Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer News, Soccer Refereeing, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management, Soccer Training | Tags: core skills, finland, forssell, leeds, practice skills, skills
Everyone talks about how important it is to practice skills on your own at home or at your club – even if you’re a coach you have to practice.
I spend time practicing my skills that I then have to demonstrate to my players – if I can’t do it should I expect them to?
Watch this training video of how Mikael Forssell practices his skills so that when he gets called up to play for club or country he has quick feet to fool defenders and create goal scoring chances for himself or his team mates.
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer News, Soccer Refereeing, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management, Soccer Training | Tags: Bristol City, cheltenham, Colchester, goal of the season, leeds, Reading, Swindon Town, youth
Last weekend saw my one of the teams I coach take part in a 6-a-side tournament which was very competitive. There was a broad range of teams in both size and ability playing and we had been put in a very strong group.
There was some fabulous football played by all the teams in our group, and I couldn’t help but admire the amount of work that had been put in by all the coaches that were there.
It made me feel that the future of the game was in good hands when I saw a lot of clever one touch play – and there was a fair share of spectacular goals.
One thing about playing 6-a-side on small pitches is that there are lots of chances to shoot and this was something I tried to encourage my team to do. We scored two spectacular goals from outside the area but for most of the games we tried to walk the ball into the net – something that may have worked but the speed of the movement bamboozled even their own team mates and a couple of taps in sped by.
But it did prove exhilarating to watch and players, parents and coaches came away with a great feeling from the experience.
As a culmination of a fantastic season in both Youth Alliance and Academy Leagues, the League Football Education (LFE) is running a Youth Goal of the Season, you can see the top goals by following the link below, and you can vote for the one you like best.
YOUTH GOAL OF THE SEASON VOTE HERE
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer News, Soccer Refereeing, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management, Soccer Training | Tags: bruce, defenders, goalkeeper, leeds, Manchester United, mistakes, schmeichel
Watching Leeds United play Cardiff City in the English Championship last month what stood out was the mix up between the sons of two Manchester United greats managed between them to gift a goal to Cardiff.
The sons of Peter Schmeichel and Steve Bruce both play for Leeds. Kasper Schmeichel in goal and Alex Bruce at centre-back much like their fathers. Between they they let the Cardiff centre forward Jay Boothroyd take the ball when the two Leeds players should between them have easily cleared it – no communication and yet they played together in the changing rooms at Old Trafford while waiting for their dads – you can see a clip of them playing together aged 6 below.
But there are always mistakes during the course of a season in every division in every league. I’m sure you see them all the time in youth matches – it’s something that happens.
So next time your players make a mistake don’t let them dwell on it and don’t dwell on it your self because someone somewhere will be making a mistake too.
And the mistakes by their fathers in this clip below:
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer News, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management, Soccer Training | Tags: aston villa, Eddie Gray, England squad, England U21, leeds, milner, peter taylor, World Cup
One of the names which could be making headlines at the 2010 World Cup in June is England’s James Milner. And this is a player who makes the headlines for the right reasons – his footballing abiity.
He is someone all young players can take inspiration from. Before the English Carling Cup final where his team Aston Villa play Manchester United, Milner spoke about playing for Leeds United U11s when beating Manchester United was the highlight of his young career. He made the first team at Leeds when he was just 16. Now the 24-year-old has the manager of England singing his praises.
Milner’s story is one of hard work and hours spent on the training ground. According to Eddie Gray who was Milner’s coach at Leeds, “his one aim in life has always been to be the best footballer he can. His right foot was initially stronger but he just worked hard on his left and made himself two-footed.”
By working on his weaknesses he has made himself a player who can play in any position, winger, midfield and he has even played at left back for his club, which has seen some experts suggest he could solve the problem caused by Ashley Cole’s injury.
His manager at England U21 level, Peter Taylor saw Milner as his favourite player. “If all players were like him the job would be pure joy!”
“James listened to my advice and acted on it. His crossing improved immensely.”
He can also read the game better as he has played more games, constantly improving his technique. He is now the penalty taker at Aston Villa opening the scoring in the match with a penalty in the first few minutes.
When he goes home to his family he goes down to the local park and plays with the kids there, challenging them to a game of keepy-uppy.
A young man truly in love with the game and someone for all young players to aspire to be like.
Watch these two clips of Milner, one at the start of his career at Leeds aged 16 and now at Aston Villa aged 24:
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer News, Soccer Skills, Uncategorized | Tags: cancelled matches, cold, ice, leeds, manchester city, play on snow, snow, training
It’s been a frustrating time in England trying to play matches and take training session with deep snow all around the place. It was interesting to hear how difficult lots of professional teams have found it to train this last couple of weeks because most outside pitches have been frozen solid.
It’s not just problems with pitches though it’s also a problem getting to the grounds.
I got my U9s up to training to clear the astro turf pitch we can use. Six turned up. I slipped on ice and could barely walk. The parents faced a gruelling drive home. They won’t do that again in a hurry.
Wycombe Wanderers have found the same problem. Because they were playing Leeds United who have undersoil heating and an army of people to clear snow off the pitch, they had to travel all the way up north to their match.
They haven’t trained all week, whereas Leeds have a plastic training pitch which they can use in conditions like this.
Most clubs have to train indoors if they can find somewhere open.
When you hear that a big club like Manchester United with all their facilities are finding it difficult to train even though they have undersoil heated training pitches you know there is a problem. Your local rec isn’t going to be much use.
Manchester Utd have penciled in a trip to Dubai to train – now there’s a thought. Wonder if my local club would stump up the cash for a little trip like that.
But there are things you can do if you can sort out a flat bit of snow to pass the ball around on. Get everyone to bring flasks of hot drinks and do half an hour of simple passing. As long as its daylight your players should be okay.
I’ve been asking around to see what players have been up to and thought I’d put up a couple of clips for you to see:
And remember in the 70s when games went ahead with an orange ball?
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer News, Soccer Refereeing, Uncategorized | Tags: Barcelona, Dave Clarke, Henry, howson, jarvis, jermaine beckford, leeds, Manchester Utd, milijas, passing, tranmere, wolves, xavi
Once your players can pass and move the ball you need to get them to focus on more advanced types of passes. The through ball is a ball passed into space for the target player to run on to – a great attacking weapon. It is a skill players develop over time, theability to put a ball where an attacker can run on to it.
Below is a clip of Xavi at Barcelona playing an amazing through ball to Thierry Henry. It is such a clever ball that the defenders do not see it coming. Watch though how good recovery play from the defender and a brave goalkeeper block Henry’s attempt to score.
You can also see two great goals from the FA Cup games at the weekend. When Leeds shocked Manchester United the goal came from a perfect through ball by Jonny Howson of Leeds who played the ball into space behind the Manchester defenders. Jermaine Beckford was quickest to the ball and he beat the goalkeeper with his shot.
The second goal was in the Tranmere v Wolves game when Wolves’ Nenad Milijas played a ball through the heart of the Tranmere defence to Matt Jarvis who fired home from just inside the box.
Watch all three goals below.
You can get your players to practice playing the through ball using coned off zones at either end of the pitch with an attacker and a 3v3 in the centre where players have to compete for the ball then pass it through to the attackers.
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management | Tags: leeds, Liverpool, man utd, passing drills, passing exercises, Premier League coaches, simple passing
One of the things that I am always telling coaches is to keep passing exercises simple.
Young players will learn far more from simple passing using the correct technique, than complicated drills that confuse them.
I was coaching U9s with two simple passing moves and when they played the match afterwards they were making some great moves, all the way up the pitch. I was pleased at their progress and some of the parents commented on how well they were passing. One of them said they hadn’t realised how direct quick passing could be.
They were just playing a practice game gearing up for the start of the season but were keen to score goals. Simple passing sequences give players confidence in their own ability making it more likely they will do it under pressure in matches.
Watch this session showing simple exercises for passing training.
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer News | Tags: central contracts, doncaster belles, england ladies, England Women's team, leeds
The English Football Association has surprised all of us by awarding central contracts to 17 women players in a bid to boost the national team’s hope of success. A further three are likely to be added to the roster and, with salaries of £16,000 each, the FA is committing a total of £1.28m to the scheme over an initial four-year period.
According to the FA chairman, Lord Triesman: “This is a vital step that’s right for our sport. It will ensure that our head coach [Hope Powell] will have outstanding players available to her in the future.”
A further five squad members are also part of the England squad but they play as full-time professionals in the United States, earning more than twice the central contract salary. The FA’s move gives Powell, three months ahead of the 2009 European Championship finals in Finland, potentially the strongest squad she has had since taking charge in 1998. The home-based players will be allowed part-time jobs outside their football commitments, but only up to a maximum of 24 hours a week.
“This is a great opportunity for the players,” Powell said. “These contracts will help them to focus on training and playing, and allow them the time to concentrate on helping England to qualify for major tournaments on a consistent basis and to compete at the very top level against the best teams in the world.”
Doncaster Belles 20-year-old midfielder Rachel Williams is a plasterer by trade. “This is brilliant for me. When I finish work at the moment I’m knackered and that affects my training. Now I’ll be fresher and hopefully I can push on to break into the England squad for the Euro finals.”
Anyway you know how I love a crossbar challenge so here is the England ladies team doing the crossbar challenge:
