Hello there I'm Alec Fenn and today I'm at Powerleague in Sunbury for the latest episode
of You Ask, We Answer. If you're new to the show, it's really simple - you ask us questions
and we put them to the game's best players and coaches so you can improve your game.
Today, we're going to be helping out King 777 who wants to know how he can become the
perfect defensive midfielder. To help him do that, we've spoken to Manchester City and
Brazil midfielder Fernandinho who has a few top tips to help him out.
Let's say I like normality. So, if you consider a football team, the normal is that the attackers
will score. The defenders and defensive midfielder
must defend and organise the game.
If you score a goal or help a team-mate with a pass, that's important,
but I believe my main role in a football team is to give the balance
that is necessary between the attack and the defence.
Our game is about making the ball move as fast as possible.
That is something which forces the opposition defence to move and allows
you to try to find the best moment to pass to the player in front of you, the attacker.
Some great advice there from Fernandinho.
Now, to put that into practice, we've linked up with technical
coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst. He works with some top Premier League academy players and he's
going to be putting us through a little holding midfield session today.
Let's see what he's got in store for us.
Saul, great to see you.
How you doing?
I'm good, how are you?
Very well thank you.
Fantastic.
Now today, I want to learn all the technical skills to make me
a fantastic holding midfield player. Just explain the session we're going to do today.
As a central midfield player, we've got to try and dominate the middle of the pitch.
We're going to be working in the middle of the central zone here.
Obviously, a couple of key factors are
as a central midfielder, you've got to always be able to link the play; be able to get on
the ball and move the ball quickly as well.
The real key thing is that if you play quick, the team play quick.
We're going to work on receiving and passing.
Sounds good, let's get going.
First thing first, I'm always going to be moving to receive the ball so don't pass the ball yet.
I'm going to make an angled movement to try and receive the ball.
Here I'm side on. Couple of things
to remember here is that before the ball comes, I'm checking my shoulder. Also, I want to
try a little feint before I receive. All top players feint before they receive, before the
ball comes. Then as the ball comes, I'm going to try and take a controlling touch a little
bit, so I'm trying to play square against the wall. Pass against the wall and then again,
let it run across my body, I take a touch and then zip it into the on-running full-back.
Stop there. Second time, I'm going to go out, I want to check in, side-on, here, looking,
take a controlling touch. Again, pass against the wall, little movement, let it run across
my body if you like and then zip it in to the full-back.
Saul, you've just seen me do a few repetitions there - my body shape wasn't quite
right sometimes. What tips would you give me there?
We talk about as a midfielder, positional awareness being key
so when you're coming to the ball, but really as a midfielder, I want to try and keep the game
in front of me - especially as a midfielder you're playing in tight spaces, I need to know what's around me so,
obviously checking your shoulder and that's why we feint before we receive. The real basic one is opening
your body up and going back so I can see the whole pitch so I really want that ball to come
across the body rather than having your back to the pitch, when I can only see my own goal.
So progression number one - a vital ingredient of any top player is being able to stay on the ball under pressure so
we're going to work on receiving and then we have to break pressure. Number one 1v1 skill used by
midfielders is using the outside cut or inside cut. I'm going to check out and check inhere to receive,
checking shoulder side on - take a touch, and then I'm going to try and outside cut straightaway
and then play a forward pass into the full-back making a run. I'm making a run here,
checking my shoulder, checking my shoulder, side on, receiving it on the back foot, having a look, cut
with the outside foot and then a little pass there into the running player. Then I've got
forward passing as well. Here, side on, control it, out your feet, cut,
playing it in here and zipping it forward.
One more time. Back foot: control, outside of the foot, cut away, play the forward pass there.
We looked a little bit at receiving and turning - now we're going to
look at distribution - so passing. If you look at Premier League players, it's about how
they respond to different sources of stimulus. You're going to pass into me. I'm going to play the
ball, I'm then going to call out an instruction. If I call number one, the pass has to go against the wall.
Number one pass against the wall, again, it comes back and then I play it back. That's number one.
If I say number two, you've got to receive it side on, play a forward diagonal pass into the corner goal there that
I've marked out in the corner there. If I say number three, it's a forward pass into the right side of the goal. Four
is the left side of the goal. Five is the left corner. One more thing as well. If I say say cut, that means
I want you to try and get it, sharp cut and then play it back to me.
Ok so final progression - so now we're going to add a little bit of pressure, obviously the top players can do all
these things under pressure. If you can see in the square, I've just put in a halfway line
with these two white cones to spilt the pitch. I'm going
to start in the middle, we talk about receiving on the move to make it realistic. I'm going to
start on here and make an angled movement - you're going to pass and pressure.
Play! Here, I'm going to protect the ball. Number one thing here, as a centre midfielder,
I'm going to protect the ball and I'm going to cut away, safe side. We talk about being
explosive so my next touch has got to be into that next zone. Drive into that next zone
and then I'm going to call a number, either two, three, four or five. Then you've got
to try and play the pass into one of those.
Saul, that's a fantastic session you've put on there and I've learned so much in terms of
my body shape and getting those passes off out of feet.
What final tips would you give me to play like Fernandinho and those top holding players?
Technique is the base of all football so you've got to work on the key elements of receiving,
cutting and distribution on both feet on both sides. Majority of players will have a stronger
side and a weak side so always work on that weak side as much as possible. As you've noticed,
the real challenge is then getting that technical quality and final distribution.
Challenge yourself physically and then work on those forward passes, all surfaces of the foot to
put that ending element to it.
Fantastic, cheers for your time Saul.
We'll catch you next time.
Well done.
There we go guys, there is the session done with. King 777 we hope
that helped you out. Big thank you to Saul Isaksson-Hurst for helping us out today. If
you want more training advice or any tips from him, please check out his links in the
description below. If you're new to the channel, make sure you subscribe, if you like the video
hit that like button and if you've got any questions about today's session or videos
you'd like to see us do in the future, please do leave a comment in the comments section below.
Catch you next time.