Motor Learning and Skill Development

   The rate of motor learning and skill development is highest from birth to the age of eleven or twelve. Therefore this stage of a footballer's development is absolutely vital and should be well rounded and not just limited to football. This may be the reason why girls don't look as fluent, simply because they often start later and don't do the movements when younger, as much as boys do in team sports.

   It has been suggested that there are three stages of motor learning/skill development:

> Cognitive - Forming a mental understanding ('picture') of the different parts of the skill (body movement, cues, WHAT to do).

> Associative - The athlete now knows what to do so that the skill can be practised and perfected until the athlete can do it with ease and grace.

> Autonomous - The skill itself requires very little thought so the athlete can focus on other aspects of the game situation.

   As different players develop at different rates, their football behaviour will become autonomous at varying ages. The earlier they reach  this stage in one area, the quicker they can go on to mastering another, although a large part of this process will be simultaneous. 

   When people refer to the best players in the world, it is often to those with great cognitive processes, poise, balance, control and brilliant technique, performed with ease and grace. The technique does not require thought as it has become autonomous, leaving the player to focus his/her thinking on the tactical situations within the game.

   Decision making and anticipation are two of the most important things in sports  performance. But if a player does not develop the technique and skill to execute what he/she has decided to do, they will not be very effective.

   We must allow technique and skill to develop! As technique/skill is practiced, players will have to make decisions. 'Mistakes', or rather ATTEMPTS, made during this process will help them learn WHAT to do and WHEN to do it. They will also understand WHY they did what they did. All of these answers can be enhanced with good questioning from the coach (see my previous blog 'Ask Questions or Give Answers')

   There are times when it is necessary to clear the ball from a dangerous situation. However, on many occasions technique and skill can be used to make a better decision and keep the ball, or constitute better use of it; but only if they have learned how to do this by understanding the how, what, when and why.    

So don't stop them before they have even tried!

   Young players need as much contact time with the ball as possible, which is what the new regulations from the FA intend to provide. Small sided games increase the amount of touches each player has and the number of decisions they have to make. This increases the number of chances they have to practice technique and skill within a game.

   I won't name individuals, but think of the greatest players; be it the sensational decision makers, tactical masters or the great dribblers we all admire. The best players WANT the ball as much as possible. 

   Give young players the chance to emulate them by letting them have as much contact time with the ball as possible. Technical  and skill practices are important, as introductions in the 'cognitive' stage and for these to be effective the players must all have as many chances as possible to learn and explore (NO LINE DRILLS PLEASE!!!).

   Most importantly they then need to know how to use what they know in the context of a game so that they can be most effective. For young players deliberate play is far more important than deliberate practice. Do you want your players to be brilliant at performing in a set drill or in a game which is random and ever-changing?

The most efficient way we can give players the best of both worlds is by playing small sided games.

References

FITTS, P.M. and POSNER, M.I. (1967) Human performance. Oxford, England: Brooks and Cole

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/tech.htm

http://www.pgpedia.com/f/fundamental-movement-phase

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/resources/documents/footballdevelopment/PracticeZone/SoccerSevensResource/Small-SidedGamesStudy1.pdf

"We are breeding a number of teams who's outlook seems to be 

that pace, punch and fitness are all that is required 

to win the honours in the game. They forget that, without pure skills,

these virtues count for precisely nothing." - Sir Matt Busby

"A great pianist doesn't run around the piano or do push ups with the 

tops of his fingers. To be great, he plays the piano. He plays all his life, 

and being a footballer is not about running, push ups or physical work generally. 

The best way to be a great footballer is to play." - Jose Mourinho

North American Sports Culture

I feel North American sports have a far better culture than we do in the UK. There's a good natured feel around sports, the clubs are respected as organisations and have such a togetherness with players and fans.

The projects to give something back to the community are carried out by clubs and players as a fundamental duty and service. Then there's the college system of a good education being a prerequisite to being able to play a high level of sport for most athletes. Something that is unfortunately sacrificed in the UK too often.

This collective spirit was clear to see from the celebrations in the NBA finals as Miami Heat won the championship at home. All the fans were given a white top to wear at the game to match the home colours, although many came wearing their own. Members of the board and leaders of the organisation were the first to accept the trophy and thank the team, staff and fans.

In the UK the team captain and team mates accept the trophy before the manager gets anywhere near it and those that keep the club ticking over are rarely seen as 'one of the team'. Therefore rather than empowerment towards a shared goal from top to bottom, the term 'player power' comes to the fore too often.

On the morning of Saturday 30th June I was rudely awoken at about 5am and could not go back to sleep. So I put the TV on and a Canadian Football League game was on, BC Lions vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers (American Football).

During the 4th quarter 'Geroy Simon' broke the record for receiving yardage, not touch downs or assists; but the total number of yards, of passes he caught (for a touchdown) in his career.

The game was stopped there and then with 10.03 mins left in the 4th quarter to celebrate the achievement, as Simon was congratulated by all players and fans. He was presented with a framed picture/certificate, the club owner made a speech, followed by the manager and finally the player; after which the game resumed.

Of course in British football we don't want the game to stop for something like this for a number of adequate reasons. But I wrote this piece to highlight the togetherness from top to bottom of sporting 'organisations' from across the pond. The owners are very much involved and part of the team, everyone is recognised and what people do is appreciated by all others.

I'm sure good and bad examples can be found on both sides. However the general philosophy, culture and respect appears to be much better aligned and mutual in North America. Where as in the UK the owners, managers, players and fans all seem to struggle with each other for the most part; and in the end the players take the lions share of the glory (unless you're name is John Terry - then you take all the credit).

EPL Earth Flight | Swansea vs Norwich

Sitting pretty in the top half of the table, the two promoted sides are having an excellent debut season in the Premier League. Swansea had played well in the away fixture but could not recover from a Norwich goal blitz at the start of the game. In that game they had 60.2% possession, where as here at home they were only afforded 55.3% of the ball.

Setting The Scene

Once again Norwich got into the game quickly, high pressure from the start meant that swansea found it difficult to dictate the tempo. I felt the general pace of the game was higher than that at which Swansea usually play. The flow of the game was disjointed for large periods, mainly due to the tenacity of the Norwich players. When either team did manage to get a hold of the ball, quick, free flowing, open football seemed to be the order of the day; a typically English fixture.
Danny Graham’s form in front of goal continued as he scored a fantastic goal to take his tally to 9 For the season. The ball was crossed in, Graham controlled it and finished expertly into the top corner.  Incidentally that was Graham’s first finish into the top half of the goal this season (Graham goal placement image below).

In the 40th minute Ward made a last ditch clearance, taking the ball off Graham’s toes as he lined up to tap into an open net. Swansea learned to cope with Norwich’s style of play and finished the half as the stronger team. The odds for a Norwich win were around 12/1 at half time, with Swansea odds on at 1/5.

Canaries Flying Above Swans

Norwich stormed out of the blocks in the second half as Swansea failed to capitalise on their lead. Holt restored parity within 2 minutes of the restart. Having saved a goal just before half time, Ward saved the ball from going out of play and lobbed it back into the box for Holt to head it home. Four minutes later Pilkington’s strike deflected off Taylor and put Norwich ahead as the Swans couldn’t get back into their rhythm. This was like the beginning of the reverse fixture.
Swansea went hunting for an equaliser and were hit on the counter with Bennet feeding in holt who rifled his shot under Vorm. Even after that goal swansea couldn’t really get a hold of the ball and control the game.
The penetration for Swansea came from an unexpected source in Caulker, he strode out of defence and won a free kick 25 yards out. Sigurdsson’s attempt was heading for the top corner but Ruddy palmed it away for a corner. Williams was fouled in the box by Holt as the corner came in, and Graham calmly slotted the ball home from the penalty spot in the 87th minute.
In injury time Swansea had a string of chances; Sigurdsson received the ball in the right hand side of the box and passed it into Graham’s who steered the ball wide of the left upright. Caulker’s bullet header was saved and many penalty area scrambles did not amount to a clear chance.

Venomous Movement

Norwich were able to hit Swansea on the counter with their expansive style, often attacking with free flowing football. Physically Norwich looked like they were the better team, and were able to attack Swansea with a venom that the home side lacked. The pace, flow and movement in the final third from Norwich was excellent. They were able to attack before Swansea got organised and they kept the defending players out of position by exploiting the space that had been created.

Home Entertainment

However, it is worth mentioning that Swansea played a more expansive game than they normally do. Not often will they score two goals and yet concede three at home. The full backs and defensive midfielders were very much involved going forward. This allowed Norwich the space to counter attack, and they did it with great efficiency. Being at home Swansea must have felt the need to attack their rivals and please the fans. Had this been any other top ten side I am not sure this would be the case. Both teams provided brilliant entertainment and credit must go to Norwich for a very good win.

(stats via www.eplindex.com)

WBA vs Swansea Stats | Sig-nificant Victory

Roy Hodgson has got West Bromich Albion playing some good football but they're also battling to stay in the league, so this was a tricky tie. However, for the first time in many games there was an expectancy for Swansea to take all three points.

Cold As Ice


With arctic conditions hitting the midlands, the weather could have hindered Swansea's style of play. But the game plan did not change and the team was functioning as per usual. Sigurdsson had the first decent chance of the game from a corner, but his volley was blocked as was Rangel's follow up strike. Swansea created most of the better chances, but West Brom could have been ahead at half time if Sigurdsson had not been there to header Olsson's attempt off the line. Vorm also made a very good reflex save from another close range Olsson strike to keep the scores level into half time. Swansea kept an amazing 73.5% of the possession in the first half. They play in this manner every week, but statistics like these never fail to amaze me.

Scorching Second


The second half was set ablaze for a short period like a rocket launch, with after burners keeping the match going until the end. WBA took the lead in the 54th minute, as Fortune drove the ball back across Vorm after a corner from the left.
The Swans hit back almost immediately, slicing through the snow and the WBA defence. Sinclair played a through ball into the box up the inside left channel for the overlapping Taylor; who played a perfectly weighted pass to the edge of the six yard box. Sigurdsson made a late driving run, opened up his body and stroked the ball into the goal.
Swansea took the lead five minutes after Fortune had scored, with a fantastic team goal. BBC's Match of The Day programme broke it down and showed in full the 19 passes that lead to the shot. Sigurdsson's right side cross from the corner of the box was met by Graham. Graham made a great little movement away then towards the front post across the defender and slid in to tuck away the winning goal.

Swansea's Second Goal (Excuse the quality)

Hitting The Target
Swansea continued to pose a threat and Graham created a great chance for Dyer, but the shot was deflected past the upright. Dyer then failed to connect with a lovely throught ball from Rangel, with Foster making a half clearance. The ball dropped to Sigurdsson who's volley was blocked. Sandwiched between the Swansea chances was a guilt-edged chance that Odemwingie hit over the bar from six yards.  West Brom were pushing for the equaliser towards the end of the game and Fortune's shot crept under Vorm but he somehow squeezed it wide of the post.

WBA vs Swansea

Surprisingly Swansea only actually hit the target twice. Although a lot of the shots that were going towards goal did get blocked. Upon reflection, West Brom did have enough good opportunities to earn a draw or even win. But in terms of how the game went overall, even Roy Hodgson admitted to Swansea being the better side.

To The Right, To The Right

WBA vs Swansea

Both teams played more passes to the right than the left, with Swansea having a much higher percentage going backwards and to the right.

West Brom still managed more final third entries, and a much higher percentage in attacking half passes. While Swansea had a higher percentage of defensive half passes.
Swansea favoured the right wing, while WBA seemed to favour the left in equal measure.

Swansea Season Stats

Some interesting stats too keep an eye on there I think. Swansea play significantly more passes to the right than to the left. I will let the reader think of any possible reasons/tactics as to why this may be.

(All stats from opta and www.eplindex.com)

Ask Questions or Give Answers?

The basics and fundamentals need to be coached, taught and demonstrated. But building upon those basic elements, we are able to produce complex answers. For example, you teach a child to count and then how to add numbers. The concept of numbers and addition is taught, so that the child understands how 1+1 = 2 and how 2+3 = 5. Eventually you will not need to teach the child that 5+5 = 10 because they will have found a way to figure it out.

If you tell the child to learn that 5+5 = 10, they will learn it. But they will not know why, if they do not understand the concept of addition. You could just as easily tell them to learn 5+5 = 15.

In school did your teachers ask you questions, did you practice past papers; or were you just given all the answers?

You know the answer to the question above, without me having to tell you. Now I want football coaches to focus on that question and think about what they are doing when they coach. Do you tell your players what to do all the time? Is that a good way for them to learn? Do they understand why they did something, or was it just because they were told to do it?

Check Understanding

Even when praising something a player does that was positive, ask questions first to check their understanding, and then praise their understanding - not the singular event. This shows they have attained the necessary knowledge and that the player is developing his/her game sense.

Be careful to praise hard work more than intelligence/talent as this will help condition players towards working hard/taking risks and not being lazy in thinking they have a superior ability and therefore do not need to try as hard.

Recommended reading: The Talent Code (Daniel Coyle), Mindset (Carol Dweck) and Developing Decision Makers (Lynn Kidman).

Let Them Play

Children enjoy trying to figure out how things work: how to open things, how to turn the TV on and change it to their favourite channel, how to open the door, how to a score a goal they saw on TV or how to play a new computer game, these are just a few common examples. 

If you keep unlocking the door for children, they may never learn to unlock it themselves! 

Children can end up taking some things for granted and feel no need to learn how to do them. Therefore they do not develop the problem solving abilities required to find solutions. In football there is always a problem, a solution to be found and a decision to be made, finding the correct solution BY THEMSELVES is key to the child’s development and understanding.

The Swans Drop Two Points

Chelsea travelled to the Liberty Stadium with both teams in a good run of form, results wise. However Chelsea had not looked convincing of late, while Swansea were going from strength to strength in the league, especially at home.

Chelsea took kick off and lost the ball soon after. Swansea had 88% possession in the first four minutes, which dropped to 78% after 11 minutes. Swansea looked in control as they usually do at home.

In the seventh minute Swansea were awarded a free kick on the right wing and Sigurdsson delivered a dangerous ball into the box. Caulker was first to the ball but his header was blocked instantly, the ball fell to Graham seven yards out. He needed a touch to bring it down, which allowed Ivanovic to get a foot in and Graham’s follow through shot went wide.

Swansea had a golden chance to take the lead when Rangel over-hit a pass intended for Graham. Cech spilled the ball and went to ground outside the box, while Sigurdsson waltzed around him, and saw his shot blocked on the six yard line. The ball fell to Graham who went across goal with his left foot from 12 yards out. The ball was blocked on the line, but Graham had so much time to shift the ball onto his right foot and maybe he should have done better. Allen then followed up from 25 yards but Cech recovered to save with his legs. A ten second spell saw three swans trying their luck but failing to find a way through the Chelsea ranks.

Swansea broke the deadlock with Sinclair scoring in the 37th minute, against his former club. Chelsea failed to clear another great set piece delivery from Sigurdsson. Sinclair kept his eye on the bouncing ball and sent a curling left footed volley into Cech’s top right hand corner from 17 yards out. The game did not ignite straight away in the second half, with Swansea taking the sting out of the game and slowing the pace down.

However, by the 80th minute Chelsea had become completely dominant although Swansea managed to keep them at a comfortable distance and see out the last ten minutes.
Maybe a wave of expectancy went over the Swansea team as two minutes of injury time had gone by without any real threat. But then with 92.25 minutes played, Bosingwa cut in from the right wing with no one closing him down, and was allowed to cross the ball. Of the 43 crosses Chelsea put in, this one took the cruelest deflection off Taylor and spun past a diving Vorm.

In the end Swansea had conceded too much possession, ending the game with 46.2%, and failing to get a hold of the ball after Chelsea had Cole sent off in the 85th minute. Chelsea managed to attempt and complete more passes than Swansea, with better accuracy – a rare occurrence (413/491 vs 360/443).

Chelsea created many chances throughout the game with the better ones falling to an eager looking Sturridge. But they could not find the net, and Torres looked as though he had completely lost his strikers instinct.

It can not be denied that Chelsea deserved a draw over the 95 minutes and before the game Swansea would have taken a point. But to draw in that manner after being ahead for so long would have felt like a defeat for Swansea.

Never-the-less Swansea can once again take many positives from the game and then look at what they need to do better, so that they can convert positives into wins.

(Stats via opta and www.eplindex.com)

Respected But Beaten

Swansea City faced a well organised Sunderland side with a new lease of life. They had only lost one game in the last five and beaten league leaders Manchester City in that time. Sunderland were also unbeaten at home under Martin O’neill, and with Swansea’s poor away form this was going to be a tough ask.

The Most Important Statistic

Statistically this was an incredible game. Swansea completed a staggering 592 out of 676 passes, while Sunderland completed a meagre 202 out of 287. Swansea took 16 shots while Sunderland had 15, from which both sides had 6 shots blocked. Swansea ended the game with 69.1% possession, seemingly a dominant performance.

However, statistics do not tell the whole story of this game and it was Sunderland that created the clearer chances. Sunderland began on the front foot, pinning Swansea back and making them work hard just to keep the ball, while doing well to close the angles for passes through to the wings or directly into Graham’s feet.

Sunderland were well organised, worked hard, tactically they seemed to have identified Swansea’s main threats, and tried to shut them out of the game. It took a good ten minutes before Swansea resembled the team that everyone had been lauding for the last week. They eased themselves into the game after another slow start and Sigurdsson put Dyer through on the right hand edge of Sunderland’s box. Dyer delivered a low fizzing cross which managed to find its way through to Sinclair at the back post. Somehow what seemed to be a simple tap in was sent way over the bar from the corner of the six yard box. A minute later Sunderland sliced through the Swansea defence with Sessegnon playing a one two with McClean, before caressing the ball into Vorm’s top left hand corner from a tight angle. Fourteen minutes into the game and Sunderland had the upper hand.

The half was played out with Swansea banging on the door, but left out in the cold by an unwelcoming and stubborn Sunderland team. The Swans had an astounding 73.2% of the ball by the end of the first half. But lacked the most important statistic of them all – goals.

Fresh Out Of Ideas 

Things did not improve in the second half for Swansea with inceptions of creativity difficult to manufacture and that is all it took for Sunderland to double their lead. No sooner had the thought occurred to Gardner that a 25 yard volley was looping on the diagonal over a dumbfounded Michael Vorm.

Bardsley was brilliant in keeping out Sinclair who maybe didn’t attack him enough, and then keeping Routledge at bay. Sunderland’s wide midfield players were quick to double up on the likes of Sinclair and Dyer, with the centre mids offering protection to the centre backs. This was highlighted by the fact that Graham was only able to complete 11 out of a total of 15 passes he attempted in this game. McEachran joined Swansea on loan from Chelsea this week, he was brought on to help change the game, but could not make his mark on the game. Although 24/25 passes on your away debut isn’t a bad start when looking to play regularly with the Swans.

Respect 

This was an exceptional, tactically astute, performance by Sunderland and more teams will look to emulate this against Swansea in the future. Sunderland gave Swansea the respect they had earned from their previous games. They remained compact in defence, recovering quickly and mainly looked to play on the counter attack.

So I would not be surprised if Rodgers watches this game a fair few times. Also I expect the whole backroom staff will enjoy analysing the game and making comparisons with previous examples. In order to find ways of improving further, and breaking down teams that set up to defend deep against a very good passing side.