Should you build your playing style around your game model

or around your players’ qualities?

The real answer:

You need both. 🧵 2.
If you only follow your game model, you risk this:

→ players forced into roles they can’t execute
→ patterns that look good on paper
→ frustration when the team can’t play “your way”

A great idea with the wrong players
is still the wrong idea.

There are only 3 ways coaches grow —

and each one strengthens your coaching in a different way.

Study. Do. Model. 🧵 2.
1⃣ Study

Study gives you clarity.

It helps you understand the game at a deeper level:
principles, structures, ideas, patterns, solutions.

Books
Courses
Match analysis
Conversations with other coaches
Mentors

Study shapes your thinking
so your coaching has intention.

How to push players to the next level —

without changing the entire drill.

Use progressions. One setup, multiple challenges. 🧵 2.
Most coaches switch drills when players get comfortable.

Better option: keep the drill — raise the demand.

That’s how you build mastery, not just variety.

Most coaches start with a drill.

The best ones start with a problem.

Here’s a simple 5-step framework (the 5 W’s) you can use to design drills that actually fit your team. 🧵 2.
1️⃣ What goes wrong?

What’s the real problem you’re trying to fix?

❌ “We lose the ball under pressure.”
❌ “Players don’t support the pass.”

Until you name the problem clearly,
you can’t design a drill that solves it.

⚽️ Most possession games look good on paper…

but don’t transfer to matches.

Here’s how to fix that. 👇 2.
🎥 In this video, I share 3 variations on a 6v6 possession game:

1️⃣ Dribbling Game – focuses on carrying under pressure
2️⃣ Passing Game – encourages deeper passes and forward options
3️⃣ Wide Players Game – adds width, making it closer to real match situations

Here are 9 core principles you can use to build brave, fast, and competitive players. 🧵

#SundayShare @SundayShare10 2.
Principle 1: Forward Mentality

Everything starts with intent.
Players must think forward — in movement, passing, and decision-making.

Train them to look up early, break lines fast, and always ask:
“Can I play forward?”

That’s how attacking football starts.

Are you building isolated technique —

or skills that actually work in the game? 🧵 2.
From U6–U9, ball mastery is the #1 priority.

We want players to fall in love with the ball —
to feel it, control it, and move confidently with it.

At this age, every touch shapes their future habits.

U9–U13 is the golden age for teaching principles. 🧵 2.
It’s not just about technique anymore —
and it’s not yet about structured tactics.

This is the age where players learn how to solve the game,
not just play it.

Eventually, the only thing you want is more speed. 🧵 2.
At first, you coach players what to do.
How to pass, how to dribble, how to defend, how to press.

Then they start to understand it.
And you realise — the next step isn’t new information.
It’s doing the same things, faster.

Here’s the only game model you’ll ever need. 🧵 2.
Attack fast.

Don’t wait for perfect.
Speed of thought beats structure — hesitation kills rhythm.
Play forward early, then adjust.

The most misunderstood fundamental in football:

Look forward first. 🧵 2.
Most players are taught to control, protect, and keep the ball.
Few are taught to look forward first.

And when they don’t look forward,
they don’t see forward.
Opportunities disappear before they even notice them.

Players aren’t scared of making mistakes.

They’re scared of how the coach will react to them.

That’s why bravery on the ball disappears — not because players don’t have it, but because we teach them to avoid risk. 🧵 2.
Every coach says they want brave players.

But watch the sidelines and you’ll see the opposite:

“Don’t lose it there!”
“Just play it safe!”
“Why would you try that!?”
“Not now!”

And just like that, the message becomes clear:

Play safe > Play brave.

Most young players don’t move enough when they don’t have the ball.

And it’s not their fault. 🧵 2.
In most youth games, you see this:

1 player has the ball.
Everyone else watches.
Movement only happens after the moment is gone.

That’s not a “player problem.”
That’s a training problem.

A position-specific drill I use to train fast transitions and punish defenders before they recover. ⚽️

Half pitch. Two sides. Fixed positions. Finish before the numbers are even. 🧵
@TacticalPad @CoachingFamily @SessionShareNet @ExchangeCoaches @BreakthruSoccer @power_ray @PeterPrickett @RJPcoach @Leecosgrove10 @205_Academy @JustcoachMD 2.
Setup — Right Side

📍 Area: Half pitch
🥅 Goal: 1 big goal (used every rep)

🔵 Attackers (right side):
#9 striker — ~25m from goal
#7 winger — ~35m from goal
#8 midfielder — ~50m from goal

⚫ Defenders:
#4 LCB — ~20m from goal
#5 LB — ~50m from goal (recovery runner)

Coach plays to any of the 3 attackers to start.

Most coaches obsess over tactics and formations.

But winning or losing often comes down to one second —

the first second after possession changes. 🧵 2.
That moment has nothing to do with tactics.
It’s about how players react when chaos hits.

Lose the ball — do they sprint, scan, press, recover?
Win it — do they play forward or freeze?

That single second reveals your team’s mentality.

Players don’t grow by playing easy games.

They grow by playing matches that test their intensity — physically, technically, and mentally. 🧵 2.
Too many youth players spend years playing slow, safe football.

They win games — but never stretch their limits.

Then they reach higher levels…

…and realise they can’t handle the tempo.

If you sugarcoat every piece of feedback,
you slow down development.

Honest ≠ rude.

Here’s how to give clear feedback without breaking trust. 🧵 2.
Many coaches hold back.
They fear hurting confidence.
So they soften or avoid tough feedback.
Result? Players repeat the same mistakes.

One of my favorite finishing drills: 3v2 + recovery runner.

Simple setup. Game-realistic actions. Lots of goals and transitions. 🧵 2.
Setup

#6 starts at the halfway line → plays to #8.
#8, #9, #10 attack vs #3 & #4 + GK #1.
Recovery runner #2 chases #8 from the sideline.

If the attack is too slow, it becomes 3v3.

Are you preparing players for the future—
or just trying to win today?

What works at U12 or U14 won’t work at U18 or pro level.
That’s why I coach through 9 clear principles. 🧵
#SundayShare @SundayShare10 2.
Short-term wins often come from shortcuts:

⚡ Relying on one fast player
💪 Outmuscling opponents
🔁 Spamming the same pattern

It works in today’s league.
But it doesn’t prepare players for the next one.

Coaching is tough.
One bad result—and suddenly everyone knows better than you.

Block out the noise. Take feedback from those who’ve faced the same challenges. 🧵 2.
Parents, fans, even players will always have opinions.
That’s part of the job.

But if you chase every outside voice, you’ll lose clarity.

Saying “everyone has a chance” means nothing…

…if your subs only play 10 minutes.

A real chance = meaningful minutes in important moments.

Especially at U6–U11. 🧵 2.
At these ages, development > results.

If players sit most of the match, they’re not learning.

You don’t build brave, fast, competitive players by keeping them on the bench.