SESSION DIRECT ATTACKING PLAY WITH PURPOSE This session is all about playing quickly forwards with purpose, followed by creative link up play to create scoring opportunities. To achieve this, the players need to demonstrate commitment, intensity of play and a desire to be one step closer to, and faster than, their opponents. MANAGER PROFILE This kind of intense and direct play starts right from the goalkeeper and VALERIEN ISMAEL includes every player on the pitch, so everyone has to participate here. It’s very important that players choose BARNSLEY the deepest option to play the ball to and that they find the correct pass Valerien Ismael played as a defender for Racing during the game, playing it forward with Strasbourg, Crystal Palace, RC Lens, Werder quality and thought so the team retains Bremen, Bayern Munich and . As a possession and the opposition are kept player he won the twice and under pressure. This allows us to create the Coupe de France, as well as the German scoring opportunities or use our counter- twice and the DFB-Pokal. press as an attacking weapon. On hanging up his boots, Ismael became the In these activities, we also focus on assistant general manager of Hannover 96 and making quick combinations with each later took on the job of manager of the club’s other in the build-up to the deep forward second team, Hannover 96 II. pass, so it is important that the players Appointed as manager of Wolfsburg II in 2013, adopt the correct body shape and make he won the Nord in his first season. quick but well-considered decisions. The following season he became head coach of We would run this session about once Nurnberg in the second tier of German football or twice a week, as it’s the basis for the but he returned to Wolfsburg II just a year later way I like to play the game. It’s a part of and won the a second time. the philosophy of the team. He was promoted to manager of Wolfsburg’s first team in 2016 before having a short spell in Greece in charge of Appollon Smyrnis and in “Players need to demonstrate a Austria as manager of LASK. desire to be one step closer to, He currently manages Barnsley in the EFL Championship. and faster than, their opponents”

9 VALERIEN ISMAEL Set-up Area: Session time: Up to full pitch Direct play boxes: 10mins DIRECT ATTACKING Equipment: Breakout 5v3: 12mins Balls, bibs, cones, Breakout 4v3: 12mins PLAY WITH PURPOSE 2 goals Number of Players: Up to 20 players + 2 goalkeepers

DIRECT PLAY BOXES

We set up four 10x10-yard boxes around the centre and two of the defenders can now enter the box to circle, as shown. We’re using 20 outfield players press. If the defending pair wins the ball and clears it split into five teams of four. Each box contains one or if it goes out of play, the coach serves a new ball to possession team, arranged in a diamond formation. the opposite box, as shown [1a]. The team that gave The remaining team are defenders and they start away possession then have to transition and press the in the centre circle. Play begins with the coach serving next active box, whilst the pressing team take their the ball into a possession team in one of the boxes place. We play five games of two minutes.

KEY [1a] Ball movement 1 Play begins with the coach Player movement serving the ball into a possession Dribble team in one of the boxes Optional movement

2 Two red LB defenders can now enter LW the box from the centre circle to press. If they win possession, as here, they 10 clear it out of box and swap roles with the 9 team that gave M away the ball 1 10 10 4 10 M M 10 3 The coach serves a new ball into the opposite box 10 and the new pressing team enter the RW active box to press the possession team 10

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10 M 9 1 10 10 4 10 M M VALERIEN ISMAEL 10 DIRECT ATTACKING PLAY WITH PURPOSE 10 RW [1b] 3 The two defenders in the centre 10 circle are allowed to intercept the ball if they can. If not, they follow the ball into the box and press

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The team in possession must make 10 five passes in the box 15 10 10

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2 The player receiving the fifth pass must be looking in the direction he is going to play the ball. He then passes to the deepest player in the box he is facing LW LB The aim for the team in possession is to make looking in the direction that he is going to play five passes in the box before transferring the ball the ball, as shown [1b]. We want to see players to another box. We discourage square passes creating the space and finding the opportunity and encourage the players to play to the furthest10 to pass forward first time with purpose by using option safely. It is important the possession team clever movement and intelligent body shape. prepares its structure andM body shape to play first If the ball is switched across the centre, the two 15 time after the five passes. defenders in the centre circle can intercept. If they The player receiving the fifth pass should be fail, they follow the ball into the box and press. 9 “It is important the possession team prepares its structure and body shape to Mplay first time after the five passes” M

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10 M 9 1 10 10 4 10 M 10 M 10 RW VALERIEN ISMAEL 10 DIRECT ATTACKING PLAY WITH PURPOSE

BREAKOUT 5v3

We set up with a goal and a keeper at one10 end. We box. When one of the two red pressers wins the ball, mark out two 10x10-yard boxes over the halfway they quickly play forward with purpose to the striker. 15 line. We’re using 16 outfield players split into a blue One blue defender from the 4v2 recovers to help defending team of six and red attacking10 team of 10. his defenders, while 10the red number 10, the red left Four blue defenders start in one of the 10x10-yard winger and a red midfield player all join the attack, boxes, along with two red attackers. The red attacking making it 5v3 breakout, as shown [2a]. team are set up with a left winger, a left back, a The reds attack10 using creative link up play and try 2central midfielder and a number 10 around the outside to score, as shown [2b]. It is important the attacking 5 of the 10x10-yard box in their pitch positions. The red team’s forward players take up the correct tactical attacking team also has a striker and a right winger up positions. This enables a quick and direct transition. 15 the pitch, faced by two blue central defenders. The defending team should try to halt the attack. The blues start with the ball in the 10x10-yard box, We play until the attackers have shot and then reset. passing to keep possession with a 4v2 overload in the We play six minutes on each side of the pitch. 15

[2a] LW 4 The red number 10, LB the left winger and a midfield player all join the attack, making it a 5v3 counter-attack 1 10 The blues start 3 15 with the ball in M the 10x10-yard One blue defender box, passing 9 from the box to keep recovers to help his central defenders possession M with a 4v2 overload M

3 RW 6 10 2 15 When one of the two red pressers wins 10 the ball, they play a quality pass up the pitch to the striker 15

[2b] LB LW 1 The blue defending team should use their limited numbers to 10 try to force the attack 9 wide and away from M the goal 1 10 10 4 10 M 10 M

10 2 RW The reds must use creative link up play to attack 10 and try to score in the goal

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10 M 9 10 10 10 VALERIEN ISMAEL 1 4 DIRECT ATTACKING PLAY WITH PURPOSE M 10 M BREAKOUT 4v310 RW 10 [3a]

4 One defender can 3 The attacking team are 1 The coach break out of the supported by two team starts play box to recover mates from the 3v3, who by serving a and help his team can break out of the box ball into the mates defend to join the attack 3v3 box

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LB 2 The team that wins possession must make a purposeful pass out of the box to their forwards and launch a quick attack on the opposition goal

10 “The team that wins the ball must create the opportunity M to pass out of the box to their15 forwards”

We set up on a pitch with a goal and a keeper at each players. They do this by using clever movement and 9 end. We mark a 15x15-yard box on the wing either side intelligent body shape to make the space to play of the centre circle. We’re using 18 outfield players forward first time. The attacking team are supported M split into two teams of nine. Each team has three by two team mates from the 3v3, who can break players in a 3v3 in one of the boxes, plus two players out to join the attack. As with all the activities, the M at the end they are attacking and two players at the players’ focus and mentality must be to play forward end they are defending. Two players from each team fast. One defender can also break out of the box to also wait at the side for their turns to rotate in. recover and help defend, as shown [3a]. 3 10 RW 6 The coach starts by serving a ball into the 3v3 Once the ball has been played out of the box, the box. The team that wins the ball must create the 15team has just 10 seconds to score, so they must use opportunity to pass out of the box to their attacking quick and creative combination play. 10 15 1313 LB LW

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VALERIEN ISMAEL DIRECT ATTACKING PLAY WITH PURPOSE 2 10 5 If the ball is won by defenders or if the keeper will then look to counter-press and stop the saves, the defending team has one chance to transition. Once the attack is dead, the two transition the other way quickly. They should 15breakout attackers are replaced in the 3v3 box be looking to hit the furthest free player safely by the team’s two waiting players, while the and then look to score in the opposite goal. It defending team replace their one breakout player, is important the forward players are positioned as shown [3b]. We then reset and play again. We correctly for this to be effective. Their opponents play six minutes15 on each side of the pitch.

3 Once the attack is dead, the 4 The defending team two breakout attackers are replace their one [3b] replaced in the 3v3 box by the breakout player and LW team’s two waiting players reset to play again LB

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1 Once the ball has been 2 If the ball is won by defenders or played out of the box, the keeper makes a save, they must the team has just 10 quickly transition the other way, seconds to score hitting the furthest free player and trying to score in the opposite goal

COACHING POINTS What are the typical mistakes players might What are the key things to look out for? make and how do I avoid them? We pay attention to body language and the overall Common mistakes can be, for example, the lack behaviour of the team on the pitch. The players of intensity of an individual, which then has an have a high degree of personal responsibility and immediate effect on the entire team. Of course, pass this on internally in coaching sessions. because of this, the walking routes for players are Our attackers always have to be vigilant, attack difficult at the beginning, but this is then clarified high and exert constant pressure. in a one-on-one conversation.

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