by Wayne Clist

Created on: June 20, 2009

Before considering who is to blame for poor soccer performances we must first consider the different components of making a football team a successful and winning one. There are a number of different facets to a football team that need to be looked at in considering the make up of the team.

Psychology plays a big part in the modern game of football, whether played in the Premier league or played at a lower level, hence the prevalence of sports coaches and sports psychologists at professional clubs. The groundwork of mentally preparing football players and coaching a winning mentality is begun at an early age, generally in academies or youth teams. How to win is drummed into young players on a daily basis, at all times, engendering a hugely competitive nature and ensuring that nothing else matters but winning. Sports psychology is big business and is now part of the modern football teams makeup. It is the manager who makes the decision as to whether or not a sports psychologist would be a good tool to use in the search for a competitive edge but it is also the players themselves who have to embrace the use of such a technique.

Technique and skills, taught by coaches who are eventually beholden to the manager are the next component in the moulding of a winning team. However, good technique and skill can only be taught if the basic foundations of a physically athletic player are there. Arsene Wenger the successful manager of Premier league Arsenal football club is rumoured to only consider younger players for his academy if they can run the 100 metres in under 11 seconds and have a basic level of skill that can then be moulded to play in a definitive style of football and pattern of play. The players have to have a basic level and the aptitude to heighten that before it can be exceeded with good coaching.

The pattern and set phases of play are devised by the manager. The manager of a professional team will have a preferred format of play ie: 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-5-1, etc. This pattern of play and the different phases involved will be drummed into the players and coached and repeated until various patterns are recognised by the team and reactions will become second nature under certain circumstances. Players will know which shape the team needs to adopt and where they need to be in counter attacking for instance or the defending phase. Watch a professional Premiership side for any length of time and you will notice definite patterns emerging when different

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