Unit 2
Tactics in Football
Tactics
Tactics in football are strategies that are deployed during games. Tactics can be the way the team is setup going into matches. Tactics can change depending on who the opposition is, as you want to adjust to there style of play or try and counter there style of play by playing to there weakness or matching up to there strengths. You can change the style of play, the formation and where you look to try and attack.
Formations
The most common formations in football are 4-4-2, 4-5-1, 4-3-3 & 4-2-3-1.
4-4-2
The 4-4-2 is the most common formation in British football and most teams, especially in the lower leagues tend to use this formation. Examples of teams that commonly use the 4-4-2 formations would be the likes of Manchester United who tend to have stuck with this fomation for the majority of the time that Sir Alex Ferguson has been with the club. Most other sides, especially those who tend to play direct long balls like Blackburn tend to use the 4-4-2 formation aswell.
4-5-1
The 4-5-1 formation tends to be a more defensive type of formation, which is also quiet commonly used. Teams that tend to use the 4-5-1 formation are sides that tend to either play passing football or play off a targetman. The 4-5-1 formation relies on the wingers to support the lone striker when they are attacking if they are going to be succesful.
4-2-3-1
The 4-2-3-1 formation is a formation that has recentley started being common in European football and mainly Italian football. The 4-2-3-1 formation relies on the main targetman upfront to be supported with wingers and an attacking midfielder who he can help create the goals for. This is commonly used by the likes of Liverpool in the Premiership and the majority of Seria A in Italian football.
4-3-3 is an attacking formation, which is another formation that is used quiet commonly in English football. Examples of teams who use this formation are Blackpool, Swansea, Chelsea and Arsenal with very attacking wingers alongside a centre forward. This is succesful formation as it can be easily altered to adapt to a game situation, as if the wingers drop deeper it can be altered to a 4-5-1 formation if you are hanging on to a result and if you need a result then centre-midfielders could push forward and the wingers could be more central where there more likely to score goals.
Possession football
For years, the golden rule for coaches everywhere was ‘pass and move’, and this tenet is still enshrined in possession football. Quite simply, teams attempt to hold onto the ball for as long as possible, at all times choosing the easiest possible pass (hence the many times you see defenders passing the ball along the defensive line).
There is logic behind this seemingly banal style though. By keeping hold of the ball, the opponent’s frustration will hopefully draw out certain players from their starting positions, making spaces for killer through-balls which would otherwise be impossible. Moreover, by keeping possession, you encourage the opponent to chase all over the pitch, impacting their stamina and further allowing you to control the pace of the match.
An example of a team that uses possession is Barcelona:
Barcelona keep the ball very well as the defence and midfield make the movement for eachover so they can keep passing the ball, and they often play around there opposition in triangles made by the movement of those players. All of there players are good on the ball and are good passers of the ball so that they can keep on the ball and dominate the games as they keep the ball for such long periods of the games they play in which tires the opposition as they are left just to chase down the attack. They also put a lot of work in when they don't have the ball further up the pitch as the likes of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro and Villa put the pressure on the opposition and work a lot to pressure them into playing a poor pass so that they can get themselves back on the ball.
HD| FC Barceloana 5-0 Real Madrid [La Liga 2010-2011 fecha 13 Highlights] from FC BARCELONA on Vimeo.
Counter-attacking football
With 11 players to get past, scoring a goal is a tricky task at the best of times. However, the beauty of counter-attacking football is to use the other team’s desperation to score to your own advantage.
By withdrawing into your own half, but keeping a man or two further up the pitch, the goal is to take the ball off the opponent while they have players committed to the attack and thus out of position. Once you have the ball in your own half, you have more space to deliver a through-ball for your strikers, who will be lurking around the halfway line and will have fewer players to negotiate.
This tactic, while extremely risky and reliant on solid defending, can render impressive results and is often utilised by teams who are defending a lead or field a 4-5-1 formation (meaning the lone striker can get isolated in front of 4 defenders if both sides are set up properly).
An example of a team that uses counter attacking football is Aston Villa:
Aston Villa play a counter-attacking style of football. They have three central midfielders to try and gain possession and play the ball to the attacking players of the pitch on the wings or upfront who have lots of speed, like Marc Albrighton & Ashley Young who can hit there opposition on the break and try and cross the ball into the path of Darren Bent who can score goals. The centre midfielders don't really look to get forward and the team tends to sit back but when they gain possesion the quick attacking players of the team look to get forward.
Long-ball/Direct football
Often used to deride ‘boring’ teams, the long-ball style of play is genuine route one football. Rather than spend time on the ball picking the pass, exploiting small gaps in the opposition’s defensive or utilising the flanks, the long-ball is employed as an opportunistic method of attack. By pinging the ball up the field from defense or midfield, the hope is that the strikers will either latch onto the hopeful pass or exploit any mistakes by the defenders. Because the long-ball is dealt with in the air most of the time, any team employing it needs to have a strong target man.
An example of a team that plays direct football is Stoke City:
Stoke are a side who play a very direct style of football. They have a strong defence with players who are able to play long balls forward to big targets like John Carew and Kenywyne Jones. They rely on the targetman upfront likes Carew and Jones and can find them with wingers like Pennant and Etherington who have very good crossing ability. They can use Etherington to take corners or deep free-kicks into the big forward where they are a threat and they can use Rory Delap's long throw which as just as threatening.
Wide-play and alternating wingers
Since the days of Stanley Matthews and Jimmy ‘Jinky’ Johnstone, the wings have always been a key part of attacking football. By spreading the ball wide, you allow a different angle of attack and offer a number of opportunities for the winger; take on the fullback and drag central defenders out of position, cut inside and drive forward at an angle, or whip in a cross from deep for the strikers to attack.
A further development in wing-play has been to alternate wingers on the left and right flanks. If a winger is losing the battle with his fullback, switching wings can provide a breakthrough for the team. This was effectively employed by Portugal on their way to the final of the 2004 European Championships, with Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo frequently exchanging wing positions.
An example of a team that uses wing play is Tottenham:
Tottenham use there wingers to attack there opposition. Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon are a couple of the very best players in the Premiership with great speed and very good dribbling ability. Gareth Bale is able to ease past the opposition along with Aaron Lennon into positions where they can either find the net or cross the ball into the box for there strikers to find the net. Bale can also use his long throw to find the likes of Peter Crouch in the box and cross the ball into the targetmen like Peter Crouch. They have done this in Europe with good results, making the quarter finals of the Champions League with Gareth Bale scoring a hat-trick against Inter Milan along the way.
Set-Plays
A common method for technically deficient sides, using the set-plays means exploiting all types of free kicks, throw-ins and corner-kicks. In the absence of quick, skilful players, such sides will use the break in play provided by set pieces to pack the box and attack the ball when it is delivered.
Basic defensive team tactics
The chief distinction in defensive tactics is between individual and team responsibility, reflected in the rise and fluctuating popularity of zonal defense and man-to-man marking.
Zonal Marking
Zonal defense is basically self-explanatory. To cover for a team’s (or player’s) lack of pace or technique, every defender and midfielder is given a particular zone on the pitch to cover when the opposition has the ball. This is particularly important during set pieces, but does rely heavily on every player fulfilling their duties and keeping their concentration.
Ideally, the opposition will be facing two lines of four players covering the entirety of one half of the pitch. The defensive line is particularly important as, with proper communication and synchronised movement, it can exploit the offside rule and prevent all long-balls and through-balls succeeding. Generally speaking, zonal defense is fundamentally simple but allows sides to deal with all types of attackers on the opponent’s team. However, it can be fraught with danger if any individual fails to cover his area of the pitch.
Man-to-Man marking
The term is often associated with continental (and particularly Italian) football and, once again, is extremely simple at its core. Whereas the defenders and midfielders are responsible for zones in zonal defense, man-to-man marking means certain individuals are responsible for guarding a particular opponent. Man-to-man marking is particularly effective alongside a sweeper who has a free role, enabling him/her to support anyone having problems with his opponent and reducing the potency of through-balls and balls played over the top of the defence for forward players to run onto.
However, man-to-man marking requires incredible discipline on the part of the marker, and good decision making on the part of the manager. If a slower defender is matched up with a pacey striker, the results could be grim to say the least!
Task 2
Tactics
1. Basics of football
Football is a game with two teams of 11 players. There is either 5 or 7 subs who can come on during a game, although there is a maximum of 3 subs who can come on during the game. The objective of the game
is to score more goals then the opposition, a goal is scored when you put the ball in the opposition net.
2. Field of play
Football can be played on a grass or astroturf pitch. The pitch must be rectangular, 90-120 metes long and 45-90 metres wide. In international matches the pitch dimensions must be 100-110 metres long and 64-75 metres wide.There is 11 players on each team, with 5-7 substitutes for each team. 3 of the subs can be brought on during the game. A substitute can be brought on when the referee is informed and when there is a break in the play and the ball is not in play.
1 of the 11 players on each team is the goalkeeper, he can handle the ball inside the penalty area but it is a foul if he handles the ball outside the penalty area.
1 of the 11 players on each team is the captain, he is involved in the coin toss with opposition captain to decide who has kick-off and who is playing towards each goal in the first half.
4. Equipment
Equipment that is needed during a game are club kits, shin pads, socks and studded boots or trainers depending on the surface. Goalkeepers are allowed to where gloves and padded kit, they were a different colour kit so they are not confused with other players.
5. Referee
The referee is in charge of the game, and makes sure that all of the laws of the game are met during the game.The referee has two linesman who run up and down the line to help the referee, a fourth official who is on the goalmouth between each team's dugouts and possibly two additional officials behind each goal to help the referee make the correct decision.
6. Duration of the match
The match last for 90 minutes, with two halfs of 45 minutes and a half-time interval of no long than 15 minutes. In cup competitions, extra time is played if the game is level after 90 minutes. There is 15 minutes in each half of extra time, and if the game is still level then a penalty takes place. Where the team who scores the most penalties after each team has 5 penalties wins the game, if both team scores the same amount of the penalties then the game goes into sudden death untill somebody scores more penalties then there opposition.7. Scoring
A team can only score if the whole ball crosses the goal line between the goalposts. The winner is the team who scores more goals, in a competition where away goals are applied like the champions league, if the game is level after 2 legs the team who scored the most goals in there away game wins the game. If both teams scored the same amount of goals in the away league, then extra time is played, away goals do not apply when the game is in extra time.8. Offside
To be in an offside position you must be closer to the opposition goals then all of the opposition defenders. If you do not interfere with the ball and you are in an offside position, then an offside will not be given. If an offside is given then the free-kick is awarded in the position of the offside player who interfered with the play.
You can be behind the last opposition defender if you are closer to the opposition goal then the opposition goalkeeper aslong as you are not behind two or more of the opposition defence.
You cannot be offside from corners, goal-kicks or throw-ins.
9. Fouls and misconduct
A foul can take place anywhere on the pitch, and a free kick is awarded where that foul takes place unless it is in the penalty area where it is a penalty and takes place on the penalty spot. It's also not taken where the foul took place if a free-kick is awarded inside the 6 yard box, where it is taken on the 6 yard line instead.
10. Punishment for offences
If somebody persistantly fouls or commits a harsh foul worthy of a caution then a yellow card is shown. If somebody gets two yellow cards in the same game then a red card is awarded. This is shown for serious offences such as preventing a goalscoring opportunity, serious foul play or violent conduct.
If somebody recieves two yellow cards in the same game they are banned for 1 match. If somebody recieves a red card they are banned for 3 matches. If somebody picks up 5 yellow card in a season they are banned for 1 match and if they pick up 10 yellow cards in a season they are banned for 2 matches.
11. Free kicks
Whenever a free kick is taken, the opposition must be at least 10 yards away from the ball until it is delivered. If this rule is not adhered to, the kick is retaken. There are two types of free kick awarded, depending on the offence:Direct free kick - Allows the team to take a direct shot at the opponent’s goal.
Indirect free kick - A direct strike on goal is not permitted, meaning any shot must come from the second player to touch the ball after the kick is taken. An indirect free kick can be awarded in the case of a pass back offence.
12. Penalty kick
A penalty kick is awarded for offences taking place in the penalty and goal area. A nominated member of the team awarded the penalty is allowed a strike at goal from the penalty spot (see the image in the ‘field of play’ section), with only the goalkeeper to beat. The goalkeeper must remain on his line until the ball has been kicked, and all other players must be outside the area behind the penalty spot. After he has taken the kick, he cannot strike the ball again without another player touching the ball.
13. Throw-in
A throw-in is awarded when the whole ball crosses the touch line. Both hands need to behind the head and both feet must be on the ground or otherwise a foul throw is awarded, and a throw in is awarded to the other team.14. Goal kick
Awarded once the whole ball crosses the goal line if it last touched an opposition player. The ball is kicked from anywhere in the 6 yard box outfield, but must cross the penalty area line.
15. Corner kick
Awarded once the whole ball crosses the goal line of the opposition, after last touching one of their players. Taken from the corner of whichever side the ball exited the field.
Assessing the rules, regulations and scoring systems for football
Rules
- 11 players per team
I would change this rule to make the teams smaller. I would do this as then younger kids would beable to have more time on the ball and get the ball more often. I would make the teams as equal as possible, so i would change this rule to 6 or 7 a side.
- Either 5 or 7 subs per team, with a maximum of 3 subs per team
I wouldn't use substitutes as you'd want eveyone to play as frequently as possible. If the teams are uneven then rather then using one sub for the team that has one less player then you would give one team the advantage and if the teams are uneven then you would give the losing team an extra player.
- 1 of the 11 players in each time is the goalkeeper, he can handle the ball inside his box
I would have a goalkeeper in each team and use a restricted box in which he can handle the ball inside, but make the box smaller on a smaller sized pitch.
- 1 of the 11 players in each time is the captain
Captain's wouldn't really be neccesary in a game with young children, so i wouldn't have a captain on each time.
- The game is 90 minutes long, with 45 minutes a half.
I would make the game shorter, and i wouldn't split the games into halves. You could rotate 3 teams who could play 2 at a time. I would make the game around 30 minutes rather then having a long game as they would be too tired for anything longer then a 30 minute game.
- You are offside when you the ball is played to you and you are behind the last defender
I wouldn't play the offside rule in a game with younger children as it will be too complicated for them to play.
- Fouls result in a free-kick to the opposition
I would play with fouls, but i wouldn't be strict with fouls and only give a free-kick in certain circumstances.
- Yellow and red cards are awarded depending on the harshness of the offences, two yellow cards in the same game results in a red card.
I wouldn't give yellow or red cards as the players recieving yellow and red cards could get upset. They also aren't really neccesary.
- Fouls result in free-kicks when outside the box, and penalties when the ball is inside the box
I would give free-kicks and penalties although i wouldn't be strict to give any decisions. If a penalty was awarded i would move the penalty forward rather then putting it back to 12 yards from goal.
- A throw in is awarded when the ball crosses the touchline on the length of the pitch, against the team who last touched the ball.
- A corner is awarded to a team when the ball crosses the touchline of the width of the pitch if the defender last touched the ball.
Regulations
- Football can be played on a grass or astroturf pitch.
- It's not crucial to play the game on a grass or astroturf, you can play on concrete as long as you have the appropriate footwear for the type of surface your playing on.
- The pitch must be rectangular
- Pitches must be 90-120 metres long and 45-90 metres wide
- The goal area is 6 yards frm the goal, the penalty spot is 12 yards away from goal
- The goal area is 6 yards frm the goal, the penalty spot is 12 yards away from goal
- I would make the pitch smaller, and the goal area smaller for younger children alhough I would keep the pitch rectangular.
- There are corner flags in each corner of the pitch
- Corner flags wouldn't really be needed on a smaller pitch. In the event of a corner kick, you wouldn't take the corner as far back as you usually would and you would bring it back shorter as the young children wouldn't beable to get enough distance on the cross.
- The goals are 7.32 metres apart from each over and the crossbar is 2.44 metres off the ground
- I would make the goalposts shorter and the crossbar lower so that the younger children wouldn't beable to reach across a bigger.
- The ball must be spherical, with a circumference between 27 and 28 inches.
- The ball must be spherical but younger children would play with a smaller sized ball then you would usually play with.
- Equipment needed: club kits, shin pads, socks and studded boots or trainers (depending on the pitch surface). Goalkeepers have to wear goalkeeper gloves.
- You would need the correct footwear, but not neccesarly club kits for younger children. Shin pads could be worn for protection and goalkeepers should wear goalkeepr gloves.
- The referee makes sure that all of the laws of the game are met during the game.
- The referee should award fouls if neccesary but would not be as strict as a normal referee.
- The referee has two linesman who help him make decisions
- You wouldn't need linesman at that sort of level of football as making decisions wont be as important.
Scoring System
- A team is awarded a goal when the whole ball crosses the line.
- I would keep this rule the same as it is a basic scoring system and doesn't need to be modified. To help improve younger children's passing ability you could add a rule where five passes count as a goal which will encourage them to pass the ball more frequently.
Assignment 5
Analyse the rules, regulations and scoring systems in a team sport.
Goal Line Technology
A controversial point of football is goal line technology. A goal is scored when the whole ball crosses the line between the posts and under the crossbar. In recent years there have been many incidents where the officials have made an incorrect decision on whether the ball had crossed the line. Due to this there has been calls for goal line technology, which would allow the referee to be able to see if the ball had crossed the line with a replay.
Examples of controversy
Examples of controversy
The Goal That Never Was by dsqnm
What has been done?
FIFA have introduced two extra officials in european competitions to try and solve the problem. There is an extra official behind each goal who has a far better view of any goal line incidents then the other officials. There is a lack of top referees and officials though so a lot of people want goal line technology to be availible to the referees rather than having two extra officials. FIFA don't want goal line technology at the moment though, and in the South Africa World Cup in 2010 there was major refereeing errors including a disallowed Frank Lampard goal.
The Offside Rule
There is a lot of controversial goals given that the goalscorer is actually offside and there are a lot of goals given that the goalscorer is actually onside.
Recentley FIFA changed the offside law which meant that a player could only be offside if he was in an offside position as well as intefering with play. To interfere with play you have to either affect the ball or an opponent. This has caused more confusion with the law in recent years and some pundits have called for the law to change but it isn't likely to change at the moment as changing the law is likely to add more confusion to understanding what the law is.
Controversial Decisions
Crowding the referee
Crowding the referee is something that happens in the top leagues like the Premiership, by the top teams. After the referee makes a controversial decision he is often left being crowded by the referee by the team who has had the decision given against them.
Crowding the referee isn't an offence in football, and there have been calls to change the law so that only the captain to talk to the referee like in rugby. The law still allows teams to crowd the referee which doesn't help the referee officiate.
Analysis of an individual - Nikola Zigic
Strengths: passing/recieving, headering, attacking, positioning
Weaknesses: shooting, dribbling, work rate, defending, making runs
Technical Components
Shooting - 4
Comment - Wasted a few goal scoring opportunities.
Zigic missed a few chances in the game, and needs to work on his shooting. He had a few clear goal scoring opportunities but barely tested the goalkeeper with any of the chances he had. If he would have been able to take those chances then Birmingham would have won the game comfortably. Shooting is a key part of any strikers game and improving his shooting is neccesary.
To improve his shooting he could do shooting drills against a goalkeeper. Practising shots from various distances would help him improve his shooting game during competitive matches.
Passing/Recieving - 9
Comment - Very good at controlling the ball and passing the ball to team mates.
Zigic had a high passing rate for a targetman and this is one of the strongest parts of his game. He is good at taking balls down that are play to him and is good at passing the ball on to team mates. This isn't an area of his game that he needs to work on.
Dribbling - 3
Comment - Didn’t dribble in to space frequently.
He needs to work on the amount of times he dribbles the ball in to space. He did this very rarely in the game and if he did dribble the ball in to space then it would have improved his overall performance.
To improve on his dribbling he could practise dribbling with the ball around cones and in more competitive practise matches he could improve on his dribbling ability by doing it more frequently.
Headering - 8
Comment - Won the majority of aerial battles and was strong in the air.
He was strong in the air, and although he didn't get a lot of supply when the ball was played to him he won the majority of the aerial battles. He uses his 6"7" height to his advantage and was an asset aerially for Birmingham. If Birmingham want to use his aerial ability to more us they need to put in more crosses, when they did put a cross it in to the box it lead to their first goal which Zigic was involved in. He doesn't need to work on his heading ability and it is one of his main strengths.
Tactical Components
Attacking - 7
Comment - Key to the Birmingham attack with his hold up play.
Zigic was strong in the Birmingham attack, and was key to Birmingham's play. He doesn't have strong enough ability in areas like shooting and work rate which he needs to improve on but he has the key abilities needed for a good targetman with strong abilities such as headering. He used his height well and passed the ball off to other team mates well.
The main area of his attacking game that he needs to work on is his shooting. This can be improved on with training excerises such as a shooting drill which would involve shooting from various distances from goal to help him improve on his shooting in competitive situations.
Defending - 2
Comment - Wasn’t involved in defensive play from anything other than set pieces.
As a striker Zigic's defensive play isn't key to his game, but he didn't close down opposition defenders or help out his team mates by chasing back in to midfield when his team weren't in possesion. When he did get back to defend for opposition corner kicks he wasn't very useful despite being the tallest player on the field.
This could be improved on and can be improved on if he improves his C/V endurance, he could do this by doing training such as circuit training which could help him during games to be able to chase back and help his team regain possesion of the ball which would improve his performances.
Work rate - 2
Comment - Failed to track back and failed to close down midfielders.
Zigic's work rate is one of the weakest areas to his game as he didn't close down opposition defenders or help out his team mates by chasing back in to midfield when his team weren't in possesion. The strikers with a better work rate will help out their side by chasing back closer to their goal and will help their side earn possesion, but Zigic didn't do this during the game.
This could be improved on and can be improved on if he improves his C/V endurance, he could do this by doing training such as circuit training which could help him during games to be able to chase back and help his team regain possesion of the ball which would improve his work rate and his overall defensive ability.
Positioning - 6
Comment - Got in areas to win headers and hold the ball up.
Zigic's positioning isn't one of the strongest areas of the his game but isn't one of the key areas of his game which he needs to improve. His positioning was good at times as he was able to find him space to win headers easily, but around the opposition box he wasn't able to create space to lead to him getting many chance in front of goal.
He could improve on his positioning around the box by looking to find space in that area in a competitive training session.
Creating space - 5
Comment - Created space well at times.
Zigic's ability to create space isn't one of the strongest areas of the his game but isn't one of the key areas of his game which he needs to improve. Zigic has plenty of space for long balls which were directed towards him, the opposition tended to leave him free and back off Zigic as he is hard to beat in the air which gave him plenty of space. But at other times he was left isolated when Birmingham were attacking, and didn't seem to look to move in to space.
He could improve on his ability to create space around the box by looking to find space in attacking areas in a competitive training session.
Making runs - 3
Comment - Caught offside at times and didn’t make any strong runs.
His ability to make runs during the game was on the weak areas to his game. He didn't make enough runs in and around the box which meant that his team mates looking to pass the ball to him were unable to find him in a position where he was likely to score. Zigic was also caught offside on a couple of occasions in situtions where he could have avoided being offside easily.
He could improve on this by making more runs in competitive games and training sessions and giving his team mates a good option in attacking areas to pass to.
Analysis of my own performance
I have chosen to analyse my performance in football.
Strengths: positioning, passing/receiving, defending, heading
Weaknesses: shooting, dribbling, attacking
Technical Components
Shooting - 5
Comment - Only strong at finishing from close distances.
Shooting is one of the key abilities that I need to improve on. Shooting is one of my poorer abilities as i'm only strong at finishing from close distances. I need to improve on my longer distanced shooting which I can improve on through training.
I can improve on my shooting ability through long distance shooting practise, I can improve on my long distance technique through long distance shooting practise from various distances from goal. This would improve my long distance shooting in game situations.
Passing/Recieving -8
Comment - Good short passing ability.
Passing and recieving is one of my strongest abilities, as I have a good short passing ability. It is not an ability which I need to improve on through training. I complete a lot of the passes I make which helps my defensive and attacking abilities.
Dribbling - 5
Comment - Don't keep the ball close enough to my feet.
Dribbling is one of my poorer abilities which I do need to improve on through training. I don't keep the ball close enough to me when dribbling, if I did improve this then it would improve my dribbling ability a lot and improve my attacking ability.
I could improve on my dribbling technique through training involving practising my dribbling by dribbling in and out of cones.
Heading - 7
Comment - Decent ability in the air, and good at winning headers against opponents.
Heading is one of my stronger abilities and it is not a key ability that I need to improve on. I am comfortable using my head and fairly strong in the air aginst opponents. I don't think that I need to improve on it as much as abilities such as shooting or dribbling and it is one of my better technical component abilities.
Tactical Components
Attacking - 5
Comment - Not as strong attacking as defending, not a good goalscorer.
Attacking is an ability that I need to improve on through training. My attacking ability isn't as good as my defensive ability as i'm not very good at shooting or dribbling. If I improved on both of those abilities then I would be a lot stronger attacking.
I could improve on my longer distanced shooting ability through training involving the practising of long distance shooting and I could improve on my dribbling by dribbling in and out of cones which would improve my dribbling technique.
Defending - 7
Comment - Good positioning and a capable defender.
Defending is not an ability that I need to improve on as much as my attacking. This is because I have good positioning, a strong enough tackling ability and good ability in the air. There isn't a key area of defending that I need to improve on through training.
Work rate - 6
Comment - Able to play the duration of a game. Not a key area to improve on.
Analysis of an individual - Nikola Zigic
Player: Nikola Zigic
Position: Striker
Club: Birmingham City
Role: Target man
Birmingham City 2-2 Club Brugge
Technical Components | Tally | Number |
Goals Scored | 0 | |
Assists | 0 | |
Shots on target | 1 | |
Shots off target | 2 | |
Completed passes | 12 | |
Uncompleted passes | 1 | |
Successful dribbles | 1 | |
Unsuccessful dribbles | 2 | |
Successful crosses | 0 | |
Unsuccessful crosses | 0 | |
Headers won | 7 | |
Headers lost | 1 |
Attacking | Tally | Number |
Possessions in the penalty box | 4 | |
Number of corners won | 0 | |
Headers won from corners | 0 | |
Number of free kicks won | 2 | |
Number of penalties won | 0 | |
Involved in a goal scoring move | 1 | |
Caught offside | 2 |
Defending | Tally | Number |
Fouls committed | 0 | |
Yellow card/red card | Caution | |
Own goals | 0 |
http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/birmmail/aug2010/9/3/image-1-for-derby-county-v-birmingham-city-gallery-203150727.jpg
Components | 1-10 | Comments |
Technical Components | ||
Shooting | 4 | Wasted a few goal scoring opportunities. |
Passing/Receiving | 9 | Very good at controlling the ball and passing the ball to team mates. |
Dribbling | 3 | Didn’t dribble in to space frequently. |
Heading | 8 | Won the majority of aerial battles and was strong in the air. |
Tactical Components | ||
Attacking | 7 | Key to the Birmingham attack with his hold up play. |
Defending | 2 | Wasn’t involved in defensive play from anything other than set pieces. |
Work rate | 2 | Failed to track back and failed to close down midfielders. |
Positioning | 6 | Got in areas to win headers and hold the ball up. |
Creating space | 5 | Created space well at times. |
Making runs | 3 | Caught offside at times and didn’t make any strong runs. |
Strengths: passing/recieving, headering, attacking, positioning
Weaknesses: shooting, dribbling, work rate, defending, making runs
Technical Components
Shooting - 4
Comment - Wasted a few goal scoring opportunities.
Zigic missed a few chances in the game, and needs to work on his shooting. He had a few clear goal scoring opportunities but barely tested the goalkeeper with any of the chances he had. If he would have been able to take those chances then Birmingham would have won the game comfortably. Shooting is a key part of any strikers game and improving his shooting is neccesary.
To improve his shooting he could do shooting drills against a goalkeeper. Practising shots from various distances would help him improve his shooting game during competitive matches.
Passing/Recieving - 9
Comment - Very good at controlling the ball and passing the ball to team mates.
Zigic had a high passing rate for a targetman and this is one of the strongest parts of his game. He is good at taking balls down that are play to him and is good at passing the ball on to team mates. This isn't an area of his game that he needs to work on.
Dribbling - 3
Comment - Didn’t dribble in to space frequently.
He needs to work on the amount of times he dribbles the ball in to space. He did this very rarely in the game and if he did dribble the ball in to space then it would have improved his overall performance.
To improve on his dribbling he could practise dribbling with the ball around cones and in more competitive practise matches he could improve on his dribbling ability by doing it more frequently.
Headering - 8
Comment - Won the majority of aerial battles and was strong in the air.
He was strong in the air, and although he didn't get a lot of supply when the ball was played to him he won the majority of the aerial battles. He uses his 6"7" height to his advantage and was an asset aerially for Birmingham. If Birmingham want to use his aerial ability to more us they need to put in more crosses, when they did put a cross it in to the box it lead to their first goal which Zigic was involved in. He doesn't need to work on his heading ability and it is one of his main strengths.
Tactical Components
Attacking - 7
Comment - Key to the Birmingham attack with his hold up play.
Zigic was strong in the Birmingham attack, and was key to Birmingham's play. He doesn't have strong enough ability in areas like shooting and work rate which he needs to improve on but he has the key abilities needed for a good targetman with strong abilities such as headering. He used his height well and passed the ball off to other team mates well.
The main area of his attacking game that he needs to work on is his shooting. This can be improved on with training excerises such as a shooting drill which would involve shooting from various distances from goal to help him improve on his shooting in competitive situations.
Defending - 2
Comment - Wasn’t involved in defensive play from anything other than set pieces.
As a striker Zigic's defensive play isn't key to his game, but he didn't close down opposition defenders or help out his team mates by chasing back in to midfield when his team weren't in possesion. When he did get back to defend for opposition corner kicks he wasn't very useful despite being the tallest player on the field.
This could be improved on and can be improved on if he improves his C/V endurance, he could do this by doing training such as circuit training which could help him during games to be able to chase back and help his team regain possesion of the ball which would improve his performances.
Work rate - 2
Comment - Failed to track back and failed to close down midfielders.
Zigic's work rate is one of the weakest areas to his game as he didn't close down opposition defenders or help out his team mates by chasing back in to midfield when his team weren't in possesion. The strikers with a better work rate will help out their side by chasing back closer to their goal and will help their side earn possesion, but Zigic didn't do this during the game.
This could be improved on and can be improved on if he improves his C/V endurance, he could do this by doing training such as circuit training which could help him during games to be able to chase back and help his team regain possesion of the ball which would improve his work rate and his overall defensive ability.
Positioning - 6
Comment - Got in areas to win headers and hold the ball up.
Zigic's positioning isn't one of the strongest areas of the his game but isn't one of the key areas of his game which he needs to improve. His positioning was good at times as he was able to find him space to win headers easily, but around the opposition box he wasn't able to create space to lead to him getting many chance in front of goal.
He could improve on his positioning around the box by looking to find space in that area in a competitive training session.
Creating space - 5
Comment - Created space well at times.
Zigic's ability to create space isn't one of the strongest areas of the his game but isn't one of the key areas of his game which he needs to improve. Zigic has plenty of space for long balls which were directed towards him, the opposition tended to leave him free and back off Zigic as he is hard to beat in the air which gave him plenty of space. But at other times he was left isolated when Birmingham were attacking, and didn't seem to look to move in to space.
He could improve on his ability to create space around the box by looking to find space in attacking areas in a competitive training session.
Making runs - 3
Comment - Caught offside at times and didn’t make any strong runs.
His ability to make runs during the game was on the weak areas to his game. He didn't make enough runs in and around the box which meant that his team mates looking to pass the ball to him were unable to find him in a position where he was likely to score. Zigic was also caught offside on a couple of occasions in situtions where he could have avoided being offside easily.
He could improve on this by making more runs in competitive games and training sessions and giving his team mates a good option in attacking areas to pass to.
Analysis of my own performance
I have chosen to analyse my performance in football.
Components | 1-10 | Comments |
Technical Components | ||
Shooting | 5 | Only strong at finishing from close distances. |
Passing/Receiving | 8 | Good short passing ability. |
Dribbling | 5 | Don't keep the ball close enough to my feet. |
Heading | 7 | Decent ability in the air, and good at winning headers against opponents. |
Tactical Components | ||
Attacking | 5 | Not as strong attacking as defending, not a good goalscorer. |
Defending | 7 | Good positioning and a capable defender. |
Work rate | 6 | Able to play the duration of a game. Not a key area to improve on. |
Positioning | 8 | Good at reading the game in defensive positions. |
Creating space | 6 | Create space well at times. |
Tackling | 6 | Capable tackling ability. |
Strengths: positioning, passing/receiving, defending, heading
Weaknesses: shooting, dribbling, attacking
Technical Components
Shooting - 5
Comment - Only strong at finishing from close distances.
Shooting is one of the key abilities that I need to improve on. Shooting is one of my poorer abilities as i'm only strong at finishing from close distances. I need to improve on my longer distanced shooting which I can improve on through training.
I can improve on my shooting ability through long distance shooting practise, I can improve on my long distance technique through long distance shooting practise from various distances from goal. This would improve my long distance shooting in game situations.
Passing/Recieving -8
Comment - Good short passing ability.
Passing and recieving is one of my strongest abilities, as I have a good short passing ability. It is not an ability which I need to improve on through training. I complete a lot of the passes I make which helps my defensive and attacking abilities.
Dribbling - 5
Comment - Don't keep the ball close enough to my feet.
Dribbling is one of my poorer abilities which I do need to improve on through training. I don't keep the ball close enough to me when dribbling, if I did improve this then it would improve my dribbling ability a lot and improve my attacking ability.
I could improve on my dribbling technique through training involving practising my dribbling by dribbling in and out of cones.
Heading - 7
Comment - Decent ability in the air, and good at winning headers against opponents.
Heading is one of my stronger abilities and it is not a key ability that I need to improve on. I am comfortable using my head and fairly strong in the air aginst opponents. I don't think that I need to improve on it as much as abilities such as shooting or dribbling and it is one of my better technical component abilities.
Tactical Components
Attacking - 5
Comment - Not as strong attacking as defending, not a good goalscorer.
Attacking is an ability that I need to improve on through training. My attacking ability isn't as good as my defensive ability as i'm not very good at shooting or dribbling. If I improved on both of those abilities then I would be a lot stronger attacking.
I could improve on my longer distanced shooting ability through training involving the practising of long distance shooting and I could improve on my dribbling by dribbling in and out of cones which would improve my dribbling technique.
Defending - 7
Comment - Good positioning and a capable defender.
Defending is not an ability that I need to improve on as much as my attacking. This is because I have good positioning, a strong enough tackling ability and good ability in the air. There isn't a key area of defending that I need to improve on through training.
Work rate - 6
Comment - Able to play the duration of a game. Not a key area to improve on.
Birmingham City 2-2 Club Brugge
Thursday 3rd November 2011, Europa League group stage. Watched on the channel ITV4 on freeview.
Zigic was subbed off after 65 minutes for Marlon King, whilst Birmingham were losing 2-1.
My work rate isn't one of my stronger abilities but isn't an ability that needs to be worked on as much as things such as shooting, dribbling or attacking. I am able to play the duration of a game and I don't need to work on my work rate through c.v. training.
Positioning - 8
Comment - Good at reading the game in defensive positions.
Positioning - 8
Comment - Good at reading the game in defensive positions.
Positioning is one of my strongest abilities as I'm good at reading the game as a defender. I can use my good positioning to get me in areas that are a lot easier to defend in by stopping attackers being able to run in to space and I don't need to work on my positioning with any training.
Creating space - 6
Comment - Create space well at times.
Creating space is not one of my strongest abilities but not one that I need to look at a lot to improve on as much as others. I can create space well at times but don't create space frequently enough for this to be one of my strongest abilities.
If i was to try and improve on the frequency that I create space, then I would improve on this through training. I would do this by doing training drills that involve me needing to get in to space, such as a training excerise in which two small teams try and keep possesion in a small area.
Tackling - 6
Comment - Capable tackling ability.
Tackling is not one of my strongest abilities but not a key area of my defensive ability that I need to improve on. It is one of my weaker defensive abilities but I am capable at tackling and it's not as necessary to look to improve on my tackling as it is to improve on my dribbling, shooting and attacking abilities.
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