Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Team Training into Match Prep- Defending from the front with a midfield diamond

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Anthony Williams

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Name:	Anthony Williams
City:	Maesteg
Country:	United Kingdom
Membership:	Adult Member
Sport:	Football/Soccer

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 9v9- TT (25 mins)

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9v9- TT (25 mins)

Players

18 players

9v9 SSG

White team* GK-2-4-2 (midfield diamond)

Maroon team GK-4-3-1

*Team that I am working on

Area

45x40

Equipment

Balls x16

Bibs x9

Learning Outcomes

1. Understanding of individual roles within system when defending

from the front

2. Understanding of the weaknesses to midfield diamond and

how to manage them

3. Understand roles and responsibilities on transition when

winning/losing the ball

Duration of Team Training

20 mins

Blocks

3 x 8 minutes

Conditions

White team have 8 seconds to shoot when winning possession of the ball back

Rationale for taking players out

Opted to take both full backs out of the white team (4-4-2 diamond) and two wide players out of the maroon team (4-3-3). The rationale for this was that I wanted to present realistic problems for the team I am working with and believe that keeping full backs in for the opposition will cause issues for the outside of the diamond when the oppo are playing out. I also needed to keep a centre forward in for the opposition to provide realisitc problems for my two centre backs.

Key Detail

Strikers

- Start outside and get down passing line to the full backs, force the ball inside to where our strength in numbers is (central areas)

- Angle of press, don't press in straight lines

- When ball played to one side of pitch, opposite CF must drop down and tuck into central areas to stop direct switch to FB and help deal with CDM (must force pass into opposite CB)

- If ball switched from one CB to other then CF will find it tough to get into position to stop it to FB so must press aggressively and body angle showing outside to FB

No.10

- Split the pitch and mark the opposition CDM from GK

- If ball played into CB then must mark CDM channel side and not allow an easy pass around the corner to the FB

- If ball does go out to FB then must drop in deeper and cover space in case the FB is allowed to move inside but must be in a close enough position to affect CDM if ball gets played back to them

No. 8s (outside of diamond)

- Starting position in between oppo MF's and FB's so that they are able to affect any passes inside and put pressure on the ball but are also in a comfortable enough position to get out to the oppo FB's if it is played there

- When ball is played into FB's then have to get out really quickly to affect them, show down the line, can't allow FB back inside as it causes problems

- When ball on opposite side, then opposite 8 must drop down into a defensive midfield position to make switches of play harder as CDM will have had to have popped out of position to cover no.8 going to press, must get distances right as they will be expected to get out to opposite FB if switched

CDM

- Generally hold central areas and stop passes into CF feet, communicate with wide midfielders and 10 regarding press

- If ball is played into FB and outside of diamond pressures them, CDM has to pop out into wider position and pick up opposition no.8, that may be to block passing lane, get tight and pressure the ball if played into them or go with their forward run into the channel/back line

CBs

- Keep high line, if we are pressing high, then can't allow big spaces to appear between units

- If less pressure is on the ball then CB's must anticipate this and be ready for the ball in behind (start to drop or anticipate dropping as a backline), must get timing of this right

- Ball in wide areas, then need to defend channel side to not allow CF to get ball into feet or down the sides

- Cover and balance as a defensive pair

- Starting positioning key in order to deal with ball p

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 11v11- MP (35 mins)

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11v11- MP (35 mins)

Players

22 players

11v11

White team* 4-4-2 (midfield diamond)

Maroon team 4-3-3

*Team that I am working on

Area

Full pitch

Equipment

Balls x16

Bibs x11

Blocks

3x8 mins with 2 minute breaks in between for feedback

Block 1- Reiterate key defensive detail from team training

Block 2- Introduce what if scenario's to the practice i.e. what if two midfielders drop down to receive from goal kick?

Block 3- Introduce detail around attacking and defensive transitions

Key Detail

Exactly the same principles as previous Team Training exercise. Key differences are the introduction of full back's and winger's. This will have an influence on role's and responsibilities especially for the defensive unit.

FB's

- Hold high line

- Shuffle across pitch according to where the ball is being played

- Ball played into full back, then must defend channel ball initially, be aware of movement inside from wide player. Judge distances and if possible get tight to winger so that if they receive the ball they can not turn and force them to play back

- As a rule if outside midfielder can't get out to FB when ball played wide, our FB must hold position and defend space in behind, must get timing right in terms of when to pop out and deal with oppo FB on the ball (aggressive, force ball into channel, do not allow inside). Be aware of roll in from winger and when and where to pass on to CB when dealing with FB on the ball

- FB on opposite side to the ball, tuck in and help provide balance and cover for the defensive unit as a whole, can't allow opposition to play through

What if Scenario's?

- Rotation between opposition central midfielders

- Opposition MF drops in to receive from GK alongside CDM

- Oppo FBs play high and our outside of diamond can't get out to pressure the ball when they receive

- Long ball over the top

Transitions

Attacking- Identify the space that is available to exploit on transition when winning possession back off the opposition.

- Generally FBs will have pushed high up the pitch leaving our two CFs in a 2v2 situation with the opposition CBs

- Can the space down the outside of the CBs be exploited by playing passes for CFs to run onto or playing ball into CFs feet to run into that space?

- As a general rule, if winning the ball in one area of the pitch, can we look to transfer it quickly into the opposite side of the pitch i.e. into CF in half-space between oppo CB and FB (effectively a switch of play)

- Once we get the ball into these areas, we are looking at forward runs from opposite CF, no.10 and both of our no. 8s to make the box. Defensively, back 4 in place and CDM sitting in front (5-5 split)

Defensive- Should we lose the ball when counter attacking?

- We have back 4 and CDM in place so are defending with 5

- Key principles to keep in mind: delay the attack and force opposition outside

- If for example the FB has the ball on our defensive transition, our CDM may be the one to go and engage and pressure the ball, back 4 must stay compact as a unit but also be ready to drop and defend space in behind

- Can CDM delay the attack and cut off option inside (body angle and approach to the ball are key). This will allow midfielders to get back into shape but also narrow options for player on the ball. Can not allow balls inside into CF or no.10s feet

- Defenders mark channel side to deal with ball down the side and tuck in to provide balance and cover to team mate