www.elitesoccercoaching.

net JANUARY 2017

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

SOCCER
Exclusive om top
Training practicesafrers
professional man g

CHRIS
WALES

COLEMAN
WORLD CUP MATCH ROUTINE

RANGERS STEVENAGE BURNLEY LMA AMBASSADOR LMA AMBASSADOR

MARK DARREN TONY DAVID MANUEL

WARBURTON SARLL LOUGHLAN OLDFIELD PELLEGRINI
Deliveries from Forward runs Build up vs Attackingplay- Deadly
wide areas from midfield counter ‘lockout’mentality transitions

EXTRA-TIME INTERVIEW: WITH EXETER CITY MANAGER PAUL TISDALE

 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Elite Soccer is published by:

ISSUE 78/JANUARY 2017: FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Inspiring and versatile 5

Green Star Media Ltd CHRIS
Meadow View, Tannery Lane
Guildford, Surrey, soccer practices from the COLEMAN
WALES
GU5 0AB, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1483 892 894 game’s best names World
Fax: +44 (0) 1483 894 148
Email:
cup
elitesoccer@greenstarmedia.net Dear Coach, match
Editor:
routine
James Evans Welcome to the January issue of Elite Soccer.
Contributing Editor: Firstly, a Happy New Year, and may 2017 be successful for both
Mark Farthing
you and your team. Certainly, if there’s ever a time to distract
Illustrator:
players’ minds from freezing temperatures and hard training
8
Richard Palmer MARK
Customer Services: pitches, it’s by putting in front of them original sessions that will WARBURTON
Duncan Heard
engage and excite. RANGERS
Managing Director:
Andrew Griffiths And that’s exactly what we have in the new issue of Elite Soccer, Deliveries
Photos: Action Images
with our cover manager Chris Coleman offering a brilliant from wide
practice in which he explains how the Wales national team areas
prepared for an important World Cup qualifying match last year.
Moving on to our other contributors, Rangers manager Mark 12
Publishedinpartnershipwith:
Warburton outlines a session that looks at deliveries from wide DARREN SARLL
STEVENAGE
areas, while Stevenage boss Darren Sarll presents a practice
that focuses on forward runs from midfield.
Forward
League Managers
From the coaching team at Premier League side Burnley, Tony
runs from
Association
St George’s Park Loughlan highlights the differences between build-up and
midfield
National Football Centre
Newborough Road counter-attacking play, while LMA Ambassador David Oldfield
Needwood
Burton upon Trent DE13 9PD
looks at attacking play with the focus on a ‘lock out’ mentality.
Tel: +44 (0)1283 576350 Finally, from the archives, we’ve reworked a great session by 15
Email: lma@lmasecure.com Manuel Pellegrini that presents the power of deadly transitions TONY
Chairman: LOUGHLAN
Howard Wilkinson in modern football. BURNLEY
Chief Executive: As always, we hope you and your players enjoy what’s on offer, Build up vs
Richard Bevan
and we’ll see you again next month.Yours, in soccer, counter
This publication is protected
by national and international
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DAVID OLDFIELD
LMA AMBASSADOR
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have purchased this report may
Attacking
circulate electronic or hard play –‘lock
out’ mentality
copies to members of their own
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done without commercial gain.
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reserved professional, semi-professional and LMA AMBASSADOR

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MANAGER PROFILES
ELITE SOCCER JANUARY 2017

Here are the six managers andcoaches we’re delighted to welcome into this issue of Elite Soccer

MARK academy in 2001, moving on

CHRIS COLEMAN
WALES
WARBURTON
RANGERS
to Sunderland, then Ipswich
Town as assistant manager.
Mark Warburton joined He then arrived at Watford
Chris Coleman was confirmed as manager of Wales in
Brentford as Sporting Director to link up with Sean Dyche,
January 2012, becoming the country’s 12th permanent a former team-mate at
manager. in 2011, having worked as
Academy Manager at Watford Nottingham Forest, before
He had previously managed in the Premier League, linking up again with Dyche as
and launched the NextGen
Championship and La Liga, following an impressive first-team coach at present
Series, an Under-19 European
playing career in which he starred for Swansea City, club cup competition. club Burnley.
Crystal Palace, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham, amassing
He stepped into the
cumulative transfer fees of over £5million. Coleman also managerial hotseat at Griffin DAVID OLDFIELD
earned 32 caps for Wales, but it was a career ultimately LMA AMBASSADOR
Park in December 2013, and
cut short through injury and he was forced to retire from within four months the club After a long playing career
playing duties at the age of 32. were on the cusp of promotion in which he made almost
Coleman then became a coach at Fulham under Jean to the Championship for the 600 senior appearances,
Tigana, and after a spell as caretaker manager in April first time in 22 years, with the David Oldfield moved into
Bees promptly securing their coaching as reserve team
2003 he was appointed on a permanent basis in May. This
return with a 1-0 win over manager at Peterborough
resulted in Coleman becoming the youngest manager in
Preston North End. United in 2008. A Development
the Barclays Premier League. Coach role followed at West
Coleman was hugely impressive during his first In June 2015 he joined
Bromwich Albion before
Rangers, returning the
managerial role as Fulham finished 9th in the 2003/04 spells at MK Dons and Burton
Glasgow giants to the Scottish
season, 13th in 2004/05 and 12th in 2005/06, before he Albion. He was most recently
Premiership at the first time
accepted the invitation to become Real Sociedad manager of asking as they look to re-
working under Jimmy Floyd
in June 2007 after being recommended by John Toshack. Hasselbaink at QPR.
establish themselves as both
He departed Sociedad six months later, leaving the side a domestic and European
in fifth place in the league, and returned to England to heavyweight. MANUEL
become Coventry City manager, leading the club to an FA PELLEGRINI
Cup quarter-final that year. DARREN SARLL LMA AMBASSADOR
Chilean Manuel Pellegrini
Before joining the FAW, Coleman briefly took charge at STEVENAGE
Darren Sarll progressed enjoyed a successful three
Greek side Larissa, but in November 2011 joined the Wales
through the ranks at years in charge of Manchester
national team set-up, tasked with building on the excellent
Stevenage – from coaching City, leading the club to the
foundations put in place by his predecessor Gary Speed. Barclays Premier League title
Coleman soon began to work his magic, and a first win Under-16s, to the Centre of
arrived in October 2012 as Scotland were defeated 2-1. Excellence, the Under-18s and in 2013/14 and the League Cup
then reserve team manager – in 2013/14 and 2015/16.
He continued to develop the young squad, and Wales’ before departing for Brentford He joined City with a wealth
form in the 2016 European Championship qualifiers in June 2008 where he worked of managerial experience
was excellent, as they made it to the finals of a major as Youth Team Manager. He accumulated in both South
tournament for the first time since 1958. moved to Rotherham United America and Europe,
At the Euros, Wales surpassed all expectations by reaching before returning to Stevenage accumulating numerous
the semi-finals. They lost to eventual champions Portugal, at the start of the 2012/13 honours with River Plate,
but defeated Slovakia, Russia, Northern Ireland and season, progressing to Villarreal and Real Madrid, as
Belgium en route to the last four to win admirers the world become first-team manager well as Malaga, for whom he
in 2016. clinched a fourth-placed finish
over.
in La Liga, securing the club
His achievements with Wales have led to Coleman being
awarded the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year TONY LOUGHLAN Champions League football
for the first time in their
BURNLEY
‘Coach of the Year’ award, a place on the FIFA World Coach history. He is now manager
After a playing career cut
of the Year Shortlist of 10, and the award of the OBE in the of Hebei China Fortune in the
short by injury, Tony began
New Year’s honours list.
coaching with Leicester City’s Chinese Super League.

3 JANUARY 2017 www.elitesoccercoaching.net

 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

MANAGEMENT MATTERS

MANAGER OF THE MONTH AWARDS

Chelsea boss In English In Sky Bet And finally into

Antonio Conte
was named
Manager of
the Month for November after
the Blues emerged as title
favourites by storming to the top
of the Barclays Premier League.
Conte has worked his magic
at Stamford Bridge in only a
few short months, and the
west London club strode
past Everton, Middlesbrough
and Tottenham Hotspur in
November to go clear at the top.
This formed the start of a
winning sequence that was to
extend all the way through to
2017, and at the time of writing,
Chelsea had won 13 straight
league matches, a club record.
P3 W3 D0 L0 (LEAGUE ONLY)
football’s
second tier,
Derby County manager Steve
McClaren took the award after
the Rams won all three of their
league matches during the
month.
A 3-2 away victory at
Wolverhampton Wanderers
kicked things off, and they
built on that success by seeing
off Rotherham United and
promotion rivals Norwich City
at the iPro Stadium.
P3 W3 D0 L0
League One,
Graham
Alexander scooped the
divisional award as his
Scunthorpe United side
cemented their tag as title
favourites after three wins and
a draw during the month.
The Iron defeated Coventry
City and Oldham Athletic by
a single-goal margin before
winning 2-0 at Peterborough
United. They completed their
monthly fixtures with a 1-1
home draw against Oxford
United.
P4 W3 D1 L0
Sky Bet League
Two, where
Wycombe Wanderers manager
Gareth Ainsworth saw his
team win all four of their league
matches.
The Chairboys made a slow
start to the campaign, but have
picked up momentum in the
second part of the season,
and Morecambe, Cambridge
United, Newport County
and Hartlepool United were
no match for them during
November, as the club moved
into the play-off picture.
P4 W4 D0 L0

CAREERPATH
...with Shaun Derry, manager of Sky Bet
League Two side Cambridge United
Cambridge United are one of the form sides
in the division – it must be good to be back
and successful in League Two.
Yes the club suffered for a few years in the
Conference and I think there is still relief
around the Abbey Stadium that we are back
as a Football League club. In football you
don’t have any right to play at a certain level,
it has to be earned, but you look at what we
have around us and the city as a whole, and
this really should be a Football League club.
Although you weren’t at the club in the
Conference, has the transition back to the
Football League been an easy one?
Yes I think the club is very comfortable at In terms of our current run, I am a big fan of
this level, and that’s certainly something momentum, and when you’ve got it on your
we are proving on the pitch this season. side it can be something that’s difficult to
It can sometimes be easy to overanalyse stop. I know my players well and know what
what division you play at and the demands they can achieve if they keep their feet on the
of the game, but this club were full-time ground this season and
in the Conference and it’s the same thing do the simple things
now. Clearly there is a step up in quality, but well. We’re very keen
not to the point where it becomes difficult to protect against
to compete, so day to day you get on with overconfidence or
training hard and winning football matches. complacency, and
I don’t think this is
a group who will go
You had a slow start to the season but things
are really moving forward now. What has down that route, so
if we can keep things
changed?
I think you have to give players time to adapt sensible then there
could be even more
to new training ideas, and this is something I
am always saying to up and coming coaches. joy for our fantastic
There will be a point where something just supporters at the end of
this season.
clicks, and there’s no better feeling than that,
both as a player and a coach.

4 JANUARY 2017
 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

WALES
Chris Coleman Warm-up dynamics (5mins)
World Cup match
routine 2 They mix high-intensity runs with simple jogs

SET-UP 1
AREA
Up to 55x45 yards
EQUIPMENT
1 Players
Balls, cones, goals, hurdles work up
NUMBER OF PLAYERS and down
Full squad
SESSION TIME
60mins

Overview:
Wales v Moldova
This session looks at the
preparation we undertook 3 Returning to the start they begin the practice again
for our FIFA World Cup 2018
qualifier against Moldova in Technical (4x2mins)
September 2016, and the way
we went about our task in the
lead-up to that game. 2 After making a pass they follow their runs

It was a game in which we were 2

specifically looking to play
with a different shape: namely
a back three, single holding
midfielder, two wing-backs,
two attacking midfielders and
two strikers. The reason for 1 Players
this was because we knew we pass clockwise
had to be more offensive in our around either of
approach, and that made the the two areas
build-up to the game unique
– a challenge for both me
and my players in attempting
to gain a clear picture of
our attacking options, and
to define player roles and
responsibilities.
3 Players should alternate between
the short and long passing areas
What do I get the players
to do?
When setting this up, we only Speed prep (4x4 reps)
had seven outfielders for the
opposition, so got those players 3
to set up in what we expected
Moldova to play with – namely
a back four, two holding
midfielders and a no.10. The
set-up was half a pitch with the
ball being played in to our back
three on the halfway line, and
then building up attackers from
there.
We expected Moldova to play a
low block against us, so a large
emphasis was put on getting
the ball out into wide areas and
then attacking subsequent KEY
Ball
crosses. Players work their way through four different courses, combining speed with agility in movement
Player
negotiating a path around and through the obstacles movement
Dribble

5 JANUARY 2017 www.elitesoccercoaching.net


CHRIS COLEMAN: WORLD CUP MATCH ROUTINE
Attack vs Defence (10v7 + keepers)
The opposition is set up 4-2-1
2 It is worked through opponents and
into the wide areas
Warm-up practices
Before that main practice,
we embarked on a series
of warm-ups, as shown.
Obviously, these were aimed
at mixing low-volume and
low-intensity movement and
structure:
• Warm-up dynamics
(5mins) (1)
• Technical (4x2mins) (2)
• Speed prep (4x4 reps) (3)
Once these practices were
complete we were to move
into Tactical Attack vs
Defence (10v7 + keepers)
practice (4).
6 JANUARY 2017
How do I progress the
practice?
There is of course a natural
progression to this, which is
setting up against a full 11
opponents, something we
would have done if we’d had
the bodies available. Clearly,
the sensible progression
here is 11v11, with the
consideration too of playing
in a small area in order to
reinforce the key principles.
What are the key things to
look out for?
The key thing is to get bodies
forward to support the front
two, with this approach
coming from the two
attacking midfielders and
two wing-backs. Equally vital
is people getting into wide
areas and delivering quality
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
1 The ball starts centrally
KEY
Ball
movement
3 The premise is for quick crosses into the box, Player
movement
which must be attacked by the two strikers and Dribble
winger from the opposite side
crosses with bodies attacking
the cross with positivity and
“We knew we had to
power. be more offensive
In addition, we want to ensure
the holding midfielder
in our approach,
doesn’t get drawn forward and that made the
as he is the insurance policy, build-up to the
and also the pivot player
switches play. It is hard to play game unique – a
through or over the low block challenge for both
so we have to keep the faith in
going wide. me and my players
in attempting
How do I put this into a
game situation?
to gain a clear
We would generally do this picture of our
in a 55x45-yard space, but attacking options,
would have to be accepting
of the reduced pitch width and to define
and its impact on the types of player roles and
crosses coming in.
responsibilities.”
www.elitesoccercoaching.net
 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

CHRIS COLEMAN: WORLD CUP MATCH ROUTINE

Wales 4 Moldova 0
FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifier
Cardiff City Stadium, Wales
Monday, September 5, 2016

3 King makes a short

pass to Gareth Bale on
the right flank

2 The ball is fed

into Andy King

1 There is a period
of neat interplay on
the right flank

4 Bale’s precise cross is

attacked by Sam Vokes,
who heads past the
Moldovan keeper to give
Wales the lead

7 JANUARY 2017 www.elitesoccercoaching.net

 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

RANGERS
Mark Warburton 4 Attackers now aim to
score from the crossed
Deliveries from wide delivery

areas 1
SET-UP
AREA 3 The two strikers
Use of a half-pitch attack near and far
posts, ensuring good
EQUIPMENT
timing and quality of
Balls, cones, goals, mannequins movement
NUMBER OF PLAYERS
Full squad
SESSION TIME
60mins

Overview:
The focus of this session is on
combination play that results in a
crossed delivery from a specific
wide area. At Rangers, we play with
attacking full-backs and like to
work the ball into wider positions 2 The wide player sets the
ball to the attacking midfielder
from which we can deliver quality who passes into space for the
crosses into the area. overlapping full-back to attack
The first ‘pattern of play’ allows us
to place players in their specific
positional areas, and permits us to
rehearse relevant movements and
variety of pass, whilst also working
both left and right flanks.
This type of session allows the 1 In the first example above, the centre-halves combine to allow
practice of key movements that a pass into the feet of the wide player who is working in off the 3 The wide player then
we always seek to incorporate, but flank, thus creating space for the full-back times his movement to work
also strongly encourages players to inside off the flank to receive
express themselves by working on and pass into the overlapping
full-back
timing and variety of runs, creation 2
of space and the seeking of an ‘end
product’, for instance an attempt on
goal. 4 In the next phase,
the next pair of
This type of pattern of play will be forwards time their
practised at least once per week movement, looking to
and almost always the day before a focus on the quality of
game, as we seek to reinforce key the end product
movements and rotations. We can
amend the session to ‘tie in’ with our
opposition analysis, so for example
if we feel forward runs from our
midfield players can be effective
then we’ll add progressions to the
practice which incorporate such
movements.
In everything we do, players need
to see relevance in the work,
recognising the importance of 2 He supplies the midfielder, first time
appropriate practice.

What do I get the players to do?

Half-pitch practice
(30mins incl. progressions)
In this practice (1), I have allowed
for a squad of 20 players including 1 The first pass KEY
Ball
from the centre-half movement
two keepers. Balls start with the is now played to the
Player
movement
two centre-halves, thus allowing full-back
Dribble

8 JANUARY 2017 www.elitesoccercoaching.net

 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

MARK WARBURTON: DELIVERIES FROM WIDE AREAS

them relevant practice in terms of 3 The striker and his

the type of passes they will seek to partner again react to fill
key areas to receive the
deliver. The attacking players work
in pairs on the edge of the area, 3 crossed delivery

and their involvement in terms of

combination and link-up play will
increase as the drill progresses.
The high midfield players (the no.8
and no.10) work off the two central
mannequins, while the full-backs
and wide players operate on their
respective flanks. We alternate
sides, both for foot and technique
variation, but also as a way of
allowing players time to recover
their positions.

Half-pitch practice – first

progression
2 As the ball is passed to the forward, the
In this first progression, as shown high midfielder works off his mannequin
(2), the set-up here is designed to create space to receive and pass the
to allow the coach to emphasise ball into the forward running wide player
timing of movement. The wide
player reacts to drag in his
respective ‘marker’, thus allowing
space for the full-back to work in.

What are the key things to look

out for? 1 The centre-half again plays to the full-back, but now the centre-forward works an
angle to receive, looking to time movement to create that space to bring in the ball
Attention to detail is of paramount
importance. If the first pass from
the centre-half is poor the entire 4 A cross into the box is attacked
pattern of play will break down. 4
Therefore, we want players to
consider seriously what type of pass
the centre-half plays, where the
receiving player wants to meet the
ball, how good the communication
is, and more.

Half-pitch practice – further

progressions
In the progressions that follow, we
will seek to include the strikers
more proactively, as shown (3/4).

What are the key things to look

out for? 2 Instead of moving forward, a 3 Now, the
The focus here is on detail. We need backward pass to the starting defensive
midfielder
to make sure the wide player does centre-back pulls movement back
becomes an
for a direct ball into the striker
not move too early, thus running attacking
into offside position. Timing of outlet, playing
movement is constantly focused a straight pass
forward for the
on with a clear understanding and overlapping
recognition of the need to both full-back
create and maximise space, and as
with all practices, seek to ensure a KEY
Ball
positive ‘end product’, so with that 1 Here, centre-halves combine before a movement
Player
ball in to the defensive midfielder
in mind we must also ensure the movement
Dribble

9 JANUARY 2017 www.elitesoccercoaching.net

 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

MARK WARBURTON: DELIVERIES FROM WIDE AREAS

weight of pass from the midfield

player is appropriate, and that the 5
reactions of the striker following
his first ‘set’ is explosive into the
penalty area.
Also, players must ensure they
are working at relevant match
pace. Yes, specific coaching
points can be highlighted and play
slowed to allow ‘learning’, but it is
important, especially at first-team
level, to have match intensity in all
movements.
And as discussed already, the
quality of passing throughout is also
of key importance, as you would
expect, be that pass choice, weight
of pass, angle, quality of ‘soft’ or
‘hard’ touch or something else.
If we have a smaller group, we can
work one flank at a time, and can
set this up to have a wide player In Penalty boxes practice, wide players are unopposed in order to give them the freedom to find space
from the opposite flank attack the and deliver crosses into the box
far post. We can seek to add one
or two defenders to defend the 2 The resulting cross is
crossed delivery, thus allowing the 6 attacked by the three attackers
coach to work on both offensive and
defensive aspects if his contact time
with the players is limited.
If detail needs to be worked on or
a specific movement improved,
we might choose to regress into a
relevant passing drill to ensure the
movement is both emphasised and
recognised.
There are some mistakes we need
to make sure we eradicate. These
include poor decision- making
over choice of pass, poor timing
of movement, failure to work off
the mannequin and create space,
a poor final cross, poor striker
movement across the front post,
poor communication, or poor
tempo and intensity.
All of the above demand
1 The keeper plays out to his defender.
concentration and focus. The A direct attacking pass is made to the
coach must emphasise the key left flank
requirements, but this is supported
by the players’ appreciation of the respective wide channels, and for played in normal conditions, as
practice demands. the first part of the drill they are shown (6) , with the exception of wide
unopposed, with no-one permitted players being unopposed. These
Penalty boxes practice to enter that area. wide players are on a maximum
(30mins incl. progressions) Both teams play 4v3 in their three-touch and must deliver the
This next set-up is on a 54x36-yard respective defensive areas, and cross or pass within three seconds.
area, with two penalty box-sized no players can change area at the To emphasise the game focus, we
areas and two wide channels outset of the game. The keeper often award two points when a goal
measuring five yards wide, as can release to a defender, to a wide is scored from a crossed delivery.
shown (5). We have two wide players player or straight into one of his
from both teams occupying their strikers, and the game must be

10 JANUARY 2017 www.elitesoccercoaching.net

 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

MARK WARBURTON: DELIVERIES FROM WIDE AREAS

Penalty boxes practice – first 3 Space therefore opens
progression 7 up for the opportunity to
score
The first progression, as shown(7),
allows the opposite wide player to
attack the far post thus creating
a 4v4 situation. Very often, the
opposite wide player can approach
late and not be marked, thus
allowing central striking players 1 The opposite
to make runs, dragging defenders wide player
2 His late arrival means attacks the far
with them and creating space. defenders are already engaged post to create a
If the drill breaks down and in tracking and marking the 4v4 situation
possession is lost, the wide player designated attackers
must revert to his channel area. If
we want to highlight role rotation,
we can state that ‘a player’ must
fill the wide channel, but not
necessarily the initial wide player if
someone is closer to that position
and can come in to replace him.
Penalty boxes practice – further
progressions
In the next progression, one of 1 Now a defender
moves forward to
the four defending players joins support the attack
the attack to again create a 4v4 on the overlap
situation. This does not mean a 8
defender and the opposite wide
player both go, rather one or 2 In this
the other, again encouraging instance the
good decision-making and defender
counts as the
communication. extra man,
The third progression sees one of meaning the
the defenders ‘overlap’ their wide wide man
stays in place
player to deliver a cross, as shown for the cross
(8). This demands that the wide
player then drops in to become a
defender to maintain team shape.

How do I put this into a game

situation?
The drill can be finished by
removing the inner channel
markers and allowing a 9v9 game
situation within the area, with the
focus very much on creating space
wide for crossed deliveries.
What are the key things to look
out for?
As with our first pattern of play
practice, we focus on timing of
movement, creation of space, ‘fast’
passing and a desire for crossed
deliveries. As always, we seek an
end product to the build-up play.
The session can be progressed
by limiting touches to two or three
per player, and again we look for
positive decision-making by the
player in possession, with the idea
3 This wide player must now provide compensating
defensive cover for his team mate who is out of position
to take care of the ball at all times, In terms of typical mistakes, players
maintaining focus and concentration often lose sight of the fact that any
and recognising the aims of the such drill is an ‘aspect’ of our game.
practice. Weight of pass, choice of We should not forget that if a scoring
release, levels of communication and opportunity becomes available, we
eye contact are all vital to the overall take it, as opposed to unnaturally
success. Add into that timing and passing the ball wide. However, the
variety of movement – which are always coach must constantly emphasise the
of paramount importance –and it’s session aims and ‘steer’ the flow of play
clear we are seeking to create and then to achieving said targets.
maximise space to allow for crossed
deliveries.

11 JANUARY 2017 www.elitesoccercoaching.net


STEVENAGE
Darren Sarll
Encouraging forward
runs from midfield
SET-UP
AREA
Use of a full pitch
EQUIPMENT
Balls, cones, goals
NUMBER OF PLAYERS
Up to 11v11
SESSION TIME
90mins
1 Dribble
1 Reds have possession
40
What do I get the players
to do?
8v8 practice
After an initial warm-up, we
will go into the practice to
ensure players are physically
and mentally ready for the
session. The first set-up takes
the form of an 8v8 central
practice (and 20 players in
total) in a 40x40-yard area, as
shown (1).
We use forwards on top
and bottom sides to create
overloads – these are two-
touch maximum, and the
12 JANUARY 2017
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Overview: room. However, the hidden and production on a match
This session is designed to principles contained
here for coaches are the
day. And each time we play
this out I will add layers,
highlight and encourage
players to run from midfield technical, tactical and, though with a constant
into advanced areas. most importantly, physical awareness of the physical
The process and logical steps aspects that are there to be demands of the session and
the session undertakes are implemented. the reality that players must
motivating in themselves, I am not an advocate of non- have time to recover before
with possession practices, directional possession so match day.
small-sided games and I like to run this as often as
finishing all common possible, as there is a defined
link between development
favourites in every dressing
KEY
Ball
movement
Player
movement
40
2 They use
the forward in
completing four
passes
3 The ball is played
right to the target
man and a point is
scored
team in possession must
complete four passes within
in dragging the opposition
towards the ball.
“I am not an
their team before they score Once four passes have been advocate of
by feeding either target man. completed (or in game
situations, the opposition have
non-directional
What are the key things to been ‘dragged in’), we must
possession so I like
look out for? see players working off the to run this as often
target (or our centre-forward)
We want team members
to play what they see early, to execute the space created. as possible, as
creating quick angles around This lays the foundations there is a defined
by creating our passage
the ball. Playing into the
target player as quickly as through the attacking area link between
possible once four passes and, ultimately, the space that development and
leads our midfield players into
are completed is essential.
These passes engage players, making forward runs.
production on a
not only on retention but also match day.”
www.elitesoccercoaching.net
 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

DARREN SARLL: ENCOURAGING FORWARD RUNS FROM MIDFIELD

8v8 practice plus goals 3 Quick passing sets 2 One of the overloading
the target player forwards is used as a
To extend the initial practice we now
make the main area a 40x30-yard 2 through on goal diversion with the ball
played back inside
space, but add on an 18-yard box at
each left and right side, as shown (2).
The conditions remain the same,
with four passes required before a 18 30 18
ball is played off either target man.
This now moves the attack into
an attempt at goal, with the 10v8
overload leading to a situation
where any player from the team
in possession can break out of
the main area to finish one-touch
(unopposed) against the keeper. If 40
the player scores, his team retains
the ball; if he fails to find the net the
game restarts with the other team
in possession.

How do I progress the practice?

As an initial progression, we will use
the same practice and organisation,
but give each team an end to defend
and attack, making each target
player a designated centre-forward
for each team. 4 He finishes well past the keeper 1 Reds have possession

What are the key things to look

1 In one of the 3 The forward is now
out for? progressions, reds again acting as a winger
We want to see in players a 3 create a passing move
recognition of when and where to
play into the target man. We’re also
looking to isolate the timing and
angle of the run when one solitary 18 30 18
attacker breaks out of the main
area. With this in mind, players
need to think about who, when
and how they break out, and it’s
important that the quality of finish
is there to enable the team to retain
possession and not, in a match
situation, be counter-attacked. 40
This extension to the main session,
and its subsequent coaching
points, makes the practice more
realistic before we go into the game
scenarios, mostly because we
are now using the target man as
a designated centre-forward. We
could even add in a second target
man if it’s our intention to operate
with two position-specific centre-
forwards.
In terms of further progressions,
we can add in a tracking defender 2 The attacking red 4 A precise cross is
to develop player runs off the target moves into the box well finished past the
keeper KEY
man, with the aim of looking at Ball
movement
Player
timing, disguise, angle and intent, movement
Dribble

13 JANUARY 2017 www.elitesoccercoaching.net


DARREN SARLL: ENCOURAGING FORWARD RUNS FROM MIDFIELD
2 Attackers successfully
drag defenders away from
the ball
4
4 Supporting players
join and a goal is
scored
with the player really wanting
to break that line. He can
now finish on any number of
touches as he is pursued by a
defender.
We can also add a defender
in each final third to make
1v1s and 2v2s in that area,
can increase player numbers
entering the final third
(and have them tracked or
untracked), and can even add
forwards higher up the pitch
in order to change the point of
the attack (for example, from
crosses, as shown (3)). In this
instance, we might allow four
passes to play off the target
or allow the forward to cross,
with midfield runners now
joining off crosses as well.
14 JANUARY 2017
3 A pass is played in to
the centre-forward
9v9 to 11v11
Now we will observe the topic
in a game – in the example
shown (4) it’s a 10v10. There
are no conditions, just the
principles highlighted in the
previous practices.
I like to start the game in
the middle third in order
to highlight ‘dragging’ the
opposition in to then play off
the centre-forward and join.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
1 In the final game
situation, the move again
starts in the middle
section
What are the key things to
look out for?
“Players have to
As a coach, it’s all about want to get beyond
applying your system, the opposition,
principles and strategy to the
tactical work, and in the event knowing they
the focus of the practice is lost, might only receive
I will intervene and condition
appropriately. from one in five
In conclusion, running from runs. However,
midfield is more an attitude
than a tactic or strategy,
the rewards for
and players have to want to the individual and
get beyond the opposition,
knowing they might only
the team, when
receive from one in five runs. executed correctly,
However, the rewards for
the individual and the team,
are massive.”
when executed correctly, are
massive.
www.elitesoccercoaching.net
 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

BURNLEY 1 1 The keeper

Tony Loughlan starts the red
build-up
Build-up versus counter 2 Reds move the
ball across the
defence without 3 The
SET-UP move finally
AREA moving forward or
penetrating blue progresses
Full pitch
EQUIPMENT
territory ZONE 1 into the
second zone
Balls, flat discs/cones, goals
NUMBER OF PLAYERS
11v11
SESSION TIME
24mins
ZONE 2
Overview:
This session is about counter-attacking versus
build-up play, and changing player actions and
instincts.
When a group of players do this session for the ZONE 3
first time, the build-up is always ‘overplayed’. The
4 Because of the slow nature of the build-
countering team must then look to be dynamic in up and the lack of direction, blues have
the creation of end products. been afforded the time to move in to press
The session is great for player understanding, in with the intention of a fast counter
terms of how ‘build-up’ can look like ‘counter’. ZONE 4
Also, the session is great for tactical awareness –
for instance, ‘build-up’ could turn into ‘keep ball’ if
a team is 2-0 up and looking to draw the opposition
out in exploiting a gap when opponents’ discipline
breaks. We can put all sorts of scenarios into this
game to bring out different outcomes.
The session can be run anytime as it is a reminder
to players to move the ball quickly, with forward
runners and penetrating passes. It works very
well if playing a counter or build-up team in our
next game – we can set up in preparation for a 2
specific challenge. For instance, when playing a 3 The pass
build-up team that likes to play a lot through the is inaccurate
and reds
thirds, we may choose to press and win the ball in regain
certain areas. A counter team emphasis may be possession
on high concentration and organisation when in
possession, and we will also work on ‘countering
1 Blues
ZONE 1
the counter’, with the session versatile enough to
successfully
allow the coach to fit it to his or the team’s needs. turn over
possession
What do I get the players to do?
Part One ZONE 2
We play this on a full-pitch, 11v11 as shown (1).
Team shapes can vary – the coaches decide – but
we would work in a 4-4-1-1, either against the
same formation or, if preparing for an upcoming
game, a shape we expect the opposition to play, ZONE 3
as discussed earlier. The build-up team must play 2 Short interplay sets
through four zones and cannot miss out zones up a long ball forward as
unless playing back. The counter team must they look to hit the reds
produce an end product or shot, namely an attempt quickly
on goal in no more than six passes, as shown (2). ZONE 4
After playing this for six minutes we will then swap
team roles. Following this we will have a discussion
about what has been done, asking players to
explain what they’ve produced. The feedback
usually for the build-up team is we are playing KEY

too many passes and inviting the press; and can Ball
movement
Player
we then pass with the purpose being to advance movement
Dribble

15 JANUARY 2017 www.elitesoccercoaching.net

 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

TONY LOUGHLAN: BUILD-UP VERSUS COUNTER 3

1 Reds this
forward through the units. The counter team time build with
decide if they achieved success through pressing better directional
high or dropping off, inviting the opposition onto awareness
them - they may choose to use both strategies. We
will then run the build-up versus counter again, ZONE 1
switching team roles after six minutes.
Outcome
The outcome we are looking for is for players to
2 They
realise whether the elements of the game require successfully
us to be playing build-up or counter. In addition, we move the ball ZONE 2
are looking for forward passes, forward runners through the
3 Although build-up is slow,
and a willingness to ‘risk’ the ball to penetrate the sections
the ball is worked into new
back of the opposition defences. areas and blues cannot close
A slick passing move with minimum touches down quickly
passed through the zones can constitute as ‘build- ZONE 3
up’, but has the traits of a counter-attack goal, with
minimum passes and minimum time.
The players will realise that their first attempt at 4 Reds
move the
build-up means achieving lots of passes but not ball to the
necessarily progressing up the pitch, whilst being flank ZONE 4
attacked at pace by a team conditioned to find an
end product in a maximum of six passes. For us, 5 A cross into the
the second time through build-up will always be box is finished at the
near post
more successful and will have the traits of the
above, though build-up still has to be progressive
(3). Similarly, the counter team should look less for
a clichéd long pass, and respond more to building
quickly with positive, fast passing (4).
4 A precise shot beats the keeper
How do I progress the session?
An obvious progression here is to put the counter
4
team 1-0 up, so they do not need to chase the game,
thus they may choose to drop into their own half 2 The ball 3 It is worked back to
with no high press. The first time through, the score is countered the edge of the box
is 0-0 and the counter team can press high or drop. with a dribble
forward

What are the key things to look out for?

rather
than the ZONE 1
assumption
The players need to know the detail of effective, that a long
progressive build-up play, and how this can be ball must be
achieved in three or four passes. played
From this, the points to consider include:
• Receiving in position to play forward – passing ZONE 2
forward moving up the pitch
• Players playing in between the lines
• Players making forward movements to ‘stretch’
and get in behind the defensive line
• Quality of pass to ‘penetrate’ 1 In this alternative
ZONE 3
scenario, blues close down
In terms of typical mistakes, when the session quicker in the second zone
is first performed with a group of players, the
build-up team might find they have made 10-15
passes but not progressed past the second zone.
The term ‘build-up’ has been interpreted that you
ZONE 4
must have 20 passes to score a goal, when this
is actually missing the point. The reality here is
building through the zones, perhaps even in as few
as three passes, but certainly as a unit that builds
KEY
progressively rather than quickly, is the condition of Ball
movement
the build-up team. Player
movement
Dribble

16 JANUARY 2017 www.elitesoccercoaching.net


LMA AMBASSADOR
David Oldfield
Attacking team
play with ‘lock-out’
mentality
SET-UP
AREA
Use of a full pitch
EQUIPMENT
Balls, cones, goals
NUMBER OF PLAYERS
11v11
SESSION TIME
60mins
What do I get the players to
do?
The set-up of the session takes the
form of an 11v11 on three quarters
of a pitch – one goal as normal
and the other placed 10 yards
past the centre circle, with balls
in both goals, as shown (1). The
fact we use these player numbers
means the practice is real and
transferable into matches.
The start position is with the coach,
who serves the ball to various
areas of the pitch, or instructs a
normal restart (including from the
keeper).
The attacking team can move
forward involving all 11 players,
while the defending side has to
leave both its forwards in the area
past the halfway line and the end
of the pitch, so restricting them
to nine active defending players
and a significant overload to play
against.
On transition, the team of nine can
feed the ball into the forwards who
can score unopposed by the other
team’s centre-halves – it is only
the covering full-backs who can
tackle the forwards. Of course, the
other potential defensive block
is whereby a midfield defensive
screen intercepts the pass into
the lone forwards (2), but if both of
these plans fail then it is only the
keeper who can prevent a goal
from that transition.
What are the key things to
look out for?
In an attacking sense, we are
looking for movement off the
ball, notably timing of runs and
17 JANUARY 2017
Overview:
This session looks to
improve attacking options
and movement, utilising
strong player mentality and
concentration in trying to
prevent counter-attacks.
It is specific and engaging
for the whole team - when
the attacking team is in
1
3 Blues build
with quick,
intelligent
passing
structure
5 The advancing
midfielder breaks
into the box
willingness to both run in
behind or receive to feet. We
also want to look at players’
decision-making, so whether
they pass with penetration or
patience. The passing itself
should be of a good tempo,
or a probing nature, and with
an awareness of potential
switches; while we also want
to see crosses and movement
in the box, shots, headers and
rebounds.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
possession of the ball, the session earlier in the week. It
practice will encourage quick
play with an overload, as well
can be used to cover all of the
four corner requirements –
as impressing on players the technical, tactical, physical
need to find opportunities and psychological – and with
both centrally and wide. players in tight areas it can
It is specific to matches as be social too (especially if
it is a full 11v11 with a slight competitive)!
twist, versatile in match
preparation or as a generic
1 Blues move the ball out of defence
2 The two red
attackers must
stay in the
attacking area
4 Awareness
of the break
sets the blue
winger free on
the left-hand
side
KEY
6 The cross from the
Ball
movement
left finds him and a goal
Player
movement
Dribble
is scored
Where defending mentality
is concerned, we need to
“This session
see good, positive and quick can be used
reactions on transition, with
players always fighting to win
to cover all of
the ball in their actions and the four corner
responses, which comes as a
team. And a big part of this is
requirements
the ‘locking out’ mentality that - technical,
forms the basis of this session,
with central midfielders on
tactical,
the screen of the unopposed physical and
forwards. We need to see psychological.”
www.elitesoccercoaching.net
 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

DAVID OLDFIELD: ATTACKING TEAM PLAY WITH ‘LOCK-OUT’ MENTALITY

3 Blue centre-backs cannot
good awareness and covering
positions of full-backs, plus 2 defend but full-backs come in
close to protect
excellent communication from 5 In the end,
back players including the excellent
2 The red
keeper. screening from
defender
the other blue
In terms of typical mistakes, midfielder
transitions
we often find it is difficult for quickly and
prevents a pass
attempts to play a
the defending centre-halves to into the front two
pass back through
resist challenging the forwards. to the two red
However, it is important to centre-forwards
recognise the falseness of this
part of the session – instead
4 Blue 1 After a blue
we need to re-emphasise players close attack, the red
the role of these players in down space centre-half
organising players both in front when the intercepts a
of and behind them (namely transition forward pass
occurs
midfielders, attackers and the
keeper).

How do I progress the

practice?
To progress, we will release one
of the unopposed forwards to
drop as a no.10, thereby causing
the central midfielder more
problems in the sense that he is
operating as a player between
the lines (3).
As a further progression, we can
enable centre-halves to defend
and play 11v11 on three-quarters
of a pitch, paying particular
attention to the coaching points
from the opening part of the 3
session.

In the progression, one of the unopposed

forwards drops in as a no.10, inviting left
and right reds to move into the wing areas,
thus testing our ‘lock-out’ defending
against movement of opposition players and
different types of attacking threat

“We are looking

for movement off
the ball, notably
timing of runs and
willingness to both
run in behind or KEY
Ball
movement

receive to feet.”
Player
movement
Dribble

18 JANUARY 2017 www.elitesoccercoaching.net

 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

MANCHESTER CITY
Manuel Pellegrini
Deadly transitions
SET-UP
AREA
Up to 60x40 yards
EQUIPMENT 1a
Cones, goals, bibs
NUMBER OF PLAYERS
5v5 plus two targets and two
wide players
SESSION TIME
Main session 30mins,
Progressions 20mins
60
Overview: We set up with 5v5 in the
middle, two target men,
This session examines how we and two wide players
condition a player technically,
40

tactically, physiologically and

psychologically when attacking
and defending transitions in a
small-sided competition-based
game.
It’s important to practise this
because it improves our mastering
of a scenario that appears
regularly in matches – namely
the attacking team regaining 1b
possession and aiming to create
space, passing the ball quickly,
then playing to a target player in a
zone to score.
The session is also good for
defenders – their task is simply to
organise well, stay alert and aim 60
to regain possession as quickly as The team in possession
possible. passes and successfully
makes space, preparing
40

for a ball to be floated in

What do I get the players to towards the target player
do?
Setting up as shown (1a), the ball
starts with the two wide players
– we will alternate which of these
starts. Only one player from each
team is allowed in the end zones
– these are the target players and
must remain in that space. No
other players can enter.
It’s5v5inthemiddlewiththeaim 1c
oftheteaminpossessionworking
spacesoastoflighttheballintothe
targetplayer(1b),whomustfinish
one-touch(1c).
Should the ball go out of play, a new
ball comes back in from the wide
player as quickly as possible. 60
In addition, the two wide players The target man scores
in the goal with a one-
and the target men can offer touch finish
40

support to the 5v5 and can be

passed to if needed, but unless a KEY
pass is played in the air a target Ball
movement
Player
man cannot make a scoring movement
Dribble

19 JANUARY 2017 www.elitesoccercoaching.net

 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

MANUEL PELLEGRINI: DEADLY TRANSITIONS

attempt on goal.
Each game should last three
minutes with 45 seconds rest
before the next one begins. We
repeat this eight times, ensuring
the two target players and two
wide men are rotated for each 2
game.

What are the key things to

look out for?
Maintaining a high tempo is 60
very important so as to ensure
In the progression an
pressure is placed on transitions attacking player may
for both defenders and attackers. only pass the ball from a
40

In terms of technical proficiency, designated area

speed and accuracy of pass are
important, particularly the pass
made in the air to the target man. Proving the practice
In our 7-0 Barclays Premier League victory over
Tactically, each team of five Norwich City in the 2013/14 season, we saw the
must rotate positions so as elements of this session played out brilliantly as
to create space for players, David Silva scored our second goal.
2 Aguero controls
whilst maintaining awareness and moves the ball
of defensive balance. For the Manchester City v Norwich City forward
Barclays Premier League
defending team, we’re looking at November 2, 2013
their ability to press quickly and be
compact.
Physically, repeated sprints,
continued movement and high-
intensity activity are important.
And we’re looking for players to
understand the psychological
aspects of the practice as well, to
include good communication with
team mates to co-ordinate attacks
1 Alvara
and ‘the press’, whilst also being Negredo plays
alert to deal with fast transitions, a long pass into
even with little recovery time. the feet of Sergio
Aguero

How do I progress the

session?
3 He cuts back and
To progress, we can reduce the threads a pass into the 4 Silva’s shot
number of touches allowed, path of David Silva beats John Ruddy
change the number of passes
required (minimum of three), or
condition the pass to the target
man to come from a first-time
pass.
Wecanalsocreatespecificareason
thepitchwheretheattackingteam
mustmovetheballtobeforethefinal
pass(2).

KEY
Ball
movement
Player
movement
Dribble

20 JANUARY 2017 www.elitesoccercoaching.net


EXTRA-TIME INTERVIEW: PAUL TISDALE
I
wasatTeamBathforsevenyears
withnoconventionalinfluencefrom
thefootballworld,”saysPaulTisdale,
“anditopenedmyeyestothekinds
ofapproachesbeingemployedoutside
thegame.”Afterinjuryputpaidtohis
professionalfootballcareerTisdalestarted
hismanagementjourneyattheUniversity
ofBathsportsdivision,mixingwith
coachesfromahostofdisciplines,from
hockeyandtennistoskeletonbob,mostat
internationalorOlympiclevel.
“EveryMondaylunchtime,thehead
coachesfromtheuniversity’s15full-
timesportswouldgettogether,discuss
coachingandtaketurnstopresentona
theme,”Tisdalerecalls.“Itwasagreatway
tolearnfromoneanother.”
Struckbyhowadvancedthethinking
insomeothersportsseemedtobeatthe
time–forexample,intheiruseofanalytics
andsportsscienceandtheimportance
theyplacedona‘big-picture’outlook–he
developedalateralapproachtoimproving
hisside’sperformance.It’ssomething
hetookwithhimwhenheacceptedthe
managementjobatExeterCityin2006and
hehassincebuiltareputationforthinking
outsideoffootballforideas.
InthebusinessworldTisdale’sbest
knownconnectioniswithfashionretailer
TedBaker,abrandhehashada20-year
connectionwithandisanambassadorfor.
“I’veseenupclosehowTedBakerhas
grownfromasmallprivatecompanyinto
a£1bnglobalplcandIoftenturntoitfor
inspiration,”hesays.“Nientypercentofthe
businessisrelevanttofootball.Theproduct
isdifferent,butthemanagementprocess
requiredforsuccessissimilar:create
anenergisedandpositiveenvironment;
understandtheeconomics;investinand
developtheproduct;inspire,directand
leadyourteam;adapttoindustrychanges
andsticktoyourprinciples.I’veseen
founderRayKelvinbuildthebrandusing
skillsthatareapplicabletoanyfootball
business.”
THE BIG PICTURE
Havingmanagedinover500matches
Tisdalehasawealthofexperienceinthe
manystylesofplay,tacticsandapproaches
outthereonthefield.However,his
inquisitivenatureandlateralthinking
havealsoequippedhimwithafarbroader
setofskills,whichhebelieveshasbeen
invaluableashisrolehasevolved.
“Thelongeryou’rewithaclubthemore
youtendtobecomeintrinsicallyinvolvedin
alldepartmentsandsoyougetavaluable
insightintotheirchallengesandneeds,”
hesays.“Youneedabroadskillsetifyou’re
goingtohelprunaleaguefootballclub
becausewhatthefanssee–yourleague
positionandyourrecentresults–isjust
thetipoftheiceberg.It’swhat’sbelowthe
21 JANUARY 2017
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
waterlinethatconstitutesthemajorityofwhat
goeson.”
Tisdale’sremitcoversdevelopingtheclub’s
playersandcoaches,fromtheacademy
throughtothefirstteam,andofcoursetryingto
winmatches.Butthere’salsoaconsiderable
businesssidetohisrole–managingtheoverall
healthoftheclub,spendingmoneyshrewdly
andsustainablyandgeneratingwealth.
WehavenobigbenefactoratExeter.Instead,
thesupportersputinabout£100kperyear
andeverythingelseisdowntothedecisions
wemake,whicharealwaysinthelong-term
interestsoftheclub,”hesays.“Ihavetoconsider
boththecommercialandplayingsides,which
meansthere’salargesetofvariablesandthe
horizonisconstantlymoving.”
BALANCE AND PERSPECTIVE
Therealchallengethereforeliesinstriking
therightbalancebetweenthinkinglong-term
abouttheclubasawholeandwinningthenext
game.“Gettingthatbalancerightisoneof
thetoughestpartsofmyjob,”saysTisdale,
“becauseyoucan’tallowyourfocus,time
andenergytobetakentoofarawayfrom
what’shappeningonthepitch.Good
resultsareessential.”
Lookingoutsideofyourimmediate
footballenvironmentshouldn’tmean
youneglectthegame,headds.“I
gainsomethingfromeverymatch
thatIwatch,whetherit’soneI’m
involvedwithorthatofanother
teamorsport,”saysTisdale.
“Youcanalsolearnalot
fromeveryonearound
you,includingyour
What’sbehindPaul
players,because Tisdale’s10-year
everyoneof
themwillbring
tenureasmanager
outsomething ofExeterCity?A
differentinyou.I
oftenthinkwhile
shrewdbusiness
coaching,‘Ican senseandatotal
usethat’or‘I
canbuildaround
commitmenttothe
that’,andthat club’slong-term
success,asElite
Soccerdiscovered.
OUTSIDE
THEBOX
www.elitesoccercoaching.net

EXTRA-TIME INTERVIEW: PAUL TISDALE
changeswitheverynewteam.Anybody
whohastalent,istotallycommittedand
hasimaginationcaninspireyou.”
Tisdaleissimilarlyopentotheuseof
moderntechniquessuchasdataanalytics
toassisthisdecisions,butheagrees
there’saskillinrecognisingwherethey’re
ausefultoolandwheretheysimplymuddy
thewaters.
ExeterCityhasafull-timeanalystwho
sharesTisdale’sofficeandisonhandto
provideadviceandsupportonanyideas
thathecomesupwith.“Iam,however,
veryawarethatalthoughdataisnow
averyimportantpartofthegameyou
mustn’tletitgovernyou,”Tisdalesays.
“Ihave15years’experienceincollecting
andanalysingdataandI’veseenit
workwellwhenyouhaveaplanandthe
numberssupportorchallengeyour
thinking.However,I’vealsowastedenergy
researchinginterestingbutneedless
data.There’ssomuchavailablenowthat
prioritisingwhatisreallyimportantand
relevantisthebiggestchallenge.”
BorninMalta,thechildofamilitaryman,
andhavingplayedfootballprofessionally
inFinlandandGreece,Tisdaleisalsowell
travelledandthistoohaswidenedhis
outlook.
“Ithinkitshowedmethatalthoughthe
rulesarethesame,everyleaguehasits
owndistinctpersonality,”hesays.“What
IexperiencedinGreece,forexample,was
completelydifferenttowhatIhadseen
beforeinEnglandandIfoundthatcertain
playersandcoachesmayflourishinone
leaguebutnotinanother.Sometimesit’s
downtotheirfitwiththeclubormanager,
butthecountryandculturearecertainly
factors.IntheEnglishleaguesthere
isaneedfordrama,paceandinstant
gratificationthatdiffersfromthesubtlety
andpatienceyoufindelsewhereandthat
encouragesadifferenttypeofplayer.In
thatsensetravelwasarealeye-openerfor
me.”
FOUNDATIONS
Ten-yeartenuressuchasTisdale’s,during
whichhehasguidedExetertoseveral
promotions,arebecomingnothing
shortofremarkableinEnglishfootball
andhehaswhatmanymanagersmight
consideranenviablelevelofautonomyand
responsibility.
Askedwhathasledtothatlongevityand
stabilityhesayshistotalcommitmentto
ExeterCityhasbeenamajorfactor.“I’ve
beenfocusedondevelopingtheplayers
andfacilitieshereandmakingthismy
club,”hesays.“Abigpartofmygoalhas
beentocreateanenvironmentoflong-
termthinkingandtoencouragecontinuity.
Also,manyoftheotherkeyfiguresatthe
club,fromthedirectoroffootball,the
22 JANUARY 2017
Standardsare
developingcontinually
atthetopandthat
filtersdown,pushing
upqualityand
professionalism
furtherdownthe
footballpyramid
chairmanandtheacademymanagerto
theheadgroundsman,havebeenhere
foralongtimetoo,soI’vereallybenefited
fromtheirexperienceandfromthe
continuityofthewiderteam.”
Inreturntheclubhasbenefitedfrom
theconsistentapproachanddirectionthat
comeswithretainingitscorestaffovera
longperiod.
“Wehaveexperienceofwhatworks
atthefootballclubandareabletotakea
morestrategiclong-termapproachto
thechoiceswemake,”saysTisdale.“Too
ofteninfootballpeoplethinkonlyinthe
shortterm,whichcanleadtomistakes.
Forexample,whenaclubsacksa
managerthenewoneislikelytoreplace
playersandyoungtalentmaynotgetthe
opportunitiestheyneed.Suchmistakes
wouldbeverycostlyataclublikeours.”
Headdsthatthelongevityofitsstaffalso
meansthere’sagreatersenseofaffinity
withtheclub,anaffectionandashared
ambitionthatgoesaboveandbeyond
professionalgoals.
“We’renotinterestedinaboom-and-
bustcycle,”hesays.“There’satrustand
understandingthateverybodywantsthe
bestforExeterCityinthelongterm.”
Overhis10yearswiththeclubTisdale
hashadtoadaptbothtoitschanging
needsandhisevolvingrole.“Itgets
strongerbytheyear,especiallythe
academy,whichcontinuestobethe
lifebloodoftheclub,”hesays.“It’sour
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primarysourceofcapitalandhasseen
agrowingnumberofplayersbreaking
throughtofirst-teamlevel.”
InotherareastooTisdalehasbeen
instrumentalinpushingforcontinual
progressoffthepitch.“TheFootballinthe
CommunitydepartmentatExeterhas
grownhugelyoverthepastfewyears,for
example,andwe’reveryproudofthat,”he
says.“Seeingtheclubimproveinthisway
isreallyimportantforeveryoneassociated
withtheclub.”
ExeterCityisalsointheprocessof
installingastate-of-the-art3Gfacilityatits
trainingground,fundedbyaclub-record
saleofoneofitsyoungplayers.
Havingstartedoutinnon-leaguefootball
andworkedacrossthreeleagues,Tisdale
believesthatthequalityofclubfacilities
isoneofthebiggestdifferentialsandthat
improvingthemshouldbeapriority.
“Standardsaredevelopingcontinually
atthetopandthatfiltersdown,pushingup
qualityandprofessionalismfurtherdown
thefootballpyramid,”hesays.“Therehas
been,however,anapathyinnon-league
towardsgoodfacilitiesrightthroughto
grassrootslevelandthathasbeentothe
detrimentofourgame.Wemustaddress
that,becauseyoucan’texpectpeople
torespectthegameiftheenvironment
they’replayinginisn’tofarespectable
standard.”
KEEPING PACE
Whilealongtenuregenerallybrings
multiplebenefitstobothcluband
manager,thereisalwaysariskthat
complacencymightcreepin.Tisdale
saysit’simportanttogiveyourselfa
regularreboot,thinkingafreshaboutyour
philosophyandmethods.
“Mylong-termvisionfortheclub,the
needtorebuildtheteameveryfewyears
andtryingoutnewideasonthepitch
keepsmeonmytoes,”hesays,“andthat’s
importantbecauseyouhavetokeepit
interesting.Also,it’shealthytohavestrong
personalitiesaroundyouwhoareprepared
tochallengeyourideasandapproaches.
That’swhyI’vealwaysenjoyedhaving
coachingstaffaroundmewithstrong
opinionswhoIcanlearnfrom.”
Lookingahead,Tisdalealsofaces
thechallengesthatcomewiththefan-
ownershipmodel,whichhesayshasboth
prosandcons.“Inmanyrespects,beinga
community-basedclubprovidesuswith
securityandweknowthatwe’redoing
thingsinasustainableway,”hesays.“But
itcanalsomeanthatwe’remorelimitedin
whatwedocomparedtoprivately-owned
clubs,soit’shardertokeeppacewiththeir
progress.Thereinliesthechallengeforme
andtherestoftheteamhereatExeter.”
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