The Importance of Defending – Youth to Pro

The Importance of Defending – Youth to Pro

During last week’s Champions League Qualifier between Fenerbahce vs Arsenal, It became very apparent early in the game that it could be a comfortable night for Arsenal. Fenerbahce set up in a narrow 4-3-3 looking to press the ball centrally, while Arsenal set up in the more preferred 4-2-3-1, looking to channel the ball inside to the crowded midfield then explode wide to either utilize Walcott’s pace or allow Jenkinson and Gibbs to join the midfield.

 

The Game didn’t really open up until the second half but there were glimpses in the first half that would have sent defensive red flags up if I were the Fenerbahce coaching staff. Arsenal were finding a lot of success getting out of central pressure to the full backs in Zones 4 and 6 (See Below), which as a coach would not concern me too much because the ball is in front of at least 8 of our players. The more dangerous ball which was happening 50% of the time was the ball into zone 9 for Walcott with Jenkinson coming from deep to support and Giroud spinning in or, into Zone 7 for Cozorla with Gibbs breaking to support and Podolski spinning in. This movement isolates the full back and center back in a 3v2 situation then when you have the other attacker running in the seams across the back 4 on the inside channels of zone 11, you are left very vulnerable. At that point the easy way to defend this situation is to go very narrow at the back forcing the ball wide in zones 10 and 12 and then shift your shape to be more of a 4-1-2-3 to have a defensive midfielder who takes away space on the edge of the box. If you turn the ball over higher up the field then have the closest player pressure the ball quickly, delay a pass and then have the next closest player play off the shoulder which will force the ball into the central midfield then your defensive midfielder and the other midfielder can step in and win the ball. This takes away the counter attack ball which was so crucial.

At half time, the Fenerbahce coaching staff made no changes in shape, and as I was not in the dressing room I can only speculate that the tactical information discussed above was also not covered as Arsenals 3 goals all came from quick counter attack balls leading to overloads, cross and finish after a quick ball to Wallcott, central overload leading to Ramsey’s goal then a ball in the seam for Giroud who gets fouled, PK, and he finishes. All these tactical adjustments aside, there is no excuse for a professional player not to know how to defend 1v1 or in pairs. Too many times the Fenerbache players were caught with players running on their inside shoulder or were let down by poor defensive technique leading to them giving away silly fouls as shown by Meireles below.

 

At the Academy and with the Club players, we have been teaching the importance of 1v1 defending and the principles that are crucial at every level, as well as the principles of defending in pairs. Even this past weekend the U9’s were organizing one another and communicating PRESSURE… DELAY… TACKLE… RECOVER… Along with their understanding to push the ball toward the touchlines and encourage support to come from behind them. It is so important that the players in the Academy and at the Club, understand these principles and how important it is to put pressure on the ball, while delaying a forward pass to allow compactness and organization behind the ball, forcing turnovers in zones 4 and 6 respectively. This is why I believe, giving young players the ability to recover from their mistakes, gives them the confidence to be more creative in attack leading to enhanced development throughout the system. With a great foundation of 1v1 and 2v2 defending, players can then apply this technique as their tactical IQ is developed through their youth football journey, which means we end up with more Gattuso’s on the field… wouldn’t that be nice!!!

This Blog is intended to relate games/issues in world football to the approach I am taking on the training pitch with the groups of young players I work with. Each week, I will attempt to summarize my thoughts and how I relate these to my training, and will welcome feedback good and bad. I hope that it can inspire free thought about the game and allow coaches to see that we don't have to copy what everyone else is doing, but take the vast offering of information that is out there, and use it to better the development of our young players and inspire a Soccer culture which raises students of the game. 

The Training Culture 

 

 

 

In the recent Spain vs Brasil game, the final of the Confederations Cup, Brasil put in a dominating performance over a Spanish team which has sat at the top of World football in recent years. Following the 3-0 win, the rumor mill about Spain began, was this the start of their demise? Did they just not play well? What does the future hold for this team? It got me thinking.  

 

The standouts for the Spanish team were Iniesta and Xavi, both instrumental play makers in the modern game, both playing on a Barcelona team that has arguably the best training culture that exists right now. Brasil was the first team in a long time that actually came and played a high press game against the Spanish, forcing turn overs and knocking Spain out of their usual rhythm. It seemed like the Madrid and Chelsea players struggled the most to keep possession. I argue, that this is a by-product of the training environment which existed at these players clubs last year, which spilled over into the national team. It was widely stated in the media the disagreements between the Spanish players surrounding the way they train and the struggles both Club teams were having, the lack of competition at practice, the lack luster pressure put on the ball. Is it a coincidence both managers are no longer the managers at both these clubs and that Spain lost such a big game?

 

That is why recently, during my Club and Academy of Excellence sessions, we have talked extensively about the training environment players set for each other. It is too easy for players to be lulled in to a false sense of security when it comes to training. If no one is within 5 yards of you during training exercises and games then what happens when you are put under pressure during a competitive match... you crumble. That is why I encourage my coaches to promote competition throughout sessions so that the pace of play and pressure on the ball remains high, which in turn, leads to greater success on the field and enhances development. I encourage all the coaches reading this to discuss the training culture and environment with your players and have them agree to set the highest standard for themselves and individuals around them in terms of work rate, support and pressure on the ball. I promise that once you achieve a competitive training environment, you will see a massive step forward in individual and team development and your players will individually be more prepared to keep possession of the ball, even in a big game under consistent pressure.