Game 2 ; Review

Game 2 : 22/4/18

Game review:

  • A good game with good passages of play
    • Massive improvement form the pre-season games and even from last week, and this bodes well moving forward. Part of my coaching philosophy is one of osmosis. I have very strict rules of play at an individual level (see below), which will form the foundation for all future advanced development. In terms of basic techniques players must get it right. There is very little freedom to get it wrong. This foundation will naturally teach players to play as a team in a technical way, without trying too hard to coach technically team play. The players will do it themselves. I think we saw this on Sunday.
  • Rules of possession at an individual level
    • Players always play with head up and scan and check (awareness) to know where the pressure, the space and the options are (on and off the ball)
    • Players always look to control/be in control of the ball (in response to what they see ; ie : the pressure etc)
    • If players cant play first time then, can their first touch open up a passing option
    • If they cant pass can they move the ball until they can pass (release the ball).
    • Once they pass/release the ball , can they adopt a position that helps in the next phases of play
    • Was it the right the pass? Did the pass improve the position of the ball? (Was the receiver further forward, in more space etc?)
      • In this regard i noticed on Sunday that when a player kicked the ball out to safety there were cries of well done. Only a pragmatic mindset would think this was good. Pep Guardioal wouldn't - he would be gutted that possession was just given away. From my point of view we just lost a development opportunity. The same goes for any player who just boots the ball mindlessly forward.
      • From a developmental point of view, the ball should go back to the Goal keeper (rather than it being kicked out of play) and we start again. This will be my instruction and i will take the blame if it results in a goal being conceded.
      • The same goes for players who just boot the ball away from a difficult situation. This might seem a pragmatic response to a problem, but it also means development opportunities are lost
      • Richard and James followed the rules of possession very well and seemed to have got a grip of it first. Hopefully more will follow.
      • session
 
 
  • Midfielders starting to understand that they must hunt the ball when out of possession.
    • All players (on the whole ) did this well. It is hard work and requires players to stay engaged in the play at all times. Some players are better suited to it more than others, but nonetheless all will get the chance to develop in this position.
  • Player rotation/substitution
    • At the moment the last players to arrive start on the bench (although game time isn't affected) and after the first substitution (who don't get a choice where they play) players decide where they want to play (def/mid/fwd) when they go back on. This choice is always dependent on who hasn't yet been off yet, and 'is the position they want to play next, different to the one they came off from'.
  • Defenders starting to shuffle with the play - a massive improvement this week
    • Defensive shuffle is critical to being strong defensively
    • In simple terms it means that the defensive unit (2 defenders, the goal keeper and when it gets introduced - a defensive midfielder) move as a unit in response to the position of the ball (Up, down, left, right).
    • It is a huge development milestone for a player. The ability to read the game and anticipate where it might go next is really important. Players who cant do this defensively will struggle to develop as players.
  • Goal keeper
    • This another difficult thing to get your ahead around.
    • We do not play with a goalkeeper.
    • We play with a keeper sweeper, who plays and moves with the defensive unit.
    • Keepers sweep up any ball that is kicked past the defenders (and they follows the rules of possession). GKs can even go out and tackle if they want.
    • What he cant do is stand on the goal line waiting for the game to come to him.

 

  • Coaching summary - (what we are currently working)
    • Individual technique linked to rules of possession at an individual level
    • Adopting the rules of possession at an individual level in Games
    • The defensive shuffle
    • Midfielders Hunting the ball
    • Moving the ball away from pressure and towards space when in pos

The Defensive Shuffle (In a 7-a-side playing 1-2-3-1) - Watch the video

Note at the end the 'Lines to goal' get put in the video. These invisible lines go from the ball to the posts. Good players see this lines while playing.

They offer a simple guide as to where defensive players should be at any moment.  It is just a guide as the opposition center forward, and other opponents and how high of low the ball is, may influence position.

In general:

  • The DM should defend the line to the opposition center forward (whilst staying inside the lines)
  • The goal keeper should almost always be between the 2 lines
  • The defenders defend the lines to the goal (posts) as starting position (but then adapt - 1 defender must always remain in a position to defend the central area near the goal (That is - they do not over-shuffle and leave the central area in front of goal defenderless - so the furthest the far side defender should shuffle is to level up with the near post (and so can defend the area in front of the goal if necessary)