I thought I would copy CCSC (cheers buddy), but take the credit myself and create another thread detailing all the events with my under 18 girls team for 2010. Hopefully some people can learn from the mistakes that I WILL make, gain a few ideas from training exercises and tactical points etc. Read, comment, discuss, critique...have your fun. Firstly, we are in the U18 B division and hoping to improve enough to move into the A division next season with the same team. I started pre-season on 17th February with two training sessions per week. So far, after 8 training sessions (4 weeks) there has been 9, 15, 12, 12, 12, 13, 11 and 11 to the training sessions with 2 of the girls unable to train on the first session of each week and 2 others only able to train on that first session when transport is available. SQUAD SUMMARY I have 17 in my squad, and as I pointed out in another thread, 10 have remained from my U16 team last season, 5 are from the other U16 team last season and there are two new girls. The youngest player is 14 turning 15 in the middle of the year and the oldest is 17. Thus, there isn't a lot of experience in the side and we certainly aren't a big side. This may provide some other teams with a slight advantage, but if we progress in the way that I want and expect, the players will be confident in all situations when the ball is at their feet to hold off strong challenges. A positive that I have, which not many coaches get, is that I have four left-footers, one player equally capable on either leg and another who is able to use her left at an approximately 7/10 level. 1. GK. Right footer. Least experienced outfield player, with a lower level of technical skill. Currently focusing on distribution (throwing, goal-kicks etc) as her shot-stopping is fairly good. Her main weakness, apart from her distribution is her decision-making and football intelligence. This is something that I am always focusing on with her. Every sentence that I speak to her is focused on her decision making and knowledge of the game. I'm also intentionally putting very little priority on her communication until she understands the game more. Physically, she is fairly quick over 5 metres, average speed for 5+ metres and not tall...marginally tall for her age. When playing scratch matches, always plays as a defender and is surprisingly to some, good at reading the play and intercepting passes into the front line. Also, she has a very infectious personality and is one of the the ones in the squad that is almost always laughing. 2. Full-back. Right footer. One of the younger players, not naturally talented, but worked hard was awarded the most improved award last season after being unable to pass the ball 5 metres in April 09, to now, when she is able to beat any player with her 'signature' move towards her left. As she is a right footer and most players naturally look to cover that side, she has learnt through time how to beat players on the inside with a simple movement of the ball just before the opponent is able to win the ball. Lately, she has improved her ability to drag the ball back from left-to-right with her right foot and then go on the outside of the opponent. If she can improve this, then her ability beat an opponent on either side will be a massive advantage. Her major weakness is her confidence/mentality. She can get very down on herself after a mistake, although, when she started, this was a lot worse. She has matured a lot and by the end of this season, I would love for her to get the chance in the Victorian Summer League and possibly playing for the state team...it's possible. Average height and average pace. Really only comfortable playing as a RB, although she can fill-in as a LB. Doesn't get forward a lot, more of a holding full-back. 3. Winger/attacking full-back/utility player. Left footer. Only player in the squad that played U18's last season. Able to play in a lot of roles: LB, LWB, LM, LW, CM, AM, RW. Tall, slightly above average pace, technically very good, positive, energetic mentality and a good leader. Her long passing is excellent...better than anyone else in the squad. She can pass the ball 40 metres with great accuracy and pace. Naturally likes to get forward but is a very solid defender. Part of the leadership group. Sometimes, she can go too far with her fun personality at the wrong times, but it is always welcome in a squad. 4. Traditional/natural central defender. Equally skilled on either foot, prefers right. Possible choice for captain, but in the leadership group anyway. Very composed defender, rarely over-commits in tackles and can frustrate opponents with this ability. Good with the ball at her feet, either foot, vocal, intelligent and strong with average pace. Excellent penalty taker...just last night, after not wanting to take a penalty after everyone else had, she calmly slotted 2/2 shots straight into the top right corner...very impressive. 5. Holding/playmaking central defender/sweeper. Right footer. Very unique playing style. Similar to a deep-lying playmaker, but defintely prefers to play as a central defender. She will be an important part of the team with her passing ability out of defence. Quiet, hard-working, a very nice personality. Slightly below average height with good pace. Needs to improve her communication and confidence in her own ability. 6. Box-to-box midfielder (possible RB). Right footer. Jovial, hard-working with a strong right foot. Her shot definitely has the most power behind it and her technique is very good. Similar physical stature to the #5 but slightly stronger. Although she prefers to play as a central midfielder, I'm giving her experience playing as a right-back as I think her all-round box-to-box game would be a great addition down that flank, depending on the game situation. Main area of improvement is her composure on the ball...occasionally gets over-aroused mentally and therefore, her technique isnt as good. 7. Left-sided attacking midfielder. Right footer. Prefers to play as a left-sided attack that cuts inside. Good ability with her left foot (7/10). Average height, average pace. Very passionate about the game, but most of the time she usually hides her emotions. Prefers passing to taking players on and needs to improve her decision making...limit the amount of risky passes she makes, especially playing the ball in the air. When some of her passes do come off, however, they are exceptional. I am hoping to convert her into a roaming right-sided attacker (she is also able to play as a second-striker) as there are 4 other players capable of playing as a left-winger and only 1 other that can naturally play as a right-winger. 8. Box-to-box central midfielder/utility player. Left footer. High football intelligence (and school intelligence), extreme work-rate, extremely determined, great leader and quiet (voice improving). Very good pace. Prefers to play the shorter passes to supporting teammates but is very capable of taking players on. Ultimate team player...natural captaincy material. Had a habit of turning blindly, 180 degrees last season with the ball but has completely cut that out of her game and is a very complete player. Capable of playing any other midfield role, as well as a left-back role. 9. Centre-forward. Left footer, good right-foot ability with short distance passes and control. Naturally likes to get involved in the play and links up well with every player, even those that she has only just met. Outgoing, but shy personality and hard-working. Started the season in her shell but has gained confidence and is showing some good natural ability and good skill. Good pace and unselfish in possession. Best friends with #11, and usually more loud when with the #11. Good awareness with #11 on-field. 10. Second striker/wing-forward. Right footer. In every other season, she has played as a centre-forward, however this season, her first with me, she and I both agreed that she'll be playing a SS/wing-forward role. Similar to the the #9, very good link-player, prefers to pass but whenever in sight of the goal, shoots. She is the best finisher in the team and shows good game intelligence. Quiet, but when paired with the #3, they laugh and talk a lot. 11. Natural left winger. Left footer. Classical, touchline-hugging left-winger who likes to beat players and has a very good natural crossing technique. Shows a lot of passion for football and can get frustrated when the team isn't playing well or others are making mistakes. This is something I and her will work on. Could possibly play as a LWB if we needed a more aggressive attack from defence. 12. Striker converted into central midfielder. Right footer. Relaxed, sometimes too much and can get emotional about the game. Came out of her shell in the recent friendly (which I'll detail in another post) when playing in midfield...started to get 'stuck in', take players on with her signature right-to-left move, similar to the #2. 13. Natural right-sided player (RM/RB). Right footer. Hard-working "Dirk Kuyt" of the team. Plays at 100% at all times, even with the ball at her feet and while this can be good, this is the major area of improvement for her in the immediate future. Can play pretty much anywhere and will follow instructions very well. Had some very good performances as a right-midfielder last season and has a knack for being in the right position at the far post when the ball is crossed from the left. Only natural right-midfielder in the squad. 14. Ball-winning box-to-box midfielder/right-sided utility player. Right footer. Youngest player, hardest-working player and the quickest player in the team. Has a massive heart, along the #8 and will always work for the team. Excellent mentality. Played football for the first time last season yet she won the player of the season award with my team. Doesn't have much experience but is learning and improving that aspect. Most likely, I will use her as a CM, but its also possible that I will use her as a RM or RB. Similar to the #8, she likes to play the ball short and quickly and also likes to get forward and break the lines. Good defensive covering. Short in stature. 15. Defensive central defender. Right footer. Good tackling ability, strong and a decent knowledge of the game. Inconsistent technical ability, but defensively, she is good. Not quick but has enough to cover any mistakes. 16. Wing-forward/poacher. Right footer. Very friendly personality, likes to get involved in the play and always likes to take players on. Quick, same sort of stature to the #14. Does have a tendancy to play for attention, exaggerating injuries etc and will need to cut this out if she is to start games. Arguably the most naturally talented of the team, however, she hasn't improved her skill as much as I would've liked. 17. Second striker. Right footer. Never played competition football, although she trained with the team for the entire season last year. Least skill technically out of all the players, but she has a fairly good ability to link up with other players. Will start most games on the bench, but she is a hard-worker, will improve and get chances. Preferred system: 4-4-1-1 ________________________1________________________ _______________5_________________4_______________ 6__________________14_______________________3___ __________7____________________8_______________11 _______________________10________________________ ________________________9________________________ My aim is not to play the illusive Barcelona-style football, dominating possession in every match. Rather, my aim is to teach the girls good football. That is, organisation in defence and cutting-edge in attack. The two points that all coaches should be striving for, in my opinion. I want us to be able to control games (don't mistake controlling a game with having the majority of possession). One goal is to reach the point where the team as well as the players individually, are flexible enough to be able to switch between a playmaking style to a counter-attacking style, game-to-game and hopefully within games. With either tactic, we hope to control games, playing the game on our terms. To consistently control games is arguably the hardest thing to do in football, even more difficult than scoring goals, so it will certainly take a lot of hard work from the players and I to reach this within this season. More to come...
Before I provide the details of my training methods, training exercises and the details on our recent/first friendly match, I will go over my philosophy for this team and in general. The key points that I like to focus on. Two-touch: control, pass...control, pass...control, pass. That is my ideal football, when the players are able to use the ball in this manner, with pace and direction. Remember, that the decision-making with the ball is arguably more important than how quick you move the ball. I, personally, would sacrifice speed of play for better, more team efficient passes. To do this, doesn't just require intelligence and technical skill on the ball. Intelligent movement off the ball and support of the player in possession is key. If you go to the UEFA Training Ground website and search for the Possession Exercises under the training category, you will see a Spanish FA coach outlining a very good way to develop this in your players. It involves 4 players on the outside + 1 player on the inside, attempting to keep possession from the two defenders in the middle of the approximately 15 x 15 area. This really helps players gain an understanding of their positioning in support of their teammates. A lot of coaches will tell players to make sure they support the player in possession and get into wide, penetrative and supporting positions. However, what I've seen a lot of coaches neglect is to teach their players to not stand behind an opponent. You can't pass through people! It doesn't take much physically, either...all it requires is a couple of steps to the side to create a good passing angle...yet, most players think you need to be running at 100% to give your teammates options. It's all about angles and intelligence! UEFA Training Ground - look for "Possession - Part 1" in the drills section. Stay with the play: this phrase refers to players not stopping after making a pass, interception, tackle etc. For example, if a full-back was to pass the ball up-field to a winger, it is their job to "stay with the play"...support the winger inside, outside, from a deeper position or by making a run beyond the winger. It is crucial that each player stays with the play until they are no longer able to contribute to the play off the ball or on the ball. If you drill this into the players heads, you will start seeing more proactive runs from all of your defenders (I play a back 4)...including your central-defenders. In regards to defending, it is also a very important tactical idea because often when a player loses possession, they will immediately retreat back to their own half (more often associated with defenders). If your player "stays with the play", then they have the chance to win the ball back higher up the pitch and therefore, creating goal-scoring chances from quick turnovers. We should have all been informed of the 'moments of the game'. 1. When your team has possession. 2. When you lose possession. 3. When the opposition has possession. 4. When the opposition loses possession. Although these four moments broadly describe all situations in the game, they can all occur with different circumstances. For example, if your players always retreat when they lose possession, you give them the opportunity to build an attack. This is obviously a very good option if the situation needs it. However, with this option, you are attempting to counter-attack from deep in your own half. You can provide your players with a much better balanced defensive strategy for when you lose possession. If you have lost possession fairly high up the pitch during an attacking build-up by your team and your players are focused on staying with the play, whoever is closest will quickly close down the opposition player that has won possession. There are a lot of advantages to this. Firstly, by pressuring the player in possession, you aren't giving him/her the time and space to look and then play an accuracte pass that could start a counter-attack. This is key. If you are good at disrupting the passer, then even teams with a slow and/or weak defence will not be threatened on the counter-attack. Also, my main point (yes, I got there) is that if you are able to not only pressure the player in possession, but if your 1st or 2nd defender is able to win the ball, then the amount of passes, and the difficulty of passes in your attempt to counter-attack is reduced due to your closer proximity to the goal. Football is wholistic, so as coaches, you must look at all the actions in a play, not just the final one...which is highlights of a game are one of the biggest evils currently going around. Football highlights are almost as bad as golf highlights. If a news channel is reporting on the golf, they will mostly show players tapping the ball in from 2-5 metres...they don't show the skill it required to get into that position. This is one of my major pet-hates in terms of football broadcasting...because it is ruining the development of the youth (that rant, for later). There is one goal that highlights my point quite well. From the Liverpool vs Arsenal 4-4 result from the end of the 2008/09 season, Benayoun's 1st goal (Liverpool's second) shows my point about staying with the play, pressuring the player in possession and a few passes leading to a goal. Try and find an extended version of that goal and you will see this unfold: 1. Mikael Silvestre, for Arsenal, plays a long ball down the left channel. 2. Jamie Carragher shields the ball away from Bendtner and passes back to Pepe Reina. 3. Reina keeps keeps the ball in play, and passes fairly long to Torres, who is free just forward of half-way. Torres flicks a header into the path of Benayoun who is making a run infield from his right-midfield position. 4. Silvestre intercepts the flicked header and passes the ball back to Fabianski (Arsenal GK). 5. Benayoun stays with the play and quickly pressures Fabianski, who makes to make a rushed pass to Gibbs on the left flank. 6. Torres, who initially flicked the header forwards from around the half-way line, has continued to stay with the play and moved forward in support of Benayoun, as an attacking option and also as a 2nd defender should Arsenal attempt to play the out of defence. 7. When Gibbs receives possession from Fabianski's pass, Torres is 2 metres away from him. Gibbs has no time to control the ball and quickly turns to make a blind clearance up-field. 8. Kuyt, acting as a 3rd defender, positioning himself 20 metres behind Gibbs/Torres on Liverpool's right flank, wins possession from Gibbs' clearance. 9. Once Kuyt trapped the ball, Torres moved outside to the right-side touchline with Kuyt attacking Gibbs in the right-channel, near the corner of the penalty area. Kuyt manages to make space for himself on the outside of Gibbs and crosses to the far post. At this moment, there two defenders between Kuyt and the goal as well as 1 Arsenal defender a few metres inside. Closer to the goal, there is one Arsenal defender near the penalty spot, another on the edge of the penalty area in the centre and a 6th Arsenal defender tracking Benayoun's run to the far post. Two Liverpool players, 6 Arsenal defenders unable to quickly organise there defence. 10. Kuyt plays a perfectly weighted cross to Benayoun who manages to get the ball across the goal-line. You can see from this how irrelevant highlights are. Most replays will only show Kuyt running, making the cross and Benayoun scoring. What they fail to show is Benayoun and Torres' initial defensive work and knowledge that if they stay with the play, pressure the ball carrier, then they can create a goal-scoring chance with Arsenal not yet organised. These are the most efficient type of counter-attacks. I will provide my other points soon.
Correct Mentality The mentality of the players, coaches and club is the most important thing. Without the correct mentality, then as a coach, you will find it very difficult to work on organisational, strategic and tactical team-building. Players that do not show the correct mentality might also not be striving to improve themselves every day, which is something that every player, coach and club should be doing. If I was choosing players for a squad, no matter how low their skill level is, or how little natural talent or experience they have, I would choose a player with the correct mentality over a more experienced and more skilled player. At least then, you know that the person you are working with will strive to realise their potential and then better it. If a player, either in training or during a match does something that goes against the team guidelines, or isn't trying/putting in effort, then I will never hesitate to point it out, sub them out and talk to them. That is the one thing that I will never accept. I think the quote by Michael Jordan, whatever your opinion of him is, sums up my thinking. "I can accept failure...but I can't accept not trying." I think a lot of people currently involved in football have grown up being told to "forget about your mistakes". In my opinion, this advice couldn't be any worse. You must acknowledge your mistakes, remember them and learn from them. If someone forgets their mistakes, then what base do they have to build from?
Good stuff so far. This should be a nice "blog"-type thread for us to follow. Grin, I would recommend copy and pasting these posts into your own BS blog for posterity.
From the other thread (dribbling = creativity)...just a couple of points that I thought were important. First Touch In my opinion, this is the most important technical skill as without it, the others' effectiveness is largely reduced. As my goal is to get the team playing circulation football, with simple, quick, one/two-touch passing in the build-up phase, this will be a major focus. If a player isn't confident on the ball, then they have a high chance of losing possession in the build-up, which is something that I want to focus on not doing. I want all players to be confident in their ability to control the ball so that if they are under pressure in a confined space, they are able to back their instincts and skills to keep possession and move the ball onto a free teammate. Circulation football, which will sometimes involve all 11 players on the field during the build-up, requires a players with a first touch at a good level. Running with the ball While we will be looking to take the play to the opposition, especially in the first few weeks, we will have to rely more on counter-attacks as the players get used to each others games. Running with the ball is a very important attribute in a counter-attack, along with quick ball movement, of course. This skill is not dribbling, do not confuse the two. It is the skill of running with the ball at a high speed, while taking as few touches to get from A to B as possible without losing possession. Passing The ability to pass the ball is always required, for any game style. While it would be easy to teach the players how to pass to a teammate while standing in a stationary line with no pressure, it obviously doesn't replicate a match. A player who knows when to play a short or long pass, start a quick counter-attack or start a slower, more possession oriented build-up and play a pass through the middle or down either flank is a top-class footballer in the attacking sense. It is my responsibility to teach the players when and how to play a pass in a game and make sure that during the 90 minutes, they have mentality whereby they want to take responsibility in the build-up and make the team efficient choice (whether that be long/short, middle/flanks, slow/fast). This is a very difficult task but arguably the key area along with a players first touch that should be coached from day one. 1 vs 1 This relates mainly to dribbling and shielding the ball, as well as the more tactical components of a players attacking and defensive actions. As with passing above, teaching this skill in a non-match-related form is useful to a point, however, this must be introduced and taught in game-form so that players not only perform certain actions, but UNDERSTAND THEM AS WELL!!! As a coach, it is our job to know everything about all of our players that has an impact on the team and football. From what foot they prefer to the general positions they take up on the field in relation to their teammates and opponents. Here are some of the aspects that I have memorised and also recorded, which I think are crucial for you to improve each player and the team in the most efficient manner while also helping the team achieve its goals. Name (this is a definite!) Preferred foot Playing position(s) that they are comfortable with and that you think they can play Playing role (eg ball-winning midfield/holding midfielder, attacking full-back/holding or defensive full-back, forward that likes to get involved in the build-up/poacher etc) Playing tendancies (direction of runs, timing of runs, quick passer, player that dwells on the ball etc) Personality Mentality Strengths Weaknesses Relationship with each teammate Once I have outlined the more general points, I will talk about the training exercises I have used, whether they have worked, how I should've improved them, how I have improved them and the effect that they have had on the team. Just as an update, if we were to play a game right now, the team would look like this (using the numbers from the first post), due to training attendance and training performance and attitude. 1 13 - 5 - 4 - 3 2 - 14 - 8 - 7 10 9 My other major update is the continually amazing development of my #2. In every training session since that first post that gave a quick outline of her, her dribbling ability has improved out of sight. I am considering playing her further up the field given her ability to control the ball in small spaces and seemlessly move the ball away from an opponent to give herself more time on the ball. It is truely amazing to think that she couldn't pass the ball 5-10 metres when I arrived at the club at the end of April in 2009. The players also responded well to the first exercise that focused solely on their stamina and agility...they even asked to do more of it! Fortunately for them, we have one of Australia's leading strength and conditioning coaches who has worked for 40 years with 4 major AFL clubs in Victoria, a top Victorian Premier League team, the top level track and field athletes, tennis players and volleyball players while also spending time with the top European football teams including my beloved Liverpool and contributing to many other sporting teams and individuals. While I won't use his name on here, he is truely a class act, a joy to speak to and I can't thank Fowler anymore for giving us such a resource...especially when he has recorded everything he has done as well as kept records on the practices of other teams and people. He even gave me the chance to meet Josh Ross recently which was a great highlight.