If you were a player?

_Man_u_barmy_army_ : Recently I have been preffering defense to attack, its hard to explain. But for those strikers out there... to be a striker you need as i call it'the hunger', the determination to score and get the glory for that goal. As a defender you don't have that. I have lost the hunger recently and have started playing as a CB, I play much comftably (doesn't mean better), the only problem is I need to learn how to pass the ball and make descions faster, I know the 5-a-side will help with this. But has anyone else got any tips?

i usually do this:

when im training alone, i will try to run constantly with the ball, and theres a wall on one side of the pitch which i use to pass.

When ur more or less running all the time or ur low on stamina its harder to concentrate etc. so you pick a spot fast in ur head and just try to aim at that from no where.

long and short passes how ever u like to do it.

another good thing is to "imagine" that your passing to a player who maybe is running diagonally etc etc. use ur head =P

also you can try to hit the bar and the post of the goal while moving etc.

staying still and trying to hit an object is quite easy to do after a while. but moving most of the time and trying to hit something, is a bit harder to learn.

but the vision is something you get "naturally". its the game understanding of how players move around on the pitch.

see and learn how your teammates move around on the pitch, in that way you will be able to put passes into their path without looking.

thats one thing with me, i learn my players quick and easily, i can have my back to goal and not seeing my fellow teammate and still be able to hit a decent ball into his path just by knowing what type of a player he is and how he moves around on the pitch.


im a good passer of the ball, probably one of my best qualities in footy. but its something i have evolved from watching and playing football over the years. its easy for me now to be able to know "around about" where to put the ball, and it makes it all easier.

because you dont have to hit a pin point ball all the time.
the other players will and are usually on the move. so you got to also think about "an area" to hit the ball to. and that actually for me makes it easier to hit a pass.

dont think you have to get it to him pin point accuracy, think of getting the ball into a certain area with good accuracy and good precision.

thing is its not just about aim, you got to also have the right amount of power and height on the balls.

and i guess a good way to learn this is by watching football as well.

Thanks for the tips, I mean I will generally build up my stamina by doing 5-a-side, although it is a mens league and as a 15 year old I get fouled alot by the other players for being aggresive, which is needed. But as I do footballl and Rugby training as well as going to the gym the strength part will improve. Another thing I am lacking as a defender is experience. As kids we all sought to be strikers and score the goals learning the intelligence of a striker. but with this sudden change I am left a bit flat footed at times because of my lack of defensive knowlage. Will watching the defense more closely in games sort this problem out (as well as playing defensive when playing football)? Also what position do you play usually?

i usually play as an attacking midfielder or a second striker of a sort.

im not a player who can play upfront alone. i depend on my team a lot. =P


thing is, your defensive play can be improved by positioning! that is something you will gain over the years.

but if you watch football then you will learn how you will need to position yourself etc. that helps a lot on the pitch.

Yea when I went to this footie thing in Ibiza the people running it said positioning, is my best attribute. Thing is that was attacking now I have to learn defensive positioning, thanks for the tips anyway mate. Hows finding a new club going?

im back with old team for now, i was on trial with 1-2 other teams, but they were shit teams. bad organisation and no discipline etc.

you have to get to know your other defenders very well. to be able to understand what he weill do in certain situations. so you can cover for him, or have confidence that they will cover for you.

communication is also key, always talk or shout "lol" to your teammates, but listen aswell, especially to the gk, he has a better view of what is going on, on the whole, so he can tell you things that you don't notice E.g. players runs.

timing is absolutely critical, if you close down to early or too late you leave spaces that can be left open. especially if at full back, as you have 2 players to mark most times, the winger and full back, go to one early and the other one go's forward.

positioning is also critical, you have to be able to place yourself so you can move to any danger very quickly, and not be left flat footed by a quick sprint, watch for feints here aswell as some will fake a run, pull you out of position so others can run. always keep a straight line in defence, it very underated by many and it is the number 1 thing you must remember, don't play others onside. also marking with this, not too close not too far away, if you get it wrong you will be beat.

never pass back into the box if there are strikers nearby. IF IN DOUBT, KICK IT OUT!
as a defender fancy passes aren't needed let the midfielders do that, just short simple passes to the midfielders will work.

keep it simple, don't try skill, if it doesn't work its a goal.