It is a very difficult time to be coaching players around the world. So to help you I have created the Coaching Classroom where you can download lessons to give to your players online.
If you want to break down a tight defence I have created a lesson for the coaching classroom on Penetration. How often do we see through balls splitting defences in the Premier League? Players need to work together through Support play or Communication to link up on Creating space and getting through or beyond a tight defence.
And to stop those penetrating passes you can coach the lesson Compactness, something that all teams need to understand to help them defend their goal. Compactness can be defined as the tight positioning between teammates both vertically and horizontally.
Compact teams are organised and well trained to keep their shape and work as an interconnected unit. The spaces between the players should be restricted, with the defence, midfield, and attack close enough to communicate with each other.
The shorter distances between individual players makes penetrative passes more difficult as the passing lanes are minimised, whilst multiple players can challenge the same through ball.
In most situations the optimal area to control is the centre of the pitch where most attacks will develop. It also offers a great platform to win which gives a greater range of potential movements whilst it offers the best platform to access alternative spaces.
To help you coach your players in the Principles of Defending and Attacking I have created ten lessons in the Coaching Classroom.
It’s a section of the website that we’ve developed to introduce and develop key principles of the game without limiting the amount of time players spend with a ball at their feet at training sessions.
I’ve created TEN lesson plans for you to deliver to your players online, building a valuable set of lessons for you to go back to time and again.
Soccer Coach Weekly subscribers can immediately access all the materials they need for the ten lessons including Compactness and Penetration:
How well do you and your players know the Principles of Play? Give your players lessons online. This unique online class will help your players master the basic tactics and skills used in one of the Defending Principles of Play – Compactness MORE
How well do you and your players know the Principles of Play? Give your players lessons online. This unique online class will help your players master the basic tactics and skills used in one of the Attacking Principles of Play – Penetration MORE
I was asked this week "how do I coach the false 9?". The false 9 is very much back in fashion as we can see lots of teams have gone back to playing 4-3-3 where the attacking players can switch positions in the attacking third of the pitch. MORE
At last an end is in sight to the sitting at home and meeting my team on Zoom twice a week. But what can I do with my players? There are no guidelines yet so I am waiting to see how this will all pan out. I know what to expect from my players, they will just want to play a game, score goals, make saves, cheer with each other, shout at each other and just generally get back to a normal world of all things football. MORE
Everyone finds it exciting when a player goes through 1 on 1 against the goalkeeper... if it's your attacker you are on the edge thinking this is it a goal, but if your team is defending you are looking for your goalkeeper to smother the shot. Attackers should score but often they will not due to a number of reasons like taking too long to shoot, missing the target, hitting the keeper with a shot and even slipping over. MORE
When you hear mentor's talking about getting your coaching point across to get the best out of your players, one of the ways to ensure all your players are tuning into your coaching is to use small-sided games. In these games you get a much clearer picture of which players are picking up on the coaching points you have been making. MORE
I keep fit pretty much all year round due to being outside coaching most of the time. And with the enforced lay off in the UK due to the coronavirus pandemic I've been keeping myself fit in other ways. However, being fit and having muscles ready to play sport is on a different planet. MORE
It is not easy coaching in a pandemic. But one thing I know my players like doing is to give them a task to do which involves watching a match on TV. Say it's Charlie who plays left wingback ... he's a Chelsea fan so his task is to watch Ben Chilwell and give good things or bad things that happen when he is defending. The players love it! MORE