All Posts by Mike Saif

0 WCC Soccer Tactics and Strategies

Or view in easy-to-read web pagesPART ONEPART TWOPART THREE

4 Tactical Series Antonio Conte - Part One

WORLD CLASS COACHING Tactical Series Antonio Conte By Jonny Carter and Michael J. Louter   TABLE OF CONTENTS Part One INTRODUCTION THE CONTE CHANGE TO 3-4-3 AND WHY? TRADITIONS AND CONVENTIONS OF THE 3-4-3 - BECKENBAUR TRADITIONS AND CONVENTIONS OF THE 3-4-3 - CRUYFF Part Two TRADITIONS AND CONVENTIONS OF THE 3-4-3 - DEFENSIVE PHILOSOPHY THE

3 Tactical Series Antonio Conte - Part Two

WORLD CLASS COACHING Tactical Series Antonio Conte By Jonny Carter and Michael J. Louter   Part Two TRADITIONS AND CONVENTIONS OF THE 3-4-3 - DEFENSIVE PHILOSOPHY THE SHAPE OF PLAY THE SHAPE OF PLAY - DEFENSE Traditions & Conventions of the 3-4-3 | Defensive Philosophy The way the 2016/17 version of Chelsea FC defends opposition build-up

0 Tactical Series Antonio Conte - Part Three

WORLD CLASS COACHING Tactical Series Antonio Conte By Jonny Carter and Michael J. Louter   Part Three SHAPE OF PLAY - MIDFIELD SHAPE OF PLAY - ATTACK WEAKNESS OF THE 3-4-3 - TOTTENHAM 2 V 0 CHELSEA ABOUT THE AUTHORS The Shape Of The Play | Midfield The midfield of Chelsea FC’s 3-4-3 is quite remarkable

0 Soccer Tactics and Strategies - Part One

WORLD CLASS COACHING Soccer Tactics and Strategies  TABLE OF CONTENTS Part One Attacking and Defending Free Kicks Scotland Game Plan v Germany Bayern Pressing and Direct Attacking Part Two Arsenal's Terrible Defending v Anderlecht Creativity to Create Goalscoring Chance Lack of Defensive Cover in the Midfield Bayern Munich's Positioning in Midfield Part Three Playing with

0 WCC Soccer Drills and Small Sided Games

Or view in easy-to-read web pagesPART ONEPART TWOPART THREE

0 WCC Soccer Conditioning

Or view in easy-to-read web pagesPART ONEPART TWOPART THREE

0 WCC Soccer Conditioning - Part One

WORLD CLASS COACHING Soccer Conditioning  TABLE OF CONTENTS Part One Winning the Ball Back Quickly and Working on Conditioning The ‘Complete Player’ Challenge Defending the Counter Attack – Continuous Possession in a Compact Space with a Surrounding Circuit Crossing and Finishing with Agility Part Two First Touch Endurance Box Endurance, Agility and First Touch Dribbling

1 Soccer Tactics and Strategies - Part Two

Part Two Arsenal's Terrible Defending v Anderlecht Creativity to Create Goalscoring Chance Lack of Defensive Cover in the Midfield Bayern Munich's Positioning in Midfield   Arsenal's Terrible Defending v Anderlecht Arsenal have been notoriously bad defensively for several years, but this looked to be changing in the past 18 months, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker becoming

4 Soccer Tactics and Strategies - Part Three

Part Three Playing with Inverted Full Backs Bayern's Move from Fixed to Flexible Using the Channel to Draw the Defense Over   Playing with Inverted Full Backs Positioning in modern football is a massive part of the success of a team, particularly in the development of an attacking game but also in ball conservation to

0 Soccer Drills and Small Sided Games - Part One

WORLD CLASS COACHING Soccer Drills and Small-Sided Games TABLE OF CONTENTS Part One Switching the Point of Attack Attacking Transition With Numbers Up 3 v 3 Small-Sided Game to Goal How To Find "The Hole" to Pass In To A 5v4 Defending Small-Sided Game Part Two Pass and Move in Three’s Midfield/Forward Combination Play 3 v

0 Soccer Drills and Small Sided Games - Part Two

Part Two Pass and Move in Three’s Midfield/Forward Combination Play 3 v 1 Possession Small-Sided Game A Passing and Overlap Exercise Possession to Penetrate   Pass and Move in Three’s This activity is a 3 person passing combination working on passing and movement. Start with a 20 x 10  with two players in opposite corners and

0 Soccer Drills and Small Sided Games - Part Three

Part Three The Attacking Fourth of the Field How to Improve Decision Making Attacking Combinations Staying Compact Defensively Long Passes A Killer Overlap Drill   The Attacking Fourth of the Field This activity works on possession while looking to find a player in the attacking fourth of the field. Start with a 40 x 30

0 WCC Soccer Conditioning - Part Two

Part Two

1. First Touch Endurance Box
2. Endurance, Agility and First Touch
3. Dribbling with Quick Changes of Direction
4. Agility, Receiving and Dribbling Circuit
5. Working on Anaerobic Endurance, First Touch and How to Lose a Defender

First Touch Endurance Box

By Jebreel Bubtana

This exercise is a great way to work on your player’s first touch at different heights and making sure that technique does not suffer as they get tired.

This exercise starts with a 4x4 yard box and one ball between two players as shown below (figure 1). One player will start with the ball in their hands and the other player will do all of the work for 1 minute.

The player without the ball shuffles to the cone to their right (figure 2).

As soon as the player reaches the cone, their partner throws the ball to them to control with the inside of their foot and pass back (figure 3).

The player will now shuffle past the start cone and across to the next cone to their left as quickly as possible where they will again control the ball with the inside of their foot and pass back to their partner (figure 4). The working player will now shuffle their way past the start cone and back to the cone where they first controlled the ball. The player will continue to work between the two cones for 1 minute. When the 1 minute is up, the players can switch positions.

After they have both had a go at the exercise you can start working on different heights of the ball:

•  Inside of the foot volleys
•  Laces volleys
•  Thigh control and pass back
•  Chest control and pass back
•  Headers

Once you have worked on all of the heights you can get the thrower to vary the throws to their partner to challenge them. The ball can be thrown to any height and so the partner must react to where the ball is thrown.

It is important that the player throwing the ball is not just throwing the ball lightly to their partner; the aim is that there is a challenge to control the ball and so as a coach, it is important to get your players to understand this.
The aim of the exercise is that it be fast paced with quick switch overs and quick shuffling between the cones. The player shuffling between the cones must work as hard as possible during the 1 minute and it is important that as time goes by, technique is not compromised due to tiredness. You can also increase the amount of time that the player is working between the cones.

Endurance, Agility and First Touch

By Jebreel Bubtana

This exercise works on first touch with different parts of the body as well as agility, coordination and conditioning, which is great way to start your pre-season training.

There are 3 different stations as shown below (figure 1), with players spending 4 minutes working before switching with the feeder and then moving on to the next station.

Station 1:
The player must run through the ladder placing both feet in the gaps of the ladder, after this is done they must sprint to the feeder who will be holding the ball out in front of their body. The player who has just completed the ladders must tap the ball with one hand. As soon as this is done, the feeder will throw the ball high over their partner’s head and they must run back as quickly possible and head the ball back to the feeder before jogging back to the start and going again (figure 2).

Station 2:
The player must shuffle in and out of the cones as quickly as possible before jumping over hurdle with both feet. After this is done they must sprint to the feeder who will be holding the ball out in front of their body. The player who has just completed the agility must tap the ball with one hand. As soon as the ball has been tapped, the feeder will throw the ball high and to either side of their partner. The player must run back as quickly possible, control the ball before it bounces and pass it back to the feeder before jogging back to the start and going again (figure 2).

Station 3:
The player must do single leg jumps to each cone in a zigzag. After this is done they must sprint to the feeder who will be holding the ball out in front of their body. The player who has just completed the agility must tap the ball with one hand. As soon as this is done, the feeder will throw the ball over their partner’s head. The player must run back as quickly possible, control the ball before it bounces and pass it back to the feeder before jogging back to the start and going again (figure 2).

It is important that that the players at each station are working as quickly as possible. The player must react to where the ball is thrown and move their feet quickly to control or head the ball before it bounces, much like in a game situation where a player will try to get to the ball before and opponent and before it bounces. As time goes on fatigue will begin to set in and so it is vital that technique when controlling the ball does not suffer. The pass back is equally as important as the first touch. If the ball is not passed back to the feeder accurately then it is much like a misplaced pass during a game. You can also have the feeder switch with their partner after every go, having them sprint to the start to begin the station. If you decide to do that then I would recommend increasing the amount of time before moving to the next station as the players will be getting a little rest after every go.

Dribbling with Quick Changes of Direction

By Daniel Severn

This week we will focus on quick changes of direction within a fast paced, competitive exercise. I will use the ‘drag-back’ turn as the example throughout the exercise, but any other turn involving a full change of direction can be used (e.g. Cruyff turn, step-over, inside/outside cuts etc).

Set Up and Directions

For this exercise you only need a few cones. The example in the diagram is set up for just two players, but you can add in more ‘lanes’ of cones to involve as many players as you need to accommodate.

Here we have five cones laid out approximately 5 yards apart from each other. Two players begin each with a ball a few yards either side of Cone number 1. On the coaches signal the players accelerate with the ball towards cone 2, perform a drag-back turn and check back to cone 1. The players again perform the drag-back turn and accelerate to cone 3. The players then perform the turn and check back to cone 2. The players repeat this once more, accelerating forward this time to cone 4, performing the turn, checking to cone 3 before turning again and sprinting over the ‘finishing line’ at cone 5.

As you can see there are many turns required in the exercise and it may be a good idea to ‘warm-up’ to the exercise - I’d do one or two practice runs to focus on the technique of the turn itself. After the players are performing the turns consistently, I would pair them as shown above and they would compete against each other to see who can complete the course the fastest.

The direction of movement with turns is shown through to ‘Cone 4’ below:

The conditioning aspect of this game comes when the players are competing versus each other. By adding competition, the players push themselves harder and in turn will develop the turning technique at a more game-realistic speed. They will also be accelerating as fast as possible in between each turn to give themselves the best chance of winning. Again, by putting your players in a situation where they have to push themselves in order to win against their teammates in practice exercises, you will get the best results in time for game day.

I hope you enjoy the exercise!

Agility, Receiving and Dribbling Circuit

By Daniel Severn

This week we focus on agility and technique. Agility plays a huge part in a players’ ability to perform in a game, soccer has so many changes of direction and the more agile players have the best chance of reacting in many different situations – defending, dribbling, intercepting passes to name a few. Technique is also key to a players’ performance, without a good first touch and dribbling skills, a players game can become limited. Developing these aspects of the game can only enhance performance.

This circuit is designed to work groups of 2 or 3 players at a time. I would set up 5 stations exactly the same to allow a full team to work at the same time.

Set Up and Directions
Each station should be set up as shown below. If you do not have a ladder you could use cones to mark out the agility aspect of the mini course.

Player one begins at the start of the ladder and Player two will begin with

0 WCC Soccer Conditioning - Part Three

Part Three Agility, First Touch and Speed Dribbling 1 v 1's With a Conditioning Element Dribbling Challenge With Endurance Racing to Finish the Cross Continuous 1 v 1 Battles   Agility, First Touch and Speed Dribbling By Jebreel Bubtana This exercise works on your player’s first touch, speed dribbling and endurance. This is another exercise

3 Advanced 1v1 Training - Part One

ADVANCED 1V1 TRAINING By Stefano Santona In this book we're going to explore some debates regarding issues related to the 1v1. Many people might think that it is a small part of football, but we find that in teaching 1v1, there are many important and aspects of concern that need to be considered. Many people

0 Advanced 1v1 Training - Part Two

CHAPTER 2 Exercises with ball for improvement in passing the opposite player and achievement of the spaces 1 VS 1 GAME "ACHIEVE THE SPACE" Area Size: Different geometric shapes (square, rectangle) depending on the focus. Vary the width or length size depending on the age and technical quality of the players. Time: 10-15 minutes Objectives:

0 Advanced 1v1 Training - Part Three

CHAPTER 3 Exercises with ball for improvement in passing the opposite player, achievement of the spaces, finding the goals, and scoring 1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOAL” Area Size: Different geometric shapes (square, rectangle) depending on the focus. Vary the width or length size depending on the age and technical quality of the

0 Advanced 1v1 Training - Part Four

CHAPTER 4 Exercises with ball for improvement in getting past the opposite player, achievement of the spaces, finding the goals, and scoring (with GK) 1 VS 1 GAME “SCORE IN THE GOALS AND DEFEND YOUR GOALS” + GK Area Size: Different geometric shapes (square, rectangle) depending on the focus. Vary the width or length size

1 Advanced 1v1 Training eBook

Or view in easy-to-read web pagesPART ONEPART TWOPART THREEPART FOUR

1 Tactical Series Jurgen Klopp - Part One

WORLD CLASS COACHING Tactical Series Jurgen Klopp By Alexander Trukan   FOREWORD This short series tactical eBook is focused on giving a little insight into strategies used by one of the coaching masters – Jurgen Klopp. Due to the nature of the eBook format, it is a snapshot of the playing style rather than an

0 Tactical Series Jurgen Klopp - Part Two

WORLD CLASS COACHING Tactical Series Jurgen Klopp By Alexander Trukan   TRANSITION FROM ATTACK TO DEFENSE This phase has become one of the most recognizable parts of Klopp’s brand of football. ‘Gegenpressing’ (Eng. counterpressing) has been employed by Klopp’s teams both at Dortmund and Liverpool. It is based on acknowledging the fact that opposition upon

0 Tactical Series Jurgen Klopp - Part Three

WORLD CLASS COACHING Tactical Series Jurgen Klopp By Alexander Trukan   DEFENDING If the initial press was not effective and the possession wasn’t regained until the ball is played away into different space, the team needs to reorganise and shape a defending structure to win the ball back from. Klopp’s teams prefer a direct approach

0 Tactical Series Jurgen Klopp - Part Four

WORLD CLASS COACHING Tactical Series Jurgen Klopp By Alexander Trukan TRANSITION FROM DEFENCE TO ATTACK The moment when the team wins the ball back is another opportunity to use high energy and intensity. With many teams being very organised defensively and getting compact, it is increasingly difficult to break through using patient positional play. Counter