The Spanish team won Euro 2008 because each player had better technical ability, played as a team throughout the park, and used their subs wisely. I’m going to break down each of these and see why these combined made a significant difference.
Technical capacity provides the following benefits:
1. More time on the ball, which means more time to make decisions, more time to assess player positions and options, more precision in the next move, be it passing, shooting (more balance).
2. Confidence, more confident in attempting passes to players in difficult positions but maybe better at shooting. Confidence is contagious to other players on your team and is felt by your opponents, adding to their anxiety level and ability to react quickly and make good decisions.
3. Property. With more possession and safer possession, one team controls the ball and therefore has opportunities to attack and prevent the other team from attacking. With the ball you can do anything, without it you can’t do anything.
4.Options. With better control, you have so many more options, in or out of the foot, back, toe, back, head, knee, thigh, chest, no-look passes, passing at a perfect pace to one of your teammates to shoot with time . , take a shot that without good or great technical skills you wouldn’t have the time or the ability to attempt.
5. Difficult to approach. This means that the defender is more likely to give you more space, which will give you more time and so on… or he will foul you and give your team an advantage.
Teamwork: This is not easy to measure and to some trainers it might seem like grabbing clouds, however if you can create or get it, it makes a big difference to get over all the amount of obstacles.
A. Players who enjoy each other’s company play better together
B. Players who respect the ability of their teammates are more likely to pass more and create more chances.
C. The teams that are most likely to win in any situation have the following characteristics; They understand their coaches’ strategy and their own roles within it; the players have great technical ability and get along as teammates; they want to succeed, that is; a reason and passion to win for individual reasons and secondly for team/club. Internal motivation should not be underestimated.
D. Finally, a team that has fun can overcome most obstacles.
Using substitutes wisely: While they may not win a game, substitutes can and have had a significant impact on games and team morale. Here are some basic do’s and don’ts. -Communicate your philosophy on substitutions to your team and follow up. -Change this AND report it if there is a good reason. -Don’t play substitutes for the last 5 minutes regularly, it gets demoralizing. -Do not promise one thing and do not fulfill it, trust will be affected. -Know why you are making a substitution and be able/prepared to explain it to them afterwards. -Do not react too quickly when making substitutions unless it is an injury or a situation that the player cannot or cannot respond to. If this is the case, be sure to address it in practice. -Make sure they know their role as clearly as if they were just starting out (if you want to maximize their involvement in the game). -Remember this, players train harder if they know there is a realistic chance of selection, rather than little to no chance no matter how much they improve or compete. Building teams and team spirit is very important at all levels. Sometimes to win, sometimes to make sure everyone enjoys belonging and playing (this is one of the main reasons most young people play!).
These things can help. (some are age dependent, but can be used differently) A trophy or player of the day award Hot chocolates from the team after the game. A food and DVD night or a food and whiteboard session at someone’s home (more food, less whiteboard). I had paid a coach a ‘winner’s bonus’ which was actually our lunch money on the trips, but it worked! Create a seasonal theme that different players or groups of players are responsible for developing or having fun with. Try to avoid negative punishments or derogatory sanctions.
Remember it’s all about having fun and building confidence.
Enjoy your game Your coach, friend and fan Richard Kerr-Bell
