Elitesoccer13

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AUGUST 2011

SOCCER COACHING PRACTICES FROM ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE MANAGERS AND COACHES

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

MICK MCCARTHY

COUNTER

ATTACKS:

•ATTACK•DEFEND•SUPPORT Exclusive Training practices nal from top professio managers

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION

BRENTFORD

ALDERSHOT TOWN

LMA AMBASSADOR

SWANSEA CITY

GUS POYET Finding the free player

UWE RÖSLER Pre-season conditioning

DEAN HOLDSWORTH Support play and swapping roles

SAMMY MCILROY Crosses from danger zones

ADRIAN TUCKER Keeper’s passing practice

NEW FEATURE INSIDE

EXTRA-TIME:

INTERVIEW WITH MK DONS MANAGER

KARL ROBINSON

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Elite Soccer is published by:

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2 AUGUST 2011

ISSUE 13/ AUGUST 2011: FROM THE CHAIRMAN

03

Drivencoachingintelligence fromsoccer’sleadinglights Dear Coach, Welcome to the August issue of Elite Soccer.

As usual, we’re delighted to bring you six exclusive, innovative and bespoke training practices from those working at the top levels of the English game.

From the Barclays Premier League, Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Mick McCarthy has produced a session that examines the tactical and technical aspects of counter-attacking football, examining and presenting some tremendous ideas that benefit attackers and defenders in equal measure.

Next, Gus Poyet explains why finding the free player has been so beneficial to his Brighton & Hove Albion side, who are freshly promoted this season to the npower Championship.

New Brentford manager Uwe Rösler guides us through the principles of possession football when on the attack, while Aldershot Town’s Dean Holdsworth presents an exclusive session that looks at support play and swapping roles.

We also have training practices from LMA Ambassador Sammy McIlroy and Swansea City goalkeeping coach Adrian Tucker, who look at crossing from danger zones and keeper distribution respectively.

We also have an interview with MK Dons boss Karl Robinson, and in a new feature entitled The Playbook, we rerun a classic set play from recent months – in this issue it’s Jamie O’Hara’s strike for Wolves against Blackburn Rovers on the final day of last season.

We hope your team can get the best out of these exclusive sessions, and look forward to bringing more your way next month.

Howard Wilkinson, LMA Chairman

Elite Soccer is a monthly publication for professional, semi-professional and aspiring soccer coaches and is available by subscription only. £97 for 12 issues.

To subscribe email duncanh@greenstarmedia.net or call on +44 (0) 1483 892 894

MICK McCARTHY

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

Attacking and defending in counterattack situations

05

GUS POYET

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION

Finding the free player

07

UWE RÖSLER BRENTFORD

Pre-season conditioning

09

DEAN HOLDSWORTH ALDERSHOT TOWN

Support play and swapping roles

11

SAMMY McILROY LMA AMBASSADOR

Crosses from danger zones

13

ADRIAN TUCKER SWANSEA CITY

Keeper’s passing practice

15

THE PLAYBOOK:

Wolves hunt for safety

16BOOKED

Elite sports book review

... with Karl Robinson

18 EXTRA-TIME:

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

Mick McCarthy Attacking and defending in counterattack situations Overview: This session looks at the principles behind attacking and defending counterattack situations quickly. It’s important to practise this because counterattacks occur regularly in matches, particularly in the Barclays Premier League. Matt Jarvis’s second-minute goal against Blackpool in February was a great example ofa counterattacking goal that set us up for a 4-0 win, our biggest victory of the season.

We construct this session as three separate practices – each slightly different, and each building on the tactical points outlined previously.

“We’re looking for strong communication, intelligent support play, and good recovery runs.”

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ATTACKING AND DEFENDING IN COUNTER-ATTACK SITUATIONS: MAIN SESSION SET-UP AREA

Full pitch EQUIPMENT

Balls, bibs, cones, goals

1a

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

Squad SESSION TIME

Practices 3x20mins, game 20mins

What do I get the players to do?

Practice 1 We mark out a 20-yard channel down the pitch and place attackers in the centre circle.

Defenders start from behind each goal, which is protected by a keeper.

An attacker is served a ball from behind the goal. As he controls and advances towards goal, a defender takes up position to play out a 1v1 situation (1a).

At the end of the move, players continue their runs so attackers become defenders and vice versa. We then progress this to 2v2s, looking for players to communicate, cover and support recovery runs (1b).

Practice 2 We now narrow the pitch by 10 yards, remove the channel, and mark a 20-yard zone across the middle. Within this central zone there are two unopposed teams of four. Four additional players from each team position themselves outside the zone as defenders.

The ball is served in and the team in possession must

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

In 1v1s, each attacker receives a long pass and attacks the goal

1b

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

Moving to 2v2s, players must link up and communicate in defence and attack

2a

In Practice 2, whites hold possession and prepare to counter KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

ATTACKING AND DEFENDING IN COUNTER-ATTACK SITUATIONS

Mick McCarthy WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS Mick McCarthy is one of the most respected managers in the Barclays Premier League, thanks in no small part to his direct and honest approach to the game.

He has taken on a number of major rebuilding tasks during his time as a manager, starting at Millwall in 1992 aged just 32.

After impressing in south London, he accepted the Republic of Ireland post, taking the country he represented 57 times as a player to the 2002 World Cup. Upon his return to domestic football a year later he joined Sunderland, securing the Championship title in 2005, before moving to Wolves.

The club achieved promotion at the end of the 2008/09 season and has since cemented its place in the top tier of English football.

As a player, McCarthy was a fearless centreback for Barnsley, Manchester City, Celtic, Lyon and Millwall.

4 AUGUST 2011

break quickly, looking to score (2a). If the opposing team wins the ball, they counterattack 4v4 towards the other goal (2b).

Practice 3 Now we add a holding midfielder for each team in the middle.

This player attacks with his team mates but supports from deep, and also tracks back when defending (3a/3b).

How do I put this into a game situation?

In the game, we remove the width restrictions and the central zone but shorten the length so that play is between the two penalty boxes. We play 10v10 including keepers, but retain a solid back four, encouraging teams to attack in numbers. The small area and large number of players creates numerous opportunities to counter.

What are the key things to look for technically/ tactically?

We’re looking for composure from all players, while attackers must come forward at speed, using technical skills such as dribbling, a slick final pass or a clever finish.

Defenders must stay on their feet, delay the speed of the attack, and tackle. We require good communication, intelligent support play and good recovery runs.

2b

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

An interception is made and play now switches to the opposite direction

3a

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

In Practice 3, the holding midfielder begins an attack

3b

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

The midfielder doesn’t advance as far as his team mates, and here scores from a ball cut back

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION

Gus Poyet Finding the free player

FINDING THE FREE PLAYER: MAIN SESSION SET-UP AREA

Overview:

60x40 yards

This session is about retaining possession and finding players in key positions. This concept is important to us at Brighton because of the way we play – namely that we often have the lion’s share of possession yet find the opposition denying space in the final third.

We work through this session once or twice a week and frequently see the results paying off in matches, particularly when concerted periods of possession succeed in pulling our opponents out of position, enabling a clear route to goal.

Balls, bibs, poles

“Attackers must show good judgement of when to pass safe and when to risk a ball into the circle.”

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1a

EQUIPMENT NUMBER OF PLAYERS

12 SESSION TIME

Session 10mins, development 10mins, game 25mins

What do I get the players to do?

We begin with a centre circle drill involving 12 players. Two start in the middle with everyone else on the outside facing in. Two balls, on opposite sides of the circle, are passed in.

The player who passes follows the ball, then the receiving player does likewise, passing clockwise to the next man outside the circle (1a).

We then add poles within the circle to create obstacles, encouraging players to take a touch to make space (1b). And we’ll change the direction of play every couple of minutes.

For the main session, there are 12 players in a 60x40-yard area.

Inside we place a circle measuring 10 yards across that only attackers can enter.

This is an 8v4 game where overloaded defenders must prevent attackers from threading a pass to a team mate inside the circle (2a).

Attackers score two points for a received pass, and to prevent defenders from just shielding the circle,

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

In the centre circle warm-up, players move the ball in and out, following their pass

1b

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

Adding in poles creates obstacles that players need to be aware of

2a

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

In the 60x40-yard area, blues thread a scoring pass into the circle

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

FINDING THE FREE PLAYER

Gus Poyet BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION Gus Poyet will celebrate two years in charge of Brighton & Hove Albion in November 2011. In that time he has transformed the South Coast club, culminating in promotion to the npower Championship in April of this year.

The Uruguayan had previously acted as assistant manager at Swindon Town, Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur, and joined Brighton with the club in danger of dropping into the bottom division.

But in his first year he steadied the ship, then in 2010/11 guided the Seagulls to the npower League One title, scooping 95 points as well as the divisional Manager of the Year award in the process.

As a player, Poyet was a stylish midfielder, winning numerous domestic and European trophies, notably with Chelsea. He also played for Grenoble, River Plate, Real Zaragoza and Tottenham.

“To offer a new option forattackers, we swap the circles for a thin line across the area, five yards wide.�

6 AUGUST 2011

also score a point by making six consecutive passes anywhere in the area (2b). Defenders score a point by winning possession.

Play restarts after every point scored and we play this in threeminute sets before rotating defenders. We do three sets then rest.

2b

What are the key things to look for technically/ tactically?

Attackers must move the ball quickly and stretch the defending team, always with the aim of playing into the circle. They must show good judgement of when to pass safe and when to risk a ball into the circle. Defenders must communicate and cover space quickly and effectively.

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

Blues score again, this time by making six consecutive passes

2c

How do I progress the session?

Reducing the size of the circle or adding a second circle elsewhere in the area increases difficulty for defenders (2c).

To offer a new option for attackers, we swap the circles for a thin line across the area, five yards wide. All players can cross the line but only attackers can wait in it. Here, attackers are looking at a width rather than a focused target (3). This is done to make the practice as match-realistic as possible.

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

Adding a second circle offers an additional challenge for defenders

3

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

Creating a scoring strip means attackers are looking for width rather than a designated target

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

BRENTFORD

Uwe Rösler

PRE-SEASON CONDITIONING: MAIN SESSION

Pre-season conditioning

SET-UP

Overview:

60x60 yards Balls, cones NUMBER OF PLAYERS

9 SESSION TIME

Development 45mins, game 30mins

What do I get the players to do?

We begin with a passing triangle – cones are 10 yards apart. The ball is quickly moved around using one-touch passing, during which we’ll also encourage ad hoc one-twos. (1) We now switch to straight-line passing - two players 16 yards apart in a line with a floater in the middle.

White passes to yellow, who sets back to white who then passes to red.

Yellow and white swap positions. (2a) The process is repeated when white passes to red.

Coaches can vary the distance between players – shortening it makes the task easier, lengthening it means greater difficulty. (2b)

How do I progress the session?

The first move, a simple passing triangle, gets players comfortable with the ball

2a

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

In straight line passing, white and yellow link up, swap positions, and the ball is fed to red

2b yd

In the progression, we rehearse third-man runs – the idea that a third player (not the passer) makes an attacking run and receives the ball. We use nine players in a 20x30-yard area.

Players position themselves in pairs, just in from each corner along the short touchline. The spare

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

32

7 AUGUST 2011

EQUIPMENT

yd

“Coaches can vary the distance between players – shortening it makes the task easier, lengthening it means greater difficulty.”

1

16

This session is about developing the conditioning of players throughout pre-season and into the new campaign, by using a strong technical passing approach.

We like to practise this because it offers match-like passing conditions, and working with a ball is the best way to increase fitness whilst brushing up on passing ability.

We find that a player lacking fitness will drop off sharply in the final quarter of a match.

AREA

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

Enlarging the playing area offers a greater challenge for passers www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

PRE-SEASON CONDITIONING

Uwe Rösler BRENTFORD

Uwe Rösler was confirmed as manager of npower League One side Brentford on June 10, 2011.

Rösler is a holder of the UEFA Pro License, and has enjoyed highly successful spells in charge of Lillestrom, Viking and Molde in Norway.

The German returned to the English game for the first time in nine years after leaving Southampton in 2002, but it is for an entertaining four-year spell at Manchester City that he is best known in the UK, having played 167 times for the club.

He also played for Dynamo Dresden, FC Nuremberg, and played in the UEFA Champions League with FC Kaiserslautern.

“We’re looking for players to make purposeful, attacking and overlapping runs whilst remaining conscious of their designated positions.”

8 AUGUST 2011

player starts in the middle of the area.

A ball is played along the top edge from player 1 to 2, then fed to the middle man (player 3) and back to the serving player to replicate the passing triangle. (3a) Player 3 now runs to the right-hand side bottom touchline and joins the back of the queue. The server takes his place in the middle after playing a third-man pass to player 2, who sprints down the flank. As player 2 progresses, he lays a pass ahead and the move begins in the other direction. (3b)

How do I put this into a game situation?

We use a 60x60-yard area, with each team looking to attack a 10-yard end zone.

The match is 6v6 with two floating neutrals, who always support the attacking team.

Defenders cannot enter zones, but attackers can when receiving a through pass. Each zone pass completed scores a point. (4)

What are the key things to look for technically/ tactically?

The session relies on quick one-touch passing between team mates, plus purposeful, attacking and overlapping runs.

Players must display technique, skill and the ability to launch thirdman runs, so precise timing and intelligent movement off the ball is crucial.

3a

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

3b

In the progression, thirdman running comes into effect, beginning with a passing triangle

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

Now as players adopt new positions, a third-man run is made and the pass finds him

4

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

In the zone game, reds link with a floating player to feed the runner and score a point

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

ALDERSHOT TOWN

Dean Holdsworth

SUPPORT PLAY AND SWAPPING ROLES: MAIN SESSION

Support play and swapping roles

SET-UP

Overview:

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

This session encourages players to problem solve and find space, and is formed of four different game scenarios.

The practice offers lessons in how players can really work positional flexibility to their advantage.

By rehearsing this and playing it out in match situations, we can fashion long sustainable periods of pressure, and the longer an attack lasts, the more chance the team has of scoring.

The session is also great for defenders because it necessitates strong communication. At Aldershot, we always state that the success of how we attack is identifiable in how well we can then defend.

“The longer an attack lasts, the more chance the team has of scoring.”

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AREA

30x10 yards EQUIPMENT

Balls, cones, goals 8 SESSION TIME

Small-sided games 3x10mins, full size 30mins

What do I get the players to do?

Game one: Play off a target player This is a 3v3 game in a 30x10 area, split into three zones. It’s 1v1 in each zone, plus a neutral target player at each end.

The attacking team must pass the ball through the zones to their target man at the end (1a). While defenders cannot change zones, attackers can in order to work space and angles, though one team mate must remain in each box (1b).

If attackers succeed in working the ball to the opposite end they score a point, then play back the other way.

Game two: Dribble to the end zone Now we add a two-yard scoring zone at each end. This time, players pass then dribble through into the end zone (2a).

Game three: Pass, dribble and finish Extending to a sixyard scoring zone and placing a goal and keeper at each end, we now revert to 4v4.

Players rehearse elements from the first two games – playing

1a Play off the target player Reds successfully pass through the areas, each of which is a 1v1 duel KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

1b Players are now switching zones so as to spread play, with the ball coming back the other way KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

2a

Dribble to the end zone The red player at the top receives, turns, and dribbles into the zone.

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

SUPPORT PLAY AND SWAPPING ROLES

Dean Holdsworth ALDERSHOT TOWN Dean Holdsworth took charge of npower League Two side Aldershot Town after an impressive spell at Newport County, having originally cut his managerial teeth with Redbridge.

e 1 n Zo e 2 e

n Zo 1

1 e

n Zo 2 Full match The central midfielder breaks to the wing as his team mate comes back inside. The attacking team must occupy each of the zones at all times

e

n Zo

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

1 e

n Zo 1 n Zo e

3b

2 n Zo e 1

e 1 n Zo e 2 e 1

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

n Zo

10 AUGUST 2011

3a

n Zo

“Attackers must be versatile and on the same wavelength, knowing when to fill or vacate a zone.”

For attackers, timing, angle of movement and hitting space is vital. They must be versatile and on the same wavelength, knowing when to fill or vacate a zone.

Because defenders cannot change zones, communication is key. Given the 1v1 situations, they should avoid going to ground, and must be prepared to make recovery runs.

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

e

In a distinguished 21-year playing career that included spells at Brentford, Wimbledon and Bolton Wanderers, Holdsworth scored 240 goals in 704 appearances.

What are the key things to look for technically/ tactically?

Pass, dribble and finish The red player receives a pass, dribbles into the scoring zone and fires past the keeper

n Zo

He steadied the Hampshire outfit, scooping the npower League Two Manager of the Month award for March in guiding the Shots clear of relegation danger.

2b

n Zo

He guided Newport to promotion from the Blue Square Bet Conference South in 2009/10 season, and subsequently had taken County into the play-off places in non-league’s top division before moving to Aldershot in January of this year.

off a target man in the main zones, then dribbling the ball into the scoring zone, except now attackers must shoot past the keeper for a point (2b).

Game four: Full match In a full-sized 11v11 game, there are channels on both sides outside the width of the 18-yard box. We set up 4-3-3 against 4-4-2 to produce varying attacking approaches, with two wingers from each side out wide (one in each half), and a 3v3 in each half in the middle.

Players must always occupy each of the zones, so we’re looking for rotation of the front five, communication, and clever interchanges (3a/3b).

Yellows tackle back and play progresses in the opposite direction. The red players should stay in their zones to defend and not recover to their original positions

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

LMA AMBASSADOR

Sammy McIlroy Crosses from danger zones Overview:

This session looks at crossing the ball into the penalty area from advanced positions, also known as danger zones. These areas are crucial in the game because they’re so difficult for the opposition to defend.

The aim of the practice is, of course, to find the net, but it features movement and positional play for attackers, wingers and midfielders too, with defenders involved in the opposed progressions.

The session we have outlined shows specific movement of one chosen scenario, though of course, variations of crossing and movement exist.

“The practice features movement and positional play for attackers, wingers and midfielders too.”

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CROSSES FROM DANGER ZONES: MAIN SESSION SET-UP AREA

Final third EQUIPMENT

Balls, goals

1a

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

10 SESSION TIME

Session 20mins, development 20mins, game 20mins

What do I get the players to do?

We set up initially with a six-man unopposed attacking move in the final third, plus a keeper. There is a midfielder (placed centrally), three wingers (two on one side) and two strikers (on the edge of the box).

In the chosen scenario, the midfielder plays out to one of the two wingers on the right.

As soon as the winger’s first touch lays the ball to the nearest striker, the second winger overlaps into what we class as a crossing danger zone – namely, a 10-yard strip running the outside the 18-yard box – and crosses (1a).

Both strikers must challenge for the ball, along with the third winger who approaches from the opposite flank. To reduce the chance of the cross beating the striking duo, striker 1 should run to the near post with striker 2 coming across behind him on a diagonal run (1b). Now rerun on the opposite flank.

How do I progress the session?

For the next phase, we make one of the

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

1b

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

2a

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

In the first phase, onetouch play invites the winger to hit the danger zone

Strikers attack the ball diagonally (shown by the blue bar) while the opposite winger comes in from the flank

In the progression, quick passing results in the ball being spread to the flank www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

CROSSES FROM DANGER ZONES

Sammy McIlroy LMA AMBASSADOR Sammy McIlroy is a vastly experienced football manager who, most recently, was in charge at npower League Two Morecambe.

He took the Shrimps into the Football League for the first time in 2007 after winning the Conference play-off final against Exeter City.

It was the second time he had achieved the feat having secured promotion for Macclesfield Town back in 1997, with a second successive promotion arriving the following year. His achievements led to three years in charge of the Northern Ireland international side. He has also managed Northwich Victoria and Stockport County.

As a player, Sammy was the last of the ‘Busby Babes’, and played 342 games for the Manchester United between 1971-82. He also turned out for Stoke City, Manchester City and Preston North End, plus earned 88 caps for Northern Ireland, including appearances at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups.

12 AUGUST 2011

wingers a defender.

The midfielder passes in to either of the two strikers, who must protect the ball from the defender and play it back (2a). It now goes wide to a winger, who takes a first touch into danger zone, before crossing. (2b) In the second progression, an overlapping full-back comes into play. The midfielder feeds the ball out to the right and the winger’s touch takes him infield slightly. But the fullback overlaps, receives the pass and crosses. (3a) In the centre is 2v2, defenders versus strikers, although attacking options can be increased by encouraging the opposite winger and midfielder to move in. (3b)

What are the key things to look for technically/ tactically?

Danger zones are key areas and we’ll reference them frequently in this session. In essence, we’re looking for players to adopt good body shape and to approach the ball with intelligent runs.

The strikers’ runs should be timed in order to meet the ball on the move.

For overlapping wingers, the full-back must not advance past the wide man until the pass is made, for fear of straying offside.

2b

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

3a

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

3b

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

He takes a touch and crosses as the strikers gain a yard on the lone defender

The second progression uses an overlapping winger in attack

Now fully opposed in the middle, the winger ignores options in the six-yard box and lays the ball back for the midfielder www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

SWANSEA CITY

Adrian Tucker Keeper’s kicking drill Overview: This practice is designed to enhance the composure of goalkeepers when they have the ball at their feet. It uses situations that vary in space, time and pressure to test ability and decisionmaking skills.

As we discovered last season at Swansea City, the platform for success often starts with a comfortable and confident goalkeeper. The more assured he is, the better the variation and accuracy of his supply to defenders and other players.

“The platform for success often starts with a comfortable and confident goalkeeper.”

13 AUGUST 2011

KEEPER’S KICKING DRILL: MAIN SESSION SET-UP AREA

Half pitch EQUIPMENT

1

Balls, cones, goals NUMBER OF PLAYERS

12 (incl. 2 keepers) SESSION TIME

Warm-up 5mins, development 15mins, game 25mins

What do I get the players to do?

First, we run a 6v6 warm-up in a 25x20-yard area with keepers on opposite long touchlines. On opposite shorter touchlines add a player from each team.

Simply, the starting team must retain possession by using both keepers (1).

For the main 5v5 game, we lay three 18-yard boxes end to end. Outfield players cannot stray from the middle box. The team in possession must complete five passes before passing to either keeper (2a), who deals with the back pass and plays back out to the team in possession. That team can now score a point by playing through to the opposite keeper, and so on (2b). If play is turned over, the new team in possession now attempts to make five passes. If the ball goes out of play, the coach restarts.

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

In the warm-up, the keeper is a crucial part of a possession game

2a

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

2b

For the main practice, players make five passes before laying the ball back to the keeper

How do I progress the session?

To progress, when a back pass is made to a keeper, opposition players can enter the area to close him down

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

He makes a pass, enabling his team to retain possession and switch the direction of play www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

KEEPER’S KICKING DRILL

Adrian Tucker SWANSEA CITY Adrian Tucker is the goalkeeping coach at Barclays Premier League side Swansea City.

The 34-year-old joined the Swans in July 2009 after 12 years with the technical department of the Welsh Football Trust, and works exclusively with the club’s goalkeeping talent.

As a player, Tucker was forced to retire from the professional game because of a shoulder injury, but continued to play for semi-professional sides including Ebbw Vale, Inter Cardiff, Aberystwyth and Merthyr Tydfil.

And the Welshman, who is one of only three people in Wales to hold the UEFA Pro Licence with the goalkeeping ‘A’ grade, also enjoyed a successful period in charge of the Wales women’s football side.

“When the keeper returns the ball, the team in possession can now send men to attack the far goal.”

14 AUGUST 2011

and apply pressure.

Here, he must make one of three decisions – pass to a supporting team mate (3a) , play the ball forward to an advanced player (3b), or clear the ball out of play. If he succeeds in completing a return pass, the team in possession can now send men to attack the far goal (3c). If a goal is scored, the ball goes dead or the keeper saves a shot, play restarts with the coach.

What are the key things to look for technically/ tactically?

The keeper must stay focused - he needs to observe, communicate and understand the ever-changing player environment in front of him. He should always be positioned on the front foot, ready to receive the ball at any time.

How do I put this into a game situation?

In any game scenario, we can maintain and reinforce the aims and objectives of this practice by insisting that play always goes through the keeper before an attack can be launched.

3a

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

3b

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

3c

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

In the progression, a back pass can be closed down by an opposition player

Under pressure, with the wingers covered, the keeper plays a long ball to a team mate

Involving the keeper allows the team to attack and a goal is scored

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Wolverhampton Wanderers v Blackburn Rovers May 27, 2011

The scenario It’s the final day of an enthralling Barclays Premier League season. After an impressive run of results in the second half of the season, Wolves need a result to guarantee safety.

But things haven’t gone to plan in the first half and Mick McCarthy’s men find themselves 3-0 down at half time. To avoid relying on results elsewhere Wolves need to get back in the game.

Their chance would come in the 73rd minute when they win a free kick on the left of the D, approximately 22-yards from the Blackburn goal…

THE PLAYBOOK: WOLVES HUNT FOR SAFETY

1 O’HARA

FOLEY

JARVIS HENRY HUNT KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

Stephen Hunt stands over the ball with Karl Henry providing a screen. Kevin Foley holds a position centrally, 25 yards from goal.

Matt Jarvis has positioned himself to the left of the wall, forcing Michel Salgado to mark him and – importantly – leaving Jamie O’Hara unmarked on the far side of the area.

2 O’HARA

JARVIS FOLEY HENRY HUNT KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

3 Elite Soccer prides itself on offering a vast range of technical and tactical training ground ideas, but for the first time here we examine the mechanics behind a successful set piece.

We’re hoping that our step-by-step reconstruction might inspire your side to attempt the move.

15 AUGUST 2011

Henry breaks to the left and Hunt shapes to deliver a cross with his left foot. The group of five Wolves attackers run towards goal creating a space between the penalty spot and the edge of the penalty box (shaded area). O’Hara drops off the back of the attacking group and arcs his run into the empty space.

O’HARA JARVIS FOLEY HENRY HUNT

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

Hunt plays the ball to the edge of the area.

The majority of the Blackburn defenders have dropped back towards their goal and cannot cover the ground. The men in the wall are too far from the ball to be effective in closing down. O’Hara gets his head over the ball and calmly slots it into the left hand corner through the crowd of players. www.elitesoccercoaching.net

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BOOKED: THIS MONTH’S CHOICE

The Laws of Teaching and Learning You Haven’t Taught Until They Have Learned John Wooden’s Teaching Principles and Practices

By Swen Nater and Ronald Gallimore Fitness Information Technology 151pp £16.99

I

f anyone could lay claim to the title of World’s Greatest Sports Coach it would be John Wooden, the basketball trainer who died in 2010, aged 99. To surpass his achievement, the contender would have to win more than 10 national championships in 12 seasons, beat opponents in 89 consecutive games over four seasons, and be named National Coach of the Year seven times. Anyone up for that?

Wooden’s influence reaches out to us from his heyday more than 40 years ago. Yet curiously, relatively little of his obviously winning philosophy has seeped into major sports. There are many books about Wooden and his coaching (more than 20 are listed on Amazon, including his autobiography They Call Me Coach), but are his methods used widely?

In this book, Swen Nater and Ronald Gallimore bring a laser-like focus on the detail of Wooden’s principles and practices, making 16 AUGUST 2011

You Haven’t Taught Until They Have Learned a diligent and thorough documentation of his coaching delivery methods. If you want to know exactly how Wooden did it, this book will tell you.

Nater was a player in Wooden’s record-breaking UCLA basketball team; Gallimore is a psychology and education professor. The starting point in their analysis is that Wooden was teacher first, coach second. This is significant because it leads to the conclusion that anyone who follows his principles can succeed in any sphere of teaching and learning, not just sport. According to the authors, this is proven by the many dozens of former basketball players who testified that the lessons they learned on court helped them also in life. Nater says they were better players through what Wooden taught and better human beings through how he taught.

Wooden ensured that the teacher-student relationship was first on his list. He made sure he knew every one of his players well.

He was fatherly and kind, but he was also strict. “Once practice began, the understanding, gentle, considerate, caring, sensitive father figure I had spoken with

“Theyareall different.

There is no formula.

You can’t work with them exactly the same way. You’ve got to study and analyse each individual and find out what makes them tick.”

earlier in the day unleashed a two-hour barrage of corrections directed at me,” recalls Nater.

Nater had first-hand knowledge of how Wooden could keep players motivated. Nater spent much of his playing career as a reserve, the understudy for the team’s star centre Bill Walton. How could he be motivated, knowing that he was destined to forever sit on the bench? Wooden’s response to the dilemma was surprising: not to invite Nater to “deal with it” or to pacify him with the promise of more game time, but to patiently explain that his challenge was to push Walton to reach higher levels that Walton would not otherwise achieve. Nater’s role was to make another player better, and by this method would become better himself – this was reason enough for Nater to remain committed.

Wooden’s teacher-student relationship is characterised by the following approaches: • Setting challenging expectations matched to an individual’s ability and personality • Getting to know each individual well enough to comprehend what he was capable of achieving • Truly caring about each as an individual person www.elitesoccercoaching.net

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BOOKED: THIS MONTH’S CHOICE • Tailoring instruction and support to individual differences • Treating everyone with respect and fairness But the key principle was not to treat everyone the same. Wooden said: “They are all different. There is no formula. You can’t work with them exactly the same way. You’ve got to study and analyse each individual and find out what makes them tick.”

What was Wooden’s definition of success? Many may be surprised that it was not related to winning in itself, at least not in the conventional sense. For him, “success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.” UCLA teams were barely aware of the opposition teams they were about to face. Wooden concentrated all his efforts on making his players and his team as good as they could be. The pre-game speech by Wooden was not about beating the opponents, it was: “At the end of the game, everyone here should be capable of walking to the mirror, looking at themselves, and saying ‘I did the best I could’.”

Hearing Wooden speak (as you can, mainly as a very old man, on YouTube) one is struck by his lucidity, his clarity of thought, but above all, his certainty. The groundwork for this was his organised system of research and development, which allowed him to make substantial improvements every year in how he taught basketball. He knew the game like no-one else, giving him a rock-solid conviction that what he taught was right.

Over years of study and application, Wooden established almost immutable laws of teaching and learning, and applied them to basketball. His gargantuan knowledge of his sport is evidenced

JOHN WOODEN’S CAREER

WHAT SPECIAL TEACHERS HAVE IN COMMON – AS PRACTISED BY JOHN WOODEN

Coaching Career 1946-48 Indiana State University 1948-75 UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles)

They make learning engaging They have a passion for the material They have deep subject knowledge They are extremely organised They are intense They know students need to be recognised for even small progress

Playing Career Purdue University, Indiana Position: Guard

Head Coaching Record Overall 664 wins, 162 defeats (80% win ratio)

Source: You Haven’t Taught Until They Have Learned

Accomplishments and Achievements As Player National Championship, 1932 As Coach National Championship, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975

by his 452-page textbook Practical top teams in the country spending Modern Basketball. He ran significant time on the most basic fantastically precise, clockworkof drills, repeating the simple skills like training sessions, with players that are the building blocks of the moving from drill to drill with game. But skills are not everything, efficiency and intensity. according to Wooden, they are “a Most coaches would understand foundation on which individual conditioning to mean improving creativity and imagination can physical fitness, but for Wooden, flourish”. physical fitness was dependent When it came to delivery Wooden Awards on the obsessively Basketball Hall of planned. After Fame – Inducted in emotional and “Success is peace 1961 psychological all, it is he who of mind which is a 1964, Henry Iba state of players. coined the Award, Coach of the He sought to much-quoted direct result of selfYear avoid frustration “Failure 1972, National satisfaction in knowing phrase: Basketball Hall of and lack of to prepare is Fame as a coach concentration. preparing to fail.” you made the effort Six time NCAA Players who Even this College Basketball to become the best were easily relatively slim Coach of the Year of which you are volume contains Presidential Medal distracted by of Freedom the crowd were huge detail capable.”

College Basketball not mentally of Wooden’s Hall of Fame – conditioned. “Pre-game talks were techniques. Coaches seeking Inducted in 2006 short, to the point and not in the inspiration have a goldmine of best Source: Wikipedia least melodramatic.” practice to ponder and potentially Wooden’s analysis of close implement. But the overwhelming games (he proved that a large feeling this reviewer is left with is majority were lost through one of awe at the all-consuming mistakes, rather than being won) commitment and relentless hard led him to a fundamental focus on work that the man put into his craft. skills. The result was one of the

Here at Elite Soccer, we value highly the knowledge and judgement of you, our subscribers. Over the past few months we’ve been delighted to put forward some fantastic coaching literature that examines

17 AUGUST 2011

They treat everyone with respect They are fair They believe all students are natural learners They make it implicitly known they like being with their students They place priority on individualised teaching

the psychological side of sports practice, but there are undoubtedly a number of gems we’ve not uncovered.

We’d like to hear from you if there’s a coaching book that has really helped to shape and focus your side. Contact us at elitesoccer@greenstarmedia.net, and we’ll

look to showcase the best going forward.

In striving to make Elite Soccer the ultimate monthly soccer coaching title, we’re always keen to hear your feedback on the magazine’s content - be that our book reviews, bonus manager features, or the coaching sessions themselves.

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EXTRA-TIME: KARL ROBINSON Karl Robinson talks to the LMA about the onward progression of his MK Dons side, and their prospects of making it to the npower Championship this season.

H

ow do you view your development as a manager since your appointment at MK Dons?

“Well I know I’ve aged an awful lot and put weight on! [Laughs] But joking aside, I am thoroughly enjoying being a manager. I think that the most important thing when you do this job is to make sure that you don’t get ahead of yourself and become something that you are not. It’s still important to listen to the people who got you to the place you’re at. For me they are the likes of Sam Allardyce at Blackburn Rovers, Steve Heighway at Liverpool’s Academy and Paul Ince, my predecessor here at MK Dons.

“I am one of those characters who is always asking questions of whomever I meet... ‘Why are you doing that?’ ‘How are you doing that?’ I never get bored of learning and I am never going to stand still in my own personal development.

“I believe that by keeping your feet on the ground, being yourself and doing the right things by your players and your staff, that you can obtain success. It’s unbelievable to have been given the opportunity to manage so young and I have got to carry on achieving so that I am not seen as just a flash in the pan.”

H

ow conscious were you of your age when you were appointed manager?

“It didn’t bother me one bit. I only ever doubted my age when I had a bit of a confrontation with Tugay when I was at Blackburn Rovers. I was 27 at the time; he was 38 and a bit of a hero of mine as well. We had a confrontation and I stood my ground and he respected that 18 AUGUST 2011

“Youhavegotto bethepersonthat peoplerelyon...

Ilovethat responsibility andIwillneverlet anyonedown– that’sjusthow Iammade.” immediately. I think that if you are confident and know what you are talking about then players will listen to you, follow you and support what you are doing.”

Y

ou had a strong coaching foundation before you got the opportunity to manage; how important has that been in helping you succeed in management?

“I feel that I prepared well to go into coaching and management. I did all my coaching qualifications and got my UEFA Pro Licence at 29. I coached every level from Under-8 teams to Under-18s,

worked with reserve sides and at clubs from npower League Two up to the Barclays Premier League. So there’s not an area within the industry that I have not coached in.

“That experience has stood me in good stead going forward.

I have had to change though because when you step up from a coach to a manager you’ve got to become a different type of person around the dressing room. Your leadership qualities have got to come through a lot more. You have got to be the person that people rely on, and if you don’t do your job right you know you will have let the fans, the Chairman and the players down. I love that responsibility and I will never let anyone down - that’s just how I am made.

“So I enjoy being a leader but I have very good people around me who support everything that I am trying to do.”

W

hat type of manager are you; what is your style of management?

“I’m very open, honest and straight to the point. I am thorough and I don’t leave anything to chance. I love coaching and that’s my strength.

“Having worked under Sam Allardyce at Blackburn I am very big on analysis too. In addition, I’m very supportive of my staff and my players and I like to think that they know that there is nothing I won’t do for them. I believe that it is important when I am asking my players to climb over mountains and push barriers further and further that they are able to look at me and think ‘well he does that for me so I will do that for him.’” www.elitesoccercoaching.net