The Coaches' Room
11v11•Adult•In Possession

If I lose my first two 1v1s I stop taking the full-back on

Asked by WhiteLineNoise
2067 views 4 replies
I'm at my best when I'm direct, but if the defender tackles me a couple of times early I start passing backwards even when the 1v1 is still there. How do wide players judge whether to keep attacking the same opponent or change what they're doing?

VERIFIED COACH RESPONSE

Do not let two unsuccessful attempts turn into a rule that the 1v1 is no longer available. Look at why you lost them. If the full-back read the same outside touch twice, change the picture before the next attack. Receive inside, combine once, run beyond without the ball, or slow the defender down before accelerating. If you were actually getting into good positions and just lost the duel, the answer may simply be to go again. The defender is also learning about you. Variety stops them becoming comfortable. A good winger is not judged by winning every 1v1. Sometimes forcing the full-back to back off creates room to cross or combine without beating them. Keep your confidence connected to the decision rather than the outcome. If the situation is still favourable, attacking the defender again can be the right choice even after two failed attempts.

COMMUNITY DISCUSSION

Join the football discussion. 4 replies

H

HillWalk82

Parent

Watching from the side, you can almost see confidence leave after the second tackle. Then the full-back knows every next pass is going backwards. Makes their job much easier.
T

TheOldVolvo

Parent who also coaches

Exactly. I think variation is the answer rather than retreat. Maybe combine once, make a run without it, then attack again. You don't need to prove the same dribble works immediately.
L

LewisM

Assistant Coach

From an assistant-coach view, I'd be more worried if a winger stopped attacking after two lost duels than if they lost a third one in a genuinely good 1v1. The decision can still be right even when the outcome isn't.
D

DanH

Coach

And if the defender is actually winning because they've read the same move twice, that's useful information. Change the picture, not the confidence level.

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