The Coaches' Room
11v11•Adult•In Possession

Missing one good chance affects my next two chances as well

Asked by EllieNorth
3402 views 5 replies
I play wide or up front and finishing is the part of my game I think about most. If I miss an early chance, especially one I feel I should score, I notice I'm less calm the next time the ball comes. How do forwards reset quickly enough that one miss doesn't change the rest of the match?

VERIFIED COACH RESPONSE

The important reset is to stop the first miss changing the decision-making on the second chance. After a miss, give yourself one simple cue for the next opportunity: see the goalkeeper, attack the ball cleanly, or finish through the target area you have chosen. Do not carry the technical detail of the previous chance into the next one. Also judge the first chance honestly. A miss does not automatically mean the decision was poor. If you arrived in the right position and chose a sensible finish, the process may have been good even though the outcome was not. Between chances, stay involved in the rest of the game. Press, combine, make another run. That stops your whole performance shrinking down to the last shot. Good finishers miss. The skill is making the next chance feel like a new event rather than the continuation of the previous one.

COMMUNITY DISCUSSION

Join the football discussion. 5 replies

T

TheOldVolvo

Parent who also coaches

We've used a simple cue with players: next action. Miss, react, press or reset, then move again. The faster you do something useful afterwards, the less room there is to keep replaying the chance.
J

justjames7

Coach

I like players to judge whether they got into the right position first. If the movement was good and the finish missed, don't throw away the movement because you're annoyed with the outcome.
D

Dave82

Parent

Exactly. A good chance missed is still evidence you did a lot right before the shot. If you only review the finish you can end up changing the wrong thing.
R

ReadingOlivia

Parent

From watching forwards, body language after the miss seems huge. The ones who stay involved get another chance. The ones still replaying it are often half a second late to the next one.
L

LC94

Parent who also coaches

The first miss only becomes two misses if you carry it into the next technique. Easier said than done, but the second chance genuinely has no memory.

YOU MAY ALSO FIND THESE HELPFUL

HAVE A QUESTION TOO?

Ask about your own situation.