Jan 2017 Elite Soccer.pdf

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

JANUARY 2017

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

SOCCER Exclusive om top Training practicesafr ers professional man g

CHRIS COLEMAN WORLD CUP MATCH ROUTINE WALES

RANGERS

STEVENAGE

BURNLEY

LMA AMBASSADOR

LMA AMBASSADOR

MARK WARBURTON Deliveries from wide areas

DARREN SARLL Forward runs from midfield

TONY LOUGHLAN Build up vs counter

DAVID OLDFIELD Attackingplay‘lockout’mentality

MANUEL PELLEGRINI Deadly transitions

EXTRA-TIME INTERVIEW: WITH EXETER CITY MANAGER PAUL TISDALE

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Elite Soccer is published by:

Green Star Media Ltd Meadow View, Tannery Lane Guildford, Surrey, GU5 0AB, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1483 892 894 Fax: +44 (0) 1483 894 148 Email: [email protected] Editor: James Evans Contributing Editor: Mark Farthing Illustrator: Richard Palmer Customer Services: Duncan Heard Managing Director: Andrew Griffiths Photos: Action Images

Publishedinpartnershipwith:

League Managers Association St George’s Park National Football Centre Newborough Road Needwood Burton upon Trent DE13 9PD Tel: +44 (0)1283 576350 Email: [email protected] Chairman: Howard Wilkinson Chief Executive: Richard Bevan This publication is protected by national and international copyright laws. Elite Soccer will take legal action against any individuals or organisations found to be infringing our rights, and will make that action public. Elite Soccer members who have purchased this report may circulate electronic or hard copies to members of their own club or school, provided this is done without commercial gain. However, no part or whole of this report may be circulated elsewhere or displayed on any website or distributed commercially except under licence from the copyright owners. © Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved

2 JANUARY 2017

ISSUE 78/JANUARY 2017: FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Inspiring and versatile soccer practices from the game’s best names Dear Coach, Welcome to the January issue of Elite Soccer. Firstly, a Happy New Year, and may 2017 be successful for both you and your team. Certainly, if there’s ever a time to distract players’ minds from freezing temperatures and hard training pitches, it’s by putting in front of them original sessions that will engage and excite. And that’s exactly what we have in the new issue of Elite Soccer, with our cover manager Chris Coleman offering a brilliant practice in which he explains how the Wales national team prepared for an important World Cup qualifying match last year. Moving on to our other contributors, Rangers manager Mark Warburton outlines a session that looks at deliveries from wide areas, while Stevenage boss Darren Sarll presents a practice that focuses on forward runs from midfield. From the coaching team at Premier League side Burnley, Tony Loughlan highlights the differences between build-up and counter-attacking play, while LMA Ambassador David Oldfield looks at attacking play with the focus on a ‘lock out’ mentality. Finally, from the archives, we’ve reworked a great session by Manuel Pellegrini that presents the power of deadly transitions in modern football. As always, we hope you and your players enjoy what’s on offer, and we’ll see you again next month.Yours, in soccer,

5

CHRIS COLEMAN WALES

World cup match routine

8

MARK WARBURTON RANGERS

Deliveries from wide areas

12

DARREN SARLL STEVENAGE

Forward runs from midfield

15

TONY LOUGHLAN BURNLEY

Build up vs counter

17

DAVID OLDFIELD LMA AMBASSADOR

Howard Wilkinson, LMA Chairman

Elite Soccer is a monthly publication for professional, semi-professional and aspiring soccer coaches and is available by subscription only. To subscribe email [email protected] or call on +44 (0) 1483 892 894

Attacking play –‘lock out’ mentality

19

MANUEL PELLEGRINI

LMA AMBASSADOR

Deadly transitions

21 EXTRA-TIME: ... with Paul Tisdale www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

MANAGER PROFILES ELITE SOCCER JANUARY 2017

Here are the six managers andcoaches we’re delighted to welcome into this issue of Elite Soccer

CHRIS COLEMAN

MARK WARBURTON

Chris Coleman was confirmed as manager of Wales in January 2012, becoming the country’s 12th permanent manager. He had previously managed in the Premier League, Championship and La Liga, following an impressive playing career in which he starred for Swansea City, Crystal Palace, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham, amassing cumulative transfer fees of over £5million. Coleman also earned 32 caps for Wales, but it was a career ultimately cut short through injury and he was forced to retire from playing duties at the age of 32. Coleman then became a coach at Fulham under Jean Tigana, and after a spell as caretaker manager in April 2003 he was appointed on a permanent basis in May. This resulted in Coleman becoming the youngest manager in the Barclays Premier League. Coleman was hugely impressive during his first managerial role as Fulham finished 9th in the 2003/04 season, 13th in 2004/05 and 12th in 2005/06, before he accepted the invitation to become Real Sociedad manager in June 2007 after being recommended by John Toshack. He departed Sociedad six months later, leaving the side in fifth place in the league, and returned to England to become Coventry City manager, leading the club to an FA Cup quarter-final that year. Before joining the FAW, Coleman briefly took charge at Greek side Larissa, but in November 2011 joined the Wales national team set-up, tasked with building on the excellent foundations put in place by his predecessor Gary Speed. Coleman soon began to work his magic, and a first win arrived in October 2012 as Scotland were defeated 2-1. He continued to develop the young squad, and Wales’ form in the 2016 European Championship qualifiers was excellent, as they made it to the finals of a major tournament for the first time since 1958. At the Euros, Wales surpassed all expectations by reaching the semi-finals. They lost to eventual champions Portugal, but defeated Slovakia, Russia, Northern Ireland and Belgium en route to the last four to win admirers the world over. His achievements with Wales have led to Coleman being awarded the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year ‘Coach of the Year’ award, a place on the FIFA World Coach of the Year Shortlist of 10, and the award of the OBE in the New Year’s honours list.

Mark Warburton joined Brentford as Sporting Director in 2011, having worked as Academy Manager at Watford and launched the NextGen Series, an Under-19 European club cup competition. He stepped into the managerial hotseat at Griffin Park in December 2013, and within four months the club were on the cusp of promotion to the Championship for the first time in 22 years, with the Bees promptly securing their return with a 1-0 win over Preston North End. In June 2015 he joined Rangers, returning the Glasgow giants to the Scottish Premiership at the first time of asking as they look to reestablish themselves as both a domestic and European heavyweight.

WALES

3 JANUARY 2017

RANGERS

DARREN SARLL

academy in 2001, moving on to Sunderland, then Ipswich Town as assistant manager. He then arrived at Watford to link up with Sean Dyche, a former team-mate at Nottingham Forest, before linking up again with Dyche as first-team coach at present club Burnley.

DAVID OLDFIELD LMA AMBASSADOR

After a long playing career in which he made almost 600 senior appearances, David Oldfield moved into coaching as reserve team manager at Peterborough United in 2008. A Development Coach role followed at West Bromwich Albion before spells at MK Dons and Burton Albion. He was most recently working under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink at QPR.

MANUEL PELLEGRINI LMA AMBASSADOR

Chilean Manuel Pellegrini STEVENAGE enjoyed a successful three Darren Sarll progressed years in charge of Manchester through the ranks at City, leading the club to the Stevenage – from coaching Barclays Premier League title Under-16s, to the Centre of Excellence, the Under-18s and in 2013/14 and the League Cup then reserve team manager – in 2013/14 and 2015/16. before departing for Brentford He joined City with a wealth in June 2008 where he worked of managerial experience accumulated in both South as Youth Team Manager. He America and Europe, moved to Rotherham United before returning to Stevenage accumulating numerous honours with River Plate, at the start of the 2012/13 Villarreal and Real Madrid, as season, progressing to well as Malaga, for whom he become first-team manager clinched a fourth-placed finish in 2016. in La Liga, securing the club Champions League football for the first time in their BURNLEY history. He is now manager After a playing career cut of Hebei China Fortune in the short by injury, Tony began coaching with Leicester City’s Chinese Super League.

TONY LOUGHLAN

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

MANAGEMENT MATTERS

MANAGER OF THE MONTH AWARDS

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte was named Manager of the Month for November after the Blues emerged as title favourites by storming to the top of the Barclays Premier League. Conte has worked his magic at Stamford Bridge in only a few short months, and the west London club strode past Everton, Middlesbrough and Tottenham Hotspur in November to go clear at the top. This formed the start of a winning sequence that was to extend all the way through to 2017, and at the time of writing, Chelsea had won 13 straight league matches, a club record.

In English football’s second tier, Derby County manager Steve McClaren took the award after the Rams won all three of their league matches during the month. A 3-2 away victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers kicked things off, and they built on that success by seeing off Rotherham United and promotion rivals Norwich City at the iPro Stadium. P3 W3 D0 L0

In Sky Bet League One, Graham Alexander scooped the divisional award as his Scunthorpe United side cemented their tag as title favourites after three wins and a draw during the month. The Iron defeated Coventry City and Oldham Athletic by a single-goal margin before winning 2-0 at Peterborough United. They completed their monthly fixtures with a 1-1 home draw against Oxford United.

And finally into Sky Bet League Two, where Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth saw his team win all four of their league matches. The Chairboys made a slow start to the campaign, but have picked up momentum in the second part of the season, and Morecambe, Cambridge United, Newport County and Hartlepool United were no match for them during November, as the club moved into the play-off picture.

P4 W3 D1 L0

P4 W4 D0 L0

P3 W3 D0 L0 (LEAGUE ONLY)

CAREERPATH ...with Shaun Derry, manager of Sky Bet League Two side Cambridge United Cambridge United are one of the form sides in the division – it must be good to be back and successful in League Two. Yes the club suffered for a few years in the Conference and I think there is still relief around the Abbey Stadium that we are back as a Football League club. In football you don’t have any right to play at a certain level, it has to be earned, but you look at what we have around us and the city as a whole, and this really should be a Football League club. Although you weren’t at the club in the Conference, has the transition back to the Football League been an easy one? 4 JANUARY 2017

Yes I think the club is very comfortable at this level, and that’s certainly something we are proving on the pitch this season. It can sometimes be easy to overanalyse what division you play at and the demands of the game, but this club were full-time in the Conference and it’s the same thing now. Clearly there is a step up in quality, but not to the point where it becomes difficult to compete, so day to day you get on with training hard and winning football matches. You had a slow start to the season but things are really moving forward now. What has changed? I think you have to give players time to adapt to new training ideas, and this is something I am always saying to up and coming coaches. There will be a point where something just clicks, and there’s no better feeling than that, both as a player and a coach.

In terms of our current run, I am a big fan of momentum, and when you’ve got it on your side it can be something that’s difficult to stop. I know my players well and know what they can achieve if they keep their feet on the ground this season and do the simple things well. We’re very keen to protect against overconfidence or complacency, and I don’t think this is a group who will go down that route, so if we can keep things sensible then there could be even more joy for our fantastic supporters at the end of this season.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

WALES

Chris Coleman World Cup match routine SET-UP AREA

Warm-up dynamics (5mins) 2 They mix high-intensity runs with simple jogs

1

Up to 55x45 yards EQUIPMENT

Balls, cones, goals, hurdles NUMBER OF PLAYERS

Full squad

1 Players work up and down

SESSION TIME

60mins

Overview:

Wales v Moldova

This session looks at the preparation we undertook for our FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifier against Moldova in September 2016, and the way we went about our task in the lead-up to that game. It was a game in which we were specifically looking to play with a different shape: namely a back three, single holding midfielder, two wing-backs, two attacking midfielders and two strikers. The reason for this was because we knew we had to be more offensive in our approach, and that made the build-up to the game unique – a challenge for both me and my players in attempting to gain a clear picture of our attacking options, and to define player roles and responsibilities. What do I get the players to do? When setting this up, we only had seven outfielders for the opposition, so got those players to set up in what we expected Moldova to play with – namely a back four, two holding midfielders and a no.10. The set-up was half a pitch with the ball being played in to our back three on the halfway line, and then building up attackers from there. We expected Moldova to play a low block against us, so a large emphasis was put on getting the ball out into wide areas and then attacking subsequent crosses.

5 JANUARY 2017

3 Returning to the start they begin the practice again

Technical (4x2mins) 2 After making a pass they follow their runs

2

1 Players pass clockwise around either of the two areas

3 Players should alternate between the short and long passing areas

Speed prep (4x4 reps)

3

Players work their way through four different courses, combining speed with agility in negotiating a path around and through the obstacles

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

CHRIS COLEMAN: WORLD CUP MATCH ROUTINE Attack vs Defence (10v7 + keepers) The opposition is set up 4-2-1 1 The ball starts centrally

4

2 It is worked through opponents and into the wide areas

Warm-up practices Before that main practice, we embarked on a series of warm-ups, as shown. Obviously, these were aimed at mixing low-volume and low-intensity movement and structure: • Warm-up dynamics (5mins) (1) • Technical (4x2mins) (2) • Speed prep (4x4 reps) (3) Once these practices were complete we were to move into Tactical Attack vs Defence (10v7 + keepers) practice (4).

6 JANUARY 2017

How do I progress the practice? There is of course a natural progression to this, which is setting up against a full 11 opponents, something we would have done if we’d had the bodies available. Clearly, the sensible progression here is 11v11, with the consideration too of playing in a small area in order to reinforce the key principles. What are the key things to look out for? The key thing is to get bodies forward to support the front two, with this approach coming from the two attacking midfielders and two wing-backs. Equally vital is people getting into wide areas and delivering quality

3 The premise is for quick crosses into the box, which must be attacked by the two strikers and winger from the opposite side

crosses with bodies attacking the cross with positivity and power. In addition, we want to ensure the holding midfielder doesn’t get drawn forward as he is the insurance policy, and also the pivot player switches play. It is hard to play through or over the low block so we have to keep the faith in going wide. How do I put this into a game situation? We would generally do this in a 55x45-yard space, but would have to be accepting of the reduced pitch width and its impact on the types of crosses coming in.

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

“We knew we had to be more offensive in our approach, and that made the build-up to the game unique – a challenge for both me and my players in attempting to gain a clear picture of our attacking options, and to define player roles and responsibilities.”

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

CHRIS COLEMAN: WORLD CUP MATCH ROUTINE

Wales 4 Moldova 0

FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifier Cardiff City Stadium, Wales Monday, September 5, 2016

3 King makes a short pass to Gareth Bale on the right flank

2 The ball is fed into Andy King

1 There is a period of neat interplay on the right flank

4 Bale’s precise cross is attacked by Sam Vokes, who heads past the Moldovan keeper to give Wales the lead

7 JANUARY 2017

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

RANGERS

Mark Warburton Deliveries from wide areas

4 Attackers now aim to score from the crossed delivery

1

SET-UP

3 The two strikers attack near and far posts, ensuring good timing and quality of movement

AREA

Use of a half-pitch EQUIPMENT

Balls, cones, goals, mannequins NUMBER OF PLAYERS

Full squad SESSION TIME

60mins

Overview: The focus of this session is on combination play that results in a crossed delivery from a specific wide area. At Rangers, we play with attacking full-backs and like to work the ball into wider positions from which we can deliver quality crosses into the area. The first ‘pattern of play’ allows us to place players in their specific positional areas, and permits us to rehearse relevant movements and variety of pass, whilst also working both left and right flanks. This type of session allows the practice of key movements that we always seek to incorporate, but also strongly encourages players to express themselves by working on timing and variety of runs, creation of space and the seeking of an ‘end product’, for instance an attempt on goal. This type of pattern of play will be practised at least once per week and almost always the day before a game, as we seek to reinforce key movements and rotations. We can amend the session to ‘tie in’ with our opposition analysis, so for example if we feel forward runs from our midfield players can be effective then we’ll add progressions to the practice which incorporate such movements. In everything we do, players need to see relevance in the work, recognising the importance of appropriate practice. What do I get the players to do? Half-pitch practice (30mins incl. progressions) In this practice (1), I have allowed for a squad of 20 players including two keepers. Balls start with the two centre-halves, thus allowing 8 JANUARY 2017

2 The wide player sets the ball to the attacking midfielder who passes into space for the overlapping full-back to attack

1 In the first example above, the centre-halves combine to allow a pass into the feet of the wide player who is working in off the flank, thus creating space for the full-back

2

3 The wide player then times his movement to work inside off the flank to receive and pass into the overlapping full-back

4 In the next phase, the next pair of forwards time their movement, looking to focus on the quality of the end product

2 He supplies the midfielder, first time

1 The first pass from the centre-half is now played to the full-back

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

MARK WARBURTON: DELIVERIES FROM WIDE AREAS them relevant practice in terms of the type of passes they will seek to deliver. The attacking players work in pairs on the edge of the area, and their involvement in terms of combination and link-up play will increase as the drill progresses. The high midfield players (the no.8 and no.10) work off the two central mannequins, while the full-backs and wide players operate on their respective flanks. We alternate sides, both for foot and technique variation, but also as a way of allowing players time to recover their positions.

3

Half-pitch practice – first progression In this first progression, as shown (2), the set-up here is designed to allow the coach to emphasise timing of movement. The wide player reacts to drag in his respective ‘marker’, thus allowing space for the full-back to work in. What are the key things to look out for? Attention to detail is of paramount importance. If the first pass from the centre-half is poor the entire pattern of play will break down. Therefore, we want players to consider seriously what type of pass the centre-half plays, where the receiving player wants to meet the ball, how good the communication is, and more.

3 The striker and his partner again react to fill key areas to receive the crossed delivery

2 As the ball is passed to the forward, the high midfielder works off his mannequin to create space to receive and pass the ball into the forward running wide player

1 The centre-half again plays to the full-back, but now the centre-forward works an angle to receive, looking to time movement to create that space to bring in the ball

4 A cross into the box is attacked

4

Half-pitch practice – further progressions In the progressions that follow, we will seek to include the strikers more proactively, as shown (3/4). What are the key things to look out for? The focus here is on detail. We need to make sure the wide player does not move too early, thus running into offside position. Timing of movement is constantly focused on with a clear understanding and recognition of the need to both create and maximise space, and as with all practices, seek to ensure a positive ‘end product’, so with that in mind we must also ensure the 9 JANUARY 2017

2 Instead of moving forward, a backward pass to the starting centre-back pulls movement back for a direct ball into the striker

1 Here, centre-halves combine before a ball in to the defensive midfielder

3 Now, the defensive midfielder becomes an attacking outlet, playing a straight pass forward for the overlapping full-back KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

MARK WARBURTON: DELIVERIES FROM WIDE AREAS weight of pass from the midfield 5 player is appropriate, and that the reactions of the striker following his first ‘set’ is explosive into the penalty area. Also, players must ensure they are working at relevant match pace. Yes, specific coaching points can be highlighted and play slowed to allow ‘learning’, but it is important, especially at first-team level, to have match intensity in all movements. And as discussed already, the quality of passing throughout is also of key importance, as you would expect, be that pass choice, weight of pass, angle, quality of ‘soft’ or ‘hard’ touch or something else. If we have a smaller group, we can work one flank at a time, and can set this up to have a wide player In Penalty boxes practice, wide players are unopposed in order to give them the freedom to find space and deliver crosses into the box from the opposite flank attack the far post. We can seek to add one 2 The resulting cross is or two defenders to defend the attacked by the three attackers 6 crossed delivery, thus allowing the coach to work on both offensive and defensive aspects if his contact time with the players is limited. If detail needs to be worked on or a specific movement improved, we might choose to regress into a relevant passing drill to ensure the movement is both emphasised and recognised. There are some mistakes we need to make sure we eradicate. These include poor decision- making over choice of pass, poor timing of movement, failure to work off the mannequin and create space, a poor final cross, poor striker movement across the front post, poor communication, or poor tempo and intensity. All of the above demand 1 The keeper plays out to his defender. concentration and focus. The A direct attacking pass is made to the coach must emphasise the key left flank requirements, but this is supported by the players’ appreciation of the played in normal conditions, as respective wide channels, and for practice demands. shown (6) , with the exception of wide the first part of the drill they are unopposed, with no-one permitted players being unopposed. These to enter that area. wide players are on a maximum Penalty boxes practice three-touch and must deliver the (30mins incl. progressions) Both teams play 4v3 in their cross or pass within three seconds. respective defensive areas, and This next set-up is on a 54x36-yard To emphasise the game focus, we no players can change area at the area, with two penalty box-sized often award two points when a goal outset of the game. The keeper areas and two wide channels can release to a defender, to a wide is scored from a crossed delivery. measuring five yards wide, as shown (5). We have two wide players player or straight into one of his strikers, and the game must be from both teams occupying their 10 JANUARY 2017

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

MARK WARBURTON: DELIVERIES FROM WIDE AREAS Penalty boxes practice – first progression The first progression, as shown(7), allows the opposite wide player to attack the far post thus creating a 4v4 situation. Very often, the opposite wide player can approach late and not be marked, thus allowing central striking players to make runs, dragging defenders with them and creating space. If the drill breaks down and possession is lost, the wide player must revert to his channel area. If we want to highlight role rotation, we can state that ‘a player’ must fill the wide channel, but not necessarily the initial wide player if someone is closer to that position and can come in to replace him. Penalty boxes practice – further progressions In the next progression, one of the four defending players joins the attack to again create a 4v4 situation. This does not mean a defender and the opposite wide player both go, rather one or the other, again encouraging good decision-making and communication. The third progression sees one of the defenders ‘overlap’ their wide player to deliver a cross, as shown (8). This demands that the wide player then drops in to become a defender to maintain team shape. How do I put this into a game situation? The drill can be finished by removing the inner channel markers and allowing a 9v9 game situation within the area, with the focus very much on creating space wide for crossed deliveries. What are the key things to look out for? As with our first pattern of play practice, we focus on timing of movement, creation of space, ‘fast’ passing and a desire for crossed deliveries. As always, we seek an end product to the build-up play. The session can be progressed by limiting touches to two or three per player, and again we look for positive decision-making by the player in possession, with the idea 11 JANUARY 2017

3 Space therefore opens up for the opportunity to score

7

2 His late arrival means defenders are already engaged in tracking and marking the designated attackers

8

1 The opposite wide player attacks the far post to create a 4v4 situation

1 Now a defender moves forward to support the attack on the overlap

2 In this instance the defender counts as the extra man, meaning the wide man stays in place for the cross

3 This wide player must now provide compensating defensive cover for his team mate who is out of position

to take care of the ball at all times, maintaining focus and concentration and recognising the aims of the practice. Weight of pass, choice of release, levels of communication and eye contact are all vital to the overall success. Add into that timing and variety of movement – which are always of paramount importance –and it’s clear we are seeking to create and then maximise space to allow for crossed deliveries.

In terms of typical mistakes, players often lose sight of the fact that any such drill is an ‘aspect’ of our game. We should not forget that if a scoring opportunity becomes available, we take it, as opposed to unnaturally passing the ball wide. However, the coach must constantly emphasise the session aims and ‘steer’ the flow of play to achieving said targets.

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

STEVENAGE

Darren Sarll Encouraging forward runs from midfield SET-UP AREA

Use of a full pitch EQUIPMENT

Balls, cones, goals NUMBER OF PLAYERS

Up to 11v11 SESSION TIME

Overview: This session is designed to highlight and encourage players to run from midfield into advanced areas. The process and logical steps the session undertakes are motivating in themselves, with possession practices, small-sided games and finishing all common favourites in every dressing

room. However, the hidden principles contained here for coaches are the technical, tactical and, most importantly, physical aspects that are there to be implemented. I am not an advocate of nondirectional possession so I like to run this as often as possible, as there is a defined link between development

and production on a match day. And each time we play this out I will add layers, though with a constant awareness of the physical demands of the session and the reality that players must have time to recover before match day.

90mins

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

1

40 1 Reds have possession

2 They use the forward in completing four passes

40 3 The ball is played right to the target man and a point is scored

What do I get the players to do? 8v8 practice After an initial warm-up, we will go into the practice to ensure players are physically and mentally ready for the session. The first set-up takes the form of an 8v8 central practice (and 20 players in total) in a 40x40-yard area, as shown (1). We use forwards on top and bottom sides to create overloads – these are twotouch maximum, and the 12 JANUARY 2017

in dragging the opposition towards the ball. Once four passes have been completed (or in game situations, the opposition have What are the key things to been ‘dragged in’), we must see players working off the look out for? target (or our centre-forward) We want team members to execute the space created. to play what they see early, creating quick angles around This lays the foundations by creating our passage the ball. Playing into the through the attacking area target player as quickly as and, ultimately, the space that possible once four passes leads our midfield players into are completed is essential. These passes engage players, making forward runs. not only on retention but also team in possession must complete four passes within their team before they score by feeding either target man.

“I am not an advocate of non-directional possession so I like to run this as often as possible, as there is a defined link between development and production on a match day.” www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

DARREN SARLL: ENCOURAGING FORWARD RUNS FROM MIDFIELD 8v8 practice plus goals To extend the initial practice we now make the main area a 40x30-yard space, but add on an 18-yard box at each left and right side, as shown (2). The conditions remain the same, with four passes required before a ball is played off either target man. This now moves the attack into an attempt at goal, with the 10v8 overload leading to a situation where any player from the team in possession can break out of the main area to finish one-touch (unopposed) against the keeper. If the player scores, his team retains the ball; if he fails to find the net the game restarts with the other team in possession. How do I progress the practice? As an initial progression, we will use the same practice and organisation, but give each team an end to defend and attack, making each target player a designated centre-forward for each team. What are the key things to look out for? We want to see in players a recognition of when and where to play into the target man. We’re also looking to isolate the timing and angle of the run when one solitary attacker breaks out of the main area. With this in mind, players need to think about who, when and how they break out, and it’s important that the quality of finish is there to enable the team to retain possession and not, in a match situation, be counter-attacked. This extension to the main session, and its subsequent coaching points, makes the practice more realistic before we go into the game scenarios, mostly because we are now using the target man as a designated centre-forward. We could even add in a second target man if it’s our intention to operate with two position-specific centreforwards. In terms of further progressions, we can add in a tracking defender to develop player runs off the target man, with the aim of looking at timing, disguise, angle and intent, 13 JANUARY 2017

2

2 One of the overloading forwards is used as a diversion with the ball played back inside

3 Quick passing sets the target player through on goal

18

30

18

40

1 Reds have possession

4 He finishes well past the keeper

1 In one of the progressions, reds again create a passing move

3

18

3 The forward is now acting as a winger

30

18

40

2 The attacking red moves into the box

4 A precise cross is well finished past the keeper

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

DARREN SARLL: ENCOURAGING FORWARD RUNS FROM MIDFIELD

4

1 In the final game situation, the move again starts in the middle section

2 Attackers successfully drag defenders away from the ball

4 Supporting players join and a goal is scored

with the player really wanting to break that line. He can now finish on any number of touches as he is pursued by a defender. We can also add a defender in each final third to make 1v1s and 2v2s in that area, can increase player numbers entering the final third (and have them tracked or untracked), and can even add forwards higher up the pitch in order to change the point of the attack (for example, from crosses, as shown (3)). In this instance, we might allow four passes to play off the target or allow the forward to cross, with midfield runners now joining off crosses as well. 14 JANUARY 2017

3 A pass is played in to the centre-forward

9v9 to 11v11 Now we will observe the topic in a game – in the example shown (4) it’s a 10v10. There are no conditions, just the principles highlighted in the previous practices. I like to start the game in the middle third in order to highlight ‘dragging’ the opposition in to then play off the centre-forward and join.

What are the key things to look out for? As a coach, it’s all about applying your system, principles and strategy to the tactical work, and in the event the focus of the practice is lost, I will intervene and condition appropriately. In conclusion, running from midfield is more an attitude than a tactic or strategy, and players have to want to get beyond the opposition, knowing they might only receive from one in five runs. However, the rewards for the individual and the team, when executed correctly, are massive.

“Players have to want to get beyond the opposition, knowing they might only receive from one in five runs. However, the rewards for the individual and the team, when executed correctly, are massive.”

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

1

BURNLEY

Tony Loughlan Build-up versus counter SET-UP AREA

Full pitch EQUIPMENT

1 The keeper starts the red build-up

2 Reds move the ball across the defence without moving forward or penetrating blue territory

ZONE 1

Balls, flat discs/cones, goals

3 The move finally progresses into the second zone

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

11v11 SESSION TIME

ZONE 2

24mins

Overview: This session is about counter-attacking versus build-up play, and changing player actions and instincts. When a group of players do this session for the first time, the build-up is always ‘overplayed’. The countering team must then look to be dynamic in the creation of end products. The session is great for player understanding, in terms of how ‘build-up’ can look like ‘counter’. Also, the session is great for tactical awareness – for instance, ‘build-up’ could turn into ‘keep ball’ if a team is 2-0 up and looking to draw the opposition out in exploiting a gap when opponents’ discipline breaks. We can put all sorts of scenarios into this game to bring out different outcomes. The session can be run anytime as it is a reminder to players to move the ball quickly, with forward runners and penetrating passes. It works very well if playing a counter or build-up team in our next game – we can set up in preparation for a specific challenge. For instance, when playing a build-up team that likes to play a lot through the thirds, we may choose to press and win the ball in certain areas. A counter team emphasis may be on high concentration and organisation when in possession, and we will also work on ‘countering the counter’, with the session versatile enough to allow the coach to fit it to his or the team’s needs. What do I get the players to do? Part One We play this on a full-pitch, 11v11 as shown (1). Team shapes can vary – the coaches decide – but we would work in a 4-4-1-1, either against the same formation or, if preparing for an upcoming game, a shape we expect the opposition to play, as discussed earlier. The build-up team must play through four zones and cannot miss out zones unless playing back. The counter team must produce an end product or shot, namely an attempt on goal in no more than six passes, as shown (2). After playing this for six minutes we will then swap team roles. Following this we will have a discussion about what has been done, asking players to explain what they’ve produced. The feedback usually for the build-up team is we are playing too many passes and inviting the press; and can we then pass with the purpose being to advance 15 JANUARY 2017

ZONE 3 4 Because of the slow nature of the buildup and the lack of direction, blues have been afforded the time to move in to press with the intention of a fast counter

ZONE 4

2 3 The pass is inaccurate and reds regain possession

ZONE 1

1 Blues successfully turn over possession

ZONE 2

ZONE 3 2 Short interplay sets up a long ball forward as they look to hit the reds quickly

ZONE 4

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

TONY LOUGHLAN: BUILD-UP VERSUS COUNTER 3 forward through the units. The counter team decide if they achieved success through pressing high or dropping off, inviting the opposition onto them - they may choose to use both strategies. We will then run the build-up versus counter again, switching team roles after six minutes. Outcome The outcome we are looking for is for players to realise whether the elements of the game require us to be playing build-up or counter. In addition, we are looking for forward passes, forward runners and a willingness to ‘risk’ the ball to penetrate the back of the opposition defences. A slick passing move with minimum touches passed through the zones can constitute as ‘buildup’, but has the traits of a counter-attack goal, with minimum passes and minimum time. The players will realise that their first attempt at build-up means achieving lots of passes but not necessarily progressing up the pitch, whilst being attacked at pace by a team conditioned to find an end product in a maximum of six passes. For us, the second time through build-up will always be more successful and will have the traits of the above, though build-up still has to be progressive (3). Similarly, the counter team should look less for a clichéd long pass, and respond more to building quickly with positive, fast passing (4).

1 Reds this time build with better directional awareness

ZONE 1 2 They successfully move the ball through the sections

ZONE 2 3 Although build-up is slow, the ball is worked into new areas and blues cannot close down quickly

ZONE 3

4 Reds move the ball to the flank

ZONE 4 5 A cross into the box is finished at the near post

4 A precise shot beats the keeper

How do I progress the session? An obvious progression here is to put the counter team 1-0 up, so they do not need to chase the game, thus they may choose to drop into their own half with no high press. The first time through, the score is 0-0 and the counter team can press high or drop. What are the key things to look out for? The players need to know the detail of effective, progressive build-up play, and how this can be achieved in three or four passes. From this, the points to consider include: • Receiving in position to play forward – passing forward moving up the pitch • Players playing in between the lines • Players making forward movements to ‘stretch’ and get in behind the defensive line • Quality of pass to ‘penetrate’ In terms of typical mistakes, when the session is first performed with a group of players, the build-up team might find they have made 10-15 passes but not progressed past the second zone. The term ‘build-up’ has been interpreted that you must have 20 passes to score a goal, when this is actually missing the point. The reality here is building through the zones, perhaps even in as few as three passes, but certainly as a unit that builds progressively rather than quickly, is the condition of the build-up team. 16 JANUARY 2017

4 3 It is worked back to the edge of the box

2 The ball is countered with a dribble forward rather than the assumption that a long ball must be played

ZONE 1

ZONE 2

1 In this alternative scenario, blues close down quicker in the second zone

ZONE 3

ZONE 4

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

LMA AMBASSADOR

David Oldfield Attacking team play with ‘lock-out’ mentality SET-UP AREA

Use of a full pitch EQUIPMENT

Overview: This session looks to improve attacking options and movement, utilising strong player mentality and concentration in trying to prevent counter-attacks. It is specific and engaging for the whole team - when the attacking team is in

possession of the ball, the practice will encourage quick play with an overload, as well as impressing on players the need to find opportunities both centrally and wide. It is specific to matches as it is a full 11v11 with a slight twist, versatile in match preparation or as a generic

session earlier in the week. It can be used to cover all of the four corner requirements – technical, tactical, physical and psychological – and with players in tight areas it can be social too (especially if competitive)!

Balls, cones, goals NUMBER OF PLAYERS

1 Blues move the ball out of defence

11v11 SESSION TIME

60mins

1 What do I get the players to do? The set-up of the session takes the form of an 11v11 on three quarters of a pitch – one goal as normal and the other placed 10 yards past the centre circle, with balls in both goals, as shown (1). The fact we use these player numbers means the practice is real and transferable into matches. The start position is with the coach, who serves the ball to various areas of the pitch, or instructs a normal restart (including from the keeper). The attacking team can move forward involving all 11 players, while the defending side has to leave both its forwards in the area past the halfway line and the end of the pitch, so restricting them to nine active defending players and a significant overload to play against. On transition, the team of nine can feed the ball into the forwards who can score unopposed by the other team’s centre-halves – it is only the covering full-backs who can tackle the forwards. Of course, the other potential defensive block is whereby a midfield defensive screen intercepts the pass into the lone forwards (2), but if both of these plans fail then it is only the keeper who can prevent a goal from that transition. What are the key things to look out for? In an attacking sense, we are looking for movement off the ball, notably timing of runs and 17 JANUARY 2017

2 The two red attackers must stay in the attacking area 3 Blues build with quick, intelligent passing structure

5 The advancing midfielder breaks into the box

willingness to both run in behind or receive to feet. We also want to look at players’ decision-making, so whether they pass with penetration or patience. The passing itself should be of a good tempo, or a probing nature, and with an awareness of potential switches; while we also want to see crosses and movement in the box, shots, headers and rebounds.

4 Awareness of the break sets the blue winger free on the left-hand side

6 The cross from the left finds him and a goal is scored

Where defending mentality is concerned, we need to see good, positive and quick reactions on transition, with players always fighting to win the ball in their actions and responses, which comes as a team. And a big part of this is the ‘locking out’ mentality that forms the basis of this session, with central midfielders on the screen of the unopposed forwards. We need to see

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

“This session can be used to cover all of the four corner requirements - technical, tactical, physical and psychological.” www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

DAVID OLDFIELD: ATTACKING TEAM PLAY WITH ‘LOCK-OUT’ MENTALITY good awareness and covering positions of full-backs, plus excellent communication from back players including the keeper. In terms of typical mistakes, we often find it is difficult for the defending centre-halves to resist challenging the forwards. However, it is important to recognise the falseness of this part of the session – instead we need to re-emphasise the role of these players in organising players both in front of and behind them (namely midfielders, attackers and the keeper).

2 5 In the end, excellent screening from the other blue midfielder prevents a pass into the front two

2 The red defender transitions quickly and attempts to play a pass back through to the two red centre-forwards

4 Blue players close down space when the transition occurs

How do I progress the practice? To progress, we will release one of the unopposed forwards to drop as a no.10, thereby causing the central midfielder more problems in the sense that he is operating as a player between the lines (3). As a further progression, we can enable centre-halves to defend and play 11v11 on three-quarters of a pitch, paying particular attention to the coaching points from the opening part of the session.

3 Blue centre-backs cannot defend but full-backs come in close to protect

1 After a blue attack, the red centre-half intercepts a forward pass

3

In the progression, one of the unopposed forwards drops in as a no.10, inviting left and right reds to move into the wing areas, thus testing our ‘lock-out’ defending against movement of opposition players and different types of attacking threat

“We are looking for movement off the ball, notably timing of runs and willingness to both run in behind or receive to feet.” 18 JANUARY 2017

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

MANCHESTER CITY

Manuel Pellegrini Deadly transitions SET-UP AREA

Up to 60x40 yards EQUIPMENT

1a

Cones, goals, bibs NUMBER OF PLAYERS

5v5 plus two targets and two wide players SESSION TIME

Main session 30mins, Progressions 20mins

60 The team in possession passes and successfully makes space, preparing for a ball to be floated in towards the target player

1c

60

40

19 JANUARY 2017

We set up with 5v5 in the middle, two target men, and two wide players

1b

40

What do I get the players to do? Setting up as shown (1a), the ball starts with the two wide players – we will alternate which of these starts. Only one player from each team is allowed in the end zones – these are the target players and must remain in that space. No other players can enter. It’s5v5inthemiddlewiththeaim oftheteaminpossessionworking spacesoastoflighttheballintothe targetplayer(1b),whomustfinish one-touch(1c). Should the ball go out of play, a new ball comes back in from the wide player as quickly as possible. In addition, the two wide players and the target men can offer support to the 5v5 and can be passed to if needed, but unless a pass is played in the air a target man cannot make a scoring

60

40

Overview: This session examines how we condition a player technically, tactically, physiologically and psychologically when attacking and defending transitions in a small-sided competition-based game. It’s important to practise this because it improves our mastering of a scenario that appears regularly in matches – namely the attacking team regaining possession and aiming to create space, passing the ball quickly, then playing to a target player in a zone to score. The session is also good for defenders – their task is simply to organise well, stay alert and aim to regain possession as quickly as possible.

The target man scores in the goal with a onetouch finish KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

MANUEL PELLEGRINI: DEADLY TRANSITIONS attempt on goal. Each game should last three minutes with 45 seconds rest before the next one begins. We repeat this eight times, ensuring the two target players and two wide men are rotated for each game.

How do I progress the session? To progress, we can reduce the number of touches allowed, change the number of passes required (minimum of three), or condition the pass to the target man to come from a first-time pass. Wecanalsocreatespecificareason thepitchwheretheattackingteam mustmovetheballtobeforethefinal pass(2).

60

40

What are the key things to look out for? Maintaining a high tempo is very important so as to ensure pressure is placed on transitions for both defenders and attackers. In terms of technical proficiency, speed and accuracy of pass are important, particularly the pass made in the air to the target man. Tactically, each team of five must rotate positions so as to create space for players, whilst maintaining awareness of defensive balance. For the defending team, we’re looking at their ability to press quickly and be compact. Physically, repeated sprints, continued movement and highintensity activity are important. And we’re looking for players to understand the psychological aspects of the practice as well, to include good communication with team mates to co-ordinate attacks and ‘the press’, whilst also being alert to deal with fast transitions, even with little recovery time.

2

In the progression an attacking player may only pass the ball from a designated area

Proving the practice

In our 7-0 Barclays Premier League victory over Norwich City in the 2013/14 season, we saw the elements of this session played out brilliantly as David Silva scored our second goal.

Manchester City v Norwich City Barclays Premier League November 2, 2013

2 Aguero controls and moves the ball forward

1 Alvara Negredo plays a long pass into the feet of Sergio Aguero

3 He cuts back and threads a pass into the path of David Silva

4 Silva’s shot beats John Ruddy

KEY Ball movement Player movement Dribble

20 JANUARY 2017

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

EXTRA-TIME INTERVIEW: PAUL TISDALE

I

wasatTeamBathforsevenyears withnoconventionalinfluencefrom thefootballworld,”saysPaulTisdale, “anditopenedmyeyestothekinds ofapproachesbeingemployedoutside thegame.”Afterinjuryputpaidtohis professionalfootballcareerTisdalestarted hismanagementjourneyattheUniversity ofBathsportsdivision,mixingwith coachesfromahostofdisciplines,from hockeyandtennistoskeletonbob,mostat internationalorOlympiclevel. “EveryMondaylunchtime,thehead coachesfromtheuniversity’s15fulltimesportswouldgettogether,discuss coachingandtaketurnstopresentona theme,”Tisdalerecalls.“Itwasagreatway tolearnfromoneanother.” Struckbyhowadvancedthethinking insomeothersportsseemedtobeatthe time–forexample,intheiruseofanalytics andsportsscienceandtheimportance theyplacedona‘big-picture’outlook–he developedalateralapproachtoimproving hisside’sperformance.It’ssomething hetookwithhimwhenheacceptedthe managementjobatExeterCityin2006and hehassincebuiltareputationforthinking outsideoffootballforideas. InthebusinessworldTisdale’sbest knownconnectioniswithfashionretailer TedBaker,abrandhehashada20-year connectionwithandisanambassadorfor. “I’veseenupclosehowTedBakerhas grownfromasmallprivatecompanyinto a£1bnglobalplcandIoftenturntoitfor inspiration,”hesays.“Nientypercentofthe businessisrelevanttofootball.Theproduct isdifferent,butthemanagementprocess requiredforsuccessissimilar:create anenergisedandpositiveenvironment; understandtheeconomics;investinand developtheproduct;inspire,directand leadyourteam;adapttoindustrychanges andsticktoyourprinciples.I’veseen founderRayKelvinbuildthebrandusing skillsthatareapplicabletoanyfootball business.”

THE BIG PICTURE

Havingmanagedinover500matches Tisdalehasawealthofexperienceinthe manystylesofplay,tacticsandapproaches outthereonthefield.However,his inquisitivenatureandlateralthinking havealsoequippedhimwithafarbroader setofskills,whichhebelieveshasbeen invaluableashisrolehasevolved. “Thelongeryou’rewithaclubthemore youtendtobecomeintrinsicallyinvolvedin alldepartmentsandsoyougetavaluable insightintotheirchallengesandneeds,” hesays.“Youneedabroadskillsetifyou’re goingtohelprunaleaguefootballclub becausewhatthefanssee–yourleague positionandyourrecentresults–isjust thetipoftheiceberg.It’swhat’sbelowthe 21 JANUARY 2017

waterlinethatconstitutesthemajorityofwhat goeson.” Tisdale’sremitcoversdevelopingtheclub’s playersandcoaches,fromtheacademy throughtothefirstteam,andofcoursetryingto winmatches.Butthere’salsoaconsiderable businesssidetohisrole–managingtheoverall healthoftheclub,spendingmoneyshrewdly andsustainablyandgeneratingwealth. WehavenobigbenefactoratExeter.Instead, thesupportersputinabout£100kperyear andeverythingelseisdowntothedecisions wemake,whicharealwaysinthelong-term interestsoftheclub,”hesays.“Ihavetoconsider boththecommercialandplayingsides,which meansthere’salargesetofvariablesandthe horizonisconstantlymoving.”

BALANCE AND PERSPECTIVE

Therealchallengethereforeliesinstriking therightbalancebetweenthinkinglong-term abouttheclubasawholeandwinningthenext game.“Gettingthatbalancerightisoneof thetoughestpartsofmyjob,”saysTisdale, “becauseyoucan’tallowyourfocus,time andenergytobetakentoofarawayfrom what’shappeningonthepitch.Good resultsareessential.” Lookingoutsideofyourimmediate footballenvironmentshouldn’tmean youneglectthegame,headds.“I gainsomethingfromeverymatch thatIwatch,whetherit’soneI’m involvedwithorthatofanother teamorsport,”saysTisdale. “Youcanalsolearnalot fromeveryonearound you,includingyour players,because everyoneof themwillbring outsomething differentinyou.I oftenthinkwhile coaching,‘Ican usethat’or‘I canbuildaround that’,andthat

What’sbehindPaul Tisdale’s10-year tenureasmanager ofExeterCity?A shrewdbusiness senseandatotal commitmenttothe club’slong-term success,asElite Soccerdiscovered.

OUTSIDE THEBOX

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

EXTRA-TIME INTERVIEW: PAUL TISDALE changeswitheverynewteam.Anybody whohastalent,istotallycommittedand hasimaginationcaninspireyou.” Tisdaleissimilarlyopentotheuseof moderntechniquessuchasdataanalytics toassisthisdecisions,butheagrees there’saskillinrecognisingwherethey’re ausefultoolandwheretheysimplymuddy thewaters. ExeterCityhasafull-timeanalystwho sharesTisdale’sofficeandisonhandto provideadviceandsupportonanyideas thathecomesupwith.“Iam,however, veryawarethatalthoughdataisnow averyimportantpartofthegameyou mustn’tletitgovernyou,”Tisdalesays. “Ihave15years’experienceincollecting andanalysingdataandI’veseenit workwellwhenyouhaveaplanandthe numberssupportorchallengeyour thinking.However,I’vealsowastedenergy researchinginterestingbutneedless data.There’ssomuchavailablenowthat prioritisingwhatisreallyimportantand relevantisthebiggestchallenge.” BorninMalta,thechildofamilitaryman, andhavingplayedfootballprofessionally inFinlandandGreece,Tisdaleisalsowell travelledandthistoohaswidenedhis outlook. “Ithinkitshowedmethatalthoughthe rulesarethesame,everyleaguehasits owndistinctpersonality,”hesays.“What IexperiencedinGreece,forexample,was completelydifferenttowhatIhadseen beforeinEnglandandIfoundthatcertain playersandcoachesmayflourishinone leaguebutnotinanother.Sometimesit’s downtotheirfitwiththeclubormanager, butthecountryandculturearecertainly factors.IntheEnglishleaguesthere isaneedfordrama,paceandinstant gratificationthatdiffersfromthesubtlety andpatienceyoufindelsewhereandthat encouragesadifferenttypeofplayer.In thatsensetravelwasarealeye-openerfor me.”

FOUNDATIONS

Ten-yeartenuressuchasTisdale’s,during whichhehasguidedExetertoseveral promotions,arebecomingnothing shortofremarkableinEnglishfootball andhehaswhatmanymanagersmight consideranenviablelevelofautonomyand responsibility. Askedwhathasledtothatlongevityand stabilityhesayshistotalcommitmentto ExeterCityhasbeenamajorfactor.“I’ve beenfocusedondevelopingtheplayers andfacilitieshereandmakingthismy club,”hesays.“Abigpartofmygoalhas beentocreateanenvironmentoflongtermthinkingandtoencouragecontinuity. Also,manyoftheotherkeyfiguresatthe club,fromthedirectoroffootball,the 22 JANUARY 2017

Standardsare developingcontinually atthetopandthat filtersdown,pushing upqualityand professionalism furtherdownthe footballpyramid chairmanandtheacademymanagerto theheadgroundsman,havebeenhere foralongtimetoo,soI’vereallybenefited fromtheirexperienceandfromthe continuityofthewiderteam.” Inreturntheclubhasbenefitedfrom theconsistentapproachanddirectionthat comeswithretainingitscorestaffovera longperiod. “Wehaveexperienceofwhatworks atthefootballclubandareabletotakea morestrategiclong-termapproachto thechoiceswemake,”saysTisdale.“Too ofteninfootballpeoplethinkonlyinthe shortterm,whichcanleadtomistakes. Forexample,whenaclubsacksa managerthenewoneislikelytoreplace playersandyoungtalentmaynotgetthe opportunitiestheyneed.Suchmistakes wouldbeverycostlyataclublikeours.” Headdsthatthelongevityofitsstaffalso meansthere’sagreatersenseofaffinity withtheclub,anaffectionandashared ambitionthatgoesaboveandbeyond professionalgoals. “We’renotinterestedinaboom-andbustcycle,”hesays.“There’satrustand understandingthateverybodywantsthe bestforExeterCityinthelongterm.” Overhis10yearswiththeclubTisdale hashadtoadaptbothtoitschanging needsandhisevolvingrole.“Itgets strongerbytheyear,especiallythe academy,whichcontinuestobethe lifebloodoftheclub,”hesays.“It’sour

primarysourceofcapitalandhasseen agrowingnumberofplayersbreaking throughtofirst-teamlevel.” InotherareastooTisdalehasbeen instrumentalinpushingforcontinual progressoffthepitch.“TheFootballinthe CommunitydepartmentatExeterhas grownhugelyoverthepastfewyears,for example,andwe’reveryproudofthat,”he says.“Seeingtheclubimproveinthisway isreallyimportantforeveryoneassociated withtheclub.” ExeterCityisalsointheprocessof installingastate-of-the-art3Gfacilityatits trainingground,fundedbyaclub-record saleofoneofitsyoungplayers. Havingstartedoutinnon-leaguefootball andworkedacrossthreeleagues,Tisdale believesthatthequalityofclubfacilities isoneofthebiggestdifferentialsandthat improvingthemshouldbeapriority. “Standardsaredevelopingcontinually atthetopandthatfiltersdown,pushingup qualityandprofessionalismfurtherdown thefootballpyramid,”hesays.“Therehas been,however,anapathyinnon-league towardsgoodfacilitiesrightthroughto grassrootslevelandthathasbeentothe detrimentofourgame.Wemustaddress that,becauseyoucan’texpectpeople torespectthegameiftheenvironment they’replayinginisn’tofarespectable standard.”

KEEPING PACE

Whilealongtenuregenerallybrings multiplebenefitstobothcluband manager,thereisalwaysariskthat complacencymightcreepin.Tisdale saysit’simportanttogiveyourselfa regularreboot,thinkingafreshaboutyour philosophyandmethods. “Mylong-termvisionfortheclub,the needtorebuildtheteameveryfewyears andtryingoutnewideasonthepitch keepsmeonmytoes,”hesays,“andthat’s importantbecauseyouhavetokeepit interesting.Also,it’shealthytohavestrong personalitiesaroundyouwhoareprepared tochallengeyourideasandapproaches. That’swhyI’vealwaysenjoyedhaving coachingstaffaroundmewithstrong opinionswhoIcanlearnfrom.” Lookingahead,Tisdalealsofaces thechallengesthatcomewiththefanownershipmodel,whichhesayshasboth prosandcons.“Inmanyrespects,beinga community-basedclubprovidesuswith securityandweknowthatwe’redoing thingsinasustainableway,”hesays.“But itcanalsomeanthatwe’remorelimitedin whatwedocomparedtoprivately-owned clubs,soit’shardertokeeppacewiththeir progress.Thereinliesthechallengeforme andtherestoftheteamhereatExeter.”

www.elitesoccercoaching.net

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

DO YOU WANT TO COACH A WINNING SIDE? Our brilliant range of Elite Soccer manuals feature coaching innovation from the very best in the game - bespoke, engaging practices that will have an immediate impact on your players. www.elitesoccercoaching.net

ing.net

www.elitesoccercoach

garY walKer

Soccer s es from the world’ CoaChing praCtiC and CoaChes leading managers

MANCHESTER UNITED STRENGTH

Be ready for the new season Training practices from the game’s top coaches

Pre-season strength and conditioning

Professional Fitness Plans

sCott miller FULHAM AGILITY

Four types of pre-season agility

the professional fitness plans strength agilitY fitness teChniQUe endUranCe

tom little

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN fITNESS

Endurance and football fitness

antonio gomeZ FC CARTAGENA TECHNIQUE

Technique training

Five professional fitness coaches provide the plans they use to get (and keep) their players in peak physical condition throughout the season. Includes Gary Walker (Manchester United) and Scott Miller (Fulham)

aleX armstrong SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY ENDURANCE

£27

Muscular endurance programme

The Collectors’ Series 2

HARRY REDKNAPP

36 bespoke training sessions, including contributionsfrom Sam Allardyce, Alex McLeish, Ian Holloway and Steve Bruce

ES 36 EXCLUSIVE COACHING PRACTIC RS MANAGE FROM TOP PROFESSIONAL

ALEX MCLEISH

STEVE BRUCE

DAVID MOYES

£37

TONY PULIS

THE COLLECTORS’ SERIES

Volume 2

Offseason Fitness Plans

SummER 2013

gARY WALKER

Soccer

MANCHESTER UNITED

Pre-season strength and conditioning

COACHINg pRACTICES FROm THE WORLd’S LEAdINg mANAgERS ANd COACHES

THE uLTImATE OFF-SEASON FITNESS pLANS COmpLETE 5 pLANS TO KEEp YOuR

Five professional fitness coaches show you how to keep your pLAYERS IN SHApE OvER players in THE SummER bREAK peak physical condition this summer. Includes Ryland Morgans (Liverpool) and Antonio Gomez (Barcelona) In partnershIp wIth

£27

ALL NEW SESSIONS FOR THE 2013/14

stEVE CLArKE

Chris hughton

DAViD MoYEs

36 bespoke training sessions, including contributions from José Mourinho, David Moyes, Steve Clarke and Tony Pulis

ALAn PArDEW

Volume 5

£37

ANTONIO gOmEZ FC BARCELoNA

Player’s off-

SEASON season plan

KENNY DALGLISH

SAM ALLARDYCE

£37

Soccer

Volume 3

PAUl lAMBeRT

Neil leNNoN

MAlKY MACKAY

£37

THe ColleCToRS’ SeRieS

ALAN PARDEW

ROY HODGSON

£37

The Collectors’ Series 4 36 bespoke training sessions, including contributions from Carlo Ancelotti, Martin O’Neill, André VillasBoas and Roberto Martinez

GoRDoN STRACHAN

Volume 6

TONY MOWBRAY

Volume 1

Soccer

-BOAs ANdRÉ VILLAs

TICEs COACHING PRAC 36 EXCLUsIVE EssIONAL MANAGERs FROM TOP PROF

L MARTIN O’NEIL

NEZ ROBERTO MARTI

£37 In partnershIp

wIth

OTTI CARLO ANCEL

s’ sERIEs THE COLLECTOR

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

S 36 eXClUSiVe CoACHiNG PRACTiCeRS MANAGe FRoM ToP PRoFeSSioNAl

HARRY ReDKNAPP

ROBERTO MANCINI

36 EXCLUSIVE COACHING PRACTICE S FROM TOP PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS

In partnershIp wIth

thE CoLLECtors’ sEriEs

JAmES RuSSELL

NEIL WARNOCK

36 EXCLUSIVE COACHING PRACTIC ES FROM TOP PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS

SIR ALEX FERGUSON

SOCCER

In partnershIp wIth

JosÉ Mourinho

LIvERPooL

36 bespoke training sessions, including contributions from Sir Alex Ferguson, Roy Hodgson, Tony Mowbray and Nigel Clough

THE COLLECTORS’ SERIES

ARSÈNE WENGER

36 EXCLusiVE CoAChing PrACtiCE s FroM toP ProFEssionAL MAnAgErs

RYLANd mORgANS

Strength and aerobic maintenance

The Collectors’ Series 3 36 bespoke training sessions, including contributions from Kenny Dalglish, Arsène Wenger, Neil Warnock and Roberto Mancini

15 Elite Soccer: The Collectors’ Series

Soccer

FULHAM

Be read for gILLINgHAM the newyseas off-season Training pracon programme from the gam tices top coaches e’s

THE COLLECTORS’ SERIES

The Collectors’ Series 5

SCOTT mILLER

Aerobic conditioning equipment

The Collectors’ Series 1

PAUL LAMBERT

Volume 4

MICK MCCARTHY

Volume 3 www.elitesoccercoaching.net

The Collectors’ Series 6

The Collectors’ Series 7

36 bespoke training sessions, including contributions from Harry Redknapp, Gordon Strachan, Neil Lennon and Alan Pardew

36 bespoke training sessions, including contributions from Brendan Rodgers, Chris Hughton, Steve McClaren and Mick McCarthy

SOCCER

SIR ALEX FERGUSON

36 EXCLUSIVE COACHING PRACTICES FROM TOP PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS

SAM ALLARDYCE

CHRIS HUGHTON

£37

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

BRENDAN RODGERS

THE COLLECTORS’ SERIES

TO ORDER YOUR COPY GO TO http://bit.ly/1V95jtX

STEVE MCCLAREN

Volume 7