15: Grow Coach Newsletter

Football Coaching: Developing a Winning Mentality

Apr 04, 2024

A warm welcome from JustCoachMD. We are happy to have you on board. We are looking forward to providing you with helpful content.

Here is what to expect:

Education: 7 tips to develop a winning mentality.
Activity 1: 1v1 up to 1v3 dribbling activity.
Activity 2: 2v2 exploiting overloads game.
Coach Project: Idea generation task.

How to Create a Winning Mentality

A winning team is one where players always work hard, the players can handle setbacks, show courage under pressure to deal with the ball, and try new things without the fear of failure.

7 tips that develop a winning mentality in football:

Desire: Desire is a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen. The best teams have the desire to do well.
Technical Proficiency: Execution of the right technique under pressure
Tactical Changes: Coaches who change the team or individual tactics at the right time.
Togetherness: The best teams stick together during adversity.
Work Ethic: Hard work brings rewards and players all buy into this.
Making Sacrifices: Players that will make sacrifices for the good of the team.
Bravery: Players who are brave enough to make the correct choices under technical and tactical pressure.

Some teams find a way to win even when things are not going well. The best teams seem to have a knack for delivering quality moments from nowhere. Why does this happen? Is it a coincidence? The best teams find a way and if coaches look closely they will notice traits that these teams all seem to have in common.

Desire

Desire, without doubt, is one of the most evident characteristics of teams that win competitions. Total focus is shown by each player to do whatever it takes to get the outcome they desire. Each player in the team shows a clear intention and determination to win their immediate battle.

The desire to regain the ball when possession is lost is something that stands out. Each player will apply pressure to the opponent rather than feeling it.
Players that press to regain the ball and make sprint recoveries if beaten.
Physical inequalities do not hold them back they will find a way to be effective in their duels.

How do you create desire in players?

Desire can be defined as a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen. If a player does not demonstrate this quality coaches can create a demand which recreates it in training sessions.

Sometimes players associate failure with losing and in competitive environments that mentality can dominate and take over. Coaches need to encourage players to see failure as the moment they give up on something or stop, that’s failure that’s when they let themselves and their team down.

Here are three ways to recreate practices that ensure players are almost forced to react to the constraints of the practice.

Create overloads: Deliver activities where players attack with an overload and then defend with an underload. These activities force players to react (show desire) to take advantage of overload and not get beat when outnumbered.
Use mini-competitions with combined scores: Set up two playing areas with the same activity. The scores from both pitches are combined. Combined scores develop the player’s ability to stay focused regardless of the result. The players do not know the score on the other pitch and one goal could swing the result for their team.
Use points per game rather than goals: For example, if two teams are playing and the score is 5 - 0 after 10 minutes, the team who won receives one point, and then the next block of 10 minutes starts at 0 - 0.

To create desire in players, the coach can offer double points to the team behind so they can get the lead within the next 10 minutes or offer the losing team not to lose in the next block to win the point.

Bonus Tip: Underload the team that won comprehensively in the 1st game and add a player to the opponent who lost the round.

Each of these ideas could be used to develop desire. They could be included in various parts of practice.

Technical and Tactical Proficiency

Technically proficient players. Winning teams have individuals who flourish under pressure and demonstrate quality technique. The players make simple passes to link up or switch play. They show composure under pressure and a willingness to have the ball in tight spaces.

The players will release the ball at the right time to set up another teammate or take a scoring opportunity. Early decisions at the right time swing the momentum of the game. Coaches should develop practices and games that allow players to implement these proficiencies under match pressure.

Tips to develop technical and tactical proficiency:

Start a game with a counterattack for one team to create an opportunity to score.
Begin a game with a goal kick so the in-possession team has to find a way to play out from the back.
Award a random set-piece, so one team gets a chance to score and the other can regain and counter-attack.
Bonus: To lock in your goal on the main pitch you must complete an unopposed finish on a different area.

With some planning, a coach can implement these conditions at various points during a practice. Be creative with the rules and conditions. The idea is to create game-related pressures that test technical and tactical proficiency.

Tactical Adjustments

Each coach will have a vision and idea of how they want their team to play. Some teams will play through the zones of the pitch, others will be direct. Counterattack may be a method used to exploit opponents. The way a team plays is often down to the coach’s or a club’s vision.

Coaches must help players so they can:

Implement their roles and the tactics the coach has decided to go with. Teams that win can follow instructions and adapt to the systems and tactics they are set up to play.
Be ready for any scenario. In the build-up to competitive games, visit some what-if scenarios. What if you go a goal down? What if we get a player sent off? What if you need to draw? What if you're winning?
Practice different scenarios with time constraints to achieve the what-if outcome. This is a great way to increase and create the pressures of tournament-style football.
Bonus training idea: Have periods of power play where goals are worth double. The players have to decide if they want to chase the double goals or defend and not concede.

Coaches can choose to give players ownership of tactics or make adjustments given the state of the game. When providing ownership to players consider limiting it to 2 options. It can take up lots of time if there is too much choice.

Togetherness

Togetherness, winning teams often have players who are together regardless of the role the individual has to play for the team. They could be a starter, a substitute or not make the squad. Either way, they are ready to make a difference in whatever way they can to impact the moment.

Players need to accept the decisions of the coach. They must be ready to make a difference as and when required. There may only be 100 minutes of football available and a player may only play 20 minutes. In that period, the players have to be willing to give everything they have and contribute.

During the other 80 minutes, they are not playing they can:

Support the team, and stay ready to play.
Keep watching and identify ways they can impact if they get another opportunity.
Offer praise and encouragement to teammates.

The best players stick together and understand that at different points during a season or competition, they will get a moment to shine. The player must be ready when their opportunity arises.

Work Ethic

Work rate, players need to do the hard miles with and without the ball. They need to be able to push themselves to the limit physically. Examples, where this would be expected, include:

Pressing the opponent to regain the ball back or forcing an error if you are an attacking player.
Recovery running to get back behind the ball if an attack is unsuccessful and the opponent tries to break quickly.
Overlapping or underlapping runs to join in attacks, the unselfish channel runs where you know you’re not getting the ball but the run is made to move the opponent.
Players who show a willingness to keep running or do any of the above, over and over again. It involves an attitude and mentality shift. Coaches need to find ways to instil this attitude into the players.

Finding ways to design practices that force players to do the hard miles by running with and without the ball. This is not running for the sake of it but showing intensity to get the ball back or get an opportunity to score if the team is in possession.

Good teams will also be mentally tough and composed to keep the ball under pressure. Ideally, they will make the opponent run for long periods while possession is kept. This can be mentally draining if your team works hard to win it and then when they win it they make the opponent run for longer than it took to win the ball.

Rules coaches could impose on games could be:

The make-them-run rule: A stopwatch is started each time one team is in possession and they have to keep the ball, after 30 to 60 seconds they are free to score.
The 6-pass rule: Once possession is regained 6 passes are made to allow the team to get set up and organized to attack.

HOW YOU THINK WHEN YOU LOSE DETERMINES HOW LONG IT WILL BE UNTIL YOU WIN.

(Chesterton G.K)

Making Sacrifices

Sacrifices, are to take one for the team and or sacrifice themselves for the team. For example, a player could go in for a tackle that they are not favourites to win. They could lose a tackle but go in for the next one. They could miss a chance and rather than sulking and getting upset they sprint back into position to pick up a player.

Every role in a team will have sacrifices that each player can make to contribute to the winning mentality. Coaches need to remind players what this may look like for them in their positions and keep reminding them until it becomes a habit.

Sacrifices don’t necessarily mean they have to hurt themselves for the team. It could mean:

Tackling, blocking, or marking.
Passing the ball to a player in a better position to score.
A player freeing themself up to help a teammate being pressed.
Running to join in an attack and get on the end of a cross.

Making sacrifices requires some level of acceptance. Players have to accept their current ability level in terms of performance. They also must realise it’s not their destination.

Players and coaches must take on board some of the details issued above and get to work on implementing them, especially in training and games.

Bravery

Being brave is often a trait that winning teams demonstrate. This does not necessarily relate to physical battles. It can relate to the technical and tactical side of the game where the players are brave to pass, receive and retain the ball under high pressure. They can keep trying to do this regardless of the outcome or match result.

This sort of bravery often comes from the coach’s encouragement to perform what has been practised under opponent pressure and not deviating away from the concepts ideas and principles they have been coaching to the players.

It is tough for the coach to do this at times but it demonstrates to the players that you invested in them. Permitting players to try what you have been coaching them in real competitive situations shows your trust in them.

If you as a coach are encouraging your players to be brave then you as the coach must also be brave to stick by your principles at the height of intense moments.

In Summary

The ideas presented above are common traits or principles that are evident within the competitive situations observed by teams who demonstrate winning behaviours. Coaches need to get creative and think about how they can find small edges over the opponent in each of the areas outlined above.

It is often these edges that can make the difference between winning and losing and also swing momentum in favour of your team.

Trying to get the players to find ways of being at their best when they do not feel at their best is something that should be mentioned to the players and it is something the players need to take responsibility for. How can they give their best effort even though they may not have had the preparations they would ideally like such as a thorough warm-up or a suitable rest period following a game?

Players need to think about how they can keep contributing to the team in these moments. With the help of the coach, each individual in the team can give an edge in some way shape, or form that another team may not be doing and it is this mindset and culture that creates winning mentalities.

Overload Practice

Activity 1: 1v1 into 1v2 into 1v3

Pitch Size: 15 by 30 yards.
⚫️s are the attackers. They must dribble through the zones into the final zone and try to score in one of the two mini-goals.
Once the ⚫️s get into the dashed zones the defender they have just beaten has to recover around the cone or mini goals behind them, then recover to help the next 🔴 defender.
If the defenders 🔴s win the ball they can score in the mini-goals they are facing or they can run it into the end zone. They can work together to do this.

Activity 2: Taking Advantage of Overloads

Pitch Space: 20 by 10 space plus a 5-yard scoring zone.
🔴s vs ⚫️s play a normal 2v2. For a goal to count the scorer must be beyond the dashed line.
After a goal is scored the player who scores must run through either of the blue coned gates before rejoining the game.
The recovery runs from the defender means that the attacking team has a chance to break quickly in a 2v1.
Encourage the fast break to occur on the side opposite to the recovery runner.
Encourage two-player combinations such as wall passes and overlaps.

Session Commentary

Aim: Take opportunities to demonstrate winning behaviours.

Objectives:

Desire: Show a desire to dominate the immediate opponents and collect points/goals for your team. Practice finding a way to be successful even when the odds are stacked against you.
Togetherness: Work with teammates to exploit overloads. Share the ball with teammates in better scoring positions.
Bravery: Be brave to practice against tougher opponents. Test yourself and see if you can come out on top.

Coaching Points Task: Can you design some technical and tactical coaching points for one or both of the sessions shown above?

Technical and Tactical In Attack:

Technical and Tactical In Defence:

‘‘A WINNER IS MOTIVATED BY THE DESIRE TO SUCCEED NOT BY THE DESIRE TO BEAT OTHERS’’

Coach Project

Activity: Create a list of actions and behaviours for each of the winning mentalities mentioned. Ensure each action or behaviour can be used within training or games to enhance and develop a winning mentality.

Note: If you cannot create an action then write about what it should look like within different moments of the game.

Winning Mentality ideas:

Desire:

What does it look like:

Technical:

In Attack:
In Defense:

Tactical:

In Attack:
In Defense:

Together:

In Attack:
In Defense:

Work Ethic:

In Attack:
In Defense:

Sacrifices:

What it looks like:

Bravery:

What it looks like:

Target: Can you build 2-4 of these ideas into your next 4-6 coaching sessions and review if you notice a behaviour change?

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Please feel free to get in touch or share your ideas, actions, and interventions. We would love to hear from you. If you have any questions, post them here; we will do our best to answer them.