IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
BLACKPOOL
Paul Stephenson
Defensive shape
(midfield four) Overview:
This session looks at building understanding of angles and distances in midfield, including closing the ball down and ensuring the team unit stays compact.
It’s vital we can cement these principles when setting up across the middle, because being solid as a team and learning simple but effective habits in midfield means creating a solid springboard for attack, particularly when counter- attacking.
We will use this practice in the lead-up to a game when we know we’re coming up against a proficient passing unit, as it offers us key reminders as regards shape, and coaches a resilience and patience that any side will need when faced with opponents who we know are good at retaining possession.
DEFENSIVE SHAPE (MIDFIELD FOUR)
SET-UP AREA
Up to a full pitch EQUIPMENT
Balls, bibs, cones, discs, goals NUMBER OF PLAYERS
Up to 8v8 SESSION TIME
Grid practices 40mins, Small-sided game 20mins
What do I get the players to do?
4v4 grid set-up (1)
Setting up as shown, the server begins the practice by feeding the ball into a blue attacker. He looks to play a pass along the ground across to a team mate, with opposition reds ready to close down. The nearest red presses in opposition territory, forcing inside, with the movement of fellow defenders being to slide across. A constant distance between reds must be maintained with one pressing and the other three reacting behind to cover and protect.
Blues must find space to thread a pass through to the server on the opposite side (2) – they must stay in their boxes, but defenders are free to roam. If defenders turn the ball over, it’s fed back to the server on their side.
4v4 plus two targets (3)
In the progression, we place two target players on each long side (what, in a game situation, would effectively be centre-backs behind a midfield four). As before, the team that starts needs to feed
12 JANUARY 2015
In the progression, bringing in two targets gives more for the defending midfield four to think about
The left-sided blue receives the ball and is forced to play inside having been pressed by a defending red
1 KEY
Ball movement
Player movement
Dribble
2
Quick passing play enables blues to successfully feed the ball out to the target player on the other side, with reds failing to narrow enough the gap between defenders in order to make an interception
3
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