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THERE’S NO TURNING FERDINANDManchester United and England defender Rio

Ferdinand is regarded as one of the best in the world in his position. He combines pace, height and an instinctive defender’s intuition to make life difficult for even the most unpredictable of frontmen. This drill helps protect against every centre-back’s nightmare – being turned by an attacker with his back to goal.

How to set it up l Play 1v1 in an area approx 10x10 yards with one server, one defender and two target players.

Getting startedl Once the ball is served to the attacker, they must attempt to turn the defender and pass to one of the target players. The defender must use their body position to prevent the turn, winning control of the ball or knocking it out of play.l Keeping their body between the ball and the defender, the attacker needs to lean on the defender and roll around and past them.l At the end of the move, restart play with the attacker receiving another pass from the server.

The key elementsl The defender needs to make sure they are within touching distance of the attacker as they receive the ball from a server. Touching distance means an arm’s length away, so there is little room to turn.l When the attacker is half-turned he is unable to properly screen the ball. It is at this moment that the defender should be tackling.l Advance play by adding a second defender and a third target player. The target players on the side of the square move up and down to give the attacker more opportunities to pass.l The defender tight to the player must show him towards the second defender making it hard to find a target player.

Why this drill worksWe’re all aware that the modern game is less physical than at any point in its history, but that doesn’t mean that the subtle impact of man-to-man marking doesn’t still exist. On the contrary, players are using the smallest amount of physical pressure to maximum advantage. This is a simple yet vital drill that allows your defenders to be primed and ready to repel the threat of a slippery frontman.

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ALRIGHT FOR RIOWorried about your defenders being turned in the box by opposition strikers? Well here’s a drill that

teaches players how to stand firm...

... to the new issue of Soccer Coach Weekly. We’ve put together another menu of tasty coaching edibles. An England-inspired starter,

leading into a bumper harvest of tools, tips and techniques, warm-ups to

small-sided games, advice to tactical advancements. Enjoy

the issue.

THERE’S NO TURNING FERDINAND

FERDY FACTSRio Ferdinand’s importance to club and country can be seen in the total

number of competitive matches he has played in recent years

WELCOME…

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Soccer Coach Weekly 1

weeklySeptember 8 2010 ›› Issue 176 Under 4s - Under 16s

Defender must get within

arm’s length as the attacker

wins the ball.

Attacker now has three target players but must

beat two defenders.

Defender must prevent the attacker turning and laying

the ball to his target men.

2002/03: 54 total (of which 9 international)

2003/04: 29/3 international







COACHING COLLECTIONa

SAID LIKE A PRO

THE ART OF COACHING CHILDREN

›› “A lot of people ask me if there is a huge difference in the way we train at

Arsenal, given that the team is renowned for playing such a slick, measured technical game, and that players are progressed through the ranks playing a certain way only. “It’s true that there are different methods and approaches, but the biggest difference that stands out for me is that at Arsenal, the ethos is that we train as individuals, the emphasis being on fulfilling our potential and developing our own game continuously. I’ve come out on loan at Sheffield United this season, and the first thing that struck me was the increased quantity of teamwork drills and moves that we perform. The real emphasis is how we set-up in matches – it has been an interesting comparison. I like both approaches.

“Recently here at United we have been

concentrating a lot on high tempo drills, those that start off with a bit of keep ball before a few quick feet drills and then straight into a mini game. They have helped me a lot.

“I’ve worked with some inspirational trainers in my time - Mikael Silvestre, who left Arsenal at the end of last season, was probably the best. He was the clichéd ‘first in, last out’, he really was!

“At Sheffield United, I’d have to say the skipper, Chris Morgan, who literally trains as he plays and is never afraid to get stuck in on the training pitch. He has helped me a lot while I have been here, always directing me and pointing me in the right direction, though I’m not sure I’d go weighing in with some of the tackles he does, certainly not on my own team-mates anyway!”

We ask some of the game’s professionals about their

training ground gripes, past and present. This week, it’s Arsenal and England Under-19 star Kyle

Bartley, currently on loan at Sheffield United.

›› “Here’s something for you to try. Before your players arrive at training, mark out

a pitch and place a ball in the middle. Make sure there are no other balls available. As your players arrive, stay inside the clubhouse, or well away from the playing area, and let them go out and get started on their own.

When there are enough players they will probably organise themselves into teams and start playing a game (of sorts) or drill. Let them play for five minutes and then stop them. Find out what rules they were playing and why. You will either find that they are playing a game you have taught them, or they have made up their own.

There will be well thought out reasons for their rules, usually based on what they have found works and what doesn’t. Researchers have tried out this method of letting players take the lead and ended up with some startling findings, namely that adults will either kick the ball around or perform technical moves and tricks (essentially something that features little or no refereeing), while children will come up with

all sorts of ideas and mini games. If it doesn’t happen the first time you try it

don’t give up. Say to a couple of players as they head outside “Why don’t you get a game started?”

You’ll probably notice the younger ones organising full-scale games, while the older kids may be perfecting the finer elements. But whatever they choose, the message is clear: children love to play games, and if you let them, they will learn much faster and retain more of what they are learning. Involve your players in setting and changing the rules

for games and, from that, sessions. The more involved they feel, the more they’ll invest, and undoubtedly, the more they will surprise you!

Empowering your group is an important thing, and will aid their football development hugely. The more they feel they are part of a unit where they have a voice and a strong influence, the more they’ll invest not only in the physical action of playing the game, but also in the bonding elements that ultimately make up a team.

Football, certainly at the highest level, has the image of being very authoritarian, with pecking orders and protocol very evident. But that’s a world away from youth coaching, and the skills and responsibility players can gain from playing a significant role in their team will undoubtedly be transferred to other areas of their life away from the football pitch.

Get them into good habits now, where they feel their opinions and ideas are valued and appreciated, and you’ll be the first to gain from the benefits. Why not try it this weekend?

Let your kids do the talkingTHE POWER OF UNORGANISED PLAY


weekly

“At Arsenal, the ethos is that we train as

individuals.”

FOOTBALL PHILOSOPHIES...

Words of inspiration and idiocy from some of the game’s greats:“An inch or two either side of the post and that would have been a goal”Dave Bassett, English football manager

“I’d kick my own brother if necessary... it’s what being a professional footballer is all about”Former England midfielder Steve McMahon

“If you don’t win anything, you have had a bad season”Late, legendary former Tottenham Hotspur manager Bill Nicholson

“A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are.”Bill Shankly, legendary Scottish ex-football manager.

“I’m surprised that they’ve gone for Scolari. He’s got great credentials by winning the World Cup, but he did it with Brazil - my granny could probably have managed Brazil to World Cup success”BBC sports presenter Gary Lineker

“Researchers have tried out this method of letting players take the lead and ended up

with some startling findings.”

COACHING COLLECTIONThis is a great game for angles of defence and changing roles in attack.

DAVID CLARKE’S TOUCHLINE TALES

DON’T BE AFRAID TO PLAY THE FIELD...

›› Every week my lads see me marching up and down our (very) large training pitch

checking for broken bottles, stones, dog and fox poo… anything, in other words, that might endanger the players.

I was asked by one of the parents why I did it because, as he saw it “you’re wasting good training time – if the kids see something that shouldn’t be on the pitch they’ll just shout one of us over and we can clear it up”. I explained that it wasn’t wasting time because I did it before training began, and anyway, it only took five minutes.

I could see he wasn’t really interested. It is, however, very important that you or someone you can trust makes sure the children are not going to fall on glass or dog muck. The safety and wellbeing of the children in your charge is one of the most important parts of your coaching sessions.

Last week I removed three bottles and four clumps of fox droppings – not pleasant, but I get a big pack of disposable plastic gloves to use and can quickly get rid of these things before the players arrive.

I have always done this, dating right back to my second season in coaching. We had a

pitch in the middle of the country and, quite often, the chap who owned the land would allow his horses into the field overnight to feed on the lush grass.

You can imagine the mess four or five horses can make – religiously, I’d have to turn up pretty early if my team had the first game on the pitch, and if I left the shovel at home I had big problems!

Horse manure is an obvious problem, albeit not life-threatening. But there are lots of other things less noticeable that can be significantly more hazardous to

your players. So my advice is, whether home or away, first on or last, it’s always worth having a quick look to see if there’s anything on the pitch. You owe that to your team.

“The safety and wellbeing of the children in your

charge is one of the most important parts

of your coaching sessions.”

SCW SURGERY

Q At what age should set pieces become a useful tactic to be worked

on in coaching sessions? John Burton, Alvechurch

AWith the statistics in the adult game at the top level indicating that set plays

are where the majority of goals are scored, it is clearly an important part of the game.

Depending on the coaching philosophy, a coach may decide that sessions working on set plays are required at any age group where players are together in a team. The key factor is the amount of time spent on set plays as this is only one part of a player’s overall development.

As any coach will know, set plays will only become effective when players have the core skills of passing, heading etc, so maybe that should be the trigger.

In my experience, it’s a part of the game that enthuses youngsters, so there’s a lot to be said for involving them in set plays, even as just a bit of fun.

QHow do you achieve a good balance between fitness and ball skills?

Shane Maggs, London

AWhile some fitness work may be done without involving footballs, physical

outcomes can be achieved through sessions that are still allowing the players to be involved in games or practices. For example, five games of 5v5 for four minutes in duration with 60 second intervals in between – this is an example of a fitness session involving game play.

Here the focus would be on creating a very high tempo of play and knowing the emphasis is on physical outcomes rather than technical or tactical rewards. If you’re clever and efficient, you can achieve both of your aims in one go.

Kids at a young age take care of fitness elements by themselves, so I wouldn’t be too worried about that side of things.

Q Do you have any props that you feel add real benefit when it comes to coaching

different skills and techniques? Donovan Mortimer, Phoenix, US

AShowing players clips on DVD is a useful method of highlighting good play or

creating an understanding of the game. I try to get my kids to watch as much football as they can. That’s because they will always learn things, be that trademark stepovers that everyone knows, or a subtle flick that you and the television pundits may have missed.

I think what is most important is not the props or the medium, but ensuring that whatever you do choose does not become stale. Coaching is always evolving and the key is to develop your techniques to keep things fresh – for your team, and yourself.

The best coaches are those who can find new ideas to explore, particularly those with a relevance to something that might have happened recently in the professional game, so players can relate to it easily.

Got a question for SCW Surgery? Email it in to us at [email protected]

THIS WEEK’S COACH: RICHARD GUNNEY AGE GROUP: 5-8 YEAR-OLDSRichard Gunney is a Surrey FA affiliated coach with seven years’ experience coaching elite youngsters, both

in England and his native Wales.

Soccer Coach Weekly is published by Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford, GU5 0AB, UK. Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1483 892894 Fax: +44 (0)1483 894148 Editor: James Evans Publisher: Kevin Barrow Managing Director: Andrew Griffiths Customer Service: Duncan Heard Designer: Isobel Cardew Contributors: David Clarke, Paul Dargan, Mike Ronald, Steve Southern © Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved.


weekly

TACTICAL TALK

NOSTALGIA NOD

Football philosophy: Geometry for the playground, also known as ‘squash with a football’.What was it? Wall Ball did what it said on the tin. Such a painlessly simple game that players were often furnishing new rules over old – penalties, forfeits etc. But more often than not, the original idea required no elaboration, because it was great fun. Two kids (sometimes more) a wall, a ball.

Serving within a predetermined playing area, the aim was to kick the ball at the wall so that, after it bounced off, your opponent would have to scamper to it, reaching it before it crossed the ‘dead ball’ line. If the power of your shot was such that your opponent couldn’t make it to the ball in time, your reward was a point (as long as, like tennis, your return grounded within the playing area).

If, on the other hand, your opponent did get to the ball, then with only one touch allowed, he

would return it, usually with gusto, putting you on the backfoot. If either player missed the wall entirely, then the other player would win a point.Fast-paced action then? Indeed, and the quickest variation of attack to defence, and back to attack, that you could wish to see.Disputes: There would be general playing etiquette which recommended that shots travelling faster than the speed of sound were non-scoring.Breaking sweat: You bet! This game would sort the men from the boys, the skilled from the scared, the energetic from the downright lazy. You’d never voluntarily pitch in for a game of Wall Ball unless you had some bad exam mark or a slice of pent-up aggression that you wanted to sweat out of your system.Longevity: Usually until one or both players passed out.Often heard: “Stop kicking that bloody ball against my wall, it’s making a right racket.”

›› NO.5: WALL BALL

shotshot shot


weekly

A first-time return from your opponent’s shot was crucial.

And with the correct power and placement, could prove a point winner!

a WARM-UP

How to set it upl You will need three footballs.l Position two footballs two metres apart so that, in effect, they act as goalposts. Place the other football in front of them.

Getting startedl Get the player to pass the first ball between the other two balls.l Before that first ball has stopped rolling, the player must pass a second ball between the other two balls.l Count the number of goals scored. When a goal is missed, move to another player and see if he can better that score.

Why this worksThis is a mentally taxing warm-up that relies on a calmness of thought as well as precision and poise in continually threading passes through a moving goal. Your players will be perfecting angles, weight and direction of pass, arguably the three key elements to a footballer’s game.

direction of pass

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Precision and poise in this brilliant warm-up

MOVING THE GOALPOSTSKE

Y EL

EMEN

TS l Accuracy

l Awareness

l Agility

l Speed

MOVING THE GOALPOSTS

Can your player continue to score

through moving goalposts?

GAME ON

How to set it upl Pitch size: 30x20 yards (min) up to 40x25 yards (max)l Two teams of four playersl Two keepersl No offsidel Two goals placed at opposite corners of the pitch

The rulesl This practice is played as a normal 5-a-side game.l Because of the angled goals, your players will start to realise where they need to pressure and force their opponents when they are defending.l When attacking, you should look for the team to be switching the ball quickly, in particular using the wings and getting into good crossing positions.l If the ball leaves play, pass a new one to the team who had previously been defending.l Progress the game later on by moving the goals to the other end of the playing area so that play switches from left-to-right, to right-to-left.

Why this game worksThis game tests your players’ abilities to create and combine in unfamiliar space. This replicates one of the many occasions when they will be penned in and under pressure in a full match scenario, needing to pick passes quickly and accurately, and negotiating a path to goal when some of the standard routes of approach are blocked.Players will have to think carefully about what positions they take up when attacking and defending, and those adept at running off the ball should find themselves with better opportunities to make an impact.

A great game for positional play using angled goals at either end of the pitch

SMALL-SIDED GAME

DEFENDING THE NAME

Player Movement

PENNY SOCCER

Let us know how you get on. Soccer Coach Weekly is always keen to hear your feedback, so email in to us at

[email protected]

Play a normal 5-a-side game but with angled goals.

Can the defenders force the opposition away from goal?

When in attack, use the width to stretch defenders.

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ANGLED GOALS


weekly

l Awareness

l Passing

l Communication

l Control

SKIL

LS

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