By El Loco Jr
One minute, Lionel Messi is walking. The next, he is scoring a goal, seemingly with all the time in the world — as if the game has slowed down for a few seconds.
Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, has taught us a valuable lesson that we should begin incorporating into our football methodology and coaching curriculum.
Over the years, the Spanish and Dutch football schools have developed and implemented principles that have significantly influenced their success. One of the key ideas is developing players who are not solely ball-oriented when their team is out of possession.
What began within the Dutch school of coaching was later articulated by legendary Italian coach Arrigo Sacchi through four main reference points in football:
- The ball
- The direct opponent
- The space
- The teammate
The best players often appear to have more time on the ball because they have mastered how to interpret these four reference points, both with and without possession.
When coaches are asked what makes a good footballer, one of the most common answers is decision-making.
But what does decision-making actually mean?
Is it simply the ability to execute a good pass, dribble or shot?
We often judge a player’s decision by looking at the final action — the pass, the dribble or the finish. But watching what happens five seconds before the execution can completely change our understanding of what makes an elite player.
This is one of the areas that has opened my eyes to the strength of the Spanish and Dutch schools of football.
Scanning is more than turning your head
When we talk about decision-making, one of the first words that comes up is scanning.
But what exactly is scanning, and what are top players actually looking for?
This is why simply telling young players to “scan” is not enough.
When you mindlessly yell “scan”, you might as well be telling a player to turn their neck.
Scanning is the physical action of gathering information.
Before the execution of any football action, there must first be a process of gathering information from the game. The four reference points provide a framework for what the player should be looking for when scanning.
Consider a player who is away from the ball but directly engaged with an opposition defender.
Directing their attention towards that opponent helps them gather information that actually matters.
What happens if you move away from the ball while your direct opponent is watching it?
What happens if you remain on their blind side?
What happens if you move towards the ball when your opponent moves towards you?
These are decisions that must be made before the player receives the ball and executes the visible action that everyone notices.
Developing players who understand the game
When I watch the average youth player, I often see a very ball-focused mind.
They are glued to the ball.
Off the ball, this can manifest itself through parallel running alongside the ball carrier, often at the same speed and in the same direction.
Players can also become stuck next to their direct opponent because the defender is equally focused on the ball.
As a result, they miss opportunities to manipulate that opponent.
They could receive beyond them.
They could take them away and then receive in front of them in space.
They could create uncertainty in the defender’s mind.
Essentially, they miss one of the most important questions in football:
How can I create indecision for my direct opponent that will benefit my team?
Before every football action, there are decisions to be made. Our coaching methodology must therefore go beyond teaching players what to do with the ball. It must teach them how to understand the situations that exist before they receive it.
Why the best players appear to have more time
The best players often look as though they have more time on the ball because they have already made several decisions before receiving it.
They are:
- Manipulating their direct opponent — thinking ahead about how to create an advantage.
- Recognising space — identifying where it is and how they can exploit it or arrive in it.
- Recognising their teammates — understanding where teammates are and who is best positioned to progress the play.
- Preparing their body position — positioning themselves to receive the ball and execute the next action efficiently.
By the time the ball reaches them, much of the thinking has already been done.
That is why elite players can appear to have so much time.
They are not necessarily moving or thinking slower.
They are thinking earlier.
From individual intelligence to collective intelligence
Creating a team with the collective intelligence associated with the best footballing cultures requires an entire group of players to understand the game through a similar framework.
Teaching the four reference points is one possible way of developing that collective intelligence.
Players must learn to constantly interpret:
The ball.
The opponent.
The teammate.
The space.
But understanding these elements is only the beginning.
The next step is learning how to manipulate them.
That is where football intelligence develops.
For Zambian football, if we want sustainable progress, our responsibility as coaches, educators and lovers of the game is to think seriously about the methodology through which we develop young players.
We should not only produce players who can pass, dribble and shoot.
We should produce players who understand why, when, where and how to perform those actions.
A complete footballer is one who understands:
The ball.
The opponent.
The teammate.
The space.
And, most importantly, how to manipulate all four.
Mindset is Everything.
— El Loco Jr.
