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| Tosh and I at the Grass Roots Show |
I have seen Tosh Farrell coach many times, and quite simply he is my favourite coach. Why? Because of his attention to detail, in his own words it’s what sets him apart from the competition. His slogan for his Soccer Development Centre is “ the secret is in the detail”, if you’ve seen him deliver a session you would understand.
He is a very enthusiastic coach with a passion for football that shines through in everything he does . Often his practices are very simple, but the technical content and his communication is simply superb. They are practices which give the player many touches of the ball and allows for lots of repetition to improve. The practices also progress well, often starting at a very low level and building up to become game related.
About Tosh
Tosh is nowrunning “Soccer Development Centers” in USA, but he most renowned for working for Everton F.C Academy and helping develop “The Everton way”. Tosh workedspecifically with players aged 9-12 and helped develop players such as LeonOsman, Victor Ancihebe, James, Vaughan, Jack Rodwell and Wayne Rooney. Tosh was described by Simon Clifford as“light years” ahead of other youth coaches, and with his results it is hard toargue.
Along withhis development centres Tosh also supports thousands of coaches across theglobe and often delivers at pro clubs and at exhibitionssuch as the Grass Roots Show (Birmingham) and OSA Coaching Seminar (Ontario).
Tosh has aninfectious manner when he coaches, the sessions are not complicated but theywork and allow the game be the teacher, and allow the coach to guide the playeron his journey. He often chooses to intervene with “What I’m saying” and “Can you try..“.
The Session
Set up
Playerswork in small groups, here the practice is with 7. The practice works on 4 cones set up in adiamond, I have put the colours in as YELLOW and ORANGE. This would be beneficial when working withyounger players, perhaps you could even try 4 different colours.
Players start on 4 on cones, with the spare players lining up behind the ball.
Pass and Follow
To start the players pass the ball and follow their pass, so the ball and the players move around the diamond. Remember here to make 2 groups if you are working with a large squad of players. Once the players understand the practice, you can start to add technical information to improve their technique when receiving and passing.
Now the player receiving the ball is challenged to “make space to receive the ball”, explain to the player that the cone represents a defender. I like to call them a name, “this is John Terry”. So now the player is challenged to lose the defender, to receive the ball. How will they do this?
Technical Information
To receive the ball
- Run the defender away, positive body language to run the defender and check back to receive the ball (Diagram above)
- Run away straight, return at an angle. This will make space and help the player receive the ball with an open body shape
- Receive the ball with the inside of the foot, this first touch will take you in the direction you want to go
- “Check your shoulders” – before the players get the ball, scan to see if it safe to receive. This is takes practice so repetition is important.
- Watch the ball on to your foot
- Body shape to receive the ball – Explain open and closed – Why/Benefits?
When Passing
- Communicate – although the players now the routine encourage good practice
- “See their eyes” Tosh encouraged players to look up, so their team mate knows when the ball is coming
- Watch the ball off your foot
Now all players are asked to make this movement when receiving (every cone), and the coach can observe if the players are receiving and passing to a good standard.
Pass and run
Now to make the practice more realistic we introduce a run, and a play receiving the ball on the move.
Players on the ORANGE cones are now asked to stay in this role. They will run away and receive a pass (1) they then lay the ball to their team mate on the opposite ORANGE cone (2), he then plays a pass to the runner (3). The player then passes the ball into YELLOW, and the practice would then restart down the other side, and a mirror image would happen.
Technical Information
- Pass and receive as before – run, create space and receive
- Timing of run from player – too early or too late creates a problem – Offsides?
- Weight of pass (3) – In to the path not at the feet
Progression: Rotation of players
Now ask the players on the ORANGE cone to follow their passes. (4) So as they exchange the pass they now swap cones. Here Tosh challenged the player making the pass (3) to move off the cone (towards 1), this would “make it easier” as now they are playing a straight pass rather than trying to hook it round the corner.
This was a session I observed at the Grass Roots Show, Birmingham in June 2011.
Want to learn more about Tosh?
Tosh’s website http://www.toshfarrellsoccerdevelopmentcenter.com/
Tosh talksfootball development in the UK (PODCAST) http://betterfootball.net/soccer-coaching/player-friendly-development-tosh-farrell/
The Everton Way http://academy.evertonfc.com/
Tosh on Twiiter http://twitter.com/#!/Toshsoccer
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