The Football Coaching Thread

[YoungWolf]

I've definitely altered my coaching style a bit, and give the kids more chances to be creative and make their own decisions. There's a balance to be found with that though, I can't let things get out of control. The coaching family stuff on twitter is really good, I follow them too.

I bought a years subscription to http://www.academysoccercoach.co.uk/ for about 20 quid, I've created quie a few training sessions that I've used or seen on my iPad.

 

[Freddeno]

I've definitely altered my coaching style a bit, and give the kids more chances to be creative and make their own decisions. There's a balance to be found with that though, I can't let things get out of control. The coaching family stuff on twitter is really good, I follow them too.

I bought a years subscription to http://www.academysoccercoach.co.uk/ for about 20 quid, I've created quie a few training sessions that I've used or seen on my iPad.

Good to hear YW..I hope you succeed in your managerial career (im sure you will in some way)

 

[big mean bunny]

yeah thats the best thing YW, the learning is only knowledge if you know how to use it. He comes across a bit David Brent at time but is actually a brilliant school teacher and a great boss, Its a mentality they are teaching with the mod 1 and a lot of people on the course I was on didn't grasp it. The drills from the book are good too, been doing them with my adult side. That decisions decisions game is what our lads always want to finish sessions with. I actually "nicked" some resources from ACS too so will have a look into there paid section then. I have made my own coaching book for next season, so I can better analysis what happens during the game and then use it to plan the next sessions and got some review and set pieces stuff from them.

I am looking to make a players handbook for my adult side so just after a way of doing some specific formation templates so I can put down some player roles and responsibilities. Not something that I learnt on an fa course but I have been working with a coach who has been telling me that the best teams are the ones who know what they should be doing when their team is out of possession. Really interesting, not something I had done before but I graded the players I manage at adult level to the long term plan I designed for my school side. And then designed some formations around the players, rather than shoe horning people into areas. Been playing 4-3-1-2 or 4-3-2-1 and its really improved our results, especially as teams don't seem used to playing against such a style, and we are so much better off the ball.

 

[YoungWolf]

The tutors I had we're brilliant. I had Matty Joseph (ex-Orient) and he really pushed us, always asking questions but it was for our benefit. Had someone who worked at Charlton's academy, another from Cambridge, and another who is a chairman of a club in the same league as my under 13s. Matt told us to stay in contact and I do have a few questions I will email him.

The decisions decisions game is great, I used that last Saturday. And the space recognition one which I think is quite useful.

One of the things they talked about too was how as a country we don't reflect well enough. As well as planning sessions, I want to make sure I evaluate training sessions and games. I want to be as organised as possible, got my club to give me a tactics board too

I am, and always have been from when I was younger, a 433 fan. With my under 13s I've been looking at shape a little, and they seem to understand it. I will go into it more when they all turn up to training more regularly but I've got them keeping a good defensive shape already.

I've got exactly the type players I need to play how I prefer too. I've got three full backs in the squad who really love bombing forward and I've got attacking players who like to carry the ball and cut inside. I've entered them in the London cup and with a couple more players they should definitely be looking to challenge for 1st in their league!

 

[big mean bunny]

did they show you the video about England teams? and how they line up in different formations but always drift back to 442?

 

[YoungWolf]

No they didn't mate

 

[big mean bunny]

really interesting, maybe not part of the course then as they showed us on a lunch break, showed loads of different England managers teams that set up with non 442 formations, then showed some stills of the game 20-35 minutes in and the players had all reverted to 442 as a shape, with no instruction from the management apparently.

Also talked about how everyone used to slag Venables and make a big deal about his Xmas tree formation not being any good despite him getting us to a final. Effectively a 3 at the back with Southgate stepping into midfield on attacks, a very fluid style hybrid style of play and as a country it was lambasted.

 

[YoungWolf]

That is interesting, shame I never got to see that. Doesn't surprise me though!

 

[Lord Knows]

Man Utd on development of Under 9 players from a few years ago.

"At 16, we could play Scholesy for only 20 minutes a game. He couldn't run. He was a little one.
Had asthma. No strength. No power. No athleticism. No endurance. 'You've got a bleeding
dwarf,' I remember somebody said to Brian Kidd [the then youth-team coach]. 'You will eat your
words,' said Kiddo. If Scholesy had been at a lesser club, they would have got rid of him and he
would probably not be in the game now. We stuck with Scholesy, a wonderful technician. How
many caps did he get? Sixty-six?!"

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s...qho-dirskCo0ndWoczrBG734jJt_eNfkJW98TJ-w&dl=1

 

[big mean bunny]

no where near enough caps, like a slightly more accepted Le Tiss, in that we are English and didn't really value what he offered at the International level.

 

[Lord Knows]

Identifying factors perceived to influence the development of elite youth football academy players.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02640414.2012.710753#.UgM5ZdTvdp5

 

[Lord Knows]

Creating the right environment

A young player has many different motivations for playing football; they may want to become a professional, they may enjoy playing with their friends, or they may play because their parents want them to. Yet their motivation and willingness to continue to play must be developed through the environment they play in.

The best environment for a young player is one which offers enthusiasm, enjoyment and which, importantly, allows for expression and creativity without the fear of being reprimanded if a mistake is made. If this kind of culture and environment is not introduced across the grassroots game then England will continue to suffer from a lack of creative and technically confident players.

http://www.bennionkearny.com/chapter-9-The-Way-Forward-Matthew-Whitehouse.htm

 

[slink]

After Johnny's recommendation i'm reading Inverting The Pyramid and for someone who is interested in tactics and how they were formed and have changed it's a fantastic read. Really enjoying it so far and would suggest anyone who is interested in tactics reads it.

 

[big mean bunny]

yeah brilliant, read it last year. I picked this up recently from a charity shop - "How to Coach a Soccer Team: Professional Advice on Building a Winning Team : Tony Carr" and its decent, lots of good technical advice for specific parts or techniques. Some of it is a bit traditional compared to some of the more fluid practise drills now, however its certainly been useful for me. Tony Carr is West Ham's old academy manager, the book actually says Rio Ferdinand wrote it but thats bollocks.

Anyway I mentioned that I had joined the Sheffield Coaches association a while back. Gareth Prosser is coming up to do a workshop in October so will post up some info closer to the time and share any resources I get in general from the work shops as there are 6 between now and Christmas.

 

[YoungWolf]

have got my first proper training session with my new u8s on Tuesday, and then their first game is on Saturday! I've got a lot of very good players, but some will be stepping out on a pitch for the very first time. Excited but nervous to see how the boys get on this season. Scrambling around to make sure I have enough players and at the moment think I have the minimum needed (14)

 

[slink]

What under 8s side is it YW?

 

[YoungWolf]

LOASS Football Club. Used to be an Orient Development club but that link was cut a couple of years back. Still produced some good players (a couple that have recently got professional deals at Spurs and Shef Wed!) I'm fortunate to have been offered the u8s to coach as they are an important age and often very good! Can't wait.

u13s will be starting soon too (different club) got a couple of friendlies coming up. They are in the London cup this year which is exciting. In the next couple of weeks too we are starting up a midweek futsal session for them as additional training which is fantastic.

I've pretty much given up playing (for now anyway) but not regretting it in any way as I'm loving coaching at the moment.

 

[slink]

Sounds decent that, under 8's are great to work with as you can see real improvement in them and they are really willing to learn. I've helped coach our development under 8's and i've enjoyed that more than any of the other ages i've coached.

 

[YoungWolf]

I helped with the under 8s at the club last year, they lost two games all year (to the same side). Obviously it's not about results, but it is a really strong group and I've got three (possibly four) of those players playing for me! Two are at Spurs (one scored four against City and two against Villa last week) training regularly.

it's really great to see players develop and it's easy to see at that age too. I've got two players who are a year younger, who I can see struggling a bit but I see that as a challenge for me to really work to help them improve and be comfortable. it;s non competitive football anyway, so the environment is right for them.

 

[big mean bunny]

My adult side I manage kicked off on Saturday and we won 4-2. Lost my goal keeper (managers player of the year) best midfielder (players player of the year) and then had my other CM away this week as he was on holiday who were all massively important last season. So to win 4-2 on opening day was fantastic as we were playing a side that had just been relegated and Div 2 is considerable stronger than Div 3. Players really seem to be getting the idea of the 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-1-2 now after working on it during the summer. We have moved to a 3g pitch to which helped, we don't have any fantastic footballers as we are our clubs 3rd side so anyone with real ability goes to the other sides ahead of us. However on Saturday we were 3-2 with 10 minutes to go and I barely remember the other team getting a meaningful kick as we were just keeping the ball as everyone knows thats what I want us to do.

had a bit of a blinder myself playing the deepest CM too! still got it!...