Author: Steven Turek
Pages: 60 - Graphics: 53

Pressing-Resistance​

Tactical Principles – Match Solutions - Drills​

Steven Turek: „Pressing-Resistance is the ability to identify the opposing pressing, resist it and purposefully outplay it.“

Every coach knows the situation: The own team builds up the play and is early pressured on. Passes are desperately played from one player to the other, until one clears the ball long. What’s needed in these situations is call pressing-resistance. The ability to identify the opposing pressing, break it and purposefully outplay it!

In order that your team becomes individually as well as team-tactically more pressing-resistant, you’ll find the following chapters in the eBook:​

• Tactical principles to identify the opposing pressing
• Valuable changes of perspectives
• Fundamentals for an individual skillset to break pressing
• Specific Strategies to solve a blocked goal-kick
• Match solutions for the play on the wing and in the center
• Practical training exercises for a perfect transfer onto the pitch

A core element of most offensive strategies, is usually the attempt to press the opponent into motion, more precisely, into sprinting. Pressing distinguishes itself by players creating high pressure on the ball carrier. Why don’t we consequently consider that opposing pressure in a positive way and use it for our own strategy? That’s exactly the aspect I want to discuss in “Pressing-Resistance”.

„The opponent only has ten players as well. If he creates numerical advantage somewhere on the pitch, somewhere else has to be a numerical disadvantage - that’s simple logic.” (Carlo Ancelotti)

Exploit the weak points of the pressing!

“If a coach considers the opposing pressing in a positive way, strategic aspects become more important, because: Behind every good pressing strategy is an idea, how the ball is supposed to be won. To counter that strategy, I developed all kinds of match solutions, which orient on common pressing strategies and specifically focus on weak spots. To focus on these weak spots, it can happen that specific types of players find themselves in unfamiliar positions on the pitch. Therewith, I purposefully want to provide suggestions and break up common thinking patterns.” (Steven Turek)

Chances and Risks

If Pressing-Resistance is successfully implemented, different advantages emerge:

• A favorable ratio of players in the attack after successfully outplaying the first pressing-line
• Adjustment-Mechanisms of the opponent (for example quick dropping towards their own goal, strategic fouls and so on)
• Demoralization of the opponent, when pressing-strategies don’t work