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The romance of youth – will Argentina change the way they play?
After the Argentinian side went out of the World Cup I have been watching with interest to see if they, like Brazil, will adopt a more European style or stick with its traditional style of attacking...
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How do you celebrate victory?
Dave ClarkeWhen my team wins cups or leagues we always celebrate with a get together where any of them or their parents can stand up and say something about how well they have done during the season....
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Patience is key to beating the Barcelona of your league
David ClarkeHow do you beat Barcelona? Real Madrid, Valencia and Manchester United have all tried to do it by getting more possession of the ball and none of them have managed it. If you find you’re...
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An unopposed drill for Spanish success
A lot of coaches have been asking me “how can I make my team play like Spain”. Sometimes with youth players you need to let them have success at doing things before they get the belief in themselves...
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Welbeck and Cleverley can hit the target every time
How often do you watch your striker reach great attacking positions only to then delay his shot, offering enough time for defenders to get back and put in a tackle? It’s a frustrating part of the game...
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“Don’t let them play!”
I’ve heard a lot of things shouted at soccer games in youth leagues, but something that I was confronted with at our game last weekend was a new one for me. It was hot on the heels of a meeting I’d had...
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Winning the 1v1s
In the game my U10s B team played on Saturday they were involved in a lot of 1v1 duels both in defence and in attack, which had a big effect on the game. By winning the majority of these battles, my...
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Tap-ins need practice too…
It’s funny, when you’re watching a match and a goal is scored, how often do you hear someone say: “that was just a tap-in – I could have scored that”. But it’s important not to forget that it was the...
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Jose Mourinho? No scapegoats in a youth game but plenty of pressure on the...
It can be a scary moment when you face the first game of the season. It doesn’t matter whether you are a new coach or have coached the same team for a few years, that first game is so important....
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