Check the distances between your wide players and the central support before worrying about the formation. At U11, the issue isn't usually a lack of effort; it's a lack of connection. When your wide player jumps to press, they are often isolated, meaning they lose sight of their reference point—the teammate behind them who should be screening the next pass. If they are 'watching' the game once beaten, it is because they have no immediate role to retreat into. Start by coaching the 'arc' of the press, encouraging them to curve their run so they can maintain a sightline to their full-back or central defender. In training, use a small-sided game where the wide player is rewarded for both a high press and a recovery sprint that denies a forward pass. Improvement should look like a player who immediately sprints to tuck inside or track back the moment the ball moves past their line, treating the recovery run as the natural end-point of their pressing action.
