Coaching diaries #2: Combination play

This session is going to be a continuation of the combination pattern which was emphasized in #1. During the game there were plenty of opportunities where our striked got the ball to feet and could have passed the ball to the wingers after they made a run . It was pleasing to see that the training session had an immediate effect as the players recognized the opportunities. The pattern was executed on numerous occasions. There was success with it having a couple of dangerous chances on goal which unfortunately we couldn’t convert.

It was noticed that the team had more success in wide areas. After all, we do play 3–4–3 and we emphasize on overloading the wide areas. So it was only natural that the players felt more comfortable and were in control of the ball a lot more in those spaces. This has led to the idea of creating a session which is very similar to the previous one, though, it will emphasize more on the scenario when the ball is in wide areas and will focus on the movement of the players looking to receive the ball into space.

The session starts with a warmup routine consisting of anaerobic movements combined with static/dynamic stretching.

During the game, it was also noticed that the players were a bit sloppy when controlling the ball, losing it on numerous occasions due to a poor touch or a lack of balance. Because of this, it was decided that the session is going to start with a practice which emphasises ball control/ balance/ coordination whilst also having a bit of fitness.

After that the boys will go to some high intensity rondos which will allow them to control the ball in an opposed scenario.

Following the warm up we will go into a pattern when which will emphasize on what was commented in the introduction.

This practice is trying to replicate the scenario where the winger has the ball at his feet out wide. It is aiming to teach the other 2 players in the front three the details they will need to pay attention to in order to get the ball.

The first thing to pay attention to is the starting position of the 2 players. They need to be on the blind side of the defender. By doing so they make the defender second guess themselves as to what their next move is going to be and makes it more difficult for them to react when they spot a movement.

Furthermore, when the defender does not have his marker in sight, he will constantly need to look over his shoulder or rely on communication from his teammates, both of which require a lot more coordination and concentration and can easily be neglected throughout the game — this is how most of the chances occur, not because the defenders do not know what to do, but they lose control of the situation due to lack of information or slow reaction.

In terms of runs, the players have 2 options, each having its pros and cons.

A goes around the player — it has a longer run-up and allows the striker to accelerate and reach a higher speed when he cuts inside. It is also slightly easier to time the run and avoids an offside due to the longer run-up. However, the player will get into the line of sight of the defender allowing him time to react to his run and potentially challenge for the ball.

B makes the run entirely on the blind side of the defender — if timed properly, the defender won’t even react to the run and will be left behind. The trade-off, in this case, is that it is a shorter run-up and runs the risk of being caught offside due to always being on the offside line.

Strikers should also always aim to start and complete their runs between defenders, staying closer to the defender which is behind them as it is more difficult for them to get to the ball.

Lastly, passes and run-ups should always aim for the red area, away from the defensive line. If everything is timed properly, strikers should receive the ball leaving defenders behind and will have enough time to convert the chance.

Once the pattern is executed successfully multiple times we will progress it from unopposed to opposed by having defenders instead of cones. This will allow the front three to do multiple attempts on this pattern by making runs from both sides.

The last part of the session is going to be the same as the previous one — a conditioned game with 2 zones on either side. To score a goal, players will need to receive the ball by making a run from the highlighted area.

Lastly the session is going to finish with an unconditioned game.

Once the game is finished we will go into a warm down and complete the session.