Soccercoachw317

THE BIG DEBATE IS AGgRESSIVENESS A GOOD THING IN TRAINING?

WEEKLY

SOCCER COACH

May 22, 2013 Issue 317 • $4.99/£2.99

Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy

HOW TO TAKE ON A NEW TEAM

10

IN THIS ISSUE

BOND YOUR PLAYERS DEFEND A LEAD 4 SOCCER SESSIONS

WAYS TO WIN A TOURNAMENT

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL BORUSSIA DORTMUND BAYERN MUNICH v

COACH YOUR TEAM TO PLAY LIKE THE FINALISTS

PRESS ALL AREAS • FAST BREAK • HIT THE KEY MAN • GET CREATIVE

Contents

Taking On A New Team THE BIG DEBATE IS AGGRESSIVENESS A GOOD THING IN TRAINING?

SOCCER COACH

Taking on a new team is a learning process

WEEKLY

Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy

May 22, 2013 Issue 317 • $4.99/£2.99

HOW TO TAKE ON A NEW TEAM

IN THIS ISSUE

BOND YOUR PLAYERS DEFEND A LEAD 4 SOCCER SESSIONS

10

WAYS TO WIN A TOURNAMENT

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

BORUSSIA DORTMUND v BAYERN MUNICH COACH YOUR TEAM TO PLAY LIKE THE FINALISTS

PRESS ALL AREAS • FAST BREAK • HIT THE KEY MAN • GET CREATIVE

Soccer Coach Weekly Issue 317

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, Luke Nicoli, Mike Pattenden Illustrations Mike Ronald Pictures Action Images, Nick Webster Production ATG Media Production Designer Jamie Leeson Publisher Kevin Barrow

At this time of year I receive quite a number of emails from clubs and teams all over the world asking me if I know of any good coaches because they have a vacancy. It’s a time when a lot of coaches get to the end of the season and either move on up or breathe a big sigh of relief and give it up.

There are always vacant coaching roles for someone to slot into. I myself often change the team I coach at the beginning of a season, just to get more experience and get out of my comfort zone.

When I go to meet a new team, one of the first things I try to instil in my players is a great team spirit.

It can create a rolling ball that gets your season off to a strong start.

If your players are new to you, the first problem will probably be remembering their names.

It is very important to the selfesteem of young players that you remember their names, but it isn’t always easy when you have so many new faces to remember.

One of the ways you can get around this is to put players’ names on sticky labels on their shirts at the beginning of each session until you remember them.

All you need is a big felt tip pen and a strip of labels and it does the trick.

I stop for drinks breaks more than I would do normally, so we can all chat

kevin.barrow@ bettersoccercoaching.com

In this issue...

Customer Services Duncan Heard

3

duncanh@greenstarmedia.net

Managing Director Andrew Griffiths (c) Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved.

PLAY LIKE BAYERN MUNICH

What will the German title winners do to take on Borussia Dortmund and can they win the Champions League?

4 PRESS ALL AREAS

“If your players are new to you, the first problem will probably be remembering their names” about what is happening outside of our training night – what players will do when they get home, who is friends with who. This builds a rapport and helps you get to know a bit about the players before you put them through their paces. It also means you’ve got more chance of organising them into some sort of team for the first few games.

Of course, friendlies are a great way to get to know how your new players will perform on the pitch, as well as giving strong hints as to what you’ll need to work on straight away.

If you’re lucky, they may not need much work. I find that once I have seen

8 PLAY LIKE DORTMUND

How will Dortmund play in the Champions League final and can you coach your team to play like them?

TIP OF THE WEEK

This session shows players how teamwork can feed a striker

10 In The Final Third

A game to help players react quickly to winning the ball, just like Bayern Munich

Teach your team about making possession count in the final third

To advertise contact Peter Coltart on +44 (0)1483 892894 Download media pack & contact here

5 10 Second Break

11 SOCCER SURGERY

Get your team surging forward like Bayern Munich with a session that creates direct attacks

Your coaching questions answered, including advice for a team who can’t hold on to a lead

6 Win AT TournamentS

12 THE BIG DEBATE

Follow our 10 useful tips to help your team enjoy success at soccer tournaments

David Clarke

9 Hit The Key Player

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a team play a couple of games I can plan out the next three weeks’ sessions to help get everyone into good shape.

I like to work in three-week blocks, while still allowing the flexibility to work on other elements within sessions.

There’s a lot to take in and there will be as much pressure on you as on the players, but if you plan properly you will soon find you can create a team from a bunch of individuals.

Two coaches debate whether aggressiveness can be harnessed in soccer training

Think Before You Speak Is what you are about to say positive or negative? If it’s negative, is there a way to rephrase it positively? If not, then don’t say it. Coaches often shout: “Don’t miss your tackles” but try to conjure up positive thoughts instead by shouting “win that tackle”.

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL x

Arjen Robben in full flight for Bayern Munich

Play Like Bayern Could it be European Champions for the fifth time for Bayern Munich? If they press high and break like lightning, the omens are certainly good

G

erman efficiency. It’s a term often used and it certainly applies to the Bayern Munich of 2012-13.

Yes, Barcelona can lay claim to being the most technically gifted team in Europe but their comprehensive 7-0 aggregate defeat to Jupp Heynckes’ side in the Champions League semi-final spoke volumes for the tactical supremacy employed by the Germans throughout the competition this season.

A key to Bayern’s success has been their intense work rate – the ability to press the ball in all areas and then break forward at pace, just as our training sessions show on the following pages.

Invariably Bayern will adopt a 4-2-3-1 formation with Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez key players in the heart of the midfield, an area that will prove vital in determining the winners of the final at Wembley. Against Barcelona, both players hustled and harried the likes of Xavi and Iniesta to the point where the Spanish midfield maestros couldn’t dictate the pace and tempo of the game, which is vital to Barça’s success.

Turning over the play was Bayern’s plan from the very first whistle in the

semi-final, yet to suggest Schweinsteiger and Martinez are simply workhorses would be doing them a huge disservice.

Technically superb, they have the ability to work in tight spaces, then release the ball quickly, either to the flanks or to the ‘number 10’ in front – Toni Kroos usually, but most likely Thomas Müller in the final.

When the ball is played out wide, this is where Bayern are at their devastating best. Franck Ribery occupies the left flank, where his attacking intent and pinpoint accuracy into the box is a big threat, but it’s on the right wing that the left-footed Arjen Robben has been, arguably the player of the competition to date. Direct and pacy, the flying Dutchman likes to cut in field – to tee up a team-mate or, more often than not, to try his luck from distance.

Having goalscoring wingers in their ranks gives Bayern a major advantage, and so effective are the wide players that you rarely see fullbacks Philipp Lahm and David Alaba getting too far forward. This leaves them free to concentrate on their defensive duties, another area of the field where Bayern are a cohesive unit.

Solid at the back, technically superb

in midfield, with an intense work rate throughout the side and the ability to break forward at pace – it’s little wonder that Bayern are favourites to lift the trophy. And that’s without mentioning the predatory instincts of Mario Gomez in attack, who will snap up any loose balls in the box or, indeed, work off the creative instincts of Müller.

Will Bayern be European champions a fifth time? You wouldn’t bet against it.

Words by:

Luke Nicoli Activities by:

David Clarke

“I think that both Dortmund and Bayern have achieved their goal – to play in the Champions League final. This is the first time in history that two German teams will dispute the final and one of them will win. That is something extraordinary” – Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes looks forward to the final

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

Press All Areas In this pressing game players must react quickly to winning the ball and then keep possession themselves, just like Bayern Munich

WHY USE IT

This session looks at how pressing in all areas of the pitch helps to win the ball back quickly, with an emphasis on turning over possession and creating scoring chances.

This possession and pressing game starts with one team of seven having the ball and passing it between them

SET UP

HOW TO PLAY

Start by passing the ball into one team who pass it between themselves. Five opposition players now come upfield to press the ball. When possession is turned over, the ball must be passed back to the waiting pair in the other half of the pitch. Speed of transition is important as the five working players must get back to help the two players to keep possession. Five of the other team move at the same time to press in a new 7v5. If the ball goes dead, restart with the team last out of possession.

s yd 20

Set up an area of 40x20 split into two equal halves. We’ve used 14 players in this session, playing 7v7. You need bibs, balls and cones.

s 40yd

On your call the team without the ball sends five players to press the opposition. They try to win the ball

Two players stay in their own square waiting to receive the ball from their team-mates

When the ball is won both teams must move quickly to get across into the other square to either keep the ball or press to win it

The pressing team must work hard to cover the play and force the passing team to make a mistake

TECHNIQUE

It is important to see which team can react the quickest to the turnover of the ball.

The team who have just won it must quickly get back to their square to support their two team-mates in keeping hold of the ball or the pressing players will win it back even quicker.

Player movement

Ball movement

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

10 Second Break Get your team surging forward like Bayern Munich with a session that creates direct attacks on goal without losing any momentum

WHY USE IT

s yd 40

SET UP

s 20yd s yd 20

This session is all about having a powerful engine in midfield, one capable of winning the ball and supporting it into the attacking third of the pitch, taking advantage of having an overload at speed.

The game starts with the teams battling to make three passes in the centre zone

s 50yd

Set up a 50x40-yard area with a 20x20-yard box in the centre of the pitch. We’ve used 14 players, playing 7v7 including keepers. You need bibs, balls, cones and two normal goals.

The attacker must try to create space away from the two defenders to receive a pass from the centre zone

HOW TO PLAY

The game starts with a 3v3 in the centre box. There are also two defenders and an attacker at each end. The teams in the centre box try to string three passes together. If successful, the ball is then played to the attacker, releasing the team’s players from the centre box. The three players of the defending team remain locked in, giving a 4v2 overload to the attackers who have 10 seconds to score – if they don’t score or if they run out of time, play restarts with all players back in position and the ball with the opposition.

The attackers must move fast because they only have 10 seconds to use the overload to score

When the attacker receives the ball from the centre zone it releases his three team-mates from the box, giving them a 4v2 overload to exploit

TECHNIQUE

Look for good possession from the pass into the strikers. Pace and precision are important and the attackers must use width to pull the defence apart and make use of the overload.

Player movement

If the attacking team are scoring too easily, allow one of the defending team in the box to be released at the same time as the attackers

Ball movement

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THE ART OF COACHING

10 STEP GUIDE

How To Win A Tournament

There is an art to winning soccer tournaments that is partly about the preparation and partly about the coaching. We offer you ten tips to help you have a successful tournament

01

Check your team’s player availability

Soccer tournaments mostly take place at weekends and during school holidays, so it is crucial you check your players will be available. Make sure that parents understand they must not pull out near the time. Don’t pay the entry fee and then ask for parents to pay their share, take the money from parents as soon as possible so they are committed to the event.

TOP TIP: Many tournaments allow teams to field guest players, so check the rules if you need to add players to your squad.

Choose the level of play

The level of play is crucial to how successful your team is going to be. You want to win the tournament, not lose games 11-0. Most tournaments have websites that carry the results of the previous year’s event. Take a look at them and see if there are any familiar team names listed. Perhaps you will see a local opponent and use how they did to gauge how your team may do.

TOP TIP: Call coaches you know who have competed in the tournament to ask their opinion on how your team might fare.

03

OUTLINE THE TRAVEL OPTIONS

When choosing tournaments parents will need to know the transportation options that are available as soon as possible – preferably much earlier in the season if it’s some distance away or if it involves overnight accommodation. Will there be a team bus or will parents be expected to drive their own children there? If the

Picture: Luigig

02

team is going to fly, think about the circumstances of all your players and how many siblings they might have to bring with them? Let them know early so they can shop around for deals. If players have to stay at hotels, you may need to arrange transport from the hotel to the soccer pitches if they are too far to walk.

TOP TIP: Do your research on travel and the best means of getting to the destination.

04

Get ready the night before

Put together a checklist to give to the parents of all of your players. Make sure it

UNDERSTAND IT’S OKAY TO WIN It’s best to remember that the main purpose of a soccer tournament is not so much to determine which is the best team but to determine who can win the tournament, and there is a difference. There are more ways to lose a game than there are to win it, and tournament play has an uncanny way of exposing new ways. While winning is not the be all and end all of youth soccer, winning a tournament can teach your players vital lessons about the game. Very often tournaments are won by inferior teams who manage to put together one really good game at just the right time.

includes directions and maps showing how to get to the tournament venue, plus a list of all the things that players need to bring, such as boots, shin pads, goalkeeper’s gloves, a spare pair of socks in case the ground is wet, and casual clothes to wear during breaks in play. Make sure it includes instructions on what team kit is needed, such as a second shirt in case of a clash of colours. It should also cover any rules about what food and drink should be sent.

TOP TIP: Make yourself a list of mobile phone contact numbers for everyone connected with the team – just in case.

05

Above: Use your whole squad to win games at a tournament

PREPARE FOR the WEATHER CONDITIONS

It is vital that you prepare your team for the weather conditions on the weekend of the tournament. Are there trees to give shade or should you arrange for some tents or parasols? Sun tan lotion and sun block are also essential if the weather is hot. If it is unseasonably cold or raining, you will need

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Words by:

David Clarke

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Picture: Luigig

THE ART OF COACHING

GOOD BEHAVIOUR IS VITAL sweatshirts for your players and something to keep them dry between matches.

TOP TIP: Keep an eye on the weather forecast for the area hosting the tournament and inform parents of the likely conditions.

06

CHOOSE TACTICS for the surface

Find out in advance what kind of surface the matches will be played on. Are they being staged on grass or on a synthetic turf? If it’s grass you need to make it your first objective on arrival to check out what state the pitches are in, as it could have a big impact on your success. Poor conditions tend to affect weak teams less than they do good teams. A rough or waterlogged field rules out a passing game and the kick and run teams could benefit greatly.

TOP TIP: Make sure you prepare tactics for the type of surface your teams is playing on – this is vital to success.

07

SPREAD THE LOAD

Most tournaments guarantee a minimum of three or four games, but the most successful teams will often play more if they advance from a group stage. Five games in a just couple of

days is a lot for young players. If you have one or two key starters they may be burnt out by the later stages, so think carefully about your team selection.

TOP TIP: If you spread the load equally among the entire team rather than relying on just the most gifted players, your chances of success will be greatly enhanced.

08

GO ON THE Attack straight away

Going straight on the attack in tournament games is vital to get on top, both physically and psychologically. If the pitch is fairly small and you have a player who has a powerful kick, get him to shoot straight from the kick off. It is perfectly legal and even if your team doesn’t score, it gets the ball in the right half of the pitch immediately and your players can follow the shot in and press high up the pitch if the opposition pick-up the ball. Be prepared to point the referee to the rule book if he takes issue with the tactic because goals scored like this have been disallowed before, even though they are legitimate.

TOP TIP: Use one of your best kickers for a shot – or if the goal is too far away, kick for touch in the opponents’ half and press high.

DAVID CLARKE SAYS… I took two teams to a tournament last season and thought everyone was singing from the same hymn sheet. It turned out that wasn’t the case. The two teams had different schedules but I could manage them both with help from some of the parents.

The first team’s opening match went like clockwork and the referee was just about to blow his whistle to start the second team’s opener when I looked around and counted the players. I was one short – where was Billy, our leading goal scorer?

I looked to where another player was pointing. There was Billy, merrily trampolining on a bouncy castle. “Go and get him,” I shouted to his dad, who explained that he had only just paid and Billy had another 10 minutes left. So we played without Billy. His dad hadn’t looked at the schedule – teaching us a valuable lesson in making sure everyone is aware of their responsibilities at a tournament.

Sportsmanship is vital to tournament play and it is important a coach keeps control of his players and their supporters. These events are intense and with family members in the action, things can easily get out of hand and the team could be disqualified.

The coach is responsible for the behaviour of players, parents and spectators and any arguing or aggressive behaviour towards opponents or officials should not be tolerated.

09

PREPARE FOR THE GAP BETWEEN GAMES

There is always a lot of down time at tournaments and you should be prepared for the amount of hanging around involved.

No matter how many games your team plays in one day, players will spend the majority of time waiting rather than playing. As a coach, you should think about the purpose such time serves and the opportunities it allows. Players may want to take their boots off and wear comfortable trainers or flip-flops. Most players will want to hang out and bond, so make sure a group of parents is willing to stay with them.

TOP TIP: Ensure your players snack every two or three hours – energy bars or bananas are perfect. They should also drink water regularly to keep hydrated.

10

Above: Plan your schedule for the tournament so your team know when to rest and when to play

USE SubsTITUTES TO win games

Most tournaments have a roll-on, roll-off style substitute policy – so make sure you use it to your advantage. Players have to run so much in such a short space of time, it needs a good coach to make sure everyone is being used to the maximum of their ability. If you need goals, try subbing on your attackers – and when you score, get your defenders back on and defend your lead. Or if you have a great freekick taker and he is on the bench, get him on the minute you get a free-kick.

TOP TIP: Make a list of your subs and ensure you use all of them by switching players at regular intervals.

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL x LewandowskI is always a threat in the final third

Play Like Dortmund When Borussia Dortmund face Bayern Munich in the Champions League final, Polish striker Robert Lewandowski will be key to the team’s hopes of success

T

hey’re calling it ‘Der Klassiker’, the clash between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, two energetic German teams that have swept aside the best in Europe en route to this season’s Champions League final.

Bayern with their superior squad and pedigree will begin as favourites, but the match is no foregone conclusion.

Both teams will play a high intensity game, based around pressing and quick transitions. Dortmund, or BVB as they are officially called, will have to be on song to win. But they have youth, energy and game changers in the shape of Mario Götze and Robert Lewandowski.

Lewandowski’s reputation soared after his four-goal demolition of Real Madrid in the semi-final first leg – and with Götze not fully fit, the 24-year-old Pole becomes even more important to the game plan.

For a start, he is a key component of their pressing game, working high up the pitch to give the backline no respite.

His hold-up play is excellent, he has strength, a great first touch and the ability to hold off players. He can dribble and lay off the ball to the playmakers and then take up scoring positions.

Where he really comes into his own is as a finisher. He is lethal and Dortmund will be looking to pick him out at every opportunity, with quick, angled balls into dangerous areas of the final third. For any team this is where the passing and movement has to be the best.

“Robert has quality,” Jürgen Klopp says of his striker. “He is exceptional [because of] his mentality, his fitness, the way he thinks about football and how cool he is. I remember one of his most special goals was in the 94th minute in Amsterdam against Ajax. In his position, most players would take the first option or the second option, but he took the third that no one would think of and it was the best. He is a fantastic player.”

The passing of midfield general Ilkay

Gundogan will be critical here, as will the movement of support players like Reus. Fullback Lukasz Piszczek and right winger Jakub Blaszczykowski will also look to feed him at every opportunity.

Use the following drills to pick out your attacking players in the final third and your team can play like Dortmund.

Words by:

Mike Pattenden Activities by:

David Clarke

“The important thing is balance in football, between defence and attack.

When we attack, we all attack; when we defend, we all defend. I don’t have any problem with that and that plan is applicable to all matches.”

– Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp highlights the simplicity of his game plan

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CHAMPIONS xxxx LEAGUE FINAL

Hit The Key Player Dortmund’s success this season has been down to getting the ball to Lewandowski in the final third. This session shows players how teamwork can feed your striker

WHY USE IT

This session focuses on hitting key players while keeping possession. When the opposition are denying you space in the final third, this activity helps teams pull opponents out of position, creating space for the attackers or creative players.

Set up an area of 50x30 yards with a circle measuring 10 yards across that only attackers can enter. We are using 12 players. You need bibs, balls and cones.

HOW TO PLAY

Play an 8v4 game where the eight attackers must pass the ball around the area until one gets in the circle to receive a pass to score two points.

The player can only be in the circle for five seconds. The four defenders must try to prevent that and if they win the ball they get a point. To stop defenders just shielding the circle, the attackers also get a point by making six consecutive passes. Play restarts after every point.

Play for three minutes before swapping defenders. Play three sets before resting.

s yd 30

SET UP

The attackers must pass the ball around until one of them gets a chance to enter the circle and receive a pass to score two points

s 50yd

The player can only be in the circle for five seconds, so his teammates must react quickly to the move

The attackers score again, this time by making six consecutive passes without the defenders touching the ball, but this only gives them one point

The defenders must work hard to win possession and score a point for themselves

To change the session, add another circle to make it easier for attackers but harder for defenders. Do this if players are struggling to hit the key area

TECHNIQUE

This is a good way to play a possession game with the aim of hitting key players.

You can add a second circle to give your players more chances of scoring points or make the circle smaller to make it harder.

Player movement

Ball movement

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CHAMPIONS xxxx LEAGUE FINAL

Creative In The Final Third Dortmund are outstanding at receiving and using the ball in the attacking zone, so learning to play like them can teach your team about making possession count in the final third

WHY USE IT

To start an attack the defenders must combine with neutral players in the central zone

5yds

s yd 30

This activity is all about making use of possession in the final third, where attacking prowess comes into play. Goals will be scored if players can do something different to create space and get a shot away. Creativity in the final third is vital to success in a match.

The game starts with a pass from the goalkeeper to one of the three defenders

s 40yd

SET UP

Set up an area of 30x40 yards with a five-yard central zone. We’ve used 14 players including keepers. You need bibs, balls, cones and goals.

The defender who combines with the neutral players joins the attack to create a 3v3 in the final third

If the defenders win the ball back they start an attack in the same way, using the neutral players

HOW TO PLAY

Play 6v6 with two neutral players in the central zone, and three defenders and two attackers at each end.

To attack, the defenders link up with the neutral players in the central zone and pass into the two attackers. The defender who makes the pass into the neutral player can join in with the attack to create a 3v3 in the attacking half, while all other players must stay in their zones.

Rotate the neutral players so all of your squad have a go at being a link-up player.

If players react quickly they can create a scoring opportunity

TECHNIQUE

Teams must combine with the neutral players and be patient to create attacking opportunities in the final third. If players move and combine at speed with the neutral players, they are more likely to create chances to score using wall passes and clever movement.

Player movement

Opposition players must attempt to quickly return to their defending role if they lose the ball

Ball movement

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Soccer Surgery

Your Questions Answered THIS WEEK: Helping a coach encourage his players to bond after the merger of two clubs, and advice for a team that just can’t hold on to a lead It’s vital not to concede when you are leading

Q “ My team is the

A

”

Now this is a tricky situation and I don’t envy you one bit. I was once involved in a merger like this and the experiment quickly failed. The merged team took the name of the higher-ranked side, and things lasted all of three training sessions before the weaker players (most of whom had been with the lower-ranked side) decided to leave. In short, it was a disaster.

I take some heart from your situation though, given that you’re six months down the line and it seems that things have stuck and the team is still together.

I think in every team environment you have to accept that players will not always get on. Even within the best professional sides in the world, there are cliques and rivalries. What you have to do is try to bring warring factions together, by whatever means necessary.

We used to do this by arranging fantastic days out to professional games, but even on the training field if you make a special effort to pair up players who wouldn’t normally mix, you should find things improving.

Create groups in small-sided games and get them supporting and working for one another. It’s a gradual process and you need to stimulate it artificially, but I promise you it will work.

Answered by semi-professional soccer coach Dean Warner from Crawley

Picture: Tom Childers

result of a merger between two clubs but after six months the players won’t mix. What can I do?

Q “ My players often struggle to defend a lead late in the game. What can we do that will help us see out our matches a little better?

A

Each team is different but there are usually a couple of reasons why some sides consistently lose the lead late in a game. I guess first of all you need to look at the positives – namely that you have a side capable of getting into a match-winning position in the first place!

Getting over the finishing line is something that needs to be perfected over time and I’ve always found the sides who are best at this are those whose coaches make subtle changes to their team during a game.

However, all too often I see coaches doing nothing to help their players (for instance, failing to replace fatigued players for fear of bringing on a supposedly weaker man), or doing too much (I’ve seen teams end matches with no strikers on the pitch because the

”

coach has decided his team needs to “park the bus” in front of the goal).

The reality is somewhere in the middle. A fatigued star player is probably no more useful than a fully energised, solid player, so freshen up your team whilst keeping going all the good habits (passing, movement, support) that earned them the lead in the first place. And rather than revert to a 5-5-0 formation, bring a midfielder back into defence, going from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2, or tell your wing backs to limit their forward bursts.

Prepare your players for these scenarios during training so that the situation feels in control. Like most things in football, the trick is for you, and your players, to hold your nerve.

Answered by Trevor Stevenson, a Level 3 coach from Folkestone

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

Is Aggressiveness In Training A Good Thing?

THIS WEEK’S DEBATE: While coaches agree that a certain level of aggressiveness in matches is important, would you go so far as encouraging players to be aggressive during training sessions?

YES, ENCOURAGE IT IN TRAINING

Rui Miguel

AC Heinola Youth Football

“Training is designed to ‘train’ players for what will confront them in matches. If you’re not training them to be aggressive, then what is the point?”

“

Football training that doesn’t showcase something like aggressiveness is not coaching football – it’s a kind of sanitised version of the sport that some coaches wrongly think is good for the game. This is similar to the whole debate over whether players should be competitive.

If we remove aggressiveness from the game, what we’re coaching is not football, it’s something else. Football has existed for over 100 years with physicality at its heart – why try to change this now, either in training or on match day?

Training is designed to ‘train’ players for what will confront them in matches. If you’re not training them to be aggressive and not preparing them for in-play confrontations

HAVE YOUR SAY

where they’ll need to deal with an opponent in a realistic manner, then what is the point of large parts of training?

It’s really poor preparation for players if training is not conducted with aggressiveness, since when it comes to taking what is learnt into a real match situation, they are unprepared for the physical elements that will follow. You’re putting them at an instant disadvantage.

Coaches shy away from aggressiveness because they don’t feel it is suited to the way we want to bring up children, but kids have this streak in them from when they are babies.

Sure, it needs to be channelled in the right way, but football is one of those very places where they can expend built-up aggression.

”

Is Aggressiveness In Training A Good Thing?

Visit our Facebook page and log your vote at www.facebook.com/SoccerCoachWeekly or email your thoughts to editor@soccercoachweekly.net

NO, DISCOURAGE IT IN TRAINING

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Mike Jones

South Kent Youth Football

“The rehearsal of something like aggressiveness is largely fruitless. The only refinement that many coaches need to look at is the lessening of it”

“

achieve that by encouraging more of it in training!

Aggressiveness can prevent players from concentrating on the very key skills you are trying to teach in training – for instance, if they’re too worried about a hard tackle to practise dribbling skills, they’ll boot the ball long instead.

Aggressiveness in training is also dangerous, for two reasons.

Firstly, you’re encouraging the type of play that directly leads to injuries. And secondly, this is not something that does anything to cement team spirit.

If you allow your players to go flying into tackles, there will be confrontations, and these can end up spoiling the team dynamic. This aggression will follow into match day and so will the fall-out between the warring players!

Aggressiveness isn’t something that needs to be coached. It cannot be learnt or gained, as it’s inbuilt. What’s more, as soon as the first whistle goes for something that players do find meaningful, such as a match, you’ll find them switched on and ready to compete.

The key purpose of training is to coach a combination of new skills and finer skills – new skills in terms of tactical thinking and formation, and finer skills in terms of the technical elements that mean a player can perfect things like shooting and heading.

The rehearsal of something like aggressiveness is largely fruitless. The only refinement of aggressiveness that many coaches need to look at is the lessening of it, and you certainly won’t

HOW YOU VOTED

”

Here are the results of a poll we ran in a previous issue of Soccer Coach Weekly, when we asked the question: Is player hygiene a coach’s responsibility?

67% said yes 33% said no Issue 317

SOCCER COACH WEEKLY

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