Knowledge is key — but teaching is a completely different skill. We’re currently working with a Premier League coach — a very good one — who’s focused on improving how he works with the individuals in his group. We’ve encouraged him to stay aligned with the IPPs (Individual Player Plans). He’s happy for us to share this because he believes it could benefit others. Out of the four IPPs he’s working with, two are on track during actions, but there’s still plenty of room for growth in the before-actions — things like scanning and movement. There are positives. For instance, the group uses the phrase “Check your shoulder” — which is great. It’s not our language, but we’re very familiar with it. That said, when we spoke to the coach, we noticed the instruction lacked detail. So we asked, “Do the players actually know what that means?” The quick answer was “Yes” — but we weren’t convinced. So we challenged him: in the next session, speak to each player individually (not in a group) and ask, “What does ‘check your shoulder’ mean to you?” The results? Exactly what we expected. 13 out of 17 players didn’t really understand it. That’s 76% of the group who didn’t fully grasp a key instruction. The coach was surprised — but took it the right way. This isn’t a criticism (and he knows that). We’ve been there ourselves many times. It’s just a reminder: As coaches, we can’t assume that what we know is automatically understood by our players. A Note on Scanning: If we’re using the phrase “Check your shoulder,” we need to make sure it has substance behind it. Here’s a basic guideline we use: - Players should aim to scan 7–8 times every 10 seconds. - In the final 5 seconds before receiving the ball, aim for at least 3 scans. We want players to be constantly aware of - The ball - The danger (opponents) - Their next move We should keep asking. Can they see all three before the ball arrives? “Just because we say it, doesn’t mean they understand it. ‘Check your shoulder’ is only effective if players know what, when, and why they’re doing it. Clarity in coaching turns knowledge into action.”

Dec's finish, Mikel's passion 🔥

Man Utd pressing in a man to man v Spurs. Guess whose man breaks the high press.

United should just do away with the high press. They have too many forward players who don't understand it and too many defenders who don't want to leave the defensive line and become exposed. Some of the front-line pressing was so poor that players took themselves out of the game, putting strain on their defensive units. Exhibit A Bruno. From a coaching level, it's hard to understand what this position is. The rest of the team are positioned fairly well

Bruno Fernandes calling out Carrick & the #MUFC staff here "It's a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, wait for them, but sometimes when you give space to these teams they get confidence. On whether he is saying Michael Carrick got his tactics wrong: "That's on the manager and staff to see, not me. Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable. As you saw with them [Como], the centre-back was coming to mark me in my own half. We need to do that as a team but we were unable to. "A team that plays through the middle with small connections, if you give them too much time and space then they can hurt you out wide."

Full class here on Como, and these runs beyond that are obviously coached. tactxcoach.com/programs/coll…