Tools, Tips & Techniques Under 4s - Under 16s Supply lines Playing good balls up to the front players is vital if you Win the midfield, win the game want to give your team the chance to score goals and win games. That’s the job of the midfield, says David Clarke In the Champions League Round of 16, Jose Mourinho brought his Inter Milan side to face Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea in London. Leading 2-1 from the first leg in Milan, everyone expected to see a defensive Inter, but instead Mourinho named three forwards in his team. Close behind he played a midfield trio including Wesley Sneijder, whose job it was to play good passes into the attackers. Start with a 2v1 keep away warm-up. Ancelotti’s team couldn’t win the midfield battle. The Inter midfield was stronger in winning possession and provided a crucial link between the centre-backs and the fullbacks creating a potent weapon. This was the driving force behind Inter’s victory. 10 yds Get your midfield to win possession and use it to create goal scoring opportunities for your attackers with this session: 15 yds Warm-up l Start with a 2v1 warm-up where the team of two must keep the ball from the lone player. If the lone player wins the ball the per- 15 yds son they win it off becomes the lone player. Play for 5 minutes. Small-sided game l Set up an area 50x20 yards, split into four zones. l The middle two zones have three players from one team – the 10 yds midfield – and one player from the other team. l The end zones have an attacker. l Players must stay in their zones, they cannot move out. 20 yds l The game starts with you throwing a ball into the middle. When The midfield must create a chance to pass the ball the ball goes out of play it restarts with the goalkeepers who have to the attacker . to try and get it to their midfielders. No throw-ins or corners. l Teams must get the ball to the attacker via the lone player in the shot pass middle zone or by long passes. “We knew that if you don’t control the game by having the ball you have no chance” Jose Mourinho, Inter Milan.