Playing Positions

whatithink said:
True, but its more than that. Its about pressing from the front or not pressing, disrupting the opposition from playing out from the back, its about understanding your role when your team does not have the ball, which changes dependent on where the ball is or what the score is or what stage of the match you are at, versus when you do have the ball, e.g. what's your gegenpress structure versus your hold structure (say switch to a 4-4-2 to just hold the opp.), who is the "lead" in the gegenpress - if you are pressing their defenders this could be the 9 etc.

In short, it can be very complicated but teams that do it well can be very successful. I've seen teams like Liverpool move the opposition defenders through field position until the ball is in their (L) optimal area, and then they press as a team with everyone knowing what their role is, what zones to lock up etc. and force a turnover in the opposition half and in the danger area.
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Disagree. If a forward gets stripped.. they need to immediately try to get the ball back not just look sad and put their hands on their head. Once it is passed away the forward needs to get back into their defensive position and cover the space or players in that space so it can't be exploited. But this is youth soccer so... . Most of them simply need to get involved and stop sulking. Be like Salah not like Mbappe. Its really not that complicated. If a fullback can be expected to make runs as well as defend then a forward can too.
 
tjinaz said:
Disagree. If a forward gets stripped.. they need to immediately try to get the ball back not just look sad and put their hands on their head. Once it is passed away the forward needs to get back into their defensive position and cover the space or players in that space so it can't be exploited. But this is youth soccer so... . Most of them simply need to get involved and stop sulking. Be like Salah not like Mbappe. Its really not that complicated. If a fullback can be expected to make runs as well as defend then a forward can too.
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I agree with you, and the same is the case for any player on the field. If they lose it they should look to regain possession either directly or positionally, but that's just one example. I was going broader, i.e. team do have offensive and defensive structures and strategies, esp. the higher level teams, which includes all players - that's what I was referring to.
 
Most teams don't have the structure to really defend from the 9 and attack from the keeper all game long.
How many times have you seen the 9s take off from the mid line trying to out run 2 or 3 defenders. They go on their own with no support, lose the ball, and then have to turn around and defend 2 or 3 defenders who knock the ball around.
At the same time, the wingers and mids are covering 30+ yards to support the 9 only to end up having to transition to defending cause the 9 lost it.
Do this a few times and the 9s eventually give up on trying to defend a 3v1 and the mids tire out from running back and forth covering ground.

Coaches should measure how many steps it takes to close down a player in the transition and beging evaluating how to address that.

As to the actual topic of playing positions.
The closer I got to the first team the further away from the 9 postion I was.. Its good to understand several positons and how to play them.
If your clubs dont accomodate the kids there are other options like futsal, streetball, and sunday leagues where your kids can pick up time in different positions.
 
It's not hard for a 9 to press together with the rest of the team when the time is right. A 9's inability to know when to press is a reflection of their lack of game IQ. Rather than try to press 2 or 3 defender on their own like a chicken with their head cut off the 9 should drop and wait for the team to get organized. Once the team is set and a bit more compact then they can press together as a team.
 
rainbow_unicorn said:
It's not hard for a 9 to press together with the rest of the team when the time is right. A 9's inability to know when to press is a reflection of their lack of game IQ. Rather than try to press 2 or 3 defender on their own like a chicken with their head cut off the 9 should drop and wait for the team to get organized. Once the team is set and a bit more compact then they can press together as a team.
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agree 100%.
But, most 9s don't even wait for their offensive reinforcements and try to take on the entire defense - the lack of IQ is usually on both ends the the ball.
 
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