Germany 2.0.14; the Tactical Cocktail

Over recent years, we have seen international teams build a philosophy based on technical brilliance (Brazil, Netherlands, Spain), intricate organisation (Greece, Italy) or superior physicality (Ivory Coast, England). The 2014 World Cup saw Germany show how devastating a combination of the three can be. They are a team of technically outstanding, intelligent and athletic players whose tactical organisation enables them to fully utilise these attributes.

Gegenpressing; from the Champions League to Sunday League

Over the last 5 to 6 years, Borussia Dortmund have gone from hovering around mid-table to winning two consecutive Bundesliga titles and making an appearance in the 2013 Champions League final. It is little coincidence that this coincided with the arrival of the highly regarded Jürgen Klopp. There is much for which he is credited for changing at Dortmund, but the one of the major headline grabbers has been the use of ‘Gegenpressing’.

Tactical Development for Grassroots Football; A Simple Tool for Training

Getting your side to develop their tactical understanding without the luxuries afforded to professional and academy sides can, and for myself, did pose a significant challenge. Not only instructing the style of football you want to play, but also coaching the basic principles which unfortunately, players do not receive significant exposure to in grassroots coaching. In essence, this article looks at how you can get your players to be “match ready” for both the tactical demands of football and the tactical style you wish to impose upon the team. If you can develop this effectively, then you can gain a greater understanding of the technical, physical and even psychological limitations of your players.