www.elitesoccercoaching.net ISSUE 1 NEW! SoccerCoaChing praCtiCes from english football league managers and CoaChes tottenham hotspur HARRY REDKNAPP ENCOURAGING CREATIVITY in traiNiNg and on matCh Day Exclusive training practices In partnershIp wIth from top professional managers millwall mK dons Crewe alexandra luton town stevenage KENNY KARL DARIO DAN JIMMY JaCKETT ROBINSON GRADI WALDER GILLIGAN Perfect Counter- Defensive Pole to pole Switching wing play attacking plays progressions vision forward focus In partnershIp wIth Elite Soccer is published by: issue 09 APRiL 2011: FROM THE CHAIRMAN Green Star Media Ltd Meadow View, Tannery Lane t op training sessions from the 03 Guildford, Surrey, Harry Redknapp GU5 0AB, UK cream of the english game t ottenhaM hotspur Tel: +44 (0) 1483 892 894 Fax: +44 (0) 1483 894 148 Encouraging Email: Dear Coach, [email protected] creativity Publisher: Kevin Barrow Welcome to the April issue of Elite Editor: Soccer. This month, we’re delighted to James Evans present an exclusive coaching session 06 Contributing Editor: from Tottenham Hotspur manager Matthew Amos, LMA Kenny Jackett Design: Harry Redknapp. The Spurs boss Millwall Jimmy Egerton has provided his side with incredible Illustrator: Pure wing Richard Palmer success in the Champions League Customer Services: and Premier League this season, and has come up with a play Duncan Heard really interesting session focused on creative play. Operations Director: Toby Curthoys Our contribution from the npower Championship comes Managing Director: courtesy of Millwall first-team coach Kenny Jackett, who 07 Andrew Griffiths offers a training session which is great for coaches looking Karl Robinson p hotos: action Images to utilise wingers to dynamic effect. In addition, MK Dons’ MK Dons Published in partnership with: Karl Robinson offers his thoughts on controlled counter- Counter- attacking, while Crewe Alexandra boss Dario Gradi uses the attacking experience gained in taking charge of over 1,000 first-team plays League Managers matches, to produce a really interesting session dealing Association with defensive progressions. The Camkin Suite, 1 Pegasus House, Also included are additional coaching sessions from 10 Tachbrook Park, Warwick, Stevenage’s Jimmy Gilligan and Luton Town’s Dan Walder, Dario Gradi CV34 6LW, UK Crewe Tel: +44 (0)1926 831 556 who look at switching forward focus and pole to pole vision alexanDra Email: [email protected] respectively. Defensive President: At the end of the magazine, we have a new feature which Fabio Capello progression Chairman: looks at the key managerial achievements over the course Howard Wilkinson of the past month, plus our profiled sports coaching book. Chief Executive: Richard Bevan I hope you’ll find all our offerings of real value and we look 12 forward to bringing you more material next month. Dan Walder This publication is protected l uton town by national and international copyright laws. Elite Soccer will Pole to pole take legal action against any individuals or organisations vision found to be infringing our rights, and will make that action public. Elite Soccer members who have purchased this report may Howard Wilkinson, LMA Chairman circulate electronic or hard copies to members of their own club or school, provided this is 14 done without commercial gain. Elite Soccer is a monthly publication However, no part or whole of Jimmy Gilligan this report may be circulated for professional, semi-professional s tevenage elsewhere or displayed on any website or distributed Switching commercially except under and aspiring soccer coaches and is licence from the copyright owners. available by subscription only. forward © Green Star Media Ltd. All rights focus reserved £97 for 12 issues. 16 BOOKED To subscribe email Elite sports book review [email protected] 18 MANAGEMENT or call on +44 (0) 1483 892 894 MATTERS Our review of the past month 2 APRIL 2011 www.elitesoccercoaching.net IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR Harry ENCOURAGING CREATIVITY: MAIN SESSION Redknapp SET-UP Encouraging AREA creativity 30x20 yards Overview: EQUIPMENT Balls, goals (full size) This is an all-action NUMBER OF PLAYERS session that brings together fi tness and 12 plus 2 keepers technique in a fast- What do I get the paced competitive players to do? game. It relies on 1 individual skill and Having divided players good teamwork. It in two teams, and with encourages shots a goal placed at each at goal and must be end of the playing area, played at Premier we begin by playing In a 2v2, the white team 2v2 in the middle. One KEY combines before scoring League pace – in Ball movement in the goal other words, at a high keeper starts with the Player movement tempo. ball, playing out to his Dribble We play this intensive team. Players must game every Tuesday if combine, making short we have no midweek and precise passing match as it acts as a patterns before brilliant maintenance attempting to score in session, using up the far goal. We try to to 14 players in the create a very intensive exercise. game, with coaches positioned at each end In the session, we so as to immediately constantly encourage get a ball back in play 2 creative players such should it go dead. We as Gareth Bale, Luka play for two minutes; Modric and Rafael each team of two is van der Vaart to shoot replaced by two new at goal when they players. create half a yard for We enhance the move KEY Using one touch, a white Ball themselves. It’s great movement team mate on the fl ank by placing additional Player for fi tness - hence why movement adds to the attacking we do it early in the team members Dribble options week – and for team around the side of the spirit too, because it pitch, up to a maximum builds camaraderie of four players per and the will to win. I team. Now, players have used this at every involved in a 2v2 can club I’ve managed. combine with those on the touchline to create more elaborate passing angles and options, though these peripheral players can 3 only play using one touch. Players again swap after two minutes with each individual 2v2 The teams are rotated KEY score contributing to Ball at regular two-minute movement Player intervals an overall head-to- movement head score, something Dribble that makes this 3 APRIL 2011 www.elitesoccercoaching.net IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ENCOURAGING CREATIVITY: PROGRESSION session very competitive for players. Each player will usually play four or fi ve games with the total session lasting 30 minutes. What are the key things to look for technically/ tactically? For strikers this is a quick and reactive game. We are 4 looking for them to fi nd an angle to shoot, and to immediately dispatch a shot whenever they can. We have times throughout the season where frontmen hesitate In a 1v1, players must KEY show excellent dribbling when in shooting positions, Ball movement skills and a sharp eye for Player so this session is great movement goal practice to get them back into Dribble the mindset of getting shots off early. Players must construct quick passing moves, always willing to break forward. They must be looking to create overloads and overlaps, whilst staying aware of their defensive duties should a forward move break down. 5 Precision is key because there is no room for error. “Precision Making a mistake often leads to a goal in this game, just as it is key does in the Premier League. With 3v3, good player KEY because How do I progress the Ball movement is used movement session? Player to create space and there is movement shooting opportunities We progress the session by Dribble no room varying playing numbers, for error. starting at fi rst with a 1v1. This is very hard work but our Making a players enjoy the challenge. mistake The fact the exercise offers plenty of touches of the ball often makes it extremely game- leads to relevant. As a fi nal progression, we a goal play 3v3 with an emphasis in this on creating 2v1 situations 6 by using overlaps. Too often game, in today’s game players just as rely on their ability to beat opponents. But if a footballer it does can make something happen When a ball goes dead, a KEY new one is immediately Ball in the with movement in a 3v3, it movement served so as to maintain a Player adds another string to his movement high tempo Dribble Premier bow. League.” 4 APRIL 2011 www.elitesoccercoaching.net IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ENCOURAGING CREATIVITY: AC MILAN V SPURS, PETER CROUCH’S GOAL Feb 15, 2011Champions League, round of 16, San Siro Peter Crouch’s winning goal in the San Siro against AC Milan was a perfect example of this session. SANDRO Harry We broke quickly to create a 2v2 scenario LENNON Redknapp where Aaron Lennon beat his man IBRAHIMOVIC TOTTENHAM before squaring the ball to Crouch HOTSPUR MODRIC who fi nished well. As a tough-tackling midfi elder, Harry YEPES CROUCH ABATE Redknapp was on the books with West Ham Phase 1 NESTA United and Bournemouth, and enjoyed a spell in the US with Seattle Sounders. Ibrahimovic’s pass is But it is as a manager intercepted by Sandro. that the 64-year-old is He feeds Modric, who has KEY Lennon overlapping to his best known, having cut Ball movement right his teeth in the dugout at Player movement Bournemouth in 1983. Dribble After masterminding a famous FA Cup win over Manchester United, as well as promotion from the old Third Division, he quit the game for two years before reemerging at West Ham United. There, he helped bring through a wealth of future England talent, Phase 2 including Rio Ferdinand, Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson.