The Art of Dribbling

[donadoni]

The key to breaking down defences is variety. Even Spain’s tiki taka was mastered in the end. One time you pass, another time you dribble, another time you cross. Keep opponents guessing. The modern game is so predictable and one dimensional. Each team is trying to force maybe one mistake and win 1-0. If you concede its a huge problem as you may not have the creativity to come back. Players like Neymar are worshipped, and of course he is good, but it’s because so few players are creative now that clubs are paying $200m for a Neymar. Every team should aspire to have a few creative attacking and attacking midfield players who can also be disciplined as needed

[cchinukw]

In order to build up future generations of footballers, we need to pay just as much attention to the academic and mental development of our youth. From an early age, we need to start schooling our young footballers in other aspects of football eg. space awareness, the rules, shooting as well as to be spatially aware.

This is an excerpt from a recent blog about the developments in the Swedish game:

"A quiet revolution is taking place in Sweden. The Swedish FA has reformed child and youth coach education. They have translated both national and international evidence based findings into guidelines for coaches and coach educators. The emphasis is on the young person, their perspective, their learning, development and needs. A common problem when presenting evidence based material is that the academic language is not appropriate for the dissemination of information. The language used in the new coach education curriculum ensures that the content is accessible for coaches, parents and coach educators.

Children and young people who devote themselves heart and soul to football deserves responsible and knowledgeable leaders- We have high goals. A children’s rights perspective and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child are the basis for the wording in our curriculum” Urban Hammar (Swedish FA Head of Coach Education)"

https://footblogball.wordpress.com/2016 ... exclusion/

Youth football development is now going beyond merely kicking a ball about. It is also about mental development.

The gap in the football of centres of footballing excellence like Brazil, Uruguay and rising world powers in the game like England, Iceland and Sweden is commitment to the best of their talent. They don't just let them wing it on their own but provide the support and tools to help them advance in the game.

In the UK there are a multiplicity of channels for practising and making it in the game. By the time a kid is 17, they are pretty much ready to be signed up professionally by any of the elite clubs.

[2drama]

Like any sports there is no one way or style of playing

its good to learn the fundamentals

However the best athletics always add their own individuality to it.

In football the greats

Pele
Maradona
Zidane

were masters of this art of being able to take on defenders and create opportunities with the art of dribbling

Heck even CR9 and Messi do this effectively

So this sideways this and that is all fundamental. Just like shielding the ball in basketball vs an effective crossover to lose the defender