WELCOME…
November 17 2010 Issue 186 Under 4s - Under 16s
... to Soccer Coach Weekly. This week we speak to top trickster Lee Trundle about a fantastic decade of dazzling forward play. He offers some great advice for your frontmen – see our exclusive interview on page 2. Plus you can count on all of your favourite Soccer Coach Weekly features. Enjoy the issue and we’ll see you again next week...
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ATTACKING AIMS A half-pitch move that’s big on attacking intent...
THREE MAN BOB AND WEAVE It was a shame that the Manchester City versus Manchester United derby last week promised so much attacking flair and excitement, yet ultimately delivered very little. Of course, derby matches are notorious for managers setting out to avoid defeat rather than win the game, and the Eastlands clash was exactly that. Neither side were willing to attack with any greater assertiveness than was provided by their respective solitary strikers, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov. So to inject some attacking spark back into things, we’ve produced an offensive drill designed for teams who like creating chances by putting numbers in the box. This drill works by encouraging central midfielders and strikers to flood into the box in order to connect with a cross from the flanks. The more numbers that push forward simultaneously, the more confusion can set in with defenders.
THREE MAN BOB AND WEAVE 1
The midfield trio start play before progressing forward, attempting to connect with the winger’s cross
2
Opposition midfielders and defenders create an additional obstacle
How to set it up: •
On a half-pitch, set-up five attacking players – three starting just forward of the centre circle who progress towards goal through the middle, and one on either wing. A goalkeeper is required as well.
The ball is held in front on run-up, and the momentum comes from swinging off the planted leg
Getting started: •
One of the three central attackers starts with the ball. He lays a pass to either of the wingers. • As soon as the ball is played, the attacking trio move forward in a line. • When approaching the penalty box, they must interchange positions, deciding between them whether to attack the near post, far post, or the penalty spot. • Players should meet the winger’s cross at speed and, of course, try to score! • Progress the move by adding in two midfielders and two defenders. The midfielders must act as non-contact obstacles, forcing the onrushing attackers to weave around them on their way to the penalty area. The defenders meanwhile must challenge the attackers when the winger’s cross arrives in the box. • At the end of each move, restart near the halfway line, but direct play to the opposite flank.
Why this works: Coaches can often be frustrated by a lack of forward options, particularly when the ball is played wide to a winger who makes good ground before discovering he has no team-mate to aim for in the middle. This drill teaches midfielders and attackers to be determined to make it to the penalty area as soon as play is directed out onto the wing. And by making bobbing and weaving runs on their way into the box, the central attacking players are much more difficult to track. The move relies on good deliveries from the wing, but with an increased number of attacking bodies in the box there is a greater likelihood of goalscoring opportunities. Remember though that any offensive runs must be tempered by the need to track back should the ball be intercepted by the goalkeeper or his defenders.
movement without ball run with ball shot
pass
THE WORLD’S movement without ball TOP run with ball shot
SIX passWINGERS
Our trio of strikers wouldn’t have much trouble getting on the end of awithout cross from movement ballone of these passsuperstars:
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1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) 3. Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich) 4. Florent Malouda (Chelsea) 5. Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich) 6. Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid)
(Source: reader poll, Sportige/World Soccer)
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COACHING COLLECTION SAID LIKE A PRO
This week we’re delighted to present an exclusive interview with one of the English game’s top showmen from the past decade, Lee Trundle. The former Swansea City, Bristol City and Leeds United striker was always a crowd favourite with a pocketful of tricks and livewire personality. He shares some training insight with us... “This season has been a new challenge for me having ended my time playing in the Football League to switch to AFC Neath in the League of Wales. “Of course, I miss Championship and League One football, but I’m 34 now and being at Neath will, I hope, offer me a platform to move up to the next level. For me, that’s coaching.
end of this season will do my ‘A’ Licence, but it’s one thing knowing the ins and outs of the game, yet quite another getting those messages across to the players in a way they can understand. It was an eye-opener for me going on the course and I’m looking forward to the next one. “Of course, as a striker, the attacking side of my game is what I can communicate best, and I’ve been known to be a bit unpredictable in the final third ever since I set out playing non-league football back in 1997.
“Lots of players are turning to coaching after they finish playing but it’s a tough area to get into at professional level as there are only a couple of places up for grabs at each club. But why should football coaching be unlike any other occupation? If you want to succeed, you have to be one of the best!
“Current Wales boss Brian Flynn was a big influence on my career – he took me out of nonleague when he signed me for Wrexham, and I then followed him to Swansea City. I enjoyed my time working for him immensely and have many great memories of playing in his teams. He made the game look so simple, which allowed us as players to just go out and enjoy our football, which is a great confidence boost. Confidence is a very fragile thing and getting that right plays a big role in creating a successful football club.
“Naturally, I feel like I can pass a fair bit of experience onto others so that they can improve their games. Generally, I find senior professionals are the most willing to learn new things. That may sound surprising, but I think once players get past a certain age they accept that the only new things they’ll learn are tricks or flicks, and those elements have always been a big part of my game.
“Another manager I took a lot from was Kenny Jackett, who is now at Millwall. He liked to work a lot on shape and organisation, with each and every player knowing their role in the system. And while
“I’m quickly realising that so much about coaching is down to your personality. I did my UEFA ‘B’ Licence over the summer and at the
I was only with Roberto Martinez for a brief period, I thought that his continental methods were a breath of fresh air, and certainly very successful for Swansea. I hope he is given time to build Wigan Athletic into a great side.” Wales manager Brian Flynn has produced an engaging team drill – that focuses on the use of full-backs in attacking situations - for Elite Soccer magazine, the title that presents training practises from the game’s top managers. For more information, visit www.elitesoccercoaching.net.
LEE TRUNDLE FACTFILE •
Having played for non-league sides Stalybridge, Southport, Bamber Bridge and Rhyl, Lee was 25 before he got a shot at the pro game with Wrexham. • His first goal for the Dragons was a spectacular bicycle kick as Wrexham recovered from 2-0 down to beat Walsall 3-2 in February 2001. • Lee switched to Swansea City in 2003, and became renowned for his extraordinary array of flicks and tricks, as well as a goalscoring record of a goal in every other game for the club. • He moved to Bristol City for £1million in 2007 and guided the Robins to the Championship play-off final in 2007. • Trundle has also played on loan at Leeds United and Swansea City.
TRUNDLE’S TOP TIPS: ACCURATE FINISHING Obviously, finishing off moves is what strikers do best and they can never practise this too much, because at the end of the day they’ll be judged on their return of goals. The only strikers that get away with not scoring are the target men who lay off chances for their fellow frontman, but accuracy of the supply pass remains a big requirement. As a kid, I used to get a collection of balls and aim at the goalpost every time from the edge of the box.
NEVER STAND STILL Movement is crucial in order to get space and time on the ball in key areas of the pitch. Good players
don’t just stumble into those places by accident. Movement, especially off-the-ball, can be the difference between your players having a quiet game or grabbing a hat-trick, so never underestimate the importance, and don’t always follow the ball as a coach. Some players have made a career out of being in the right place at the right time, but they have deserved it due to smart movement and hard work. And let your players know that even walking a few yards can create that bit of space... they don’t need to be sprinting around wearing themselves out.
LEAD THE LINE Opposition defenders like to be between the strikers and the goal and they can’t cope once a player gets in front of them. Therefore, always remind your frontmen to play on defenders’ shoulders and be ready to beat them to the ball.
That is where strikers have to come alive, in the box - it’s the place where they get the chance to change games.
KEEP THE BALL Maintaining possession is a key ingredient, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea perfect examples of teams who have built success on ball retention. Your strikers need to hold up play and involve midfielders, giving the latter opportunities to move into attacking positions alongside. A team that cannot hold onto the ball leaves itself vulnerable at the back.
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COACHING COLLECTION DAVID CLARKE’S TOUCHLINE TALES
This is a great game for angles of defence and changing roles in attack.
WINNING WITH HUMILITY AND LOSING WITH DIGNITY I took our Under-10s B-team this week in a match against strong opposition. I looked at the other team’s results and saw that they’d drawn 1-1 recently against the league leaders, so I knew they wouldn’t be pushovers. Our team has looked sharp recently and has benefitted from us playing a lot of fast 4v4 games in our new indoor arena. As a result, we’ve been creating lots of goalscoring chances with good passing plus one and two-touch play. On Saturday it all fell into place and we outplayed the opposition with ease. At 5-0 the boys stopped celebrating the goals and concentrated on the game, keeping their shape and playing with respect for the team they were beating – of course the other team had a spell where they dominated but try as they might they couldn’t score. As a coach I don’t like it when teams let us score a goal just to make us feel good – it
often makes it worse, so it was important for us to keep effort levels at their highest. In the end we won 8-0, however all credit to my players and their parents, because never did they become over-exuberant or loud. It was not a scoreline this team had ever achieved before, but was a reflection of the work they have put in over the early part of the season, both in attack and defence.
“The opposition manager insinuated I was playing A-team players, yet he had seen the team registration cards and knew this was not the case.”
A-team players, yet he had seen the team registration cards and knew this was not the case. The truth was that he had just come up against a team on top form, and I told him this. His comment was unnecessary. It is up to him how he behaves but when any of my teams gets beaten by a big scoreline we accept that and congratulate the opposition. This was a one-off for us, but I was pleased with the way we handled ourselves, both during and after the game in light of these comments.
My only gripe with the game came at the end when the opposition manager strolled over and claimed it wasn’t fair that, for a B-team, I had players in my team who were so talented. He insinuated I was playing
SCW SURGERY THIS WEEK’S COACH: TONY STOKES GROUP: 9 TO 12-YEAR-OLDS Tony coaches four junior sides in Northallerton, North Yorkshire...
Q
My team finds it very difficult to cope against sides who play the long ball or route one football. Do you have any advice for dealing with such methods? Ally Smyth, Wolverhampton
A
You’d hope that coaches were discouraging the long ball in the 9 to 12 age range, but it does happen. An effective preventative tactic is often to use your goalkeeper as a sweeper, making sure he plays as far out of his goal as possible, maybe on the edge of the penalty area. He’ll be in with a good chance of making it first to any long passes. What you shouldn’t do is rely on playing the offside trap – it’s a lot to expect a young defence to all sing from the same hymn sheet in terms of knowing when to move, and invariably an attacker will be left onside and clean through. But the best counter tactic is organisation. If your players can prevent being outmuscled against high balls then they should be in a position to repel the threat if they stick to a solid defensive formation.
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What are the benefits of playing mixed teams of boys and girls? Suzanne Western, Newcastle-upon-Tyne It’s supposed that mixed team football tends to benefit girls more than boys, and I’d probably go along with that. There’s certainly a competitive element involved, in that girls don’t want to be shown up and will battle hard to prove that they are more than a match. You might find the boys playing a less physical game, which inadvertently could aid technical skills, but there’s no real evidence to suggest this is definitely the case. The really interesting thing about mixed teams is that girls, generally, are more cooperative and organised than boys, while boys are typically better skilled, so both can learn important lessons off each other when put into the same game environment. Girls and boys should only play in the same team until around the age of 13, whereafter players should be divided into separate groups.
Got a question for SCW Surgery? Email it in to us at james.evans@coach-soccer.com
Why am I struggling to explain to my players when is the best time to play the through-ball? Terry McCarthy, Somerset You’re certainly not the first coach who has experienced this problem. In a game situation the moment passes so quickly, and if you keep stopping play you run the risk of making the whole training session disjointed. Assuming they watch football regularly, they’ll recognise what type of pass it is and will therefore ‘tag’ it mentally for the future. While the timing of the pass can be pointed out, it’s only really something that a player can perfect by himself, usually by trial and error. What you can assist in is ensuring that when they do release the pass, the accuracy on the ball is good and the pace of it well judged. And remember, players often hesitate in playing a pass because of the fear of getting it wrong, so while you can’t always be there telling them to release on a split second, you can give them the belief and confidence to attempt a defence-splitting pass when they feel the time is right.
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
SIX STEPS TO EFFECTIVE DEMONSTRATIONS Demonstrations are a very powerful way of getting information over to young players. Here are the six steps to ensure yours have the required effect...
1. SET THE SCENE Establish exactly what you want to achieve from the demonstration. Tell your players what you are showing them and exactly what they should be looking at. Outline the criteria for success.
3. KNOW YOUR STUFF You should be clear on what you are about to demonstrate. Make a note of the key factors you want to get across to your players so you don’t forget any. Practise the demonstration beforehand so you are confident in your own ability and can talk through each part of it.
“Ask a couple of players to come out and demonstrate so you can check they have understood.”
2. GET THE LEVEL RIGHT If it’s a new technique or skill you will need to go right back to basics. If it’s a skill you have been working on for a while you can focus on the more advanced aspects. Always highlight the basics though even if your players are good at them. Don’t overload your players with information. If it is a complex skill break it down into steps and work through them over a period of time.
4. CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING Ask your players questions to check each have understood what they’ve been watching. You can even ask a couple of players to come out and demonstrate after you to check they have
understood. Allow your players time to ask you any questions regarding the demonstration.
5. HANDS ON After your demonstration, make sure your players get an immediate opportunity to try out the skill. Keep reinforcing the key factors and correct any faults you see. And be patient, because while some players will take an instruction on board immediately, others may need more time.
6. ASSESS THE RESULTS At the end of your session gather your players in and check that they have remembered the key factors you were trying to get across. Answer any questions they have regarding the session and tell them what the next steps will be in terms of developing the new skill.
WARM-UP
DRIBBLE ACROSS AND OUT A simple ball skill drill that gets your players on the move...
•
Mark out an area measuring 15x15 yards.
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Spread your players out around the area.
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Have two or three balls working simultaneously.
SKILLS
How to set it up:
• • • •
Dribbling Versatility
POSSESSION PLUS ONE
Decision-making Technique
Getting started: •
The players must dribble into the middle square, which measures 4x4 yards.
•
They must then complete a change in direction with a turn or a skill, then dribble out of the area to a team-mate.
•
The practice is repeated for a set time period to be decided by the coach.
Why this works: This is a quick technical warm-up that will help players get an early feel for the ball. The distance to be covered is short which means your team won’t tire, but encourage them to go in and out quickly to ensure they can maintain control of the ball despite showing changes in pace. This warm-up is also good for making them aware of each others’ positions – which two players will be the first to suffer the embarrassment of colliding in the middle square?!
Players move in to the square, change direction, then exit
dribble
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GAME ON
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SMALL-SIDED GAME
POSSESSION PLUS ONE • • • •
Outer pitch size: 30x30 yards. Inner pitch size: 15x15 yards. This game uses two teams of four players. There are no goals.
The rules:
SKILLS
How to set it up:
• • • •
Passing
player movement
ball movement
player movement
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player movement
ball movement
POSSESSION PLUS ONE
Control Awareness
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Pressing
To begin with, this is a simple 4v1 possession game
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One team acts as the passing team, the other as the defending team. The aim of the game is to keep possession by making quick and precise passes to a team-mate.
Getting started: •
The passing team spread out into the 15x15 yard area and begin the game by playing with a 4v1 overload. • After 30 seconds another defender is added to make the game 4v2. When a further 30 seconds has elapsed, make the game 4v3, then 4v4. • The game is played for 2 minutes. • The passing team must count the number of successful passes they make. • The teams rotate roles for the next game and the new passing team tries to beat the number of passes made by their opponents.
2 Adding another defender makes it a bit more of a challenge
Why this game works: This is the perfect short passing game, though one that requires everincreasing concentration against a growing number of opposition players. Let the game flow naturally, because the small playing area will quickly see a player on the ball closed down. For one side, this should make for a quick game with a strong emphasis on passing, control and vision. For the other, it is a dedicated task of pressing and closing down. If your players can immediately relay the techniques from this small-sided game into a competitive match, they will potentially make it an uncomfortable morning or afternoon’s work for the opposition.
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
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player movement
4v4 takes it to another level. Which team can make the highest number of successful passes?
ball movement
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