Center Back's starting position is critical to their team's success when defending. It dictates how the rest of the team defends and how high they can step to press. Center backs who don't understand how to use depth and drop deep when unnecessary cause the following problems for their team

“How can I score and assist more goals?” … This is the most common question we receive from our CMs (8/10s). And it’s a good question to ask, because a CM (or any player for that matter) that can create or finish goal scoring chances will always have a spot in a team.

Making and completing runs off the ball is perhaps the most overlooked concept in attacking play (especially at the youth levels). Whether in transition or in the final third, attacking players MUST move to get ahead of the ball to provide advanced options for their team. Standing to provide support should be the last option an attacking player chooses in these instances.

In this analysis we’ll look at Thomas Lemar and the runs he makes both in transitions and in the final 1/3 to depict effective movements and the importance of continuing your runs.

While it is easy to write about Mbappe’s physical abilities and to watch clips of him gliding past defenders, it won’t help you. What we’ll focus on instead are two specific aspects of Mbappe’s game that you can add to your play today.