In the post 4-4-2 era, the 4-3-3 is one of the world's most popular formations. Not only is it attack-minded but it is inherently possession-based by providing an extra man in central midfield. That is one of the prime reasons why a midfield three has become the first choice of many managers around the world. … Continue reading Playing in a Midfield Three
At any level, there can sometimes be a mismatch that occurs between a player's preference for a position and their playing style. Don't get me wrong, as a youth coach, you should always play your players in the positions they want to play. Rotation is an equally important consideration. But sometimes there's a mismatch that … Continue reading Moulding Players into Specific Positions: A Case for Developing Confidence
Over and over again, young players around the world receive the ball from a passing player, square on, with their back turned to goal. This limits a player's ability to pass the ball forwards and keep play moving. Instead of receiving the ball square on, players must maintain an open body shape, aka receiving the … Continue reading The Importance of Receiving the Ball on the Half-Turn
Picking a starting lineup for a football match can be a difficult task for any manager. There are so many different considerations that must go into the decision of who starts any match. This can range from fitness levels to injuries to work ethic to commitment to your opposition to the way different players mesh … Continue reading Picking The Perfect Starting Lineup
A total of 186 articles have been written by The Mastermind since the last set of nominees were revealed back in 2016. Narrowing 186 articles down to just two was no easy task, but these are the two that The Mastermind believes best represents what the site is all about. These are the nominees for Best Article as … Continue reading The Mastermind Award Nominees 2017: Best Article
Let's face it, no Premier League club has had a perfect start to the 2016-17 season. No side apart from maybe Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have truly shown their full potential on a consistent basis so far this season and even Klopp's Liverpool slumped to a stunning defeat to Burnley. Most clubs have been getting by without … Continue reading The Player That Every Premier League Club Has Missed in 2016-17
It's crazy how many young players have risen to the top of the game in such a short amount of time in only the past few years. There have been so many young players rising up to the starting elevens of their teams in 2016 without any degree of difficulty at all that this may … Continue reading Top 15 Under-21 Footballers With The Biggest Potential 2016-17
The FA Community Shield was an entertaining encounter that saw FA Cup winners Manchester United come away as 2-1 victors over Premier League title winners Leicester City. Neither team was at their best on the day and in fact both teams were very poor for large sections of the game. However Manchester United's ability to win in … Continue reading FA Community Shield Report: Leicester 1-2 Manchester United, Don’t Act Like Mourinho Did Anything
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