I don’t know about your team, but I can imagine that like mine yours is involved in many games where the score is tight. Standing on the touchline you can feel the pressure on the players who are desperate to hold on to a lead.
These are the sessions I use with my players to give them the tactics and the confidence to keep the game in their favour:
One of the best ways to do this is to create a scenario that your players have to act out. This one is my favourite… Your team is 1-0 up but your opponents have a two-man advantage. One nil up two men down is a game to teach each team the importance of setting out the tactics to hold on to a lead – give your players ownership of the game and watch them work out their own tactics.
Tactics are a vital part of game management whether you are hanging onto a lead or need to score because you are losing. Half time is usually a great moment to get across your thoughts and to give the team the confidence to hang onto a lead, read my advice on How half time tactics can make all the difference.
Taking control of the game means making sure all your players are committed for the full match and don’t take their foot off the gas. They need to be first to every ball. Win the ball is a great session to get them focused and gives them the confidence to see the game out.
For the older age groups you also need to get them focused on winning balls in the air when the opposition are desperate to score a goal and will try any means possible to break your team’s resolve. Win the first header is a fantastic way to get players to make sure they are not sitting back and inviting their opponents to come at them. You want them to Win the first header and take control of the game.
This game is all about winning the first header and directing it to your team-mate. If your players can get control of the ball in the air then it makes it easier to repel opponents and start an attack. MORE
This session is all about staying calm when under attack and reading the through ball. As this game progresses good tackling is needed as the danger changes. MORE
Your team is 1-0 up but your opponents have a two-man advantage. A game to teach each team the importance of setting out the tactics to hold on to a lead. MORE
It’s a tough call. The half-time whistle sounds and you’re leading 1-0. You need those three points. The dilemma confronting you is do you try to keep things tight and hold onto your lead, or do you press on for more goals and a convincing win? MORE
This session will help school your players in defending against the many difficult situations that arise from opponents launching long balls down the pitch. MORE
A couple of weeks ago I was on a course discussing what got youth players thinking during a game and how they could react to that. If their team has the ball what should they be thinking about and if they have lost the ball how should they react. MORE
It is all well and good if you have a goalkeeper who is confident enough to clear counter attacks or long balls over the defence – but that is a rare quality in the youth game. You have to put in plans to stop this kind of attack. MORE
Use this training session to coach your midfielders how to win possession by quickly closing down the opposition and pressing the player with the ball. MORE
Reacting to quick transitions is key to this session, as is holding onto the ball under pressure. This includes using clever play to shield the ball and get passes away. MORE
I was watching a match on TV this week and there was a wonderful example of twin strikers creating space to score a goal. One striker ran towards the near post dragging the defence with him and the other targeted the back post heading into the net unmarked. It works well in youth football MORE
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