive midfielder back to place five in defence, or pushing the full-backs forward to create the same number of offensive players.
KEY ELEMENTS: •
The central defenders repel direct threats, while the full-backs are required to support their midfield team-mates whenever possible.
• The midfield operates as a trio. The
central player is utilised as a holding, defensive force, while the outside pair provide a link for full-backs moving forward as well as covering space in behind. • Midfielders also support the attacking triumvirate who have the license to interchange and drive forward, but there will always be one central, hold-up striker. • A tall, robust, mobile centre-forward would be ideal player to play off, whilst bringing other players into the game. • The two attackers playing behind the forward can operate as natural wide men.
A standard 4-3-2-1 formation
MAIN STRENGTH: This set-up is regarded as being very attacking. In England’s 4-1 demolition of Holland at Euro ’96, Three Lions coach Terry Venables showed how devastating the formation can be even against a tight Dutch side that defended deep.
KEY WEAKNESS: The formation relies on full-backs coming forward and combining with the midfielders in order to offer width. And because the set-up is fluid rather than static, it can be difficult for the midfield to respond quickly to counter-attacks.
Full-backs and strikers must work together to create attacking width player movement when attacking player when attacking playermovement movement when attacking
Soccer Coach Weekly 4
GAME ON
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player movement
ball movement
player movement SMALL-SIDED GAME
ball movement
GATES GAME
ball movement
player movement
• • •
Pitch size: 30x30 yards. This is a 4v4 game.
Set up five gates spread evenly around the playing area.
SKILLS
How to set it up:
• • • •
GATES GAME
Defending Attacking Positioning
1
The team in possession move around the pitch trying to complete passes through the gates
2
Can they dribble through the gates without losing possession?
3
If the opposition manage to make a tackle it becomes their turn to try to score
Passing
The rules: •
There are a number of ways this game can be played and scored: 1. The player in possession must dribble through a gate to score. 2. The player in possession must make a pass through the gate to a team-mate. 3. The player in possession can use both of the choices above.
•
The team not in possession must try to dispossess the other team, then use one of the methods above to score themselves.
Why this game works: This is a technical game which, for the team in possession, relies on an assured touch and the ability to pick a pass. When defending, a team must protect a number of targets. The scattered placing of the cones means that players must constantly be aware of their positioning. This game is also great for teaching players how to adapt mentally to a task that switches between attack and defence quickly and frequently.
Let us know how you get on. Soccer Coach Weekly is always keen to hear your feedback, so email in to us at
james.evans@coach-soccer.com
player movement
ball movement
Soccer Coach Weekly 5