ViP2's Coaches' Corner

[Michel Kane]

Erm, for the sake of being safe, I'm thinking of going with what I passed my level 2 on which was 'Defending when outnumbered' but part of me thinks I should do something that the kids will enjoy more, so may go with a creative theme instead.

[O Fenomeno]

Dont be negative

Be postive Bro

[Michel Kane]

You right...

[Haze-e]

Yes Mike. Gwaan!

Good luck man.

[Michel Kane]

Big look fam.

Gnna book my level 2, can't believe I've been holding out so long.

 

Bruv. Get on it, lol.

 

/

 

Agony, I beg you get into coaching bro.

 

/

 

Sho Case, Cipher, what type of set-up are you lot involved in at the moment? Taken any badges or anything?

[Flojo]

Big moves, congrats

[JOHN DOE]

Right. So, the club I just mentioned, Little Foxes FC. Small team based in W1, good place to develop as a coach, work with ages from 18 months to 11 years of age.

 

It's the team Beckham's kids are at still, great support system, help you pay for badges, etc.

 

Offered me a position with them, start on the 11th of January.

 

/

 

Now...Fulham.

 

Basically, had that group interview at Craven Cottage last Thursday. Usually pretty at ease with any interview because I believe my personality carries me through but obviously because of the position & who's it with, I was a little nervous. It was fine though, ran from 9am to 11am. Just did a couple of group activities which were fun & they'd pull aside candidates for brief 1-on-1's which went pretty well. Told me that Fulham really try to develop their coaches, like the team I mentioned prior, will pay for your badges provided you're hungry, professional, etc. Proper safe group of guys man, high levels of coaches eager to mentor, the pay is decent enough that along with my work at the other club I can actually make a living on coaching which may happen WELL before I scheduled to. LOTS of room for career development I was told, at the Club obviously but also at other clubs too.

 

So they told us they'd get back to us within a 2 week period, with the next stage a practical assessment where they have you go to the Fulham training ground at Motspur Park. 

 

Happen to be cool with someone who works with the Fulham U8's if I remember correctly, we were in the same year/class throughout secondary & thankfully, put in a good word for me with the guy who's doing the recruiting. Same guy was also after another coach I work with at the University of Westminster & now, Little Foxes FC (He's the one who recommended them to me & more than likely put in a good word for me there too) but can't coach there because he's at Chelsea full-time now.

 

So my school friend lets me know yesterday that he saw the Fulham guy, that he remembered me (which is a good thing) & put in a good word. Told me not to worry & I'll be alright. Even with that sort of co-sign, obviously you're still a bit anxious, lol. However, I wake up to a call from Fulham informing me I'm through to the third & final stage which is the practical assessment.

 

 

At this point, it's all in my hands. What happens is, I have an hour long session I can take with a group of players aged 7-11 of mixed ability, working on any theme I like. Essentially, all you have to do to get the job is 'pass', wouldn't say it's much different to doing your level 2 final assessment, probably easier in the sense. You have 3 attempts to pass which helps but obviously I'm looking to knock the ball out the park at first attempt. Also pleased that they let you know on the day whether you've passed or not so no waiting around, lol.

 

What's putting me at ease is that, at this point, it's all in my hands so hopefully, by the 30th (that's when my assessment is), I'll officially be a coach at Fulham FC.

 

Boom.

OI

 

BIG MOVES!

 

imagine seeing mike kane boat in the fulham dugout close to rene -

 

Congrats

[Yoshie]

Pleased for you Mike

[Taurus]

Nice one Mike.

[Nidge Weasle]

WALLOP

 

good fucking on you man.

 

genuinly made up for you

[Jam]

Big moves Kane, congrats.

[Agony]

Hard work pays off

Congrats Kane

[Zizouz]

Goodluck, hope it works out

[Trim]

Congrats Mike, good luck for the final stage

[kerser]

We are Christians we don't believe in luck we beleive in god

You can do it kaney baby

[Zizouz]

 

A Guide: Zonal Marking On Corners | Tactical Analysis

 

 

Picture this scenario (disclaimer: not a fictional account of events – stolen from a particular match in 2005):

You’re less than 180 seconds away from taking the cup final to penalties. It’s the game that nobody gave you and your disciples a hope in hell, even your players thought so – with their rational mindset anyway. But this is now, the 117th minute; 117 minutes of twists and turns. At half time you were 3-0 down, down and out. But now, you’re within touching distance of a penalty shoot out and taking home the cup you’d dreamt of winning.

The opposition are in possession of the ball and a dangerous cross comes in from from the left wing and the cross is perfect, it couldn’t be better, it meets the head of the most clinical striker they have and your heart is in your mouth as the keeper makes the initial save, only for the follow up to appear to be filmed right in front of your eyes at 10,000 frames per second as the striker meets the ball three yards out from goal with your keeper scrambling to get back to his feet. There isn’t a sound and everybody is frozen in this motionless moment, only for the striker’s shot to go straight into the unprepared finger tips of your goalkeeper and go over the cross bar!

For a moment you can’t quite believe what you’ve just seen and then as that moment fades, you catch your breath and remember the rules of the game again: it’s a corner, in the dying moments of the game, you can’t lose now, not after everything you’ve been through. “Get organised!” your keeper shouts. The stakes are high, emotions are everywhere and nobody has overcome the shock of those seconds just before, it seemed like it flashed by now. You’ve been given a life line to defend this corner…

WOULD YOU TRUST A ZONAL MARKING SYSTEM?

Rafa Benitez’s regime at Liverpool was one of many highlights, not least the Champions League win against AC Milan (2005). When posed with the question of how to defend corners, Benitez is a man with a fixed belief: zonal marking. Always zonal marking.

Zonal marking has always appeared a strange foreign idea to the British and during the 350 games that “Rafa” took charge of Liverpool for, the English media would jump on this ‘wrong and foreign’ method of defending corners as “too vulnerable”,“unworkable” and a method that “has no place in English football”. We all forget however, that the great Brian Clough used zonal marking, only he wouldn’t call it zonal marking, he’d refer to it as the scattering of his players around the six-yard box where they should attack the ball if it comes near them.

Zonal marking and the attached ‘criticism’ is however, one of those things that only gets highlighted when it goes wrong and therefore gives the perception that it is indeed an unworkable and vulnerable tactic that isn’t to be trusted or relied upon, whether it be the first minute or the 117th minute of the Champions League final. However, as Rafa Benitez rightly points out on his own website (rafabenitez.com), Liverpool were twice best at preventing goals from set pieces in the Premier League during his time and they were consistently inside the top four teams at defending set pieces, with the exception of just one season.

This article aims to detail why and how you would employ zonal marking when defending corners and gives examples of zonal and mixed methods being used by Brendan Rodgers’ Swansea during their debut season in the Premier League, Barcelona under Martino, Barcelona under Guardiola, Athletico Bilbao and a few other methods conducive to turning a defensive situation into an attacking opportunity.

SOME OF THE REASONS WHY WOULD YOU EMPLOY A ZONAL MARKING SYSTEM WHEN DEFENDING CORNERS?

• Your team are inferior to the opposition in terms of height and attributes that make up those involved with being good in the air
• If your goalkeeper is particularly comfortable at receiving the ball during crossing situations within his own 6-yard box.
• To enable a positive overload on the counter-attack (and therefore, a situation where the opposition has more bodies that you do inside the 18-yard box).
• If your players are particularly good at anticipating and judging their ability to attack the ball in the air

 

COMPONENTS OF A ZONAL MARKING SYSTEM WHEN DEFENDING CORNERS?

[note - Analysis style must be credited to @LouisLancs - who has completed some wonderful analysis of Real Madrid vs. Barcelona corners - available on his twitter timeline] 

1. It’s almost unthinkable in Britain to not have any men on the posts (although we’ve seen variations of this being achieved in recent weeks) – a method that has the benefit of making the goal smaller for the opposition. However, by taking the man off of the post and taking up the position a few yards away from the post, you reduce the opportunity for the opposition to stand on your goalkeeper – the simple premise is that this player would then be off-side given that he is now interfering with play should the ball come to him as a second ball.

2. No player is to backtrack to attack the ball (start deep) – every player has been given the responsibility of defending particular zones inside the box and every player understands that they should be forward thinking and moving to attack the ball. Reducing the opportunity for the opposition to “get a run on you” and rise above you to attack the ball. This method takes great reaction times from your players and this can only be improved through practising this scenario over and over – through the creation of habit to set patterns.

3. The idea of zonal marking means that you only need so many players to defend the set zones and therefore you have the ability to use the remaining players to increase your ability to counter-attack. One key message for the defending team is to understand in which direction is most desirable when clearing the ball. The trio of counter-attacking players should work on set patterns to beat the 2/3 defending players left back by the opposition.

4. A common set up is to have those players who are better in the air nearer the goal and more dangerous areas inside the box and those shorter players are to be used as ‘blockers’ further away from goal tracking the run of the opponents.

IN A MIXED SYSTEM: Top image was proposed as a defensive corner set up for a British club because the goalkeeper and players felt ‘men on the posts’ was essential. The compromise was that men would be zonal ‘near the posts’ and the counter attack set up could remain.

1. All relevant points in the ‘Zonal Marking’ commentary still applies

2. Any unmarked players should be left if they are furthest away from goal or weakest in the air.

3. Mixed has been arranged to try and allow for the counter attack 3v3 or 3v2 options, while at the same time going man-to-man in key areas.

CONCLUSION

How you decide to set up for corners should not be treated individually from your overall playing philosophy. For counter-attacking teams, it would seem invaluable to set up from corners in a way that creates an immediate attacking overload against the opponent’s defence (those players they leave back on the half way line).

You should not, however, look to imitate any of these methods in this article without consideration of your player profiles and the number of hours you have to practice the system of marking.

With just over 30% of all goals across all professional leagues in England being scored from set plays, it shouldn’t be a part of the game that you leave unconsidered or unorganised (left to the players) and it should be clear now that organisation for set plays should be considered, well-designed and adapted to meet the profiles of your own players and how the opposition attacks the corner.

Trust, daring and insight… all three components make up your tactical approach to defending corners. There are ways of turning a corner into an opportunity to counter attack, but this is only possible with a zonal marking system in place.

Photograph taken inside Swansea FC’s changing room post Swansea vs. Liverpool FC MAY 2012

Note: Blockers, Zonal and one man-mark.

 

http://eplindex.com/44454/guide-zonal-marking-corners-tactical-analysis.html

[The Infamous]

Congrats Mike, good luck for the final stage

[youcleanwepaint]

Right. So, the club I just mentioned, Little Foxes FC. Small team based in W1, good place to develop as a coach, work with ages from 18 months to 11 years of age.

 

It's the team Beckham's kids are at still, great support system, help you pay for badges, etc.

 

Offered me a position with them, start on the 11th of January.

 

/

 

Now...Fulham.

 

Basically, had that group interview at Craven Cottage last Thursday. Usually pretty at ease with any interview because I believe my personality carries me through but obviously because of the position & who's it with, I was a little nervous. It was fine though, ran from 9am to 11am. Just did a couple of group activities which were fun & they'd pull aside candidates for brief 1-on-1's which went pretty well. Told me that Fulham really try to develop their coaches, like the team I mentioned prior, will pay for your badges provided you're hungry, professional, etc. Proper safe group of guys man, high levels of coaches eager to mentor, the pay is decent enough that along with my work at the other club I can actually make a living on coaching which may happen WELL before I scheduled to. LOTS of room for career development I was told, at the Club obviously but also at other clubs too.

 

So they told us they'd get back to us within a 2 week period, with the next stage a practical assessment where they have you go to the Fulham training ground at Motspur Park. 

 

Happen to be cool with someone who works with the Fulham U8's if I remember correctly, we were in the same year/class throughout secondary & thankfully, put in a good word for me with the guy who's doing the recruiting. Same guy was also after another coach I work with at the University of Westminster & now, Little Foxes FC (He's the one who recommended them to me & more than likely put in a good word for me there too) but can't coach there because he's at Chelsea full-time now.

 

So my school friend lets me know yesterday that he saw the Fulham guy, that he remembered me (which is a good thing) & put in a good word. Told me not to worry & I'll be alright. Even with that sort of co-sign, obviously you're still a bit anxious, lol. However, I wake up to a call from Fulham informing me I'm through to the third & final stage which is the practical assessment.

 

 

At this point, it's all in my hands. What happens is, I have an hour long session I can take with a group of players aged 7-11 of mixed ability, working on any theme I like. Essentially, all you have to do to get the job is 'pass', wouldn't say it's much different to doing your level 2 final assessment, probably easier in the sense. You have 3 attempts to pass which helps but obviously I'm looking to knock the ball out the park at first attempt. Also pleased that they let you know on the day whether you've passed or not so no waiting around, lol.

 

What's putting me at ease is that, at this point, it's all in my hands so hopefully, by the 30th (that's when my assessment is), I'll officially be a coach at Fulham FC.

 

Boom.

so have you done your final assessment yet at the training ground yet??/

[Michel Kane]

No, it's on the 30th.

[youcleanwepaint]

No, it's on the 30th.

how long do you have to do it for...and what on

 

so are you level 2 qualified or going to be??

[Michel Kane]

Lol, you know all of this was outlined in my earlier post bro?

[youcleanwepaint]

i'm just being lazy to read through it, but now as you brought it up I will go back through it..

 

the reason why i'm asking is i've just passed my level 1 and im trying to get a job with fulham as well

i've got to do a practical assesement in January

[Michel Kane]

Decent, decent.

 

What theme you thinking of doing your assessment on?

[youcleanwepaint]

^^^i've only got to do a ten minute drill with a maximum of 16 kids

 

due to the fact the fulham coaches have seen me in action but they want to see me with coaching youngers