Defenders

in attack…

If you have time and space, drive with the ball!

And if you can’t drive with the ball, speed up the game and get the other centre-back free to drive!

You can drive with the ball in the opposition half – and keep looking for those killer passes into the pockets!

You can even give & go with a teammate to get into a more advanced position.

Remember, always look to ‘speed up’ the game so we can play around, through or over.

As the ball reaches Block A, you should be thinking about how can we position to be ready to counterpress aggressively – so if we lose the ball, we can win it back straightaway.

You should still stay in a position where you can receive the ball, keep it moving and speed up the game.

Watch the aerial view here to see how high & aggressive the Manchester City centre-backs are without the ball.

Even our Mens First Grade show us how to bring this to life!

in defence…

When defending, the same principles apply. Stay high, squeeze the pitch and defend aggressively!

This includes attacking any long passes the opposition may play over – be brave and dominate the first ball!

In Block B & C, keep squeezing the pitch and being ready to jump in front of strikers.

Watch the centre-backs carefully in this clip, and see how they always protect the middle of the pitch.

Even if our press is beaten, stay central and protect the middle…

…especially if we are in Block D, where your main priority is to stay central and protect the goal.

Be sure to do everything you can to protect the goal…

…because the mentality always is to never take a backwards step!