IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
MK DONS
Karl Robinson
Counter- attacking plays
Overview:
This session looks at improving players’ ability to sustain position, deal with pressure, and produce confident counter- attacking play.
Particularly away from home, the ability to counter- attack with pace and quality offers teams the option of sticking or twisting. I find that, if done properly, counter- attacking shouldn’t be something that compromises team shape, because players are advancing into empty space.
The session should last approximately one hour.
COUNTER-ATTACKING PLAYS
SET-UP AREA
Full pitch EQUIPMENT
Balls, goals NUMBER OF PLAYERS 22
What do I get the players to do?
In any counter- attacking move, the key player is the one who acts as the pivot. This player controls the breakaway pass, is composed in surveying forward options, and releases to a supporting team mate when the time is right.
In our warm-up, this man is either of the two attacking players in a 4-4-1-1 formation. To begin, we have two banks of four players – a back four defending deep on the edge of the box with another four players further ahead but in the defensive half. One holding striker hovers near the arc of the centre circle with an out-and-out striker on the halfway line.
“When breaking, pace and precision is a necessity. We need to ensure the attack is direct and towards goal so that no momentum is lost.”
We rehearse two variations – either playing out from the back to the holding striker, who pivots and progresses forward looking for support from the full-backs; or hitting the top striker whose job it is to hold the ball, wait for support, and lay off a pass.
How doI put this into a game situation?
The game provides the main part of this session, and requires
18 Elite Soccer: The Collectors’ Series Volume 1
www.elitesoccercoaching.net 1 KEY
Ball movement
Player movement
Dribble
The front striker holds up play before releasing to a counter-attacking runner
2 KEY
Ball movement
Player movement
Dribble
In contrast, the holding striker builds using his bank of four midfielders
1 KEY
Ball movement
Player movement
Dribble
In the main session, team mates in the 5v5 must complete three passes
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