What sort of work are you required to do with players outside of your set groups (forwards/defenders/mids)?
Firstly as a group of coaches, the key question to start with is – in what area of the ground should we play the player?
A lot of players have a great range of skills that can be used at either end of the ground. The issue to get right is where he can be of greatest value.
So, how do you analyse this?
Apart from your own thoughts and reasons about what the player brings to the area, a coach needs to ask the player for his thoughts. Quite often, a player has a preference as to where he wants to play if he was able to choose, all things being equal.
Once that decision has been made, as coaches we are obligated to develop that player in his skill set to ensure he adds value to that end of the ground.
Can he play somewhere else? Yes he can is generally the answer.
However, once the coaching group has decided where the player is most likely to be used, it is up to the second line coach to make sure that player is up to speed on the tactics he needs to know when he gets there.
These might include going from back to forward, learning the team’s kick-in structures or zone set ups, different stoppage set ups, where to set up on an opponent defensively or how to position himself in an attacking area when he goes forward.
The linkage between players and the movement of the ball relates to all parts of the ground, now more so than ever.
As a result, the need for players to have involvement with all coaches is paramount to their understanding of what they are expected to do at any given point in time.
That understanding needs to be assessed before game situations in meetings, by testing a player’s knowledge in written form, by whiteboard explanation or even out on the ground, where he can demonstrate his understanding.
The key for all coaches is to get their players to execute that knowledge in the heat of battle, where they will face a range of pressures: from the opposition, from fatigue, from the expectation of winning and, at times, pressure from the crowd.
In the end, players are now expected to think, predict and react quicker and more decisively than in the past. This is an edge all teams look for in their performance.
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