U9 Training Reflection (2.1.22)

Principle: Possession

Sub-Principle: Build-Up from the Back

Sub-Sub-Principles: Positional Balance, Positional Balance, Switching Play through a Pivot, Tempo

Intro - Team Talk

Introduced the players to our playing shape, good conversation and introduction to position names and the importance of respecting the position.

This week we will begin with a quiz of the playing shape.

First Part - Technical Activation

In the first part we structured a technical passing pattern that is relevant to our team shape (CB playing with the wide midfielder and the center-mid). Overall players are becoming more efficient at controlling with the inside and playing the pass. We still have some players that step on the ball to control and this needs to be fixed. Small passing activation should continue to be included.

Second Part - Technical Game

Here we challenged the players to play within the triangles a 3v1 rondo and score after 3 passes. This was a great way players had to solve the free man problem. I saw certain times players making the killer pass to finish the play. There was some tempo (1-2 passes) but we can continue to stress this.

Our transition to recover is slow. This maybe a chance to incorporate this principle into our next training session.

Third Part - Tactical Game

Here we tried to play our first positional game. The players had some great sequences of possession but playing against 2 defenders seemed too easy. The triangles could have also been more clearly defined by adding more cones or something like this to make them more visible.

This was a good introduction to our build-out, we will continue to build from this and structure similar games.

Final Part -SSG

At the end we let the players play for a last few minutes a 4v4 game. We had a bit of bunching but we also had some good sequences of combination play. A lot to keep building from here.

Next training session:

- small quiz on formation

- principle to train: counter-pressing (pressing to win the ball), Build-up (switching through pivot)