Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Pressing from the front (Start Time: 2021-03-02 19:00:00)

Screen 1

Organisation

8v8- Blue team v Red team (working on red team)

40x60

2x6 minute blocks with 2 minutes rest in between

Principles working on- Pressing opposition high to win the ball in high areas

- Protecting central areas

- Triggers on when to press i.e. slow or aerial pass

- Attack quickly on transition

- Planned feedback: walk-throughs, Q&A, what if's?

Ways to press opposition:

1.

- CF cut off pass to opposite CB and force play one way

- Winger to protect central areas and go out to press FB if it goes to them, they need to then show down the line and force the play into wide areas

- Opposite winger to tuck in and stop any switches that come into the midfield area

- CM to press high onto opposition deep layer and stop them from getting on the ball and turning, if it goes in here then play must be directed backwards and not allowed to turn

- Back 4 to press high up the pitch and squeeze the space between midfield unit and defence

2.

- CF to drop onto opposition CDM and wide players responsibility is to press the CBs when the ball goes to them

- Winger must show CB inside and stop the direct pass out to opposition FBs

- CF drops in to stop ball into opposition CDM and opposite winger sets the trap that they will press if the ball goes into the opposite CB

- They must be backed up by CM player who marks channel side and makes it easier to be able to spring out to FB if the ball gets played into them

- Back 4 high line and FBs have to be prepared to pop out and pressure opposition FBs if the ball is played into them in higher areas

- If ball is played into forwards then back 4 need to be tight and force play backwards, defending on the front foot

What if?

What if the opposition wide players drop into half space to receive the ball when we our wingers are pressing the CBs?

This could potentially provide an overload in central areas for the opposition with the option of their FB overlapping. The idea is for our CM to get down the line of the pass and cut that option off, however, if the ball goes out to the FB then our CM will have to pop out to put pressure on them meaning that the winger rolling in can cause us a problem. In this instance, I would ask our FB to go tight with the winger and our CB to defend channel side and deal with a pass into the wide areas for their CF. Our opposite CB and FB would need to slide across and cover the ball side CB.