All Posts by Mike Saif

0 Bayern's Failure to Stop Messi

By Stevie Grieve

In the Champions League Semi Final between Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the score was decided by one player's ability to find space when there is little available, despite Bayern Munich’s best attempts to control the space around Lionel Messi, particularly in the 1st half.

For the 1st half, Bayern played wide and looked to enter the attacking phases from the CF drifting wide then playing 1v1 on the side and attacking from there, while Barcelona played more direct from central zones in transition, looking to use Suarez’ tenacity behind the Bayern defence, or with lots of circulation which kept the ball and looked for a breakthrough from quick combinations around the goal or in 1v1 play.

The 2nd half changed for Barcelona when Iniesta, Neymar, Messi and Rakitic all played directly through the channels, looking to cut inside and combine with centrally based players; Suarez or Neymar on the last line of the defence, with Alba and Alves staying deeper and making late runs outside the play.

The main danger was always through an ‘inverted’ player, cutting inside, particularly Messi from the

0 Footwork and the Drop Step

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on footwork and the drop step.

Start with a keeper in goal, a speed ladder in front of him and a server 15 yards out.

The keeper starts by taking quick steps through the

0 Defensive Shape and Passing

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on defensive shape and passing.

Start with a 60 x 40 field broken into vertical quarters. There are 4 players in each quarter, with one team in 2 quarters and the other team in the other 2 quarters.

One team starts with the ball on one end. The opposing players in the

0 ‘The Great Escape’ Game to Develop Starting Speed

By Alex Trukan

This exercise is a great way to develop ability to accelerate and sprint over short and medium distances. Its organisation ensures the players are engaged and not only develop physical aspects but also dribbling and running with the ball skills. The practice helps players in possession to get away from a defender, while defender works on sprinting in recovery runs. ‘The Great Escape’ game works with almost every age group and ability level!

Set-Up and Directions

Organise one bigger and one smaller area (smaller being inside the bigger one) as shown on the diagram. Set up four goals, one in each corner of the pitch, 5-10 yards from the bigger square. Every player will need one ball each. One player (defender) dribbles around the

0 Flexibility of the 4-2-3-1 System

This is a short excerpt from Coaching the 4-2-3-1 Advanced Tactics by Stevie Grieve. The book takes a detailed look at how to get the best out of this very popular formation.

When changing formation, there are many variables that can come from this, mainly from an attacking and defensive positioning starting position basis.

Some players’ roles and responsibilities change, although not drastically. In a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 some players responsibilities stay the same, mainly the back 4 and central striker. The back 4 as always must protect the goal and defend as a priority, then support the attacking phase secondary.
Full backs in very attacking teams can allow wingers to play slightly more infield if they wish, or if the winger stays on the touchline, provide deep support or an under lapping run to offer an extra option if places under pressure. The runs from the full back can open up new solutions when the ball is with the winger.

Some wingers can commonly play 1v2, so the

1 Defensive Movement

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible. Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on defensive footwork. One of the big problems players have in defending is poor footwork. If the players work at getting into a good stance/position and then using proper footwork to move backwards they frequently do so

0 Dealing with High Crosses

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on footwork for high crosses.

Start with a server with a ball near the 18 and end line, 4 cones that are one yard apart starting at the near post a few keepers near the far post.

The first keeper starts by stepping between each cone, touching and

1 Barcelona v Real Madrid - 2-03-2015

HOW THE MATCH WAS WON by Keith Scarlett UEFA Champions League March 22, 2015 Camp Nou Barcelona 2 - 1 Real Madrid All level at the top of La Liga just a few weeks ago, Barca did not miss the opportunity to push themselves 4 points ahead of their rivals by winning the second Clasico of

0 Quick Footwork and Diving

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on quick footwork, changes of directions and diving.

Start with the keeper in a proper stance between two cones. There are two more cones 3 yards in front of the keeper and 3 yards to the side and a server 10 yards away with a ball.

The server starts by pointing to one of the

0 Quickly Attacking the Goal

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on getting to goal quickly.

There is a big emphasis these days on possession, working the ball out of the back and having a big build up. This activity works on the exact opposite, it’s about getting to goal quickly.

Start with a small sided field (in this case we will

5 Multiple Ball Game

By Alex Trukan

The multiple ball game focuses on developing repeated sprint ability in a high intensity game related practice. The rules and organisation of the exercise create a number of overload and underload situations what then forces players to develop their transition phase skills. It is also highly motivating and engaging due to competitive nature of this practice.

Set-Up and Directions

Set up a pitch of approximately 30x40 yards. Divide the team into two groups of four competing against each other. Organise one goalkeeper in each goal. Place one ball on

1 The Proper Use of Give and Goes

By Sean Pearson

Session Length: 90 mins

During my days as a trainer, a lot of head coaches were (and still are) obsessed with the give and go, as if it’s the lifeblood of being a good team. While it is definitely a great combination to get behind opposition lines of defense it is not the be all and end all of attacking. Players and coaches alike need to understand it is a tool to use for specific scenarios to progress an attack, not to be used all the time as different scenarios will not allow it.
So to keep coaches happy and work on the give and go I developed a session that constantly worked on using the combination in the

0 Atletico Attack the Strong Side

By Stevie Grieve

Atletico Madrid may not regain the Spanish League title that they earned last season, but Diego Simeone has kept them competitive in 3 competitions with arguably a weaker starting XI than last season, losing Goalkeeper Thibaud Courtois, Left Back Felipe Luis and Talismanic Striker, Diego Costa all to Chelsea. Simeone replaced these players with players of similar playing profiles;

Jan Oblak and Guillherme Siqueirha from Benfica, Mario Mandzukic from Bayern Munich, while adding mobile attacker Antoine Griezmann from Real Sociedad. This has given them a team with similar profiles in each area from last season while arguably a weaker team, other additions such as creative midfielder Cani, have given them more options Siqueirha is an attacking left back, Manduzkic is the

0 3 v 3 with Quick Transition

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity is a 3 v 3 game with quick transition.

Start with a 40 x 25 grid with 4 foot wide goals on each end line. There is a 3 v 3 match up in the middle and each team has a second group of 3 behind their defensive end line.

The teams in the middle play a regular small sided game. The one exception is when a team gts scored upon, the team that gave up the

1 Four Goal Game with Goalkeepers

By Alex Trukan

The 4 Goal Game is focused on improving aerobic power in combination with a technical content of shooting and finishing. In addition, players get a lot of opportunities to practice 1v1 situations and decision making when to shoot. Organisation of the exercise ensures it is engaging and enjoyable for almost every player!

Set-Up and Directions

Organise a square of approximately 25x25 yards. Set up a goal on each side of the

0 Space to Deal with Free Kicks

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s topic deals with the keeper giving himself room on free kicks (when possible).

We will start using the example of a free kick from 35 yards out and near the sideline.

Too often a keeper will allow the attacking team to get

0 Opposed Passing Pattern and Speed

By Alex Trukan

This exercise is a modification of a passing pattern with additional pressure from a defender to create sprinting situations. The main focus from a physical point of view is to improve starting speed and sprinting over short distances in a football specific context. Apart from that, this practice demands good quality of passing and receiving skills.

Set-Up and Directions

Organise six cones as shown on the diagram. Set up two small gates on the half way between two side cones. Organise two players on the middle cone, one player on each side cone and rest of the players with one ball each on the bottom middle cone. Minimal amount of players for this

2 Lyon’s Attacking Movements

By Stevie Grieve

Lyon have been this season's ‘surprise’ package in Ligue 1, with a team of cast-offs who have proved unsuccessful at other clubs and academy graduates, staying in the top 6 would be the realistic aim and top 3 would’ve been ambitious. As it has unfolded, Lyon have been one of the most attack minded teams in the league, scoring 60 goals in 31 games, and having the best goal difference in the league.

Some of the success has come from the emergence of Nabil Fekir and the continued improvement year on year of Alexandre Lacazette, the return to form of Yoann Gourcuff, and a stable 4-4-2 diamond formation, with attacking full backs providing the width when the dual strikers are more central.

Lyon use a fluid formation and one of the reasons for this is the above mentioned Full Backs, the fluidity of movement from the strikers and how they stretch the field when in possession.

Basic Shape; 4-1-2-1-2 becoming 4-3-3 becoming 2-1-4-3

Both FBs (black circles) are very high, on the line of the

0 Short Keeper Distribution

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on short keeper distribution.

This activity requires one keeper and 5 field players. One field player starts behind the keeper and the others are 10 yards away with balls. There are 2 cones 15 yards to each side of the keeper.

The first player with the

0 Preventing the Penetrating Pass

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on defensive shape and preventing the penetrating pass.

Start with a 20 x 10 grid just beyond the top of the D. There are three attacking players and two defending players. There is also a keeper in goal.

The three attacking players start with a

2 Juventus v Dortumund - 24-02-2015

HOW THE MATCH WAS WON by Keith Scarlett UEFA Champions League February 24, 2015 Juventus Stadium Juventus 2 - 1 Borussia Dortmund Juventus is once again able to breathe in the atmosphere of the Champions League and prepare for the second leg. In or out in two matches, it’s not a League Season that is played

0 Making the Second Save

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on punching and making the second save.

Start with a keeper in goal and 4 players spread around the 18 with balls.

One of the players out wide crosses the ball in and the

1 Playing Out of the Midfield

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on developing play out of the midfield.

Start using half a field with a line 35 yards out. There is a keeper in goal, two attacking players and two defending players in the final quarter and four attacking players and three defending players in the area near midfield.

The attacking team starts with the

4 3v3+3 Possession Game to improve Strength

By Alex Trukan

The following practice is aimed at developing functional football strength. It is a modification of a classical 6v3 possession game which is designed to further develop core strength needed in shielding and protecting the ball situations. It is physically demanding practice which makes the players working using mainly anaerobic energy system. Apart from that, it also challenges their ball control and retention skills under the pressure from the opponent.

Set-Up and Directions

Organise an area of approximately 20x25 yards. Divide the