Attacking with Depth as a Team
It is stated that in most games the ball is out of play or at rest for around 30 minutes. In an even game each side has an average of 30 minutes ball possession. The rest of the time you are either trying to win the ball back from opponents or trying to support and retain possession of the ball to attack. The more we have the ball, the better chance we have of winning the game.
It is a fact that when attacking defenders will generally outnumber you. Players must appreciate it is a vital quality
to understand How, Where and When to support the man on the ball and the only two factors that matter all over the field are Angle and Distance.
With an increase in the pace of the game and the physical demands made on players, the ability of one team to control the ball becomes a major factor and can be looked at in different ways. With good possession we dictate how much running our team and individuals do.
Good possession means having players on our team to pass to. We always need:
1. A man behind the man on the ball.
2. A man "inside".
3. A man in front.
We have three passing options, which equal good possession of the ball. Angles of support vary according to the position of opponents; distances of support vary according to which third of the field we are in. In the back third we will need to be closer.
The man on the ball has two possibilities if he can play forward:
1. To a player's feet supporting in front of the ball or
2. Into space behind defenders.
Players, therefore, need to know when to go in advance of the ball when support is already there, or when the player with the ball can pass the ball forward.
Questions our team has to determine are, do we attack quickly on the break (counter attack) or build up more slowly and have a breather after being under pressure? In the latter case our strikers may have been worked very hard over a period of a few minutes, so we have to keep the ball to give them a breather. Players obviously must master the techniques fundamental to good possession football, namely passing techniques over long and short distances, an ability to swerve and chip the ball, correct weighting and timing of passes, one and two touch play. Good ball control, and the ability to see the pass and touch before the ball comes, to know how to create space as an individual and as a team.
To achieve good support to attack all over the field needs the combination of all the above mentioned techniques, good understanding of the principles of attack e.g.: width and mobility especially, and the greatest understanding of the angles and distances you must be from the ball in the relevant third of the field. The importance of these aspects cannot be overstated in the modern game, and if employed with flair and imagination, good supporting attacking play excites the whole crowd.
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