Attacking Midfielders Profile (#8 and #10)
- Technical
- Collect and turn under pressure
- Passing- penetration and goal-scoring chances
- Dribbling or striking to score goals
- Technically advanced-receiving and turning in tight spaces, passing range including final pass
- 1v1 ability
- Receiving & Turning with ball
- Variation in passing ability and range
- Long Range Shooting
- Variations in finishing ability
- Tactical
- Mobility- create separation from opponent
- Create scoring opportunities for teammates
- Transition- join 1st line of defending pressure
- Recognizing when to play forward, switch play and keep possession (ball security)
- Breaking down compact defenses and finishing the attack (insight and creativity)
- Providing offensive/defensive balance
- Dominating positionally and individually, controlling and protecting central area
- Positioning between lines (spatial awareness and body orientation) and quick decision making (360° scanning)
- Physical
- Explosive movement- separation from opponent
- Acceleration- change direction or change speed
- Strength- shoot from distance, challenge for ball
- Survive with ball- use of body to protect ball
- Ability to make repeated accelerations
- Quickness
- Endurance (repeating sprint ability)
- Mental
- 360 degree awareness- mental focus
- Ambitious attacking mentality
- Perception- focus on multiple, complex cues
- Confident
- Communication to organize players defensively
- Determination to take risk attacking
- Aggression
OFFENSIVE
BUILD UP PHASE OFFENSIVE
OFFENSIVE
ADVANCEMENT PHASE OFFENSIVE
OFFENSIVE
CHANCE CREATION/SCORING PHASE
TRANSITION
ATTACKING TO DEFENDING
- Break lines to progress
- Correct body shape to turn and face forward in possession
- Diagonal Support to CBs
- Support any straight ball into teammate to create third man situation
- Dribble the ball to commit opponent and isolate teammates
- Align movements with other central midfielders/rotate positions and triangulate
- Start attack on one side; finish on the other
- Correct body shape to turn and face forward in possession
- Move to support the ball in wide areas
- Time on the ball; stay away, no time; come to support
- If we play long, support FW and Wingers for 2nd balls
- Start in half spaces between the lines
- Body shape to switch play
- Dribble forward when there is no passing option and there is open
- space, look to create 2v1, also create 2v1 by switching the field
- Position for 2nd ball if long diagonal pass is played
- Weak side AMF prepared to drop into wide space as ball switches field externally
- Playing behind the back line
- Last pass ability/assist
- Penetrating runs behind the back line into the penalty box
- Weak side AM attack space between CB and FB
- Attacking wide, reaching finishing positions
- Shooting from outside the box
- After loss of possession
- Nearest player pressures the ball.
- Surrounding teammates close passing lanes to make pass predictable.
- Weak side players move central to close the middle
- Drop and regain shape
- Mark player in possession to win ball or foul
- Attacking players aim to get behind the ball and close central space.
- Delay
- Nearest players to our goal attach to form a line and close the middle
DEFENSIVE
PRESS
DEFENSIVE
MID BLOCK DEFENDING
DEFENSIVE
DEFENSIVE THIRD
TRANSITION
DEFENDING TO ATTACKING
- Coordinated team movement to move forward as FW and Wingers begin to press
- Decide to pressure the ball, stay in zonal space, or track
- Move forward when opponent plays backward (ready to release the
- line)
- When pressure is broken recover towards goal to regain compactness
- Prevent central passes, limit opponent’s passes between lines
- Release the line to prevent opponent from playing a long ball
- Build Pressure on the Ball when Cover is Present
- When pressure is broken recover towards goal to regain compactness
- Move forward when opponent plays backward (ready to release the line)
- Prevent central passes
- As teammate leaves line to pressure ball, surrounding players shift
- to protect the middle
- Recover into defensive third to assist 6 when needed
- Reduce Space Between Teammates in Red Zone
- Complete first pass. Furthest safe pass possible, preferably forward or diagonal
- No pressure
- Pass – Longest forward, safe pass available
- Dribble – Isolate defender to create numerical advantage
- Two to Three runners immediately join the attack at high tempo to move defense and open space: (Occupy Three Channels)
- Under pressure
- Pass out of pressure