The first touch that a player makes after receiving the ball is a highly underrated skill. The first touch can often make or break an attack and in some cases make a break a player's ability to score a goal. Here is a quick-fire guide to teaching young players how to take their first touch.
Maurizio Sarri's career at Chelsea never quite got off to the way the Italian manager might have planned. But that didn't stop the former Napoli man from landing a job at the top club in Serie A - Juventus. Maurizio Sarri's Juventus have been at the top of the table throughout 2019-20 just as you'd expect them to be, and as far as their status as one of Europe's elite clubs, they have continued on exactly where Massimo Allegri left off. However, The Old Lady have been a completely different side under Maurizio Sarri this season, deploying tactics that make Juve a unique outfit anywhere in the footballing world today. This is a Tactical Analysis of Maurizio Sarri's newly revamped Juventus.
Although players are constantly thrust into 1v1 battles on a football pitch, attacking is something that the whole team needs to engage in as a unit. As a result, players need to learn how to support each other in attack, even if they are not directly involved with the play. This article will explore support … Continue reading Support in Attack (9v9)
Although players are constantly thrust into 1v1 battles on a football pitch, defending is something that the whole team needs to engage in as a unit. As a result, players need to learn how to support each other in defense, even if they are not directly involved with the play. This article will explore support in defense for 9v9 teams through diagrams involving the 3-2-3 and 3-4-1 formations.
With over 100 articles written this year across The Mastermind Site and its affiliated enterprises, it's time we look back at some of the very best of the year. Here are the nominees for Best Article of 2019 on The Mastermind Site.
For the first time in over a decade, Tottenham Hotspur appeared to be absolutely doomed this season. For the first 12 games of the season, Spurs looked nowhere near their usual high-flying, Champions League finalist selves and Mauricio Pochettino had the team slipping further and further down the table. Pochettino was quite possibly the best manager Tottenham have ever had, but with the team sitting in 14th place, it was inevitable that the Argentinean's role at the club was going to be cut short, just shy of 300 games for the club. Looking for instant stability, the boardroom went with the experienced Jose Mourinho to steer the ship back out of safety and the move has proven to be a massive success for Spurs. Since his arrival, Tottenham have won four games from five and now look to be well within touching distance of the top four again. Here is a Tactical Analysis of Jose Mourinho's revamped and revitalized Tottenham Hotspur after his first five games in charge.
Even at the younger ages when a retreat line is in place, pressing from the front is still a crucial aspect to stopping the other team from playing out from the back. This article will explore pressing from the front in the 2-4-2 formation. STARTING POSITIONS In this example, the opposition is playing a 2-1-4-1 … Continue reading Pressing in the 2-4-2 Formation (9v9)
There's a common saying in football: If you don't shoot, you don't score. Well if you don't keep possession of the ball, you'll have a lot more difficulty scoring. Many players that I've worked with over the years have had the common bad habit of simply just kicking the ball the second they get it. Sometimes even older players have this issue. The assumption for these players is if I can get the ball closer to the net then we as a team will have a better chance of scoring. But more often than not, all this does is present the other team with an opportunity to pick up the ball and go on the attack themselves. Players need to learn how to keep possession of the ball, particularly under pressure, and how to turn that possession into a goal scoring chance. Tiki taka football is nice and all, but possession needs to have a purpose and that is exactly what we are going to explore in this article about coaching Progressive Possession at the young ages.
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