How to prepare teams, players for a new season

Based on our experience as coaches and thanks to the opportunity that this journal gives us, we want to give some references to coaches and people that work with football, of the different strategies for developing trainings.

It is important to take into account the complexity that coaches find every day in the designing of trainings because there are many training methods/systems to achieve the objectives of the season and it is difficult to know if they are going to be the right ones.

There are different factors that help us to choose a method of training. Among them, we must know the players and their needs, strengths and weaknesses to measure the qualities of our players.

This will allow us to achieve a better group performance. It is not worth having players with the best qualities/conditions if they do not display these conditions for the team and collectively.

One of the main problems that we find in the activities when designing our training is that sometimes the activities are not in agreement with the game model; which is a dynamic system that defines our game idea.  

Frequently, the teams suggest trainings during the week that have nothing to do with the way the team plays in the official match. So, it is very important that the trainings that are being performed during the week reinforce the game idea that the coach outlines.

The specific characteristics of each play system must be known by the coaches so they can outline the weekly training with logical criteria. This will help to improve the individual and collective performance of our team.

In this first section, we are going to talk about the individual and collective characteristics of the system 1-4-3-3. This is one of the most important nowadays systems and the one often displayed by FC Barcelona.

This system is a modification of 1-4-2-4 system, the idea of this system is that the forward player is delayed to the midfielder line. So, this considers the evolution of football both at a physical and tactic level.

Besides that, the system 1-4-3-3 is very offensive because here prevails the attack/offensive strategy, the possession and rapid recuperation of the ball.

The team must have large attack amplitude because the positions of the players allow the game to take advantage in touchlines. The lines of the players must be equilibrated, because in the offensive predominates the open game.

So, an efficient control of the game is achieved and in the case of losing a ball there is more help of the defence. On the other side, the system implies to perform quick transitions defence-attack so the game does not delay in midfield and it gains superiority in the attack.

Although many players can adapt to the different systems and positions in the field, they must have some qualities that help the coaches to display a better game.

In this case, the system is composed of (see Figure) 1- goalkeeper, 2- right full back, 3- left full back, 4- centre back right, 5- center back left, 6- defending midfielder, 8 and 10 central midfielder box to box, 7- right winger, 11- left winger, 9- center forward striker, with the possibility of modifying some positions if the team needs it.

It is important that the goalkeeper has a good technical ability that allows him to develop an effective game, being capable of interpreting the different states of the game in order to run the marking movements, team mates’ coverage and the tactic intelligence to move when the team considers that it is necessary.

The right full back and defending midfielder players must have a good aerial game and optimal strength levels in order to face the individual play of each other.

Besides that, the players must have physical and cognitive speed so they can anticipate to the opponent (anticipation-interception). Technically, they have to be very good at handling ball control and passes, clearances and interceptions.  

Lastly, they must know how to station in relation to the ball movements and players. The left full back and centre back right players must have good physical capacities both in strength (for individual interceptions) and resistance (they have to cover large distances in the field with little recuperation after effort).

The centre back left must have good strength levels in order to face ball interceptions and aerial game. On the other side, it is important that these players have good resistance levels so they can participate both in defence and attack.

It is fundamental that they show intelligence in the interpretation of the different phases of the game like defence, attack and transitions; in defence to make coverages and anticipate to the opponent and in attack to form the offensive.

Their technical attributes are very important for the correct progress of their game.

The central midfielder box to box players should have physical qualities similar to the centre back left player with the exception that their resistance must be better because of the long distances that they make in the lateral touchlines in the different game states.

Finally, the right winger, left winger and centre forward striker players do not have a stereotype player in the physical characteristics. Which is important, is that they have good strength levels both in the competition and protection of the ball and be able to start, stop, change the direction, jump and make goal shots in an explosive way.

Besides that, they should have great coordination levels and agility to overcome the opponents. In the case of the right winger and left winger players it is important that they are good in the one-to-one and they need good running shots.

The centre forward striker-player must be able to perform good shots and know how to protect the ball in order to help the team leaving the defensive positions.

All these factors and others related to the context of the team will be essential to perform the system 1-4-3-3 efficiently taking into account the trainings designed for every week.

A Graphic Sports feature

Graphic Sports/graphic.com.gh/Ghana

Written by: Ganini Adu-Gyamfi Dawson, National Football Trainer Level 3, Spain (Real Federación Española de Fútbol). Germán Correa, Science Degree in Physical Activity and Sport.