Defensive positioning
To defend in a coordinate way is key for the defensive success. With only a few simple references you will achieve right habits in your players such as defensive balance, a right distance between lines or the coordination to move forward or backwards.
Small sided game – Third man
Tactical drill oriented to use, when attacking, by the third man and useful to practice the way of defending it.
Double Box: Tactical Balance
If your team, while it is attacking, keeps a balanced structure, it will be ready to defend rapidly in an appropriate way when losing the ball. It will make your players be better at finishing, at pressing after losing the ball, in the counter attack, in the previous moves to the ball loss etc.
Coverages, Exchange and Defensive Delay
Individual challenges and basic offensive and defensive micro-associations
Rondo with an intense pressure (Liverpool FC)
Do you know Liverpool’s Henderson Rondo? It is an interesting conditioning in order to reach a maximum pressure from the first pass.
Defensive support and Shifting
To attack a team that has already came back in shape and uses the counterattack as their way of attacking. High level of learning in vigilances and in offensive and defensive transitions.
Attacking Choice: on the sides or from within
The choice between keeping the ball or switching the play together with a change of pace to progress through the opponent half will make your players smarter when it comes to tactics.
Double Box: Counterattack with players outside the active zone
To connect with players which are the farthest away possible from the ball is a synonymous of a good counter attack. To prevent your rivals of doing it is a synonymous of a good press after losing the ball and an accurate drop back. In this drill your players will improve both the defensive and the offensive transitions. The dimensions will be the double of the box.
Switching the play and changing the pace
The inside-outside alternation in the game is key. With this tactical drill we will first play the ball inside by passing the ball into the middle to then pass the ball outside, attracting the defenders and switch the play finding the free space in the other side.
Supports: Superiority/inferiority
Ball retention, body orientation (One of Guardiola’s biggest obsession) to receive the ball from the exterior neutral player who has advantage through the guided discovery learning method. The defensive anticipations will make the attackers be on the right body shape to retain the ball and switch the play.