I wrote and absolute epic after yesterdays game So much so even i thought it was too long a ramble for public release.
In a nutshell:
When a team dominates possession ( eg first 2 quarters for example) it looks easy. It is not. Players need to do a huge amount right to play this way. If it was easy all teams would do it. It is like getting a six pack. If it was easy everyone would have one.
It has taken 9 months for us to just start to get close. So please don't stress about other factors, like not conceding soft goals or not creating more chances. This will come. Thankfully there isn't a league table but even if there was, we wouldn't coach differently. We are layering up development and for now, we are just working on the base ( the principles of possession). This is the most important bit in terms of development and will provide a spring board to all other layers.
So:
If your child is part of the team that dominates possession then your child is doing all the nuances of good play well. You do not need to micro analyze their game. Unless your child looses the ball, ( as a passer or receiver) your child has done well in the moment.
If your child is sacrificing a little bit of individual brilliance for the benefit of the team that is good thing. We will layer individual brilliance back in at a later date ( when we cover breaking lines for example - think Iniesta as an 8, Dani Alvez as a full back, hazard as a winger).
And players who play for others more than themselves will eventually be the better players, assuming all other things are equal, and if they can sprinkle in some individual brilliance at the right times then we have a player.
If your child has an off day - do not stress. Patience and hard work will iron out the bad days. It is a process that we just chip away at. It is not sprint , or a race and there is no finish line and the path is never linear, but we do need players at least on the right path.
If your child is consistently making mistakes that clearly break the chain of possession, then worry, identify the error, then work hard and then be patient. Individual mistakes are becoming more and more obvious when we dominate possession. This is good, as it makes identifying and correcting errors so much easier ( as these errors stand out like a sore thumb) and allows us to also truly see who can play our system and who has been hiding their weaknesses in amongst everyone else's errors up to this point.
Final word. Footwork and touch is the absolute base for good play. Nothing else matters if these fall short. Those with this in abundance need to use it carefully, intelligently and often ( but not always) for the benefit of others. It's abuse however, will take a player down the wrong path.
Those who don't have footwork and touch, can get it, it is not too late. Just do the work.