Great news this week that the lockdown in England will end at the beginning of December… out comes my training schedule and my tactical changes for my Under 10s – they were promoted to the division above just before the lockdown began. Exciting times!
What I am looking for in the next few weeks of training is to work with two strikers in attack and to encourage them to press high up the pitch when they have lost the ball. What I want to do is to work on box-to-box passing moves – counter-attacking play that involves passing and receiving between the lines, well-timed movements and crossover runs, and the exploitation of space behind the opposition’s back line.
In possession, a team is at its most dangerous when a player can make a forward pass to a team mate running in a forward direction. And one of the main attributes of two strikers is the awareness of knowing where to run to beat an opponents defensive block.
So at different age groups you a looking at formations like 3-5-2 at 11-a-side, 3-3-2 at 9-a-side or 2-2-2 at 7-a-side. Try the sessions below to help you work with two strikers in your team.
My go to session for getting my team to play with twin strikers is Working with attacking pairs. This game where players work in twos is all about shooting and recognising when to move into different zones to support the attack. It is a great way to forge a partnership with your front two.
Forging a partnership is key to getting the best out of the two players. Two up front in tandem gets your players to combine well by teaching your forwards how to communicate and develop their attacking relationship.
One short, one long is a rule used by teams that use two forwards. To disrupt defenders, one forward makes a short run towards the ball, and the other forward makes a long run into the space left by the first forward. This type of movement will create space for one of the forwards to receive a pass.
And finally to get your strike partners firing on all cylinders use Parallel lines which is a simple unopposed shooting activity that coaches strikers to receive, look up, lay off and support, the way twin attackers should be behaving in the final third.
Simple unopposed link up play is an ideal way to start your strike partners working together. Receive, look up, lay off, support. This is the way attackers should be behaving in the final third. MORE
If your team uses two strikers, it is important they combine well to produce the goods in terms of scoring goals. Read on to find out how to teach your forwards how they can develop their attacking relationship. MORE
We had a meeting this week at my club, where we were discussing the changes we face in a few months time. My U10s team goes from 7v7 into 9v9 and that means we are facing offside decisions. So how does a coach go about preparing for that? MORE
As coaches we are all obsessed with keeping possession of the ball... of course we are the best teams all do it and if you've got the ball the opposition can't score. And there is just that other coach called Pep Guardiola who swears by it... MORE
Fast is a word I like to use when my teams are attacking. Do it with speed and watch the opposition shrink away from it. It makes life difficult for your opponents and helps your team to dominate when in possession of the ball. MORE
The season has suddenly taken off again after 4 months of Coronavirus lockdown. I've been coaching for 14 hours for the last two weeks in an attempt to get the players back into some kind of shape for playing matches. It has its benefits but also it has a downside. Two of my players picked up injuries, one an ankle injury and the other had what he called "tired legs". Find out how we got on... MORE
Players need to be able to create space to either play forward or switch play. It helps them to set up positive attacking options. Moving the ball quickly with both long and short passes gives teams the chance to create 1v1 situations or overloads which are key situations for exploiting the opposition. Knowing when to... MORE
Defending against overloads can happen whether your team is in an organised or disorganised state. You can plan defending when organised much easier than when you are defending disorganised. MORE
