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.

The fundamentals:
Something most coaches know—but few actually teach well.

And that’s why players look sharp in drills… but lost in games. 🧵
#SundayShare @SundayShare10 2.
In football, the fundamentals are simple:

⚽ Technique → clean execution
🧠 Decision-making → choosing the right option
🎯 Tactics → playing together as a team

Everything else builds on top.
Ignore them—and nothing sticks.

Football is a game of mistakes.
You can’t fix everything.

Pick your battles.

Solve the ones that impact the game—not just the ones that frustrate you. 🧵 2.
Every match is full of errors:

⚽ Bad touches
⚽ Poor passes
⚽ Missed tackles
⚽ Wrong decisions

If you try to “fix it all,” you’ll drown your players in feedback—and miss what matters most.

How Liverpool plays should have ZERO impact on what you teach U9–U13 players.

They aren’t learning a system.

They’re learning how football works. 🧵 2.
At youth level, the priority isn’t tactical systems.

It’s teaching players how to:
⚽ Master the ball
⚽ Solve problems in small situations (1v1, 2v2, 3v3)
⚽ Make decisions under pressure

That’s what actually transfers later.

If your players look confused after your explanation—
the problem isn’t them.

It’s you.

Coaching isn’t about sounding smart.
It’s about making things clear. 🧵 2.
Too many coaches think:
“If I use complex terms, players will respect me more.”

Wrong.

Players don’t need a lecture.
They need clarity.
They need to know what to do right now.

Game day pre-talks are often done wrong.
Too long. Too complex. Too much teaching.

Players switch off.
Message is lost.

Here’s what a pre-talk should be about 🧵 2.
Pre-talks are not for learning.
You can’t teach new tactics 30 minutes before kickoff.
The players’ minds are already on the game.

If you overload them—they forget everything.

Most coaches drown in information.
New drills. New tactics. New trends.
It feels endless.

But real progress comes from micro mastery:
Pick 1 thing.
Dig deep for 3–4 weeks.
Apply it. Reflect. Master it. 🧵 2.
Coaching is complex.
Technique, tactics, principles, psychology, fitness… it’s a lot.

If you try to learn everything at once, you improve nothing.
You spread yourself too thin.

“My players lack confidence.”
“They’re not sharp.”

I hear this a lot.

But these are abstract statements.
They don’t help you coach.

Here’s how to turn that into real, actionable development 🧵 2.
Proper development always needs 4 things:

✅ Valid environment
✅ Repetition
✅ Feedback
✅ Deliberate practice

If one of these is missing, progress slows—no matter how talented the player is.

U6–U9 is the age to master the ball.

But here’s the big debate:
❌ More isolated reps?
❌ Or only “game-like” drills?

The truth?

You need both. 🧵 2.
Why isolated reps matter ⬇️

At this age, players are still wiring coordination between feet, eyes, and ball.

Extra touches—juggling, dribbling patterns, wall passes—help build that foundation.

Without it, technique breaks down later.

Yes — U6–U9 is the golden age for dribbling and ball mastery.

But here’s why you still want to coach Off-the-Ball Movement at this age 🧵 2.
At this age, kids love the ball.
And they should.

We don’t want pass-first players.
We want confident dribblers.

But the game doesn’t stop when you don’t have the ball.

By U14, the game shifts.

Players must start applying principles inside team tactics — and prepare for the adult game.

It’s no longer just about mastering the ball.

Now it’s about competing together. 🧵 2.
Why?

Because this is the stage where football becomes more structured.

Players still develop individually — but now they must:
✅ Learn team tactics
✅ Contribute to collective competition
✅ Prepare for the physical, mental, and tactical demands of the adult game