Learning to love the art of the defender

When teams do not defend with urgency, it is hard for a team to perform well.

But, of course, it is not just defenders who defend. It starts from the very top of the pitch.

That idea gets lost when we talk about strikers or midfielders with young players. They take positions very literally, and haven’t yet learned the intricate details that come with their roles. This is why I moved towards a responsibility model rather than a positional one.

Very early in my coaching journey, I realised that if you ask a seven-year-old what position they play, then they - with the odd exception - will tell you they are a striker.

The glory of scoring goals is euphoric, and every child that plays should be given the opportunity to experience that euphoria. 

But how do we replicate that buzz around defending? No team would be complete without, from an England perspective, the next Casey Stoney or Millie Bright. It is our job, as facilitators of the game, to make that role as appealing as being the next Beth Mead or Fran Kirby. 

But how? Here are my five top tips for getting your players dreaming about defending...

 

01 give your players a taste of defending

Have a rotation policy for your youth teams. Get players familiar with taking their turn defensively. 

 

This will help players get the opportunity to experience the role and the skills that come with it.

 

02 encourage good defensive work

Praise defence as much as you praise attack, and with the same level of enthusiasm. Has a player tracked a runner or stopped a cross? Tell them.

Players replicate what they receive praise for and enjoy being told they are doing a good job.

03 use more activities involving defending

Play lots of games where defending is the rewarded activity. 

I like to play a game where avoiding conceding corners is a challenge. For every corner conceded, deduct a goal from their score. This helps give both defenders and goalkeepers recognition and motivation.

 

04 create role models for your players

Talk about the defending greats. There is an excellent montage on YouTube of England star Millie Bright from 2018. Playing in a match against Wales, she is seen not only stopping attacks but also creating them. 

By getting youngsters excited about players they can go and watch, we give them role models. This can be so influential in the roles they choose to take on.

05 make defending exciting

Encourage the attack to start from the back. The more involved in the game players are, the more they will love the role. 

If an attack starts with a defender, remember to go back and praise them. So many times, I have watched teams score and the build-up has started with a defender picking out a great pass or winning the ball and keeping it. Often, this bit of creativity, skill or composure has been forgotten in the glory of the goalscorer’s celebration.

I remember being at a game where my goalkeeper stopped a shot, gathered their composure and then played a lovely ball out to start an attack.

Within two passes we scored, but the defenders ran to celebrate with the keeper who they recognised had started the whole attack.