| Are you limiting your team's goal scoring opportunities | | | | one or two designated wingers in this formation, and |
| by the way you have them playing the game? I was | | | | a central striker. Again I like to encourage my strikers |
| looking at the English Premier League goal scoring | | | | to rotate their field position so as to keep the |
| results for last weekend and about 50 percent of the | | | | defence guessing. It will take your strikers some time |
| goals that were scored were scored from a central | | | | to become comfortable with this, but I definitely |
| position and the other 50 percent were initiated from | | | | have found it worth the effort as more goal scoring |
| a wide position. There were a handful scored from | | | | opportunities will result. |
| corners and penalties, but I will leave that for another | | | | Attacking centrally requires that your strikers have |
| article. So what is your attacking strategy, and are | | | | good ball skills, the ability to deliver a first time shot, |
| you limiting your opportunities by only attacking | | | | and the ability to turn on the ball and shoot. The skills |
| through one area of the field? | | | | should be practiced regularly at training. Attacking |
| Team formation has a big bearing on how you tend | | | | from a wide position will require that your strikers are |
| to attack. A 4 4 2 formation with two central | | | | confident in the air, and that they can strike a ball |
| attackers will promote attack through the middle of | | | | that is coming across their body. Strikers should be |
| the field. Few goals will result from wide positions as | | | | able to strike the ball with their weaker foot, almost |
| the midfield will try to present the ball to the two | | | | as well as they can with their stronger foot to give |
| forwards that are positioned centrally. One of the | | | | them maximum goal scoring potential. |
| strategies that I teach young players to counter this | | | | As a coach I look at my team during the season to |
| is to use midfielders or defenders that overlap to | | | | see where the goal scoring opportunities are coming |
| produce extra width in attack. It is essential that | | | | from. Attacking with width will generally require more |
| these players have sufficient mobility and fitness to | | | | mobility and fitness of your players. You must |
| recover their positions quickly if the attack breaks | | | | encourage them at training to recover their position |
| down. | | | | quickly when the ball is lost in attack. I have always |
| In a 4 4 2 formation I also like to encourage my | | | | found that players move forward more quickly than |
| strikers to move out wide to change the focus of | | | | they move backwards. So, the danger in moving too |
| the attack, and to rotate their positions. It becomes | | | | many players forward in attack is that you may be |
| much easier for the defenders if your strikers | | | | exposed in defence when an attack breaks down. |
| maintain the same position throughout the entire | | | | This skill must be practiced at training to ensure that |
| match. Defenders are much more uncomfortable if | | | | players recover their position quickly during a game. |
| they are never quite sure where their striker is. In a | | | | In order to maximise your goal scoring opportunities |
| game situation if one of my strikers breaks down the | | | | you must teach your team to attack from more |
| right side of the field I encourage the other striker to | | | | than one area of the field. Using drills to teach them |
| attack the near post when the cross comes in, and I | | | | to attack both centrally and with width is critical to |
| then encourage the left midfielder and left central | | | | their success in scoring goals during games. Your |
| midfielder to attack the far post to give extra | | | | strikers must also be taught specific skills so that |
| scoring potential in the penalty area. The other | | | | they are able to capitalise on as many goal scoring |
| central midfielder should assume a position on the top | | | | opportunities as possible. Strikers must have a great |
| of the penalty area and the right midfielder should | | | | first touch, the ability to shoot first time, be strong |
| offer support behind the right striker. | | | | with either foot, and be confident in the air to name |
| If you adopt a 4 3 3 formation you already will have | | | | just a few. In this way you will maximise your goal |
| width in your attack. You may choose to play with | | | | scoring opportunities come game time. |