When I was growing up the outside back was called a fullback not a wingback. In those days the fullback was never the most athletic or technical player. Normally the fullback was tough, determined and worked hard, but usually below the skill level of the other players. Sometimes when a player is slightly less talented, playing them wide reduces their decision-making options and simplifies the game; which is why most coaches elected to play less experienced and skilled players at fullback compared to a central role. Once a player improved they could be shifted into a more central role, but some players are naturally better suited for a more central role and some are built to play wide. Today the demands of the outside back position are radically different than when I was a player. The fullback position has morphed into a new position called a "wingback". The wingback is a dynamic position that requires well-rounded technical ability, an exceptionally high fitness level, speed and excellent soccer IQ. The modern wingback is inter-changeable with the winger (total football), expected to play box to box, has the ability to penetrate off the dribble, possesses short and long range passing ability, combines well with teammates, has excellent 1v1 defending skills, is strong in the tackle and good in the air. The days of sitting back and not getting forward are over for the outside back. Modern soccer is requiring wingbacks to provide attacking width, meaning the wingbacks have to cover serious ground getting forward in the attack! This book is intended to be a positional guide for the modern wingback. The illustrations take the player & coach through the wingbacks positioning from a goal kick, possession in the back 1/3, possession in the middle 1/3, possession in the attacking 1/3 and defensive positioning. It is my intention for the guidebook to be used by both coaches and players in order to gain a greater understanding of the proper positioning and responsibilities of the wingback. I have also included room for interpretation of the wingbacks positioning based upon the style of play, coaches instructions and game situations.. Some coaches may be very aggressive with the wingbacks and others will be conservative. The diagrams in this book offer different options for wingback positioning based upon attacking or defensive mindsets.

Ever wonder what all the positions are? Think you know every position and that a book on positioning is unnecessary for you? Ever hear of a False Nine, a Wing Back, or an Inverted Winger and were confused by what position that referred to? Have you ever wanted to learn the abilities needed by each player on the pitch including the position you play in now or potentially want to play in the future? Are you a parent that is a bit confused by the differences of each spot on the field that your child plays? Well, if any of these situations describe you, you are not alone. Coaches of soccer are decent at assigning positions such as goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, and forward in addition to whether that player should be on the left side, right side, or center of the field. Sadly, coaches do not often teach the more advanced positions and what each player in that role must do. It is all well and good if your team is consistently winning and outperforming the other team. However, if your team is not always winning by a few goals, the positioning could be upgraded to effectively use the skills of each player on the team. Outcomes of learning the positions explained in this book: -Understand some of the history on how positions came to be in the modern game. -Learn the specialties of each role to determine your best fit on the field. -Find the tactical position to take your team to the next level. Why does learning these things matter? Well, building your knowledge grows your confidence. Self-esteem is key for any soccer player, coach, or parent and building the belief in yourself and your child will allow them to play to the level you know they can. You may think those are all well and great, but "how can a book really deliver on increasing the positioning of yourself, son, daughter, or team?" "Why not just watch a YouTube video to see it too?" Excitingly, this book lays out step-by-step what you should work on and the most important keys to being able to perform in each position. Yes, other author's may glance over the different types of players but never describe and explain the exact role based on each team's needs. This book does exactly that. Also, though YouTube can be used to compliment a book because videos show visual representations of the positions covered (though this book has pictures too), each video is often unorganized and the order in which you watch the videos is NOT structured at all. This book provides that structure to ensure that you are not just getting a little information in one spot and some knowledge in another without being able to understand the entire positional picture of how each part works together. It is time for your knowledge of Soccer Positions to go to the next level. Become the player, coach, or parent that changes every game from here on out. Pick up your copy today by clicking BUY NOW.

In recent years, player development has been a hot topic in the soccer world. With more pressure on coaches to win than ever before, the modern game seems to be less about actual players and more about tactical systems. In many places, the majority of training sessions are structured so that each player receives the same training as his or her teammates, even though they are asked to perform different functions. As a result, players do not receive specific feedback and lack the ability to produce functional skills in the heat of a game. Aimed at football coaches of all levels, and players of all ages and abilities, The Modern Soccer Coach: Position-Specific Training seeks to identify, develop, and enhance the skills and functions of the modern soccer player whatever their position and role on the pitch. This book offers unique insight into how to develop an elite program that can both improve players and win games. Filled with practical no-nonsense explanations, focused player drills, and more than 40 illustrated soccer templates, this book will help you - the modern coach - to create a coaching environment that will take your players to the next level. Understand how the concept of player development needs to change as players progress in the game. Examine how learning styles have changed and how coaches must adapt accordingly. Enhance your players' performance levels with innovative exercises and ways to share feedback and critical information. Includes chapters and exercises for developing Center Backs, Full Backs, Holding Midfielders, Attacking Midfielders, Wide Attackers, and Center Forwards. Learn how certain coaches can move their players from 'interested' to 'committed'. Develop ways to maximize the talent levels of your players.

The 4-2-3-1 is a system that Arsenal, Real Madrid, Everton, Bayern Munich and many more professional teams use. The formation can be employed in many different ways depending on the personnel available. It can be used to play a conservative, defensively sound counter-attacking game or opened up for an ultra-offensive approach. The interchanging of positions, room for tactical adjustments, defensive soundness, room for creativity and overall fluidity of the system is what makes the 4-2-3-1 effective. This book will take you through the fundamental roles and responsibilities of each player within the system. It also provides multiple training exercises, explains and demonstrates individual and team movement patterns, covers the strategy of team defending and team attacking in the 4-2-3-1 and a number of ways to modify the system.

The game of soccer is perpetually in a constant state of change; as new tactical trends appear each and every season. Some of the changes are adaptations and variations from the past, while others are completely original. If we roll back the clock to the first international friendly match ever played in 1872, you would have witnessed England playing a 1-2-7 formation, against the Scottish 2-2-6. Soccer's early formations were built with few players in the back and many up top. Fast forward to the 1920's and things began to change, this is when the 3-2-2-3 W-M formation made its debut, introduced by Herbert Chapman at Arsenal. Then jump ahead to the 1966 World Cup, as England played the first diamond 4-4-2 formation. Change continued to come in 1974, when the Dutch coach Rinus Michels lined the team up in a 4-3-3 formation, introducing the world to "Clockwork Orange". The 2000's has been responsible for the emergence of the 4-2-3-1 formation, along with the 4-6-0 "false 9", introduced by the Spanish. However, the question every top coach is constantly pursuing is, what is the next major trend or change in the game? We have already seen some signs of change, with the inverted wingbacks of Guardiola at Manchester City, and the deterioration of the classic back four, even Arsenal have changed to a 3 back system! As we look at the history of soccer, the changes in formations are pronounced. The original formations have been compared to inverted or upside down pyramids, with 7 attacking players up top and only 2 in the back. As the game progressed, the pyramid completely turned around, as seen with the 4-2-3-1 formation, which took on a realistic pyramid type of shape, and now the shape appears to be changing again. This book focuses on what very well may be one of the formations of the future, the 2-6-2 formation. We saw the 2-6-2 formation used when Guardiola's Bayern, dismantled Roma in a Champions League match 7-1. Argentina recently played a 2-3-4-1 in a friendly match against Singapore. The reality is that the modern game is seeing the pyramid shape turning more into a rhombus, small on the bottom, large in the middle and small on top. Obviously, simply talking about general shapes is an over simplification of formations, but this type of rhombus idea, seems to be where the formation trend is heading. How many teams have switched to a 3-5-2 in the last 24 months? Many more than a few years ago, that's for sure. Arsenal who rarely change anything, went to 3 at the back last spring along with many others. The new trend in formations also points to need for developing more intelligent players. In order to effectively play with 2 - 3 players in the back, an overloaded midfield and two forwards, players must be excellent decision makers and possess high soccer IQ's. Today's new formations demand players be smart and skillful, while the older bunker-in and counter attack systems (4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2) can more easily accommodate the simple, disciplined and hard-working player. It's my opinion that the modern player must be technical, creative, smart, have a high soccer IQ and be an active problem solver. As formations become more expansive and more dangerous, they also become more vulnerable, the player of the future must be a different breed, they must possess a complete soccer brain.

The 3-5-2 is a very dynamic and flexible system; it can be an ultra-attacking formation or solid defensive formation depending on how it is deployed. In attack the 3-5-2 is numerically strong in the midfield and comes with the benefit of two strikers. Creating width in the attack is never a problem with two wingers and strikers that could also run the channels. The formation is naturally set-up to encourage movement off the ball with the interchanging of positions when in possession; the interchanging of positions and movement off the ball allows different players the opportunity to fill different spaces, making the 3-5-2 more dynamic and difficult for the opponent to predict and deal with. In the modern game I personally find many advantages to playing the 3-5-2 formation, due to its fluid attacking potential and less focus on keeping numbers back. The defensive side of the 3-5-2 presents the formations biggest challenges, yet it can also be seen as a strength if the players understand how to form a back four or five in the correct situations. With only three defenders in the back, covering space in deep wide areas must be addressed and dealt with effectively. In order to offset the possible defensive weakness that come with three players not being able to cover the entire width of the field, the coach must choose player personnel and more importantly the formations tactics wisely. In this book I will cover multiple ways the 3-5-2 can be played to maximize its strengths, while turning the formations possible negatives into positives. When breaking down and analyzing any formation, it is important to note that the difference between formations is about 10 yards in player positioning. You can make an argument that most formations are similar and difficult to identify once the game has started. The transition from defending to attacking and attacking to defending creates totally new shapes from the original formation. The game of soccer is a free-flowing game but inside that flow there must be a structure which drives individual and team decisions. The coach is the one who will lay out the important tactical guidelines for the execution of the formation, so it is important to note that the same formation can be carried out in many different ways, depending on the coach. Tactics that will influence the way the formation played include things like setting a line of restraint, establishing a line of confrontation, identifying pressing zones, outlining counter-attacking areas, realizing when to press or drop-off, addressing the overall style of soccer to be played, player personnel, work load, location of the game, weather conditions, field conditions and much more. All these factors will directly influence the way a formation is played.

Aimed primarily at intermediate and advanced coaches, this book examines the principle formations used in modern soccer and the need to fully understand them all if one is to adapt to game situations using counter-active tactics. The authors discuss such offensive topics as support, width, penetration, mobility and improvisation. Defensively, they provide insight into depth, delay, concentration, team balance, cover and restraint. Chapters include: Three Man Defense, Four Man Defense, One Forward System, Two Forward System, Three Forward System Well organized and clearly written, this is an outstanding coaching book.