By Philip Connolly
Objective:
The objective of the following training session is to work on aspects of the relationship between Defensive and Midfield Units with focus on building up play from Defence to Attack.
Practice 1:
Practice 1 working on the structure of 1-3-5-2 Defensive and Midfield units in a possession based attacking shape. 1 Black player plays in the middle as the DM with 7 players on the outside in dedicated positions – 3 CBs, 2 WBs and 2 CMs. If the defending team (Yellow) win the ball they look to score in either of the two red gates at the end of the area, the three Centre Backs can enter the central area to help defend the gates if this happens.
The size of the area should be adjusted based on the age and ability of your players.
Coaching Points:
• Distances and angles of support between wide Centre Backs, Wing Backs and Defensive Midfielder - don't be static
• Reactions from both sides in the Transition phase
• Quality, speed and accuracy of possession (Blacks) and counter attacking (Yellows)
Practice 2:
Progression from first practice continuing the same concepts and principles but with the GK (White) and two Centre Forwards added for the Blacks and an additional player added for the Yellows making this an 11 v 5 game.
The two Centre Backs are allowed to move in centrally if possession is lost to stop a goal being scored, the GK can move along the end line to stop a goal also.
Coaching Points:
In addition to the coaching points from Practice 1 we now need to work on the options the DM and CM midfield players give to players positioned on the outside of the area and their relationship to each other, no straight lines vertically or horizontally from these players.
Practice 3:
9 v 7 game played on half or two thirds of the pitch depending on the age and ability of your players. The Black team are defending the main goal and playing into two mini goals on the half way line, it will be this team looking to particularly implement what was practiced in the previous two exercises. The Black team are playing in the 1-3-5-2 shape with only the 2 CFs missing from the practice as the focus is on defensive and midfield units and the relationship between them when building an attack.
There are two wide channels (shaded white) where the wing backs must remain throughout the practice, the opposition must always have a winger in each channel also, this allows the focus to be on the build-up play between the GK, CB and DM/CM to create options by working together to play the WB into score, although anyone can score if the WB scores it counts as two.
The Yellows press high against the three CBs and look to prevent the WBs receiving the ball. They score as normal into the main net.
Coaching Points:
• Speed of ball rotation to disturb the opposition out of shape
• Distances between the defensive and midfield units
• Movement off the ball – no blocking passing lanes
• WB specific movement in the wide channels and communicating when best to receive the ball
By Philip Connolly
