29 May 2012

Tactical Changes in Football Players Positions Part 3

WIDE MIDFIELD PLAYERS

Wingers, wide midfielders, call them what you like, they are some of the most exciting players around. Being a wide midfield players is a varied and hardworking job, it’s no longer enough to have a couple of dribbles and let the full backs do the defending behind.

•Energy and stamina are needed to give defensive cover to the full-backs playing behind you and get forward to supply crosses

•Playing right out on the touchline when your team are in possession requires a different perspective on the game. A wide player needs to be able to play on the half turn most of the time

•Wide players and wingers need very good speed to get to the ball first, beat the fullback and make recovery runs

•They also need good ball control skills, particularly when receiving the ball in tight areas and good crossing abilities

Modern wide players also need to be able to drop into central midfield areas and to be creative, to break from wide areas and link up to support their central strikers and to score goals.