Footballing "Style" within your club

[The Gs Man]

I know it will be necessary to adopt your style of play in matches to counteract the opposition, however, does your club preach a certain footballing "style" or "philosophy" that is ingrained throughout all your underage structures and all your coaches buy in to?  E.g. are you a kicking club?  A hand-passing club?  A club of blanket defenders?  Attack in waves?  All of the above? 

If you are, how do you implement this?  Do you have one coach in a coordinating role ensuring everyone is committed to "the philosophy", or is there direction taken from your existing Senior Management Team?

Or, if you don't have a particular philosophy, is it the case that you just allow the kids to learn the game through making their own mistakes along the way and not worry about one particular style?

Discuss!

[illdecide]

I know it will be necessary to adopt your style of play in matches to counteract the opposition, however, does your club preach a certain footballing "style" or "philosophy" that is ingrained throughout all your underage structures and all your coaches buy in to?  E.g. are you a kicking club?  A hand-passing club?  A club of blanket defenders?  Attack in waves?  All of the above? 

If you are, how do you implement this?  Do you have one coach in a coordinating role ensuring everyone is committed to "the philosophy", or is there direction taken from your existing Senior Management Team?

Or, if you don't have a particular philosophy, is it the case that you just allow the kids to learn the game through making their own mistakes along the way and not worry about one particular style?

Discuss!

What's yours G's man

[The Gs Man]

You tell me yours I'll tell you mine!  Haha

Seriously though, I'm not even sure if it's something that clubs do.

It could be even bigger than this and clubs could take a direction from their County Boards to adopt a certain style?  I dunno.

[blewuporstuffed]

I dont think its something clubs set about to do, maybe you could have a few like minded people involved in the underage setup that may influence it, but i doubt many clubs have an actual strategy regarding playing style.
I would imagine the way most senior teams play is down to the manager at the time and the players available to him.

[theticklemister]

Getting 15 boys to show up!

[Jinxy]

Hit anything that moves.
And if it doesn't move, hit it until it does.

[ardchieftain]

Crossmaglen have a well documented philosophy which i'm pretty sure is implemented from underage. BCB could give the specifics.

I know some County boards encourage clubs to adopt their own style and work on it from underage but it wouldn't be all that easy to implement.

[Zulu]

I'd disagree with developing a set style of play throughout a club development system. For me, from U6 to U18 you should simply be looking to develop rounded, bilateral, thinking footballers. From U14 to U18 you would develop their tactical awareness but not in a set way rather in a way where they can adapt to any system that a coach wants or face from opponents. I would prefer to have players that can make decisions on the pitch rather than ones that are expert at one particular style of play.

[AZOffaly]

Agree in one sense Zulu, but I think if there is a philosophy of play in the club/county, the players should at least be exposed to it so that they are not experiencing it for the first time at adult level. That said, obviously different coaches have different philosophies, and different approaches due to the players at their disposal (at least they should have), so I agree that a well rounded and skilled player that can make the right decisions are better products of a development cycle than a robot off a production line that is brilliant at that 'style' but can't adapt to anything else.

[Zulu]

Yeah I know what you're saying and I agree. For example I would prefer a kicking style of play and if possible a team I coached would use the boot rather than running it but I would always want players who can recognise the right time to kick and the right time to run. I think if you coach your players from U6 to be good decision makers and technically sound players they will be able to adapt to ant system a coach asks them to play. Or at least that's the theory!!

[thewobbler]

Crossmaglen have a well documented philosophy which i'm pretty sure is implemented from underage. BCB could give the specifics.

I know some County boards encourage clubs to adopt their own style and work on it from underage but it wouldn't be all that easy to implement.

I've no inside knowledge of Crossmaglen but I doubt very much if they've a juvenile footballing philosophy beyond master the key skills, stay fit, and hit like trains.

I'd have no doubt that if the Twin Towers are coming through their ranks, whichever age group has them plays percentage football of high balls in, and should their ability translate to senior, the same style would be adopted.

For example, the type of football they've played in recent years bears no resemblance to when they won their first AI. When this run started out they were built upon the key strength of physical size and strength, and in reality didn't make the game complicated, nor did they have a have whole big pile in reserve. The 2010-now version is more about athleticism and movement. That's what suits them now, but even as good as their squad is, the absence of a genuine star like Oisin to take pressure off Clarke for guaranteed scores, is sorely felt.

Short version: build your tactics around your players.

[crossfire]

Crossmaglen have a well documented philosophy which i'm pretty sure is implemented from underage. BCB could give the specifics.

I know some County boards encourage clubs to adopt their own style and work on it from underage but it wouldn't be all that easy to implement.

I've no inside knowledge of Crossmaglen but I doubt very much if they've a juvenile footballing philosophy beyond master the key skills, stay fit, and hit like trains.

I'd have no doubt that if the Twin Towers are coming through their ranks, whichever age group has them plays percentage football of high balls in, and should their ability translate to senior, the same style would be adopted.

For example, the type of football they've played in recent years bears no resemblance to when they won their first AI. When this run started out they were built upon the key strength of physical size and strength, and in reality didn't make the game complicated, nor did they have a have whole big pile in reserve. The 2010-now version is more about athleticism and movement. That's what suits them now, but even as good as their squad is, the absence of a genuine star like Oisin to take pressure off Clarke for guaranteed scores, is sorely felt.

Short version: build your tactics around your players.

He's on his way.

[Down Follower]

Crossmaglen have a well documented philosophy which i'm pretty sure is implemented from underage. BCB could give the specifics.

I know some County boards encourage clubs to adopt their own style and work on it from underage but it wouldn't be all that easy to implement.

I've no inside knowledge of Crossmaglen but I doubt very much if they've a juvenile footballing philosophy beyond master the key skills, stay fit, and hit like trains.

I'd have no doubt that if the Twin Towers are coming through their ranks, whichever age group has them plays percentage football of high balls in, and should their ability translate to senior, the same style would be adopted.

For example, the type of football they've played in recent years bears no resemblance to when they won their first AI. When this run started out they were built upon the key strength of physical size and strength, and in reality didn't make the game complicated, nor did they have a have whole big pile in reserve. The 2010-now version is more about athleticism and movement. That's what suits them now, but even as good as their squad is, the absence of a genuine star like Oisin to take pressure off Clarke for guaranteed scores, is sorely felt.

Short version: build your tactics around your players.

He's on his way.

O'Neill?

[brokencrossbar1]

Crossmaglen have a well documented philosophy which i'm pretty sure is implemented from underage. BCB could give the specifics.

I know some County boards encourage clubs to adopt their own style and work on it from underage but it wouldn't be all that easy to implement.

I've no inside knowledge of Crossmaglen but I doubt very much if they've a juvenile footballing philosophy beyond master the key skills, stay fit, and hit like trains.

I'd have no doubt that if the Twin Towers are coming through their ranks, whichever age group has them plays percentage football of high balls in, and should their ability translate to senior, the same style would be adopted.

For example, the type of football they've played in recent years bears no resemblance to when they won their first AI. When this run started out they were built upon the key strength of physical size and strength, and in reality didn't make the game complicated, nor did they have a have whole big pile in reserve. The 2010-now version is more about athleticism and movement. That's what suits them now, but even as good as their squad is, the absence of a genuine star like Oisin to take pressure off Clarke for guaranteed scores, is sorely felt.

Short version: build your tactics around your players.

To an extent you're right wobbler but the emphasis is still to kick the ball on early as often as possible.  If you watch the game against Omagh, to my mind the game was lost in the second half because there was too much emphasis on ball retention and soloing.  That is anathema to the way the players think and I could not understand why it happened.  I firmly believe if they had continued the way they were playing in terms of style then they would have won with some to spare. 

In respect of the 'style' the basic ideal is too move the ball on as early as possible.  It is encouraged at all ages but obviously the coaching at 6s, 8s and 10s is all about basics but come the games then it is all about moving the ball on.  It's more of a mindset I would argue rather than a style. 

[Milltown Row2]

Possession and support play, we probably play too much possession and over cook the play, but we have done well with it. Our juveniles (while not lately won anything)  have employed the same tactics, but in Antrim we get a lot of teams winning juvenile titles only to not actually do anything at senior level. So hopefully by senior we emerge with a senior team still playing same tactic