Women & Girls

I have a simple exercise for this:

Get four players to stand 2v2 facing each other about 3 yards apart. One side are attackers the other defenders. The attackers stay still but give one of them the ball and make the defender facing the player with the ball move forward so she is right in front of her to "press".

Players stay still and you explain this is pressing with the second player staying back to cover. Now get the attacker to pass the ball to the attacker next to her.

Now the first defender drops back 3 yards to cover as the second defender moves right up to "press" the attacker with the ball.

Do this a few times to show the defenders what it is they should do when the ball is in play.

We all like winning but here at Cupello we advise that player development should be a priority over results. In our experience player development creates a better squad of players and therefore has much more chance of being successful over the course of a season.

Playing your strongest team every week at the expense of the same players sitting on the bench will probably mean you have a great start to the season – but once injuries kick in and the players who have spent weeks on the bench have to play when they are not up to speed your team will suffer.

Pep Guardiola said: " What makes you grow is defeat, making mistakes. It is what keeps you alert. When you win you think 'great we've won'. And we'd surely have done some things wrong but you're relaxed. The only thing that winning is useful for is a good nights sleep".

You will find that the parents of the players who are always on the pitch and not on the subs bench will give you their full backing – but you will get comments from parents whose child is always starting on the bench. All parents have to pay the same for each youth player so they should all be getting their money's worth during matches – it is only fair.

I also want all my players experiencing coming onto the pitch when it is in full flow because it is a different proposition to starting a match. There is no chance to get up to speed they have to be 100% ready when they come on.

So at the beginning of the season you may struggle but that soon goes and players you thought should be on the bench will be flying and the first name on your team sheet.

Finally, make sure the same players do not start on the bench every week even if they are getting the same game time. Starting on the bench is disappointing and something everyone should share around.

If your players are being brushed off the ball you need to play games like 2v2 or games with overloads so they have more of the ball and encourage them to win it back if the lose it. I wouldn't say they need to be more aggressive just less accepting when they have the ball or when they lose it – guard it and win it back in 6 seconds.

Games like 2v2 or 3v2 can in themselves mean the girls will not want to let their team mates down in such small sided games. 

Try playing these games and you will see that on the pitch they are less likely to lose the ball and more likely to be keen to win it back!