Defensive Master | Defensive Decision-Making Defending is a constant interaction between: ✅ Marking a player ✅ Pressing the ball ✅ Protecting the space Every moment requires a decision: Press, protect, or cover.

The game is often explained through the interaction between the possessor, near receiver, and defenders considering: • Location on the pitch • Distance between them • Body orientation • Direction and pace of movement

Rest Defense | Simple References The possessor’s orientation is a key reference for players to decide when to offer a passing option and how to adjust their positioning to prevent counterattacks. Simple yet highly effective.

When in possession, coaches often focus on the possessor, but the issue might be the receivers. A key detail: match the pace of support with the defensive rhythm. If they press fast, we must move fast to offer a passing option.

Key Defensive Foundations in a Simple Rondo: – Read the possessor’s intention – Adjust your position between players – Adapt based on the teammate’s pressure on the ball Small game. Big habits.

Defensive Master | Just run? 🗣️ “Pressing is just running.” Are we sure? Or, as coaches, can we help players understand when, where, and how to run to create an advantage depending on the situation?

This week, subscribers will receive the Course Outline + Exclusive Early Access to the course. Want to know what’s inside? 👇

“If you cannot explain something in simple terms, then you don’t understand it.” Download the 13 Game Principles: easy to understand, easy to apply. Easy Coaching for Complex Football.

Final Third | Inside Run in Behind Most coaches ask inside players to run in behind, but the key is how they run; the angle that turns the cross into a chance. Small detail, big impact.

Final Third | Ball-Side Close, Ball-Far High In the final third, the ball-far player often has the clearest role: the finisher. By staying high, on the backline's edge, he's perfectly placed to exploit the space if the defensive block is broken.

Not every training session needs to be complex, but every session must be aligned with a clear objective. In this thread 🧵, you’ll find a simple but effective session to improve one of the key decisions: Pass or Dribble? 👇🏻

Defensive Master | Individual or Collective? 🗣️ “Defending is about the team & the formation.” The team & collective intentions set the context, yes. But each player still has to read the game & recognize the defensive opportunities as an individual.

Watching the Champions League — all the individual duels & low blocks — made me reflect on something I wrote a year and a half ago. The target player is a profile that can solve so many situations. But can we really develop target players only through Rondos & Positional Games?

After the final whistle, Kompany went straight to celebrate with the team. I’m sure he still remembers what it feels like to suffer and defend in front of the box for 45 minutes… and finish with a huge win.

Final Third | Inside the Box In the box, the defender can’t see both the ball and the striker at once. He’ll try to stay in front, arms out, to read the next move. The striker’s job: stay out of contact, slip off his radar & be ready to attack the cross.

Some coaches love patterns, they give a false feeling of control. But by applying patterns, are you really developing your U12 team? A thread comparing Patterns vs Game Principles 👇

Defensive Master | Cues Is the possessor on his natural or inverted foot? Is the control forward or backward? Am I arriving with the ball or after the control? Pressing isn’t just running; it’s understanding the environment to attack the attackers.

A crucial idea against a dropping backline is to never stop the attacking flow. By constantly threatening them, through a dribble or a deep run, we prevent the defense from settling. We must keep pushing them into their own box.