Soccercoachw301

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GETTING SHIRTY DO SMART PLAYERS MAKE BETTER PLAYERS?

WEEKLY

SOCCER COACH Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy

GET IN THERE FIRST HOW TO WIN THE BALL IN MIDFIELD

January 30, 2013 • Issue 301

Get your

keeper

diving

SCORE FROM FREE-KICKS COACHING TIPS ADVICE TO MAKE YOU A BETTER COACH

JACK < WILSHERE ARSENAL’S MIDFIELD INTERCEPTOR

SOCCER SURGERY

YOUR COACHING PROBLEMS SOLVED BY THE EXPERTS

DRILLS TO IMPROVE YOUR PLAYERS EVERY WEEK!

mind your language

MAKING YOUR PLAYERS UNDERSTAND OSSIE ARDILES INTERVIEW “I’VE BEEN SACKED FOR ATTACKING”


Contents

Free-Kicks Change Games GETTING SHIRTY DO SMART PLAYERS MAKE BETTER PLAYERS?

WEEKLY

SOCCER COACH Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy

GET IN THERE FIRST HOW TO WIN THE BALL IN MIDFIELD

January 30, 2013 • Issue 301

GET YOUR

KEEPER

DIVING

SCORE FROM FREE-KICKS COACHING TIPS ADVICE TO MAKE YOU A BETTER COACH

JACK < WILSHERE ARSENAL’S MIDFIELD INTERCEPTOR

SOCCER SURGERY

YOUR COACHING PROBLEMS SOLVED BY THE EXPERTS

DRILLS TO IMPROVE YOUR PLAYERS EVERY WEEK!

MIND YOUR LANGUAGE

MAKING YOUR PLAYERS UNDERSTAND OSSIE ARDILES INTERVIEW “I’VE BEEN SACKED FOR ATTACKING”

Soccer Coach Weekly Issue 301

Soccer Coach Weekly is published by Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford GU5 0AB, UK.

Telephone

+44 (0)1483 892894

Editor Chris Hunt chris.hunt@greenstarmedia.net

Head Coach David Clarke david.clarke@coach-soccer.com

Contributors James Evans, Harry Gilbert, Louis Massarella Illustrations Mike Ronald Pictures Action Images, Nick Webster Production ATG Media Production

The importance of free-kicks cannot be underestimated in youth football. As a statement you may dismiss it, you may disagree with it, or you may actually agree but think that practising free-kicks is pointless. However, it’s a statement worth thinking about. At the end of last season my U11s had been in the top three for almost the whole season. With one game to go we were three points behind the team in second place, who were also our opponents for that final fixture. A poor performance in their penultimate game meant that their goal difference was nowhere near as good as ours, so we just needed a win to snatch second place. It was a good game and my team played some lovely passing moves but at the interval it was still 0-0. I didn’t need to inspire my players at half-time, they did it themselves as I gave them the floor to talk about the game and how well they were playing. We scored early in the second half and the opposition looked out of it until, with five minutes remaining, they got a free-kick just outside our penalty area. We set up a wall and had players on the posts but it was a great free-kick, looping high into the top corner and miles from my keeper’s hands. I doubt even Joe Hart would have got near it. I had to admire the quality of the

Designer Jamie Leeson

In this issue...

Publisher Kevin Barrow

3

kevin.barrow@ bettersoccercoaching.com

Customer Services Duncan Heard duncanh@greenstarmedia.net

Managing Director Andrew Griffiths (c) Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved. Click here to read the full disclaimer. To subscribe to Soccer Coach Weekly call Duncan Heard on +44 (0)1483 892894 or subscribe online here

REGAIN POSSESSION

If your players lose the ball, teach them to get it back in midfield – just like Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere

4 STEAL THE BALL

It’s all about positioning in this lively midfield intercepting game that teaches players to get the ball back

5 THE ENFORCER

A game that teaches players to regain possession and to understand the role of the midfield enforcer

6 OSSIE STYLE

In an exclusive interview with SCW, Ossie Ardiles talks about his coaching career around the world

Hart is good but the freekick is better

“It was a great free-kick. I doubt even Joe Hart would have got near it” kick. One like that doesn’t happen without a lot of patience and a lot of practice. But then we have specialists too and on the stroke of fulltime we won a free-kick ourselves, just outside the area. It was some way out but one of my players practises kicking for both rugby and football and there was no way anyone else was taking it. He picked up the ball and lined up his shot. The well organised opposition weren’t going to make it easy for him, but he focused, took a few paces back and hit it. It was a beauty of a shot. Skimming the heads of the players in the wall, it beat the keeper and took the player on

8 SCORE FROM FREE-KICKS

Free-kicks are vital but not everyone can turn them into goals

the line into the net with it! Then the referee blew for fulltime. We had won. Had the ball been played into the box as a cross then I doubt the opposition would have given a goal away, but there was nothing they could do about that unstoppable free-kick. So when I talk to other coaches I tell them the importance of getting players to practise kicking because you never know when you are going to need that special something to give you the edge in matches.

David Clarke

TIP OF THE WEEK

9 UNSTOPPABLE

A game that helps your players to practise the perfect free-kick

10 FAST & FURIOUS

This drill will have your players taking free-kicks quicker than they can shout Usain Bolt

11 SOCCER SURGERY

Your problems solved, including dealing with language barriers and encouraging young keepers to dive

12 THE BIG DEBATE

Do you insist your players have their shirts tucked in for matches?

Look For The Positives Winning is important but it’s not always an accurate measure of how a team played. Jot down your thoughts straight after the game. Look for the positives to talk to your players about and then go to work on the negatives.

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REGAIN POSSESSION Jack Wilshere: one of the best interceptors in the Premier League

Get To The Ball First! If your players lose possession, teach them to get it back in midfield as quickly as they can – just like Jack Wilshere does for Arsenal

I

f you want your team to win more games, the best place to start is by keeping hold of the ball. But if you find that even the brightest of your young stars is prone to losing possession when on a surging forward run, always make sure that each member of your team understands how important it is to get the ball back as quickly as possible. If you want an example that your players can relate to, point them to the skills of Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere. A playmaker with a fabulous first touch and an incredible turn of speed, he is capable of dominating possession and crafting the most visionary of passes. But since his comeback from long-term injury last year, he has also been one of the Premier League’s best and most determined midfield interceptors of the ball. One of his greatest attributes is being able to appreciate the moments when he can win the ball back. As a youngster he was obsessed with numbers and on his way to training

he would count the different coloured buses and keep a note in his head of the order they came in. This obsession helps him read the game, makes him aware of the number of players around him and tells him where the ball is likely to go. Reading the game in this way he can move quickly to intercept passes. He is also fearless and not afraid to press hard. If an Arsenal player loses possession, you can be certain that Wilshere will doggedly chase and harry an opponent until forcing him to make a mistake or surrender the ball. Regaining possession means he can

calmly re-circulate the ball to his teammates with a pass completion rate that would even impress at the Nou Camp. Such is his style of play that his coach, Arsene Wenger, once questioned Wilshere’s nationality. “He has a Spanish technique,” said the Arsenal manager, “but he has an English heart because he’s an English boy.” If you want your players to take on a little of Wilshere’s tireless pursuit of the ball and his excellent reading of the game, the following two activities will help them get to the ball first and teach them how to regain possession quickly.

Words by:

Harry Gilbert Activities by:

David Clarke

Top Tips For Midfield Interceptors > Try and mark opponents ball side and goal side > Be close enough to press opponents when they are receiving > Recognise when to mark the player and when to cover space > Be positioned to intercept > Know when (and when not) to try and intercept > Play quickly when regaining possession > On winning the ball, try to counterattack with a pass or a run

Positioned to intercept

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REGAIN POSSESSION

Steal The Ball It’s all about positioning in this lively intercepting game aimed at teaching your players how to nick the ball back from the other team while it’s still in midfield

WHY USE IT

4ft 2ft

Mark out a 12x12-yard square with pop up goals (or cones two-feet apart) on each corner and placed two-feet behind the line. Mark out a centre box 4x4ft. You need balls, bibs and cones.

HOW TO PLAY Play a 5v2 game with one player of the team of five locked in the centre box and one on each side of the playing area. The team of five play with two touches and the two midfielders must try to steal the ball. As counterattacking is vital, if they intercept the ball they can score in any of the four goals. The key to success is the midfielder’s starting position in relation to where the ball is, where the centre square is and where the opponent is.

s yd 12

SET UP

t 4f

This is a great game to help defensive midfielders prevent penetrative passes by intercepting the ball. Once they have it, they are encouraged to counterattack.

The passing team starts with the ball. They must play each pass through the grid and are restricted to two touches, one to control and one to pass

s 12yd

To score a point the team of five can pass to their team-mate in the centre or make eight passes

Goals must be two-feet behind the line to give room for the passing players to cover it

If the midfielders win the ball they must quickly score in one of the four small goals around the pitch If the passing team manage to cover all the goals before the midfielders can score, play goes back to the passing team

TECHNIQUE In this small area the midfielders must press and support each other to steal the ball from the passing team. They will learn where best to position themselves to make it hard for the passing team to penetrate the box.

Player movement

Ball movement

Shot

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REGAIN POSSESSION

The Enforcer If you want your players to understand the role of the midfield enforcer, try this challenging game to teach them how to win back possession

WHY USE IT

The enforcer gives an overload to the defending team, allowing him to close down and break up attacks

Enforcer

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This game helps the defending midfielder to know his role in the team and gets him to boss the midfield in matches. When applying pressure, it gives the player opportunities to intercept passes or force mistakes.

Three members of the attacking team play forward to try and score

SET UP Mark out a 30x30-yard area and use eight players plus a goalkeeper. You need balls, bibs, cones and a goal.

HOW TO PLAY One team, comprising a goalkeeper, three defenders and a midfield enforcer, defends the goal against three attackers – the spare attacker becomes a target man for the defending team to get the ball to. If they do it scores a goal for them. Play six attacks then switch the teams around.

Target s 30yd

The attackers leave a target player at the back. The defenders have to win the ball and aim at the target player to score

The enforcer follows the ball and tries to win it. Switch the teams every six attacks as it’s a tough session for the enforcer

If the ball goes out, play restarts with the target player and one go is lost

TECHNIQUE Having an extra defender allows the enforcer to put pressure on opponents at all times. The enforcer’s role in the team is to stop opponent’s attacks by applying pressure and making tackles. He plays just in front of the defence and is often the first resistance an opposition attack faces.

Player movement

When the defending team wins the ball, the enforcer takes part in their attack because it is part of his job

Ball movement

Shot

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INTERVIEW

Doing It Ossie Style World Cup winner Ossie Ardiles has carved out a career as a globetrotting coach with an attacking style. He spoke to Soccer Coach Weekly’s David Clarke about his career, youth soccer and his time coaching in Japan

M

ost recently Ossie Ardiles was the coach of Machida Zelvia in the second tier of the Japanese J-League, but a 23-year coaching career has taken the Argentinian World Cup winner around the world. As player-manager he introduced a flamboyant style of football to Swindon Town in his first coaching job, achieving promotion to the top flight in 1990 (only for the FA to strip the club of this honour for off-the-field irregularities). Three years later he took West Brom to Division One and later made headlines in the Premier League with a cavalier Spurs side notable for fielding five forwards. After relocating to Japan he was named J-League Manager Of The Year in 1998 for his work with Shimizu S-Pulse. He won the first stage of the J-League with Yokohama F Marinos in 2000 and the Emperor’s Cup with Tokyo Verdy five years later. He has also enjoyed spells managing clubs in Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay, Croatia, Israel and Saudi Arabia, giving him a truly global view of the game – but wherever he has coached, he has always brought a certain Ossie style to the job.

“I have always believed in attacking. I have often been sacked for these beliefs but I will never change”

Having coached four clubs in England, is the Premier League the best in the world? “The Premier League is certainly the most watched and the richest – and it attracts the best players in the world because of these reasons. Yes, I would imagine it’s the best league in the world.” You have enjoyed several stints in Japan. What is it about the Japanese game that attracts you? “The J-League started in 1993 and I came soon after. I think the J-League is and was the model of how professional football should be marketed for the fans. In Japan I have won the League and The Emperors Cup and I have been told that I also have more victories than any other foreign coach in the league’s history.” Who have been the coaches that have impressed you the most in Japan? “There have been some great coaches in Japan: the Brazilian legend Zico, Hans Issue 301

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INTERVIEW Ooft from Holland, and of course Arsene Wenger. Wenger to me was special – you knew his teams would play football, the beautiful game as Pelé called it. I know his time in Japan influenced him and like me he loved the culture. Since leaving Japan I am not surprised to see he stuck with all his beliefs about the way the game should be played and the way to behave civilly and with respect – the Japanese way.” Japanese women are world champs and the men are champions of Asia. Why has their game been so successful? “You need to understand the Japanese culture. Like every aspect of their lives, great attention and care is spent on detail, studying whatever they want to establish and then replicating and improving it. Football was no different. The professional league was marketed to perfection, so the fans supported the game. The Japanese also think long term so youth development was always a priority for the Japanese Football Association. The success of Japanese players and teams today is a result of their youth development programmes.” As a long-standing champion of youth development and the education of coaches, what programmes have impressed you in Japan? “In my 17 years here, the programme that has impressed me most, and the one that has dominated nationally, has been the Coerver programme. I remember in the early years they started with a few schools and today they have over 100 schools all over the country. I am a close friend with Alf Galustian, who is a co-founder of the programme and the driving force behind it, so I have always kept a close interest.” What is so special about the contribution of Alf Galustian and Coerver to football in Japan? “Alf is without doubt a global pioneer

Ossie’s Coaching Career 1989–91: Swindon Town (England) 1991–92: Newcastle United (England) 1992–93: West Brom (England) 1993–94: Tottenham Hotspur (England) 1995: Guadalajara (Mexico) 1996–98: Shimizu S-Pulse (Japan) 1999: Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) 2000–01: Yokohama F Marinos (Japan) 2001: Al-Ittihad (Saudi Arabia) 2002–03: Racing Club (Argentina) 2003–05: Tokyo Verdy (Japan) 2006–07: Beitar Jerusalem (Israel) 2007: Huracán (Argentina) 2008: Cerro Porteño (Paraguay) 2012: Machida Zelvia (Japan)

“Wenger was special. You knew his teams would play football – the beautiful game as Pelé called it” in youth coaching. I am still amazed with the new drills, games and concepts he continually comes up with. His contribution to Japanese football development is without question. “Over these past 20 years he has influenced the way football is taught in Japan and the subsequent success of the game here. “Currently more than 17,000 young players go through the Coerver programme each week, and in the past 20 years over 300 players have gone into J-League clubs and some to the various national teams – that’s an amazing contribution to the game in Japan.”

After winning the 1978 World Cup, was it difficult to adjust to playing your football in England? “It took me a while. In those days the long ball game – getting the ball into opposition’s third, often bypassing midfield – was strange to me. But at Spurs we had Glenn Hoddle, and Ricky Villa came with me too, so Spurs always tried to play passing football and that suited me.” Would you say there is an Ossie Ardiles way of playing soccer? “Yes. I have always believed in the passing game. My style is about possession but also always trying for the forward pass. I have always believed in attacking, as a player and as a manager – I have often been sacked for these beliefs but I will never change. Football is a technical game and that’s where its beauty is.”

Above: Ossie tries to slip Fabio Capello some attacking advice

Below: More Argentinian soccer legends, Maradona and Lionel Messi

Ossie’s Verdict Maradona or Messi? “It’s very close and they’re both fellow Argentinians. I think it would be Messi, but I have to qualify that. Maradona was the best player I played with by a mile. I have never seen such a skilled player. He could control the ball on any surface, in any space, and whatever the pressure he was put under. But Messi is playing in an era when there is improved knowledge in sports science about what you eat, drink, and how you prepare. Today the boots and the ball are superior. Today the fields are all unbelievable. So when people speak about comparisons between players like Maradona and Messi, all these factors should be taken into consideration.”

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SCORE FROM FREE-KICKS Dip it like Ronaldo and you can turn free-kicks into goals

Turn Free-Kicks Into Goals Free-kicks around the box present a golden scoring opportunity for an attacking team, but there’s more to a good free-kick than simply blasting the ball as hard as possible

F

ree-kicks are important: fact. So important that between 40 and 50 per cent of all goals scored originate from set-pieces. And whether you want to bend it like Bale or blast it like Baines, it’s clear from the pros that practice makes perfect. “I practise my free-kicks after every session, for between half an hour and an hour,” says Gareth Bale, who has scored free-kicks for both club and country this season. Baines, meanwhile, has taken the most memorable free-kick of the season so far, his pile driver against Newcastle proving he can go for power as well as his trademark swerve. But with so many goalscoring

opportunities on offer from deadball situations, it’s important your players are well-drilled for all attacking free-kick scenarios – not just the glory-grabbing attempts. “Practice is crucial,” says Sunderland set-piece specialist, Seb Larsson, who is as well known for his free-kick crosses as he is for his shots. “It’s not just about mastering technique; it gives you confidence. You’ve practised it so many times you know you can take a good free-kick when it matters.” And the secret to those deadly dead-ball deliveries from out wide? “I hit my free-kicks with the inside of my foot, connecting at a low point on the ball, bringing my foot over

the top,” says the Swedish midfielder. “This creates topspin and dip.” What if you’re not the tallest team? Crosses, or even chips from central areas into the box are of little benefit. But by being switched on, your players can still make the most of attacking freekicks. Look at Barcelona: always first to the ball, always in position, looking to thread a quickly taken free-kick to a team-mate in a dangerous position. As with shooting, preparation and practice are key to turning free-kicks into goals. The following drills should help you with both: one on beating a defensive wall, the other on taking a quick free-kick, Barça-style.

Words by:

Louis Massarella Activities by:

David Clarke

5 Great Free-Kick Artists Juninho Pernambucano The Brazil star has pioneered ‘knuckle-balling’, where a straight run-up to strike the ball on the valve results in a late dip.

Cristiano Ronaldo Perfected the knuckle ball by adding power to Juninho’s dip to score many memorable goals for Real and United.

David Beckham Equally adept shooting or crossing from free-kicks. An unusually wide run-up helps create his trademark bend.

Leighton Baines Receiving rave reviews for his dead-ball prowess at Everton. He can blast it, bend it, or cross it to deadly effect.

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Andrea Pirlo The Juve star is a dead-ball specialist, even inspiring Messi to score a free-kick by shooting under a jumping defensive wall.

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SCORE FROM FREE-KICKS

Unstoppable Every team needs to be able to score from a dead-ball situation, so get your players to try this game to develop the perfect free-kick

WHY USE IT

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Every game seems to involve a goal scored from a set piece. This shows how important free-kicks are to the final outcome of matches. Therefore it’s vital that your players spend adequate time developing an unstoppable free-kick in their training sessions.

Stop the game and put the ball down somewhere in shooting range just outside the penalty area

Free kick!

SET UP

Mark out an area 40x30 yards with a goal at each end. Select two even teams. You need balls, bibs, cones and goals.

HOW TO PLAY

Play a small-sided game. While the game is being played you should carry a second ball under your arm. On your call place the ball and award a free-kick to a team of your choice. Immediately the players must react to this situation. You can place the ball in different areas for players to practice angled kicks and straight ones.

TECHNIQUE

Practice is crucial. It’s not just about mastering technique; it gives you confidence. This session gives plenty of realistic match situations for practising free-kicks around the penalty area. Players should also be practising at home.

s 40yd

The free-kick taker should take his time in seeing how the wall is positioned (if there is one) and where the goalkeeper is standing

The kicker should take four or five steps from the ball. On taking the free-kick, the closer the standing foot comes to the ball the more accurate the shot will be

Players should be focused on what they have to do or they will mess up the basics

Get them to try a side foot style, striking the centre of the ball and driving through it. This will cause the ball to dip – the knuckle ball effect – and will confuse the keeper

Player movement

Ball movement

Shot

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SCORE FROM FREE-KICKS

Fast & Furious If you want to catch your opponents off guard, this frenetic game will have your players taking free-kicks quicker than they can shout ‘Usain Bolt’

WHY USE IT

This quick free-kick is designed to catch opponents on the back foot. Without time to organise, they will be caught out not only by the speed of play but the switch of play. As they follow the ball, one or two attackers can sneak around the back of the defence into great positions for a shot at goal.

At a free-kick two players stand with their backs to the opposition. One calls ‘Usain Bolt’ to trigger the move. He passes to the right

The other player makes a run to the right of the penalty area in the hope of receiving the ball

Usain Bolt!

On hearing the trigger call, the right back runs forward and passes the ball down the line

SET UP

Use your pitch from just inside the opposition half. You need balls, bibs, cones and two teams.

HOW TO PLAY

Defenders will have been dragged across the pitch, leaving space for attackers to sneak around the back of the defence

Every player needs to be alert during this game. It is a good idea to give the free-kick a name that can be called out so everyone moves. The kicker could shout ‘Usain Bolt’ so your players know it’s a quick free-kick.

On receiving the ball, the player switches it to the other side of the penalty area

TECHNIQUE

The element of surprise will give your team a big advantage, especially if the free-kick is near the halfway line with players unaware of the danger. Fast movement and a switch of play should be enough to create a chance for your players to score but if one of your players fails to move quickly, the exercise will break down.

Player movement

The attackers should get a good chance to shoot and should also be alert for any rebounds

Ball movement

Header

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Soccer Surgery

Your Problems Solved THIS WEEK: Advice on how to cope with problems caused by multilingual training sessions and an expert opinion on how to encourage your goalkeeper to dive

Inset picture by WoodleyWonderWorks

Q “ Our London

club has players from all backgrounds and ethnicities but with up to four languages spoken at training, it’s causing confusion. What should I do?

A

In any sporting environment you’ve got to insist on certain codes and unified standards of practice. I’m sure it’s the same with many other parts of your team – the way players conduct themselves, their commitment to training, their timekeeping and their respect for one another. And the language they use should be exactly the same. If you have kids speaking more than one language it’s an impossible situation and one that must very quickly create divisions between players, as well as a lot of suspicion. In a work environment it would be frowned upon for people to behave like this, and I think you have to exercise the same level of strictness. Even someone new to the country can quickly pick up basic soccer terms, so insist that everyone speaks English. Explain that you need team unity and a common link when it comes to players communicating. You may well need to explain the importance of this to the players’ parents too. As a result, I’m sure you’ll find team spirit rises immediately, and I’d suspect with players all ‘speaking the same language’ (literally!), your team will link up much better in matches and the rewards from that are obvious.

Answered by Anthony Sherrin, soccer coach at Dudley Youth Soccer.

Work hard in training and your keeper could be diving like Petr Cech

Q “ How can I convince my eight-year-old

keeper that he won’t hurt himself if he dives?

A

Diving is a tricky thing for a young shotstopper to master because there is an obvious fear factor involved. Whether it’s diving to claw a ball away from the goal or diving to spread the body at an inrushing player’s feet, it takes most keepers a fair amount of time to overcome that fear. Of course, practising a good and solid (yet basic) diving technique is the most important thing; after all, diving half-heartedly can actually offer bigger bumps and bruises than diving properly. Good footwork, moving forward at an angle, getting low, staying square after landing and catching the ball first before cushioning the fall are all key points. In the lead-up to this tuition, you might want to remind very young keepers that diving is just an exaggerated version of falling to the ground to one side… and hey, if your keeper manages to save a shot at the same time, great. If not, no problem.

Add extra padding in a player’s shorts if he feels this will help, and practise technique by letting the player dive onto a soft mat. Also remind your keeper that not every shot demands a diving save. Many shots can be saved with the feet and a player can often be closed down quickly before a shot is made. It’s also a good idea to hit some ‘saveable’ shots at a keeper when in training. You’ll be amazed how quickly the fear factor dissipates when keepers start pawing goalbound shots to safety. But the biggest rule of all is not to push a keeper into diving if he’s not comfortable doing it. It’s better to let him learn at his own pace. And if his teammates complain, ask them if they want to swap places. That generally keeps the moaners quiet! Answered by Jeremy Brown, an FA Level 2 Goalkeeping Coach from Luton.

GET YOUR SOCCER PROBLEMS SOLVED If you have a coaching problem or a training dilemma that you want the experts at Soccer Surgery to cure, send your queries to Soccer Coach Weekly…

editor@soccercoachweekly.net

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THE BIG DEBATE

Should Players Tuck Their Shirts In? THIS WEEK’S DEBATE: Do you always insist on players tucking their shirts in during matches and does smartness contribute anything important to the performance of a football team on the pitch?

PLAY WITH SHIRTS TUCKED IN

Mike Vincent Fort Worth, Texas, USA

“Smartness translates to professionalism, even encouraging players to take their soccer seriously… and that produces noticeable results on the pitch.”

I’ve always asked my players to tuck their shirts in when they’re playing. Why? Because doing so conveys a clear team identity and reflects the gentle discipline that I think every side needs, no matter what age or what level the players are at. A team should always want to appear smart – and that’s before, during and after the game. Smartness translates to professionalism and an overall team uniformity even encourages players to take their soccer more seriously. It is my belief that this type of philosophy produces noticeable results on the pitch, both in terms of better match day performances and with regard to a greater level of attention in training, which means a much quicker development of skills. Having shirts tucked in would be something that I

would consistently enforce. I also think this level of smartness makes it slightly easier for referees to identify when someone on the opposing team is pulling on a jersey during a match. Referees have a tough enough job as it is, so why make life more difficult for them by allowing some of the players to have their shirts untucked, baggy and loose? Surely every team’s annual squad photograph requires all of the players to have their shirts tucked in neatly and their socks pulled up? Well, if it’s good enough for the team photo, why should things be any different when they run out onto the pitch for a match? Finally, I believe that tucking your shirt in is about showing respect for the game as well as for your own appearance.

HAVE YOUR SAY

SHOULD PLAYERS TUCK THEIR SHIRTS IN? Visit our Facebook page and log your vote at www.facebook.com/SoccerCoachWeekly or email your thoughts to editor@soccercoachweekly.net

PLAY WITH UNTUCKED SHIRTS

Andrew Lulham Crawley Traders

“I have many players who have their shirts untucked because it makes them feel more stylish. It gives their game an extra swagger because they like the way they feel.”

and expression. We should be encouraging players to throw off the shackles and play the game in a relaxed manner, not prohibiting it. As far as wanting to stay smart goes, if this was the case we’d all be bringing changes of kit to matches for when a player gets mud on his shirt or shorts. In the winter months soccer isn’t a pretty game, and nor should it be. Huge patches of mud don’t look any better on a tucked-in shirt than they do on an untucked shirt. And finally, if having a shirt untucked lets our kids feel a little bit closer to their Premier League idols who sport the same look, is that really a bad thing? Should we be reining that sort of thing in? Let them enjoy it.

When you weigh up all the pros and cons, I don’t think anyone can argue that having a shirt tucked in offers any added benefit for soccer players in terms of performance. What really matters to a player is how he controls a ball, how he passes it, how he shoots and how he defends. In the greater scheme of things, what real significance is an untucked shirt? In essence, does it really matter? I have numerous players on my team who play with their shirts untucked because it makes them feel more stylish. To these players it genuinely gives their game an extra swagger because they like the way that they feel. Other players feel more free and relaxed with their shirts untucked – it allows them to play with more freedom

HOW YOU VOTED

Here’s the result of the poll we ran in a previous issue of Soccer Coach Weekly, when we asked the question: Do You Tell His Parents There’s A Problem?

57% said yes 43% said no Issue 301

SOCCER COACH WEEKLY

12


Learn how to coach 39 stunning 1v1 skills Coerver® Make Your Move DVD What the experts say: Peter Beardsley England legend and Football Development Manager at Newcastle United FC “All young players will improve by following the Coerver Coaching programme. I have seen many different methods of coaching skills and Coerver Coaching beats them all.” Gérard Houllier Former Technical Director at the French Football Federation, Former manager of Liverpool FC, Lyon FC & Aston Villa FC “Coerver Coaching is the best technical skills teaching method I have come across; even after 25 years it continues to excite.” Kristine Lilly Soccer legend, twice World Cup winner & twice Olympic gold medal winner “Coerver Coaching has history, it’s authentic and the best soccer teaching programme I have seen. I worked with it all through my career and it certainly made me a better player.”

Amaze your players Click here to Learn more and watch a clip


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