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One coach, one question- The counter Attack with Marijan Pušnik

Posted: February 2, 2012 in One coach, one question, Tactical knowledge
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Marijan Pušnik is a Slovenian UEFA PRO coach with an excellent reputation thanks to his great work with many professional teams and his ability to develop the potential of young players. As a founder of a youth academy, he has the ability not only to coach soccer, but also to organize it. Fine tactician, his knowledge and his fantastic passion of the game will be very helpful when trying to answer our question.

Mr. Pušnik, what is your definition of a counter attack and how does a team perform it effectively?

“The accent in the counter attack style of play lays on the defensive team
function, with the emphasis being on the defender’s own half of the field
and letting the opponents keep the initiative of the game. This is to take
advantage of the space behind their defense for the buildup and the attack.”
Rinus Michels

My definitions:

The aim is to quickly move the ball forward toward the opponent’s goal by passing or dribbling with the purpose of scoring a goal.
A counterattack is a quick attack into the opposition half  by the defending team after winning the ball from the team who was previously attacking.
The aim of this type of soccer is to catch the opponent on the “break”. When they give away possession in midfield or attack, opposing players will tend to be further up the field than usual and may not be able to quickly adjust to a defensive mindset. Counter-attacking soccer may involve leaving one or two strikers near the half-way line in the hope that a through ball can be played to catch the opponent off guard. In other cases, defenders and midfielders may join in the counter-attack, trying to outnumber or otherwise overtake the opposition by quick and intelligent movement and fast passes. Speed is an important factor both in offense and defense, as the probability of scoring decreases sharply when the opponent has managed to organize their defense. This type of game was displayed well by the quick, counter-attacking play of Germany in the 2010 FIFA World Cup or Nederland in Euro 2008. ( etc..)
Counter Attacking players must react quickly!  There has to be an attitude to quickly change pace and commit players forward and attempt to exploit the opposition with numbers down.  Our opponents are at their most vulnerable, immediately after a turn-over when the defending units are disorganized.
Once possession has been recovered speed of thought and action are the keys to success. Speed of thought requires all players to react and become attackers, either with or without the ball, or in support of others should possession be lost again.
Speed of action means the ball being transferred to a scoring opportunity in the quickest way possible. Players should be supporting in front of the ball as well as behind. An ‘outlet’ forward(s) should always be concentrating on being in the best forward position they could occupy and ready to bring those around them into play quickly to maximise the potential of the situation.
Accuracy of passing is essential, especially if the forward is a lone striker and likely to be outnumbered by defenders, therefore although ‘channelled’ passes deep into the defensive corners may offer the option of counter attack, the pass that enables the forward to control quickly will pay greater dividends. The number of touches should be kept at a minimum to ensure the ball is transferred quickly.
Anticipation of forward movements by teammates and confidence in their ability will allow support players to seek positions to cause maximum danger for defenders and speed of movement will severely test the defender’s ability to organise defensively while trying to support and cover colleagues.

Key coaching points for the Counter Attack are:
a.    The team’s defensive organization is in its own half:
Teams will want to “limit the space behind the back line and the goal.” The ‘defending’ will start around the midfield line. It’s important that individuals don’t chase the ball too deeply into the opponents half and leave gaps between the lines. Each line must stay compact and avoid getting separated from the other’s creating a ‘block’ defense. “In the first place, a good counter attack team needs to have a strong defensive line with players who will remain calm even under high pressure.
b.    Use the organization to stop the opponents build up and attack:
With so many players committed to defending in such a small area the attackers are faced with significant problems.
c.    Defenders keep the play in front of them:
By limiting the space behind them, defenders can be content to allow the attackers possession as long as they play in front of them and just outside shooting range. While the player with the ball must be pressurized it is not at the expense of the defensive organization.
d.    Launching the counter attack:
The decision of whether to counter or build up the attack must be made immediately. As soon as the ball is won or even better, before. Good players will read the situation, calculate the probabilities, make a decision and act. Speed of thought and action is essential for successful counter attacks. It’s vital that counter attacking teams use the few seconds that they have before the opponents can reorganize into their defensive shape.
e.    The counter is on when:
The player who has won the ball can find a target forward. This means that he’ll have to be facing the opponents goal and have the space to pass forward and a target to pass to.
f.    The runs:
In counter attacking soccer teams can count on certain situations repeatedly. The ball is usually won in recurring situations and players are usually in certain positions. It has a predictable nature. “When a counter attack team regains possession of the ball, certain players will run set patterns (pattern play) so the counter attack will be successful and can be performed at a high tempo. On the other hand, every player can get involved in the counter attack as long as the situation allows for this. It is all about choosing the correct moment to get involved.
Strengths and weakness. The counter attacking style is the easiest to organize and is the best guarantee of getting a result. Compared to the play making style the technical and physical requirements are lower. However, there is still a great demand on individual and team discipline and the need for speed on the break out is absolutely vital. A big problem for teams that are dependent on the counter attacking style is how they adapt when the opponent is leading on the scoreboard.

COACHES must apply the following counter attacking guidelines:
•    Forwards concentrating on adopting the best position to take advantage of regained possession.
•    Pass selection, running ball selection to get  the ball forward as quickly as possible.
•    Midfield players making supporting runs to adopt supporting positions, (creating space) for the forward player as well as creating problems of marking for the retreating defenders trying to mark players or cover space.
•    Restricting possibilities for the defenders to get tight to opponents, or to offer good angles and distances for support or to create successful balance and cover by getting forward in support quickly.
•    End product is to finish with an attempt on goal.
When trying to improve this particular style of play, the drills should begin with an attempted through ball or shot that is intercepted. This can be done from either side of the pitch and then from the centre to allow players to experience all the situations they will be confronted to. Once possession is secured, the coach must emphasise the need for quick reactions, creation of space and pass selection. Above all, he must emphasise the need for an end product.

KEY  points for PLAYERS and COACHES in counter attack:
1.    Quick transition from defensive position to offensive position.
2.    Look to play the ball forward early.
3.    Encourage the players to enlarge space.
4.    Transitions should be quick and the game should maintain a good tempo
5.    Watch for players to get their heads up early to look to pass to the most forward player if he is open.
6.    Counter Attacking players need to think quickly.
7.    Force players inside when pressing high up the field (forcing them back into the midfield masses to deny space).
8.    Prevent the ball being passed forward is the ultimate goal, players pressing don’t have to win the ball.
9.    Discuss individual defending techniques, i.e. side on, get there fast arrive slow, don’t overcommit, on toes, focus on the ball, goal side defending, stay on feet,…
10.    Slide as a unit to the side of the field the ball is on to compact the field.
11.    Communication – Tell teammates to press (step!) when needed.
12.    Man marking to deny space.
13.    Curved runs to cut off forward passing options if needed to block potential passing channels down the line.
14.    Can we do anticipation marking (anticipate and intercept the ball before being received
15.    Discuss the decision of when to press and when not to press (i.e. Can I close down and force an error or win the ball, or will I just be beaten with a pass past me?).
16.    Press together when pressing!

BONUS

As I was talking to Mr. Pušnik for this interview, he told me an anecdote that happened to him and here it is:

I was in Vienna attending a seminar and Mr. Roy Hodgson (currently WBA head coach) was talking about the counter attack and was showing drills on this theme. At the evening dinner, I had the opportunity to speak with him and I bravely told him that, in my opinion, the drills weren’t quite effective. He started to laugh and told me that he didn’t write this part of the presentation and that he never played this style of game. He preferred to play pressing on the opponent’s half ! Truth told, one should use counter attacks only if his team has low quality in comparison to the other team. If you base your game only on that type of play, what do you do when you’re behind at the scoreboard???

One coach, one question – Dragan Skočić

Posted: January 21, 2012 in One coach, one question, Tactical knowledge
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Jerry Porras wrote: “When you put together deep knowledge about a subject that intensely matters to you, charisma happens. You gain courage to share your passion, and when you do that, folks follow.” There isn’t a quote that could better describe Mr. Dragan Skočić. With a four year experience as a professional player in Spain, he is THE coach that could explain to us why is the FC Barcelona such a wonderful team and how it is possible to hurt them…if it is possible at all.

Mr. Skočić, you have brilliantly analyzed the game of the FC Barcelona, a team that seems unbeatable. Let’s say you are the coach of an average Premiera division team and you come to play at the Camo Nou. You know you will not have the ball very often and that your team is going to be under constant pressure. Are there any solutions to achieve a positive result?

In elite soccer, they are still searching for that answer because we are confronted to a team that, in terms of individual quality and team organization, is superior to any other team. It is almost impossible to imagine a team that could compete with Barcelona at the moment.

It is very clear that Barcelona plays with a high number of players in the building/possession phase that are in front of the ball, their defensive line being therefore very high. Now, because they leave a very large space behind the defenders, the logical answer would be to use a direct style of play, based on counter attacks, with players running in the space from the midfield.

I would say that the connection and the distance between the right/left backs and their correspondent central defenders is one of their problems because the backs focus (and anticipate) so much the moment when the team is going to win the possession again so they can rush as quickly as possible in attack. In the same aspect, the FC Barcelona slightly disorganizes its block by using horizontal rotations when preparing an attack.

When they lose the ball, the first reaction is always to recover immediately the possession on the opponent’s half. If they do not succeed, they take back their positions in a defensive block, which is sometimes less organized, despite the universality (ability to play multiple positions) of the players.

Let’s get back to the question. If you want to compete with the FC Barcelona, the first problem you need to solve is their continuous attacking phase, where the main characteristics are: rotations (changing positions), space creation and one against one game. In the midfield, the important thing is to take away time and reduce space to the creators (Iniesta and Xavi). The fundamental aspect of your defensive block should be the control (reduction) of the space between your lines, especially between the defense and the midfield. The focus should be put on the central area between the lines, where Messi, as a ”fake striker” or the wide attackers (Villa or Pedro), come in. In order to execute this task perfectly, you need perfect communication between the lines as well as conceptual intelligence and discipline. In this confined space, each player must not only be focused on his zone, but also on the adjacent others.

On the sides, it is absolutely necessary to double the position. Now, in order for your team to accomplish those tasks, you will need players with very high functional capacities and strong mentalities because they won’t have possession of the ball very often.

In my opinion, only a few English Premier League teams have the capacity to face the FC Barcelona.

One coach, one question – Boris Bunjak

Posted: January 14, 2012 in One coach, one question
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Boris Bunjak is a passionate coach, no doubt about that. When reading this post and his answer, you will quickly understand why coaches at the top level need complete tactical knowledge. Mr. Bunjak is a former professional player (of course) and a highly-experienced coach who spent the last few years leading middle-east teams. He was very kind and accepted to participate in this short interview, giving us an insight in the understanding of defensive strategy.

Why do you think that systems with 3 player in the defensive line like the 3-5-2 are not used anymore? Do you think that a 4 players defensive line is more balanced and keeps the defensive block secured?

Before you start to talk about the system in which your team is going to play, you need to analyze very precisely your players and the qualities they have. When you have done that, then you will be able to choose the system that allows your players to play at their best.

Now, in order to play with 3 men in the defensive line, you need to have defenders with similar qualities and these qualities should be: speed, strength, uncompromising in one-on-one situations and tactical maturity (individual tactic, group tactic and team tactic – synchronization and communication between players). It is by far a more difficult task to defend the space with 3 players than with 4, and they therefore depend a lot on the help of the midfielders.

Getting the 3 men defensive line synchronized and ready to play is a long process.

With 4 men in the back line, the pressure is more balanced, it is easier for the players to correct the positions and to give support to each other. Taking over the marking of the opponents is faster and the space to control is smaller. Therefore the defensive line is less dependent on the midfielders, which doesn’t mean that they are allowed to be thrown out of play by the opponent offense.

Of course, playing with 3 in the back gives you an additional man in the attacking phase. Here again you need to know the overall quality of your team in regard to ball possession. You have to ask yourself this question: is my team dominant enough in ball possession to allow me to attack with one more player (Barcelona would be the best example)?

The second advantage of the 3 men defensive line is the fact that your defensive block is higher, action will happen farther from your goal, in front of your defensive line, where we have a bigger number of players.

Now, in my opinion, this strategy is quite risky, in regard to the arguments about controlling the space that I’ve mentioned earlier. It also brings the question of your line players. Do they have the speed and the pace to control the space behind them? In any case, you should choose the defensive positioning in regard to the qualities that your players possess. With a 3 men system, you could go with a combination of tall/strong central defenders and fast line players.

We have some top level teams that use the 3 men defensive line system: Barcelona (as a second option) or Napoli (3-4-3 for 2 years now).

I think that a coach shouldn’t take over a team and impose a defined system of play because he is dependent of the level of the player’s qualities and their characteristics. A system is here to give the players the opportunity to express themselves at their highest level. Coaching has always been about adaptation to what your players can give.

One coach, one question – Joe Clarke

Posted: December 21, 2011 in One coach, one question
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This week, our guest is Joe Clarke, head coach of the men’s soccer team at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL)

Some players have the potential to become quality coaches, some don’t. Well, Joe Clarke definitely has the talent. He has the type of coaching that gives the player  the confidence he needs to develop all his potential. And the guys simply like him…  After a professional career as a player in the NASL (St. Louis Stars and California Surf) and the Major Indoor Soccer League, he became directly coach at the St. Louis University. The transition is never easy but coach Clarke did it with great honours. In 1997, he took the job at WUSTL, a position he holds today. Mr. Clarke is one of the coaches who believes that, in order to win games and trophies, technical, tactical and fitness trainings are not enough. You need to build a team where everybody is involved, to create a team spirit with individuals all moving towards the same goal… Let’s learn more about that:

When analyzing successes of Soccer teams, coaches are often highlighting the Team Spirit and the quality of the relationships between the players. Do you consider that those factors are essential and do you try to develop them during the season?

Yes, team chemistry is very important to the success of a team and yes, as a coach I actively work to dissolve potential problems and to build rapport between players.

That does not mean they all have to be best friends and spend lots of time together. It does mean they have to put the team first even when things are not going the way they want. Individually, players have to control how they think (not allow their self protective instinct to blame others when things are not going right, i.e. not a starter, to ensure players do not tune out the coach.)  The team has to pull together as one in the same direction in order to max out.  A team also does better when all the players are carrying thru on the commitment to succeed.  Players need to trust each other, players want teammates who are also committed.

“Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” Vince Lombardi

One coach, one question

Posted: November 17, 2011 in One coach, one question, Tactical knowledge
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This week, our guest is Alex Pineda Chacón, the new head coach of the Atlanta Silverbacks. His team is competing in the North American Soccer League (NASL).

Born in Honduras, Coach Pineda Chacón is a former professional player and a young, ambitious coach. He is exactly the type of coach that modern soccer requires, having both the knowledge and the ”flair” to lead a professional team. As a player, he played for teams like Miami Fusion, New England Revolution, Los Angeles Galaxy and Columbus Crew and received the prestigious MLS Most Valuable Player award in 2001. This fact is enough to give us an understanding of  the qualities Coach Pineda Chacón had as a player, and what he is able to give a team as a coach.

I like the way he answered a question about what fans can expect from him as a coach. He said: ”Dedication. I’m going to be extremely dedicated to the job, and I’m going to put in the time it takes to build a winning team. For the coaches and the players, we need to be responsible, we need to be professional, and we need to practice well. It’s my job to manage this team, and I don’t take the responsibility lightly.” (Source: official Silverbacks website) This answer tells us a lot about the man he is.

Do you feel that in modern soccer, the presence of a typical playmaker behind the strikers is less and less needed when in the meantime, quality wide wingers are becoming key positions in order to be successful?

I think having quality wingers is very important for a team. If we’re assuming that these wingers are fast, tactically strong, and in excellent shape, then I would say they could be one of the most important players on the team. Having a presence on the wings opens up the game and gives teams options, whether it’s checking to the ball, making runs over the top or being available out wide for crosses. The position must be played by the right player, someone who can work tremendously hard going up and down the touchline.

Putting a playmaker in behind two strikers is fine, but it can put a lot of pressure on your backline, depending on the formation. A lot of times teams have to sacrifice a defender to add a playmaker into the attacking midfield. This means that the team might have to play with only three at the back. If you’re going to play with three defenders, each player must by a VERY good centerback – not just okay. I mean, they have to be good in the air and on the ground when playing the ball out of the back. Because of this, you have to really trust your defense if you’re going to play with a playmaker in the attack.

I prefer to play with quality wingers that can contribute up and down the line, without sacrificing a fourth defender. The formation with a playmaker can be more risky.

 

One coach, one question

Posted: November 7, 2011 in One coach, one question, Tactical knowledge
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Longevity is a sign of competence and quality in the world of Soccer coaching. With a professional career as a player and 28 seasons as head coach of the Pittsburg University Soccer team, Joe Luxbacher is certainly a coach that you want to work with. Two times Big East conference coach of the year and author of fifteen books, Luxbacher has both the knowledge and the experience to boost a player’s development while keeping the motivation high thanks to an infinite passion of the game. It’s the kind of person you want to listen to because you know you’ll learn a lot….

The question: Carlos Alberto Parreira, former coach of the Brazilian National team, said in an interview: ”The modern game has changed very much. Every team knows how to defend and nobody gives you space freely. You need to learn how to earn it.” Against a good defensive block, what is your strategy to create space, surprise the opponent and be dangerous. What do you tell your players?

Joe Luxbacher :

It is true that modern defensive systems are, in general, more highly organized and structured than in the past. Many teams position a block of 6 players (backline and defensive mids) to deny opponents space and time in the most dangerous scoring (central) areas, and virtually all high level teams get 8 or 9 players behind the ball immediately after loss off possession.  As a consequence it has become increasingly difficult for teams to create quality scoring opportunities.

From a tactical viewpoint, in order to break down a concentrated block of defenders the attacking team must attempt to stretch their opponents, both vertically and horizontally, so as to create gaps of space within the defense. This can be accomplished through swift and precise ball movement, passes that freeze defenders and at the same time quickly change the point of attack.  Once created, the attacking team must quickly exploit the open spaces before defending players can readjust. At this point the individual ability of attacking players comes into greater focus. When an attacking player receives the ball and can turn to face an opponent who lacks a covering teammate, the attacker must immediately take advantage of the 1v1 match-up. This situation will generally occur more frequently in wide areas of the field, near to the touch line, and for that reason I am an advocate of flank players who have pace and possess the ability to take-on and beat defenders via the dribble. In doing so they can open up a defense and create the opportunities required to finish the attack, either thorough dangerous serves into the box (aka.. David Beckham), or by creating their own chances. That said, breaking down an organized defensive block is easier said than done, For that reason the most recognized players throughout the soccer world are the elite goal-scorers, players who given even a half-chance can determine the outcome of a match with one strike of the ball.

One coach, one question

Posted: October 19, 2011 in One coach, one question
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With this post, I’m starting a new category of articles where we will discover coaches from all over the world who will answer one single question on soccer coaching. Let’s begin !

 

 Coach Gacanin, head coach of Al-Qadsia (Kuwait), is one of the very few european coaches that made a long coaching career (8 years) in the middle-east. The croatian native started his way in Bahrain, leading the club of Al-Riffa to the top of the country’s league. Coaching teams (and winning many titles) in Kuwait, Saudia Arabia and the United Arab emirates, he was also head coach of the national team of Kuwait. His knowledge of the game and his great personality that matches perfectly the needs of the Arabic world gave him an excellent reputation among club owners around the middle-east. 

 

The question: What do you do on the last training before a game ? What is the aim of this session ?

Rodion Gacanin : Well, with my staff, we try to prepare the players for the game so we focus on the tactical aspects of the game. The last practice must be oriented on the psychological and tactical preparation of the players. In the begining of the session, we try to bring some fun, helping the guys to relax a little. Then we focus on repeating tactical elements that we worked during the week, emphasizing the role of each players in the system. We need to be sure that players know what to do both in attack and defense phases.