Tag Archives for " Tactics "

0 Breaking the Defensive Block

By Alex Trukan Red Bull Leipzig has been a revelation of this Bundesliga season, currently sitting second, just three points behind Bayern Munich. Not only results but also their style of play is what they became famous for. RB Leipzig is mainly recognised as high intensity, aggressive pressing side which tries to win the ball

0 Playing Forwards from the Own Half

By Alex Trukan There are many ways to get the ball into opposition’s half. Some of the teams prefer a direct approach getting a long pass played from the own goalkeeper, others strongly believe in a patient build up through the thirds. What becomes more and more popular is a combination of these two styles.

1 Stopping FC Barcelona from Playing out from the Back

By Alex Trukan One of the main FC Barcelona characteristics is patient build up from the back. Passing the ball out from a goalkeeper and then progressively playing through the thirds up to the opposition goal is not only nice to watch but also effective. FC Barcelona players have been doing it for years and

0 #097 Diving and It’s Effects on Youth Soccer

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0 Attacking Spaces Around the Defensive Midfielder

By Alex Trukan Defensive midfielder’s position has been a response to available half spaces between units. Many team used to play with flat lines (eg. 4-4-2) what created gaps easy to exploit by the opposition. Defensive midfielder’s role was to cover these spaces, screen through balls and mark any opposition players within these areas. There

0 Protecting Wide Areas in the 4-5-1

By Alex Trukan Classical 4-5-1 formation out of possession is usually played in a compact way with both units positioned in narrow blocks. One of the dangers of compact defending are free spaces which arise in wide areas beyond midfield line. If the opposition has good quality wingers, this might create threats for full backs

0 Tactical Exercise

1 Benefits of Passing Backwards

By Alex Trukan Passing backwards is generally considered by many fans as boring and rather pointless. Although, going backwards is probably more common for possession tiki-taka type of tactics, it is still considered as undesirable, with the highest priority to go forwards whenever possible. Completely agreed, however, regardless of the team’s style of play, a

0 Attacking Quickly from Your Own Half

By Alex Trukan Transition to attack starts when a team is still defending and out of possession. Their defensive strategy and shape will influence the options available upon winning the ball back. Not only the pressing line will influence the distance to the opposition goal when the ball is won but also the amount of

0 The Strengths and Weaknesses of the 3-4-3

This week's Animated Drill Video looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the 3-4-3 system and the different ways it can be implemented. Click Here for more information on Antonio Conte and the way he has used the 3-4-3 with Chelsea. The diagrams are created with the session planner on Planet Training that is available through

0 Flexibility of the Midfield Three

By Alex Trukan With many teams trying to overload central areas, playing with three central midfielders has become widely used. This often initiates a discussion on whether to play a triangle with a point up (two defensive midfielders) or point down (one defensive midfielder). Both of the shapes have certain strengths and weaknesses. However, whichever

0 Delaying the Opposition’s Counter Attack

By Alex Trukan With many teams being reactive and very effective on the counter attack, it is important for our teams to be able to deal with that. Preventing the counter attack and winning the ball back or forcing the opposition to be more patient going forwards will prevent the team from being caught outnumbered

0 Clearing and Filling Space

By Alex Trukan Clearing and filling space is one of the principles of play that can be used across all age groups and levels. It can be used to create space in certain areas, get specific players on the ball as well as enable a team to play forwards. Clearing and filling is simple to

0 Movements Towards the Ball from Number 9 and 10

By Alex Trukan When playing against opposition who restrict space in the central areas well, it might be hard for central midfielders (6 & 8) to get on the ball without pressure and play forwards. One of the ways to overload these areas and build up play might be to have players in more advanced positions

0 Runs to Finish From Crosses

By Alex Trukan When trying to attack through the wings, getting the ball wide and creating an opportunity to cross is only part of success. The key to finalising wing play are movements that players make in and around the box just before, and as the ball is crossed. There are various combinations of different

0 Defending from the Front in the 4-3-3

By Alex Trukan When out of possession, many teams that attack with a 4-3-3 formation turn into 4-5-1. Both wingers tend to drop deeper into midfield lines and form a five player block. There are, however many advantages of using wingers higher up the pitch playing in a line with the striker. This alternative is

0 The Controlling Defensive Midfielder

By Alex Trukan Defensive midfielder’s position has been recognised as a key to both defensive and attacking security for years. Many centre backs are becoming confident with the ball and many defensive midfielders are playing as the last man, the center back position has continued to evolve. The line between centre backs and defensive midfielders is

0 Creating Space for Full Backs

By Alex Trukan The full back is, without a question, a player largely involved in an attacking phase of any team. Modern full backs not only produce crosses but also cut inside to finish, combine with midfielders or even take up more play making roles in the centre of the pitch. All of these actions, however,

0 Playmaking Winger

By Alex Trukan Players in many positions are becoming more versatile, the winger is not an exception. Recently, there has been a shift from traditional wingers operating mainly on the touchline and delivering crosses, to more well-rounded wide players covering a more areas on the pitch and producing shots on goal and key opening passes. Having this kind

0 Preventing Direct Switching Play

By Alex Trukan When playing with a compact defending block, it is harder to cover the width of the pitch if the ball is moved quickly. This is why, usually a ‘weak side’ appears on the opposite side of the ball which can be exploited by the opposition. If the field is switched with pace, it will cause

0 Defending the Italian Way in 5-3-2

By Alex Trukan Italian teams have always been known for having a high tactical proficiency. The ‘defending arts’ have been their major strength and area of focus. Despite many different formations utilised by their teams, it is the 5-3-2 shape that gained popularity in recent years. It is not, however the formation that makes them

0 Strength and Weaknesses of the 4-3-3 System

This week's Animated Drill Video looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the 4-3-3 system. Whether you're playing a 4-3-3 or not, it's important to understand the characteristics of the 4-3-3 so that you can take advantage of them when you play against this system. The diagram is being created with the session planner on Planet Training that

0 Building From the Goalkeeper

By Alex Trukan The response to many teams trying to build up from the back is improved defending from the front as well as high pressing. This has challenged many teams in their way of preferred attacking strategy. Therefore, it has become increasingly important to use any additional solutions that could potentially help in building up

0 Wingers Attacking Off the Line

By Sean Pearson Area Size: 18 yard area + 5 yards Teams: 20 mins Players: 6 v 7 (Underload) Objectives To drive inside, off the line, at every opportunity For other players to make supporting runs off the ball to move opposition players for the winger to make decisions on what to do with the ball.