Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Team Management | Tags: girlfriends, Katy Perry, MTV EMA, WAGs, West Ham Kit
At the weekend one of my U16 players was acting strangely. Cocky was an understatement. All acting up and lippy “I’m not being subbed today!” Messing about during the warm-ups I was getting annoyed with him until one of the other boys told me his girlfriend was watching.
When the match kicked off I couldn’t see him in his usual position… he was running up front desperate to score. Considering he was a defensive midfielder it was causing problems to the team. All the other players started moaning at him to get in to position but he wouldn’t come back.
Eventually I had to take him off and get him to calm down. He got a ribbing from the other boys but he didn’t seem to care. I let him go back on later but the same thing happened.
No wonder Fabio has told the England players to leave the WAGs at home.
And what about Katy Perry at the recent MTV Europe Music Awards in Berlin dressing up in a West Ham to embarrass her boyfriend Russell Brand:
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer News, Soccer Skills | Tags: attack drill, counter attack, william Gallas
Lighteningly quick counter attacks are one of the ways you can make sure your young team makes the most of winning the ball.
Catching a defence out when the team has won the ball relies on quick thinking and accurate passing. Defenders will struggle to keep up with the ball so an accurate pass and a quick thinking attacker can combine to create good goal scoring opportunities.
Young players can get over excited when they win the ball and just kick it in the general direction of the goal. You need to get them looking and thinking about where to put the ball to cause the most damage to the opposition.
Try this drill with your players, you score points by hitting targets a bit like being at the driving range with your golf clubs hitting different distances. In this video the coach uses baskets to hit but you can make target areas out of cones.
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Skills | Tags: coaching wingers, crossing drill, Manchester Utd, pfa player of the year
By Dave Clarke
At the ripe old age of 35 its amazing that Ryan Giggs is still good enough to win the PFA player of the year award which he did in April this year. One of the reasons for his longevity is that he is constantly on the training pitch going through his paces.
One of the best training exercises for any winger is the training he does so he can get pinpoint accuracy on his crosses. His delivery in to the box is the right weight and direction almost every time.
The secret behind his success is this little exercise.
If you look at the diagram the coach had split the penalty area up into very tight squares numbered one to ten. When he called out a zone to Giggs the player had to cross the ball so it landed in that square. It was a very precise exercise, the coach had a lot of balls and played it to either position 1 or position 2 for Giggs to run onto and cross first time to the called out zone.
As I was coaching under 15s I could use all the zones but for younger age groups you could just shout near, far and penalty spot. There is also an opportunity to practice cutbacks where the player is crossing the ball back to the edge of the penalty area for players running in.
For players who cannot cross the ball very far it is good practice for them to run onto the ball and cross it using a good technique – they will soon progress.
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer Skills, Soccer Training | Tags: how to shoot, shoot at goal, Wayne Rooney
Can your players hit the target? I don’t know whether my U9s can because they won’t try. They had 16 corners at the weekend and not one shot from those corners. It was so frustrating, they passed and passed and passed, right in front of goal, it was almost as if they were too shy to shoot. Of course I love a good passing move, but from a corner I want them to be more direct – I want them to shoot!
So at my training session tonight I will give them target shooting practice.
The way to do it is to put some balls just outside the penalty area and get your players to shoot at goal from there.
Watch this clip of Wayne Rooney practicing shooting from outside the area and get your players doing the same thing.
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer Skills, Soccer Training | Tags: charlie davies, fast feet, michael bradley, pierre barrieu, running with the ball, team usa, US national team
By Dave Clarke
Fast feet, dribble, pass then finish. Now that would be impressive, but follow my tips for giving players fast feet, then get them to do the drill at the end from Pierre Barrieu the fitness coach for the US national team and you will find your players are able to do this on match days.
1. Obstacles
Use cones, kit bags, flag poles, players bodies, tracksuits and balls. Put them all on the ground as alternatives to specialist ladders. Make the players move through these obstacles, making sure they do not step on any.
2. Fast feet adventure courses
Set up courses which require lots of different footwork skills. Each player can be timed over the course, with seconds added for failure to complete a section correctly. For instance station one could be jumping back and forward over a kit bag six times, followed by a zig-zag through cones, then running backwards through some poles.
3. Slow, fast, slow
Sometimes footwork can become repetitive, without challenging the player. Change the rhythm of the footwork session by changing the pace of the activity. A fast foot exercise can be made harder by using small hurdles or poles laid flat on the ground and players have to go at different speeds through them.
Watch this clip of Pierre Barrieu the fitness coach for the US national team, with Charlie Davis and Michael Bradley from the US team. You can set this up and play it with your team:
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Skills | Tags: Barcelona, control and shoot, control in the penalty area, high ball control, shoot
By David Clarke
I’ve been focusing my young players on controlling high balls this weekend. It’s a skill that players need to set themselves up for a shot at goal. I can remember Eric Cantona of Manchester Utd and Leeds fame commenting that every night he threw balls high into the air and controlled them as they hit the ground.
At Barcelona they have a great drill that covers these points
Bringing down high balls
Close control
Setting up the shot
Accurate shooting
All you need are four cones a ball and a goal with target areas marked out. Put a couple of cones a few yards in from the posts on either side of the goal and call these the target areas. Put four cones in a 10 yard square around the penalty spot so the penalty spot is in the middle.
Players must start with their back or side to goal
Juggle the ball three or four times then kick high
Keep the ball inside the zone
Finish in the target areas either side of the goal
Watch how Barcelona coach it here:
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management | Tags: in charge on the touchline, manager, match day coaching, run the game
Being in control from the touchline is not easy for coaches of young players. But few coaches take as much care during the vital minutes of the match as they do with the pre-match preparation.
ON MATCH DAYS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
1. DO find the right moment.
Information needs to be given when players are most receptive, in other words when they can concentrate on what you are saying. That is not in the middle of the game. Talk to them at the half-time break. Youth teams suffer the most from parents shouting out meaningless parents, confusing the main message you want to deliver. Your team needs to avoid conflicting messages.
2. DON’T micro-manage the game.
Some coaches feel it necessary to talk players through every move. This is potentially destructive because it stifles their instinct for the game and stops them using their skills (which probably exceed the coach’s). Positive encouragement will give players confidence. Psychologists tell us that it is better to say “hit the target” than “don’t miss”.
3. DO break the game down into chunks with achievable targets.
No shots on your goal from the opposition for the next ten minutes, keep play in their half of the pitch.
4. DON’T get distracted away from the game.
Talk to spectators and the other coaches afterwards. Your players need your full attention. Create a bubble for you and your team. Make sure at half-time the bubble continues.
5. DO watch first, worry later.
Keep your emotions under control – panic, anger, frustration and fear are all mind killers. Players depend on the coach to be the coolest head on the pitch. Observing from as many different watching angles as possible will enhance your perspective on the game.
6. DON’T argue with the referee.
It distracts the players and draws attention to the possible shortcomings of one person rather than the game in hand. It is also unlikely to have a positive influence on the outcome of the game and is not in the spirit of the game anyway. Referees and umpires of all levels and abilities will rarely change a decision once it’s been made and it may even turn them against you.
7. DO create and refer to a checklist.
When the game starts, as a coach you should be able to read effectively the opposition’s strengths and weaknesses and alter your strategy accordingly. Use a simple checklist with the tactic you will apply to counter strengths or exploit weaknesses. For instance, identifying their best player may change the way they are marked, or noting whether that player is left or right sided.
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer Skills | Tags: changing speeds, control, fitness, running with the ball
The lines on a soccer pitch can be used for more than just a match. You can make some great games up just by getting players to follow the lines and turn at right angles. Players have to control the ball running in straight lines on a pitch and it works well for your training sessions.
Check out this game, which helps players get used to changing pace and controlling the ball. It’s great fun for the players and good for their fitness too.
Watch the clip and get your players running around the lines:
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer News, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management, Soccer Training | Tags: best football songs, best soccer songs, chris waddle, football chants, football songs, glenn hoddle, kasabian, lightening seeds, mas que nada, soccer chants, soccer songs, sony Kaka ad, sultans of ping, three lions
I’ve had such a lot of feedback since I did my original blog The six best soccer (football) songs ever that I’ve had to come up with another six just to keep everyone happy. And, yes I know, there are a lot more.
Comment below with your favourite and I may do more…
Anyway here they are:
1. Best song GIVE HIM A BALL AND A YARD OF GRASS by Sultans of Ping – nominated by my publisher Kevin Barrow
see video at the bottom of the blog and sample lyrics from it
2, Best song in an advert UNDERDOG by Kasabian _ nominated by coach Pavl Williams
Click here to watch the Sony Bravia advert with Kaka
Or watch the full version of Kasabian Underdog
3. Best World Cup Song THREE LIONS by The Lightening Seeds
Watch Three Lions by The Lightening Seeds
4. Best Crowd Song MAS QUE NADA by Sergio Mendes
Watch the Brazil team in the Nike ad with Mas Que Nada
Watch the official Sergio Mendes version of Mas Que Nada
5. Best Ex Player Song DIAMOND LIGHTS by Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle
Watch Hoddle and Waddle on Top of the Pops
6. Best Club Song A SONG FOR LEICESTER CITY – only because it mentions the best young English manager in the game: Simon Grayson and England hero Emile Heskey.
Watch a Song for Leicester City (Billy Joel style)
My publisher Kevin Barrow brought the Sultans of Ping song to my attention after I had done the first Best Soccer (football) song collection and I have to admit it is a classic
Here’s an extract from their lyrics:
“Give him a ball & a yard of grass
He’ll give you a move with perfect pass
Give him a ball & a yard of space
He’ll give you a move with godly grace”
Here’s their video:
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management | Tags: argentina, Manchester Utd, maradona, peru, sheffield wednesday, world cup 2010 qualification
As coaches we have all been through a period where we haven’t won for a few games and we begin to doubt what we have achieved. Losing is a part of sport that we all must accept and I include myself in that.
However hard we try to achieve a winning team you must be realistic and accept that losing is something that happens to most coaches. Remember that for every game you win opposite you is a coach and team that have lost, so try to respect that and not be over enthusiastic in your celebrations.
I know sometimes it isn’t easy to keep your emotions in check. I can remember after losing three games in a row how fantastic it felt to win again and so did my players. Coaches must try to set an example to their players in victory and in defeat because young players are easily influenced by your reactions.
Watching Maradonna when Argentina won a place in the World Cup in the recent qualifying matches diving full length onto the pitch is a good example of what you shouldn’t do. When my team won the U10 title having been second all season I could easily have done the same. Thankfully I can look back at the occasion and see photos of smiling coaches not idiots!
Watch these clips, one of Maradonna when Argentina beat Uruguay to claim a place in the 2010 World Cup against the odds, the second clip shows the moment Argentina score (goooooooooooooooooooooal!) and Sir Alex Ferguson when his team scored twice in the final minutes to help them on the road to winning the Premier League in England in 1993.
