DILI (16 June 2013) – Know your job in the team shape – and do it. Know the other roles in case you have to ‘sit-in’ or play there in an emergency. Know the systems of play and what qualities are needed in them. Watch Phil Neville, Carragher etc.
RUNNING OFF THE BALL
Learn the skill of running ‘off the ball’. When you don’t have the ball, don’t just stand still. Take defenders into bad areas and ‘create holes’ for other players to run into. Many great goals have been created by unselfish running. Watch Suarez, Tevez etc.
MARKING
Know when to mark man for man (i.e. in your penalty box) or zone i.e. in a flat back 4. (Dixon/Adams/Keown/Winterburn). Know where to mark ‘touch tight’ and where to give yourself room. Try to mark not so tight that forwards can ‘roll you’ or too far so they can turn and run at you. There is no perfect distance; it depends on what part of the pitch you are in and the type of opponent. Learn to track players in Mid field. It’s easy to run forward, great midfielders can also ‘track back’ and not lose their man. i.e. Gerrard, Lampard, Toure etc.
SUPPORTING
As soon as you have passed a ball, look to get into a position where you can receive it again. Don’t get too close as you’ll ‘squeeze your own space’ get yourself in a position where if you receive the ball you can pass it forward as soon as possible. ie Scholes, Lucas, Mata etc
VISION
Vision or ‘seeing things early’ is the sign of a great player. Usually comes from playing thousands of games in streets/training. Great players play ‘with their heads up’ and even they haven’t got the ball, they are looking for their next pass. Watch Mata, Iniesta, Hazard. Try to watch them when they haven’t got the ball, they are always ‘scanning’ the pitch.
COMMUNICATION
QUALITY communication is essential in football. Avoid clichés and abuse to team mates – neither get you anywhere. Give quality instructions i.e. man on … go right 5 metres. Encouragement is a great motivator especially when it gets ‘tough’ in a match. Watch Terry, Carragher etc.
PRINCIPLES OF THE GAME
Attack: Penetration/Depth/Mobility/Width
Defence: Delay/Cover/Balance/Concentration
Try to understand what they mean and when and how to apply them.
MENTAL QUALITIES
DISCIPLINE
Self-discipline is essential in football. You can’t afford to get sent off for stupid offences i.e. dissent. Stupid yellow cards which result in a suspension can cost you money, your place in the team and points for the team. Controlled aggression is a great quality. Watch Toure, Alonso etc.
DIET
If you’ve got a Mercedes, you don’t put cheap fuel in it. You are a professional athlete, put the best fuel in your body. If you are not sure, ask. The days of overweight players have gone. Footballers are athletes – Ibrahimovic, Beckham etc.
LIFESTYLE
Footballers are human, they are not angels. But the reality is that you may have the opportunity to make enough money to retire at 35! Why waste that opportunity? Do you need to drink? Every time you think you want a drink – Is it going to make me a better player? Also, the reality is that you are in a profession that is perceived to be great lifestyle. You will get idiots trying to provoke you through jealousy. Avoid the places where the idiots are. It is reported that the Nevilles were laughed at for their work ethic. Have you seen their bank account?
ENTHUSIASM
There is no crime in being enthusiastic about training, and enthusiasm is infectious. Anybody can be cynical, but one day you will miss training (think what it’s like when you are injured). Treat every session with enthusiasm. To have reached this level you must have loved the game. Don’t lose the love of the game. Watch Carragher, Rooney etc.
HIGH STANDARDS
Set high personal standards in everything you do. Be strong enough to resist pressure from weaker mates. YOU want to ‘make it’, there are times when you have to be selfish. Have good habits in practice. Watch Beckham.
HARD WORK!
Listen and/or talk to the top Pros. They will tell you there is no substitute for hard work. The odd freak may make it on natural ability – are you prepared to risk it? Hard work is a skill and is well valued by people who pick teams and team mates.
Read this document and then feel free to discuss any part of your game with your Coaches. Don’t be shy to ask questions and everything will be in confidence and aimed towards making you a better player.
Another aspect that the FA Officials asked me to look at was preparation for a game. This was an area they felt was lacking in knowledge. So each player was given the following handout and it was analysed step by step and why. Some players will forget it, but I feel it is the responsibility of the Coach to offer knowledge, explain it and if it sticks in the players brain, then great!.
PREPARATION FOR GAME SHEETS GIVEN TO PLAYERS AND LOCAL COACHES
PSYCHOLOGY
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
A professional player must know how to prepare himself off the pitch. A professional Soccer player must not only train hard but must look after all areas of his life. A disciplined mind will help you have the correct attitude towards the game. The professionals with long careers in the game such as Baresi, Maldini, Bryan Robson, Kiatasuk (Zico) and Pele were all disciplined players. It is only the freaks or great exceptions (such as Maradona or Best) who can live a wayward life style. For every one of these players there are 100 failures, usually drinking in pubs.
This type of training will be new to you and it would be the easy thing to laugh and say I don’t need this. More and more Thai Premier League teams are using these methods. There is no shame in trying everything to become a professional player.
It is essential that a young player now starts to develop psychological (thinking) skills to help him become a complete player.
DAY OF THE MATCH
A great deal of playing Soccer is ‘in the mind’ or based around confidence. The aim is to have that unbeatable day every week.
Try to complete the following check list and see how you prepared for the game. Complete it after you played well and try to keep the positive features. If you played poorly, then try to analyse why.
Date Match V Score
EXAMPLE
What did you do the night before the game?
A: Watched videos of AC Milan against Ajax with my mum and dad
How much sleep did you get?
A: Went to bed at 10.30pm. Woke up at 7.30am – 9hours sleep
What did you eat for breakfast?
A: Cereal/toast/honey/orange juice
What did you do in the morning?
A: Polished my boots, got my bag ready/played with my kid sister
What time did you arrive at the ground?
A: Arrived 90 minutes before kick off
What did you do at the ground?
A: Spoke to my mate in the other team/ watched the under 13s play
What did you do in the dressing room?
A: Stretched and concentrated on the jobs I had to do
What did you do in the team talk?
A: Listened to the Coach/ listened to all the jobs the team has to do. Took big breaths
What did you do in the warm up?
A: stretches/jogged/sprints/ ran in the areas that I play/got plenty of touches of the ball
How did YOU play (NOT THE TEAM OR THE MATCH RESULT…BE HONEST)
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POOR GAME GREAT GAME
– By Steve Darby (had previously coached Sydney Olympic [1995-1998], Johor FA [1998-2000], Thailand U23 [2009] and Mohun Bagan [2011]
