Reader,
Football is a game of trends, tactics and constant change.
At the highest level, you often hear how the game continues to get quicker and the requirements of elite-level players in terms of physical performance and ability to quickly execute football actions continues to increase.
Recently, I have been focussing on how to support my team to exploit moments of attacking transition, to dominate disorganised or broken defences.
As much as many coaches want their teams to keep possession or dominate the ball, I believe attacking transition moments can be one of the most effective and devastating ways to attack and score goals.
Whether it’s playing forward into space, or quick combination play to create opportunities, taking an aggressive and positive mindset into our attacking game can help players develop self-belief and an appetite for risk.
In a youth development setting, attacking quickly and confidently also creates opportunities to develop skills beyond the technical and tactical.
By encouraging players to look forward, play forward, run forward, run with the ball, dribble 1v1 or shoot, we are encouraging bravery, courage, confidence, decision-making, positive intent and desire.
All of these attributes are (in my view) essential to developing players for the future – on and off the field.
Three things to consider
- How do you incorporate transition moments into your session design? Do you plan for this as part of a programme or incorporate it into your attacking work?
- Make sure you maintain realism when training attacking transition moments. Whether it’s a wave practice, a small-sided game, simply recreating a 1v1 turnover moment or ensuring adequate space to run into through clever design.
- Reinforce the behaviours you want to see when players need to attack quickly. Things like confidence to shoot, fast decision-making or something as simple as bravery, (not hesitating in the moment) can be powerful when highlighted by the coach to the players.
One thing for you to try this week.
Design a practice that includes a turnover moment (one team losing possession while the other attacks) that is representative of the game, and relates to your team’s playing style or team shape.
One critical resource on the topic.
Check out this PDP Live Session, a 3v2 attacking practice by PDP Coaching Advisor, Dan Cooke.
