The art of doing a head check In the previous article, we concluded that a head check is that what separates the average players from the top players. To read what a head check is and why we have to do it, read this article. Read here. In this article, we will talk about the basics of doing…
Why is Arsene Wenger so obsessed with head checks In our last article, we wrote about individual tactics and the three steps individual tactics consist of 1. Perception, 2. Decision and 3. Execution. What is perception? We found out that every situation a player is involved in, in a match starts with the perception of the…
Team tactics versus individual tactics The definition of tactics in the dictionary is “an action or strategy which is carefully planned to achieve a specific end”. In football, when we talk about tactics we usually talk about how a team plays in a game. Well-known examples of team tactics are tiki-taka, gegenpressing, parking the bus, catenaccio, or kick…
Mark Diemers about recognizing what is really important Mark Diemers was one of Fortuna Sittard’s standout performers this season, and he is now the subject of lots of transfer speculation. But what was precisely his role in the squad of Fortuna Sittard? And in which circumstances does he perform best? Mark Diemers gave us some…
Beni Badibanga, Only talent is not enough! Left-winger of Waasland Beveren, Beni Badibanga is just 24 years old, but he has already played for 4 different clubs in his professional career. How did he deal with starting his career as a talent at one of the biggest clubs in Belgium, Standard Luik, and now playing…
Marc Klok, The art of setting goals Setting and accomplishing goals is an important skill to have as a professional footballer. Amsterdam-born Marc Klok is currently working on his craft at Persija Jakarta in Indonesia. How are you able to set and reach goals? And how do you stay motivated? In this interview, Marc Klok…
Joost van Aken on dealing with playing styles across different countries Playing football in different countries means adapting to a variety of playing styles. One player who can tell us more about that is the central defender of Vfl Osnabrück Joost van Aken. He started his professional career in the Dutch Eredivisie at Sc Heerenveen.…
Mickey van der Hart: the habits of a professional goalkeeper How does Lech Poznan-goalkeeper Mickey van der Hart prepare himself for games? What are the important habits of a professional goalkeeper? And what is the role of a goalkeeper in the tactical aspect of the game? To know more about his routine we sat down…
William Troost-Ekong: From Dordrecht to Udinese Nigerian international William Troost-Ekong started his career in England by playing in the youth teams of Fulham FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC. The center-back started his senior career at FC Groningen in the Netherlands. How did this start in England and the Netherlands influence his career and his path…
Jetro Willems: “This is something I will never forget” This article is the first in a series where we interview several professional footballers. We do this with the purpose to gain insight into the way they look at football on a tactical level. The series starts off with the Dutch International Jetro Willems. Unfortunately, Jetro…