WELCOME…
January 12 2011 Issue 194 Under 4s - Under 16s
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... to the latest issue. It’s the start of a new year, so what better time to introduce our Footy Formation Knockout Cup? It’s a Top Trumpsinspired tactical talking point that, over the next seven weeks, will put some stimulating stats behind our unveiling of football’s most effective formation. This week, we’re putting 4-1-4-1 up against 4-2-4. Enjoy the issue...
SET PLAY PERFECTION A corner kick routine that provides excellent shooting angles...
TURNING THE CORNER Corner kick dynamics haven’t actually changed much since the days of football rattles and flat caps. The options available to the kick taker remain simple – deliver it in and around the six-yard box, play a ball towards the edge of the area, or lay a short pass to a team-mate in order to change the crossing angle. In the first four months of the current English Premier League season, three quarters of all corners arrived in and around the penalty spot, despite the fact that, on average, only one in 22 directly led to a goal. And with an average of seven corners per team per game, that’s a lot of wasted opportunities. Yet intelligent corner kick arrangements can really improve a team’s goalscoring options, and for youth teams in particular, the psychology behind clever routines can be adapted for other areas of the pitch. The following routine is excellent in producing quick passing and movement, and unlike a standard corner lobbed into the middle, more often than not this routine will end with a shot at goal. The key aspect of this move is good player awareness and an ability to pass accurately.
How to set it up: •
TURNING THE CORNER 1
The corner kick is played along the touchline to the player at the near post
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You can practise this with or without defenders, though whether you use them or not, ensure that attackers constantly vary their movements, finding space and being alert to the ball. • It doesn’t matter whether the age of your players dictates the use of a standard or small-sized pitch, providing you have a goal and keeper in place. • Designate a set corner kick taker. • Organise attackers (and defenders, if you choose to use them) as you would do for a normal corner kick practice, though ensure attacking players are in positions where they are alert to short corners and balls played in and around the box.
A simple pass changes the potential crossing angle...
Getting started: •
The corner taker plays a quick ball along the ground into the player on the near post. • The supporting player moves towards the ball to receive possession. • He plays the ball back to the corner taker who has moved out towards the angle of the 18-yard box. • The ball is played to the edge of the D where an attacking midfielder has moved into position. • The short corner routine finishes with a shot on goal. • You can progress this further by encouraging other players to make dummy runs in and around the box.
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Why this works: Creative play is one of the best ways for players to take responsibility and make decisions on timing of passes and runs. With a corner kick, organising a simple short corner routine creates an unpredictability that will provide chances for your side. Opposing coaches will not relish the creative corner because it gives players a lot of freedom, while your own side will take into other areas of the pitch the idea that playing the most obvious ball isn’t always the most effective.
... but instead a short pass is played to an inrushing midfielder to shoot
direction directionof of run run
direction of run
pass pass pass
shot shot shot
direction of run
pass
shot
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COACHING COLLECTION
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SAID WARM-UP LIKE A PRO How to set it up: •
Create a good-sized playing area in which your players have plenty of space to move around.
•
Arrange your players into two groups of equal numbers – they should be scattered randomly around the playing area.
•
KEY ELEMENTS
PASS TO THE OPPOSITE TEAM PASS TO THE OPPOSITE TEAM
• Passing • Speed • Awareness
Players can only pass the ball to players on the opposite team.
• Control
Two balls are in play simultaneously.
Getting started: • •
Serve a ball to a player on each team.
•
The pass sequence is therefore always grey, white, grey, white etc.
Upon receiving the ball, the players must only pass to someone on the opposite team.
Why this works: This warm-up may go against everything that you will ever teach your players in terms of holding onto possession and not letting opponents receive the ball cheaply, but the very fact that they can’t pass the ball to one of their own team-mates means they should be mentally switched on to a different sort of passing challenge. As a result, you should find that players keep their heads up, are always looking to their next pass, and communicate better in terms of where they want the ball. The distraction of having to pass to opposition players requires a forced concentration, and if your players can carry this focus into match situations the benefits can be great.
pass
pass
THE ART OF COACHING CHILDREN
THE CONCENTRATION GAME
Warm-up zone: Concentration is always poor at the start of a session. Players will have come from another activity and will be mentally cold. You need to kick-start their minds and limbs during the warmup. Include some simple decision-making games and exercises to get them thinking. Learning zone: Once players are properly warmed up they achieve an optimal concentration level. This is where to do your main coaching, teaching new skills and techniques, and executing more advanced decision-making games. Fatigue zone: Towards the end of the session the players get tired and their ability to concentrate drops rapidly. They will find
it very difficult to take in new information whilst executing complicated tasks accurately. Use this time to focus on basic core skills or fitness. It is also a good time occasionally to focus on decision-making, as this is the first area of their game to suffer when players get tired.
WARM UP ZONE
By recognising these phases you can realign your training session accordingly to ensure that your players get the most out of the time they have with you.
LEARNING ZONE
FATIGUE ZONE
OPTIMAL CONCENTRATION LEVEL
In order to optimise your training time it is important to understand how your players’ concentration levels vary during a training session. The simple graph to the right shows how a player’s concentration might change in the duration of a training session. It is split up into three distinct zones:
POOR
TIME
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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.
CHANGING TACTICS AT GOAL KICKS Temperatures have plummeted over the past few weeks and the result has been that a number of games have been called off. My side couldn’t dodge a frozen pitch, but one of our younger teams managed to get their match on, so I went along to watch them. They are a good team and have a clever coach who is always ready to try things out during matches if he sees a problem. During the match, his goalkeeper was not having much luck from goal kicks. Every time he kicked the ball it was going into a packed midfield and the opposition’s physical advantage in the centre meant they were often emerging with the ball. In fact, the opening goal had come as a direct result of a goal kick coming straight back from midfield. With his team losing 2-0 at half-time, it was clear the coach had to change something. The first thing he did was alter the routine of the goal kicks to give his keeper more
options. He got two defenders to drop short left and right of the goal so the keeper could play a simple pass to ensure that his team retained possession. When this happened, the opposition players moved forward to close down, something that freed up space in the midfield area. As you might expect, this made a huge difference straight away, and having previously been overrun in the middle third, the team were now finding it easier to build attacking moves.
“They had won the second half 1-0 and learned a great lesson in tactics.” His mobile defenders also utilised space down the line, with attacking midfielders able to take the ball forward further, frequently sending dangerous crosses in towards the near post.
After his team had won a succession of corner kicks they scored to pull the scoreline back to 2-1. In working harder to win the ball from goal kicks, the opposition lost a lot of their attacking speed and were less able to get the ball forward. The match had effectively been turned on its head, all because of a change in the goal kick routine. The team had a number of chances to equalise but couldn’t take them, but that’s football. Nonetheless, they had won the second half 1-0, and learned a great lesson in tactics at the same time.
SCW SURGERY THIS WEEK’S COACH: RAOUL LIMBACHIA GROUP: 5 TO 8-YEAR-OLDS Raoul is an experienced Level 3 coach who runs three youth sides...
Q
Although the position is thought to be a little outdated, I was thinking of incorporating a sweeper role into our team. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this? Kenny Porter, London.
A
Well, one immediate advantage of using a sweeper is that it helps central defenders read the game with more clarity plus greater patience and control. And they’ll always know they have the insurance policy of this additional player ‘sweeping’ up any problems behind them. You should also find that the rest of the defence will learn how to attack the ball better instead of waiting for it to come to them. Of course, there are disadvantages. You are giving the opposition more opportunity to push the defence back, and the sweeper placement obviously means you have to sacrifice a player further up the pitch. But try to counter both of these by remaining versatile - when your sweeper and back-line are confident enough, you can free the player to roam further forward.
Q
Q
A
A
Are there real benefits to playing left footers on the right and right footers on the left? Simon Johnson, Nottingham. This all depends on how you like to set your players up, what they are like as individuals, who your strongest players are, and what tactics you’re looking to employ. You’ll have to decide what works best for your team. Of course, it follows that if the wingers prefer to cut inside, shooting at goal with a good eye for the target, then you may benefit from playing them on the wing that you wouldn’t class as their natural side, i.e. leftfoot on right and vice versa. If you’ve strong forwards and you like them to have an accurate and plentiful supply line, then you could benefit with the wingers crossing the ball on their established foot from what is perceived to be their natural wing. In essence, utilising wing play is all about working out your strongest options and building a tactical left and right-footed approach around that.
What are the basic concepts that I should be teaching my Under-7s? Peter Austin, Stevenage. Firstly, Under-7s should be keeping the ball on the floor unless it’s absolutely necessary to loft, chip or hoof it – for example, when clearing lines under heavy pressure. But they should be taught to pass, pass and pass. The main emphasis is on first touch because the rest is irrelevant if they can’t initially control the ball. Past that, dribbling is about getting used to being in control of a ball, and feeling comfortable with it at all times. The other basics will be easier to teach once they have mastered those early skills - things such as chasing back when losing possession, moving into space away from markers, and supporting players when attacking and defending. Things should be taught in stages, but the elementary skills always involve confidence in control and passing. Good luck!
Got a question for SCW Surgery? Email it in to us at james.evans@coach-soccer.com
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 FOOTY FORMATION KNOCKOUT CUP • QUARTER-FINAL • 4-1-4-1 vs 4-2-4 •
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4-2-4
4-1-4-1
LW
ATTACKING STRE NG DEFENDING STRE TH .................................. 10 NGTH ............... .................. 7 MIDFIELD STRE NGTH ............... .................... VERSATILITY/FL 5 EXIBILITY ......... .................... 7 STAMINA REQU IREMENT ......... ............ ... ...... TECHNICAL REQU 7 IREMENT ......... .................. 6 MENTAL REQUIR EMENT ............ ... ... ............. 8 RECOGNISED SU CCESS ............ .................... POPULARITY ... 6 ........................ .................... 5
7 ................... NGTH ............... ATTACKING STRE TH ................................. 8 NG 9 DEFENDING STRE .................... NGTH ............... 7 .. ... ... ... ... MIDFIELD STRE ... ... IBILITY ......... EX 7 FL Y/ ... IT IL ... AT ... VERS ............ IREMENT ......... 8 ... ... ... ... ... STAMINA REQU ... EMENT ......... IR 7 QU RE . L ... CA ... NI ... TECH ... ... ... EMENT ............ .. 7 ... ... ... ... MENTAL REQUIR ... ... ESS ............ COGNISED SUCC .............. 8 RE CF ........................ ... ... ... TY POPULARI RW
MF
MF
d successful DMF ost famous an Probably the m Spain coach as w n is formatio advocate of thMF European ring their 2008 CF agones du Switzerland. Luis Ar d an ria st Au t onship win in pi am the tournamen Ch in als MF st three go . 12 MFconceded ju ed or sc ey d Th e, an MF the group phas – all coming in
VS
68
TOTAL
This is a classic formation rare ly used nowad but developed ays, by Brazil in th e 1950s to form strong defenc a e and potent at tack. Manches United and Ne ter wcastle United were big exponents of this set-up in the mid-1990s .
TOTAL
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FOOTY FORMATION KNOCKOUT CUP BATTLE NARRATIVE
CF
LW
CF
This absorbing match-up is straight away focused on the attacking mentality of the 4-2-4. Such an attacking premise would put a team playing 4-1-4-1 on the back foot in the early exchanges given its rather gung-ho approach. RW
DMF
MF
MF
MF
MF
MF
4-2-4 ON THE CHARGE
MF
A team playing 4-1-4-1 would undoubtedly respond by looking to suffocate the supply lines to the attacking quartet. The holding player in the midfield would be key in assisting his side’s back four in their crowding out the four attacking players, while further ahead the midfield overload should create a useful base for attacking link-up play to the lone frontman.
Depriving the four attacking players of the ball in the 4-2-4 makes them increasingly redundant, yet the 4-1-4-1 team still have the problem of scoring goals
WINNER:
4-1-4-1
themselves. It is for that reason that playing this formation requires the vital ingredient of a striker who has plenty of movement and can deliver clinical finishing. Against two centre-backs, and despite support from his midfield players, his goalscoring opportunities may be limited. LW Essentially, this clash is won on ball retention. In attack, the 4-2-4 formation has possession that is potentially overloaded by four defenders and a defensive midfielder, while retaining the ball in defence will not unduly threaten their opponents.
CLOSING DOWN USING 4-1-4-1 CF RW DMF
MF
MF
CF MF MF
MF
MF
It points to a 4-1-4-1 success, given that the formation is conservative yet solid, even if it is such that players will have to ensure they take chances that come their way.
AGREE/DISAGREE? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this gripping quarter-final that has seen the 4-1-4-1 formation progress. Why not drop us a line at
james.evans@coach-soccer.com?
NEXT WEEK: 4-4-2 DIAMOND vs 4-3-1-2 LW
CF
CF
RW
Soccer Coach Weekly 4 DMF
GAME ON
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SMALL-SIDED GAME
THROUGH PASS GAME •
Pitch size: 40x30 yards, split into two halves.
•
There are two teams of four players.
•
Place three mini goals at each end of the pitch.
• •
SKILLS
How to set it up:
• • • •
Passing
player movement player movement shot shot player movement shot
ball movement
THROUGH PASS GAME
Shooting Formation
ball movement ball movement
1
The game starts with one team in possession and one applying pressure
2
The team in possession must create a chance to pass into an opposition mini target goal
3
If successful, possession switches and the goalscorer must immediately apply pressure to the opposition.
Teamwork
There are no goalkeepers. Each team starts in their own half.
The rules: • •
Serve the ball to one of the teams.
Immediately, an opposition player races into the area to pressure the man in possession.
•
The team in possession must attempt to create a position in which one of their players can make a pass into one of the target goals.
•
The player that attempts the through pass into one of the goals must then react and go to pressure in the opponents’ half.
•
The game is played continuously for a set time period to be decided by the coach, usually dependent upon the ages of the players taking part.
Why this game works: This small-sided game teaches players how to work as a group, yet also incorporates focused attacking and defending principles. With the need to pass their way through opponents and, when not in possession, moving forward to progress play, this is a game that practises a range of skills. Overall, you should be looking for both sides to gradually improve with each new phase, and the intensity must remain high at all times.
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 shot
ball movement
Soccer Coach Weekly 5