Attacking patterns against a deep block

This session helps to break down opponents who set up in a deep block against us. It’s always a challenge to break down opponents who set up like this and this session helps players understand how to succeed, giving them ideas, patterns and rotations that will enable them to get in behind or around the sides of the opposition.

This session plays an important part in building an understanding between players and improving their relationships on the pitch. The players enjoy these activities and when performed regularly we can see the timing of their movement, their rotations, their passing and their end product all improving.

We could run this session as least once a week, depending on how we anticipate our next opponents are going play against us. 

It’s a versatile session because it can be adapted for different shapes used either by our team or by the opposition.  

“This session plays an important part in building an understanding between players and improving their relationships on the pitch”

UNOPPOSED PRACTICE

We set up on two thirds of the pitch with a full size goal and goalkeeper at one end. Attacking zones are marked out on either side of the penalty area as shown, and these act as target areas to deliver a final pass or a cross from. Five vertical channels are marked out for the front three attackers and the two number 8s to fill, with one player in each channel. The attacking team is set up in a 4-3-3 shape. Ten mannequins are set up in the shape of the next opponents – in this instance in a 5-4-1 formation.

“The aim is to create overloads and penetrate around the side of the penalty area. Play then resets and a new pattern of play is run”

The ball starts with the left back and is passed across the back four. As the ball is travelling across the back line, the rotation begins. The right back becomes the wide player, the wide player drifts inside between the lines to find space, and the number 8 pulls wide to receive in the full back area and looks to play forward. The ball is worked to the wide player who has time to turn, then plays a through ball to the right back to deliver a cross or cut back from the attacking zone. The opposite wide player, opposite number 8 and the number 9 attack the box and look to finish with a shot on goal, as shown [1a]. 

[1a]

1. The ball starts with the left back and is passed across the back four 
2. As the ball is travelling across the back line, the rotation begins. The right back becomes the wide player, the wide player drifts inside between the lines to find space, and the number 8 pulls wide to receive in the full back area and looks to play forward
3. The ball is worked inside to the wide player who has time to turn, then plays a through ball to the right back to deliver a cross or cut back
4. The opposite wide player, opposite number 8 and the number 9 attack the box and look to finish with a shot on goal

The aim is to create overloads and penetrate around the side of the penalty area.

Play then resets and a new pattern of play is run, starting with a pass from the left full back who is slightly more advanced than in the previous pattern. The ball is passed along the back, but this time the right back receives more inside the pitch. The number 6 works hard to support and receive. We want to see if the players can create a triangle around the opposition left midfielder mannequin and the number 6 looks to play the ball wide to where the wide player has options - can the wide player turn and play forward to the number 8, who attacks the space or can he play a one-two with the number 8 and attack the space himself so one of them can deliver the final pass from the attacking zone? The opposite wide player, the opposite number 8 and the number 9 attack the box and look to finish with a shot at goal, as shown [1b].

[1b]

1. The ball starts with the left back, who is slightly more advanced than in the previous pattern. The ball is passed along the back, but this time the right back receives more inside the pitch
2. The number 6 works to support and receive. Can the players create a triangle around the opposition left midfielder? 
3. The number 6 passes wide to where the wide player has options – can he receive and play forward to the number 8, who attacks the space? Or can he play a one-two with the number 8 and attack the space himself
4. Can either the number 8 or the wide player deliver the final pass from the attacking zone? Here the number 8 makes a run to receive from the wide player and crosses
5. The opposite wide player, opposite number 8 and the number 9 attack the box and look to finish with a shot at goal

Both practices are repeated with the ball starting on the left side and right side alternately.

OPPOSED PRACTICE

Using the same basic set up, we add three mini goals that are placed on the halfway line. The mannequins are removed and are replaced by a blue opposition team of 10 who line up in a 5-4-1 shape and who are playing with a deep block.

The red team is set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with the back four operating behind the mini goals. The red team starts with the ball and looks to use some of their rotational patterns to break down the blue team and score a goal, as shown [2a].

[2a]

1. A blue opposition team of 10 line up in a 5-4-1 formation and defend with a deep block 
2. The red team’s back four operates behind the mini goals. The red left back starts with the ball and they move it across the back line 
3. The reds use some of their rotational patterns to break down the blue team 
4. The reds must try and score with a ball played into the penalty area from the shaded attacking zone

In the final third we want to see players expressing themselves in 1v1s around the penalty area and being creative with their final pass or cross into the box, which is the hardest ball to play in the game.

If the blue team manages to win the ball back, as shown [2b], they look to score in one of the unguarded mini goals to gain a point.

[2b]

1. If the blue team wins the ball back, they should look to counter-attack
2. The blues have to score in one of the mini goals to gain a point

“We want to see players expressing themselves in 1v1s around the penalty area and being creative with their final pass or cross into the box”