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Retaining Possession

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Andoni Iraola

Intensive boxes drill with goals

The session is about keeping possession of the ball in small spaces.

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Manisha Tailor

Pivot play and forward running

This session is about encouraging pivot play, with an emphasis on midfield movement.

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Darren Carter

Building the attack and third player runs

When in possession, this session is all about building from the back and receiving under pressure.

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Joe Edwards

Using overloads to bear pressure

The main purpose of these exercises is to improve the basic habits of the players in possession of the ball.

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Sergio Ferreira

Beat the press, unlock the block

This is a specific training session that we use to prepare our players in a week when we’re due to face a team that tries to press really...

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Emma Hayes

Play around to play through

This session has a focus on attacking strategy and we used it prior to a Champion’s League game. It allows the team to execute our build ...

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Tony Morton

Receiving and combining in crowded areas

This session is all about encouraging players to play with their heads up and to make the most of their opportunities to both pass and re...

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Steve Foley

Creating space in midfield

These exercises will help the midfield players to recognise space and encourage them to exploit it when in possession, as well as looking...

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Matt Layton

Managing the ball in the middle third

This session focuses on managing the ball in the middle third of the pitch. It has specific positional objectives: it teaches defenders to ...

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Simon Weaver

Keeping possession and switching play

This is a possession game that we like to run, as it rehearses the players in transferring the ball and switching play when we have the ...

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Yasar Latif

Rondo 2.0

This practice can be used to achieve various outcomes relating to passing and receiving. The primary outcome is to support players with ...

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Chris Beech

Movement to receive the ball

This session is all about encouraging players to constantly make angles to get on the ball. It’s about providing space for others and ...

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Ralph Hasenhüttl

Possession play to build attacks

The purpose of this training session is to encourage the team to retain possession and build play from the back. The players enjoy this ...

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Simon Hodge

Possession with opportunities to attack

This session is focused on maintaining positive possession within an overload situation and leading towards directional penetrative ...

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Stuart Gray

Possession drills with players in position

The aim of the session is for players to try and keep possession in order to dominate the game. It’s also designed to encourage players to ...

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Carlos Carvalhal

Passing and effective possession play

The aim of this session is to get players to use effective possession play as a tool to move and disorganise the opposition’s defence and ...

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Jürgen Klopp

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Mikel Arteta

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Pep Guardiola

In his debut season as manager, he guided Barcelona to the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League, becoming the ...

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Paul Hurst

Possession and transition

This session involves two teams playing against each other but each team has a different objective.

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Graham Taylor OBE

Possession and scoring

My players tend to run out of ideas in the final third. How can I get them to take better advantage of the opportunities around them?

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Steve Eyre

The 100 passes game

This session looks at transitioning between attack and defence. It’s useful for us because it examines all the elements of pressure, ...

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Sir Alex Ferguson

My philosophy

My key football philosophy has always been to make sure my teams keep hold of the ball. The use of possession in creating space and ...

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Gary Rowett

Playing against pressure

This is a session that aims to combat the threat of playing against a team that presses well in central areas.

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Garry Monk

Aligning possession practices to our tactical model

This session begins by focusing on the defensive transition following possession loss, before training in possession principles of play.

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Matt Beard

Reinforcing team fundamentals

The main objective of this session is to make sure players are comfortable on the ball and confident in possession. It focuses on the ...

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Scott Parker

Finding the third man

This session is about encouraging players to work in threes, using passing combinations to find the third man free of his defender. This ...

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"As a regular reader of Elite Soccer I look forward to receiving every issue. I’m delighted to share one of my own sessions with fellow coaches"

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"My session in Elite Soccer will help show you how our way is applied in simple training activities to give you a first idea to develop counter pressing"

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Retaining Possession

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Featured Coaches

Coaches' Testimonials

Alan Pardew

Arsène Wenger

Brendan Rodgers

Carlos Carvalhal

José Mourinho

Jürgen Klopp

Pep Guardiola

Roy Hodgson

Sir Alex Ferguson

Steven Gerrard

Join the world's leading coaches and managers and discover for yourself one of the best kept secrets in coaching. No other training tool on the planet is written or read by the calibre of names you’ll find in Elite Soccer.

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