| Brooke Bond | PG Tips | Play Better Soccer


	01 CONCENtrATION "In the modern game" - says Don Revie. "every player in the team has to keep thinking hard for the whole 90 minutes of the match. There's no time for day dreaming !" When a striker comes charging towards goalkeeper Ray Clemence's penalty area and Clemence arrives "out of the blue" and spreads himself at the attacker's feet to clear the ball from the edge of the box it's no lucky accident! Ray Clemence will probably have spotted the break coming two passes earlier! Throughout the game Ray Clemence watches intently the build up of his own team's movements. At the time he's observing how the play is developing - who's moving off the ball as well as on it - what gaps may be opening up in his own defensive cover - what precise position he's going to take up if the opponents gain possession of the ball and break away fast.
	02 GOalKEEPER'S thrOW Ray Clemence has an enormously long and powerful volley for kicking the ball up field to his strikers when that's what the state of the game needs. Perhaps he's noticed though that loss of the high balls down the middle - say - are being won by tall defenders on the other side. And here he's spotted that one of his own defenders has run into a good open space on the touchline - back in his own half. A quick accurate throw so this defender makes sure his side keeps possession of the ball. Notice how the arm throwing the bail has gone round the body so follow through for momentum power and direction. The arm was extended as far as possible behind the body and the throw is an over arm action. Alternatively - if the defender had taken position nearer - Clemence might have rolled the ball under arm along the ground.
	03 trAPPING with FOOT Here Colin Todd has moved into an open space on the touchline to receive a lobbed pass from his goalkeeper. His aim is to bring the ball under control. on the ground. quickly and safely so as to give himself maximum time to decide how to use the ball before he's challenged by on opponent. Notice how his eyes and head have dropped so follow the ball as it drops to the ground - a moment earlier the ball was ballooning through the air towards him. Notice how the outside of his foot has made contact with the ball just at it touches the ground. Todd's leg sweeps the ball all in one movement a couple of yards upheld so that as his head comes up to check again on the positions of other players the ball is lust right for a long or short pass - or perhaps even a run down the touchline.
	04 CONtrOLLING BalL with thIGH Gerry Francis demonstrates a typical modern ball control skill: bringing the ball down out of the air with the thigh. on control it quickly. Francis drops the ball at his feet by raising his thigh to meet the failing ball - then relaxing and dropping his thigh at the moment of impact - to kill the momentum of the halt. Here the ball has been played out to him wide on the far touchline by Todd. who has decided that mounting an attack down his side of the field doesn't look very promising. Francis has already looked round to see where team mates and opponents are - and the task of controlling the ball now has his undivided attention. As the ball arrives Francis makes delicate adjust-ments in the position of his feet and body so that he's perfectly balanced as he brings the ball down.
	05 CONtrOLLING HalL with CREST Mike Channon receives a ball just outside his opponents' penalty area - his back to the goal he's attacking - It's been played up to him by Francis who has spotted that Channon has moved just half a dozen yards away from the marking defender. Any moment this defender will move in to challenge Channon. The ball has reached Channon in the air. None of his team mates are close at hood and unmarked to receive a headed pass. He therefore gets behind the path of the ball and pushes his chest out as it. As the ball touches him Mike Channon readies his chest to absorb the ball's momentum - and is drops "dead" as his fret - safely out of reach -' for the moment - of the defender who's come up behind.
	06 TURNING Mike Channon - one of England's must effective "strikers" - has received a pass close to the edge of opponent's penalty area - his back towards the goal he's attacking. His path to goal is blocked by an opposing defender. Most placers in this situation tend to play the ball the way they are facing - bus - a player of Channon's ability will first drop a shoulder and feint to one side making the defender move to cover. Channon then turns slightly with the ball so the other side - having created that vital minimum of space for the turn. Turning in tight situations despite fierce tackling and tight marking demands courage at well as skill. Certainly a player that has the ability to turn can create chances out of nothing and give his team scoring opportunities.
	07 REtrEATING IN DEFENCE The opponents are launching another attack. One of their front runners is advancing fast - the ball at his feet - Colin Todd of England retreats towards his own penalty area - checking quickly to one that his fellow defenders are covering other routes to goal - and all the time edging the attacker out towards the touchline - not many goals are scored from there! If he's not happy with the cover behind him - Todd will try to slow the attacking player down - possibly to a halt - to give the other defending players time to race back behind him. He certainly won't commit himself to a reck less tackle until he has sufficient cover from fellow defenders. Once other defenders are covering him behind Todd's aim is to move in close reducing the number of attacking possibilities and restricting the attacker's choice of movement or pass.
	08 TACKLING Colin Todd has picked his moment exactly to launch his tackle on the attacking striker. He has judged that he has good defensive cover behind him or the attacker is off balance in his movement. Todd who has been stalking the other player suddenly changes pace moving in very quickly. Knowing when to tackle is as important us knowing how. Tackling is just not taking the ball from the opponent - you also want to retain possession of it. Todd avoids the sliding tackle unless there is no choice in a desperate situation. Using his weight so the utmost advantage Todd strikes for the ball hard - determined so make the ball his. Notice the crouched - balanced position.
	09 WEIGHTED PASS "It's not just the accurate direction of a pass that counts" - says Don Revie. "it's the weight you put on the pass as well". Passing is probably the most important single skill in the whole game. Without good passing the team will not keep possession and cannot dictate the pattern of the game. Here Todd has won possession of the ball in defence and has spotted Channon running into space just inside the opponents' half. Todd strikes the ball with just the right weight and power so that it arrives beautifully in the path of Channon who can gather it and move on without a check in pace.
	10 MAKING SPACE Making space is really making things happen without the ball. Channon will often make a 30 yard run taking one or even two defenders with him. The spaces left behind by this movement can then be exploited by his team mates. He in always looking for positions when he is not in possession which will give him the maximum amount of time should he receive the ball. Running must be constructive - forcing the defenders so change position to open up packed defences. Channon will wander far out of his normal position - out behind full backs to avoid sight marking - sometimes switching from one side of the field to the other in search of that vital space. Here Channon runs into space to receive a long ball out of defence from Todd. Francis watches.
	11 RUNNING with BalL When Mike Channon makes a run for goal he leaves his feet to look after the ball. When in possession Channon has learned to look and assess the situation around him while moving at top speed -to take a bird's eye view of the whole field of play. Here he's received a quick ball out of defence from Colin Todd. and Channon is looking to see how many defenders he needs to take on if he makes for goal himself - or whether there's a team mate running free and with a clearer route for goal - or whether he should make for the bye-line and cut the ball back to whoever has arrived in the penalty area by then. All this while running at a speed that will stretch the legs of even the fastest defenders!
	13 NARROWING THE ANGLE Clemence has superb positional sense - always changing his position in goal as the pattern of play changes. Constantly adjusting to the angle of any possible shot. Very rarely will you see him caught out by a surprise shot. Here he has positioned himself perfectly to meet an attacker running inside from the wing. Look at the picture and you are about to shoot. Clemence has made the angle so narrow that the target has been reduced to the area marked 1. He is covering the other area marked 2 and you have little chance of sticking the ball past a goalkeeper o f his ability. Even facing the front of the goal he will be several yards off the goal line narrowing down the target area.
	12 CUTTING INSIDE Don Revie - England's team Manager says - "Channon in exceptional at going at defenders fast". His remarkable control at speed gives him the ability to take on a defender on either side. Having got into the situation of a one to one he can then decide to take the ball outside and down so the bye-line for a cross or cut inside towards goal. Exactly what he decides will be determined by the position of other team mates. Here Channon has totally wrong footed the defender by slowing slightly and then accelerating again immediately this time inside the defender. The path to goal lies open.
	14 NEAR-POST CORNER The near post corner needs to be struck hard and fast and close in to goal. A signal from the corner taker has made Channon sprint a few quick yards to the near post to glance the ball into the net as the ball comes across. The goalkeeper is still stranded back near the far post - with no time to get across to challenge Channon in the air - Sometimes an attacker will reach a corner kick like this before it reaches the goal - flicking it on backwards with his heed for a tall striker to rise above a defence and nod the ball home.
	15 FAR-POST CORNER With the far post corner the ball is struck to sail high across the face of the goal. Channon has positioned himself on the far corner of the penalty area and has judged the flight of the ball perfectly so shot he runs in and jumps to meet the ball with his head at the peak of his jump. So much depends on the accuracy of the corner kick. Channon has had so commit himself to the run as the ball is struck and if the corner is a bad one and swings out too far - be has no chance to adjust as the ball passes behind him. Here the ball was as "in-swinger". The goalkeeper hass wrongly judged that the ball was going too far out into the penalty area for him to reach - and now that it's swung back in towards the goal he's left is too late to challenge Channon.
	16 THE HIGH CATCH Clemence has 'good' hands for catching. It often looks as though he has glue on his palms to make the ball stick! He's the master of catching the high ball judging the flight of the ball with absolute concentration - ignoring any pressure from the opposing strikers he rises to grasp the ball. Forming a perfect cradle with his hands. with the thumbs at the back of the ball he pulls it down into his body as be drops to the ground. As he lands be will already he computing is his mind the opportunities for a swift counter attack. Defenders will be running wide into space to receive the ball. As Clemence has a tremendous volley be may send the ball straight to the other end aiming as his "target" man - a striker waiting for just that type of clearance.
	17 GOalKEEPER'S PUNCH Ray Clemence of England will attempt to catch the ball whenever possible - but if he's under great pressure from attaching players. he will sometimes pass a high ball away. Using both fists if he can. In the illustrative a high corner has sailed across just outside the goal area. Clemence is hemmed in by both attacking players and defenders. Once he has decided to go for the bell and has left his goal line Clemence is totally determined to reach the ball before anyone else. Here you see him having to use just one fist to achieve maximum reach and gain those vital extra inches to clear his goal. On other occasions the high ball will be threatening the goal direct - and at these times - as Don Revie. England's Manager says - "Clemence is exceptional at going back five paces and flicking over the bar the floater or drifter".
	18 THE LONG SHOT Here me see Gerry Francis firing in a long shot at goal. Power is essential. Francis gets all his weight behind the shot with the foot following through. To keep the ball low the knee of the striking leg is over the ball at the moment of impact. Francis will often come up from midfield to pick up a loose ball badly cleared out of the opponets' goal mouth. Headed clearances from corners are often made under pressure and do not have the distance they should. This is the sort of ball Francis will pounce on - perhaps even striking the ball first time - on the volley - as it drops. At other times Francis will burst through from midfield and put in a long shot at goal on the run. If the goalkeeper has advanced too far forward Francis may even attempt so lob the ball over his head.
	19 INTERCEPTION A typical picture of Gerry Francis demonstrating the key skill of the modern midfield player - winning possession of the ball. Here Francis has watched a ball being worked patiently out of the other team's defence - and reading the play and guessing his opponents' next move - has moved quickly to intercept a pass as their attack moves into his own half of the field. Notice the strength and power of Francis's thighs - its this that gives him speed off the mark as he moves quickly to the pass he has chosen to intercept. "Strength end determination make Francis exceptional at winning 50/50 balls - " says Don Revie - "balls which in theory his opponent had an equal chance of winning".
	20 THE SHORT PASS In thin picture Gerry Francis of England demonstrates just one of the many ways of kicking a short pass - this time a quick stab with the instep - the toe pointed down. Perhaps the most common way is to pus the ball with the inside of the foot. This can ensure great accuracy. You will sometimes see Francis play a short pass with a flick of the outside of the foot - but this needs very good timing if the pass is to go just an far as Francis needs to get the ball to the feet of his team mate. The short passes are a safe and sore way of building an attack. The shorter the distance a ball hasto travel the less chance there is of interception. Francis is always looking for the pass which not only maintains possession but also takes a defender out of the game - giving his team mate who receives the ball unchallenged progress forward.
	21 THE LONG PASS Gerry Francis hits a long pass out of hit own half - speeding the ball up field to his strikers. The midfield player needs to be able to keep a constant check on where everybody is on the field - so that as he gains possession of the ball he can make his choice of the best pass available. Here the ball has been hit hard and true with a long follow through of the leg. It's the type of pass that most likely will keep on moving fast after bouncing - and Francis' strikers are going to have to break into a fast gallop to fasten on it before it goes over the bye-line. Equally defenders are going to have to turn and chase back very fast if it passes over their heads.
	22 BENDING THE HalL When Gerry Francis sees that an advance down one side of the field is blocked by his opponents he very often switches the ball across the midfield - across the face of his opponents' defence to the other wing. Here he's "bending the ball" - kicking the ball with a glancing blow from one side of his foot to make the ball swerve in flight and drop into the path of his team mate who's running fast down the opposite wing. Swift changes in the point and direction of an attack unsettle the opposing defence. The defence shift their attention to the new threat - perhaps loosening their marking on Francis's strikers for a brief and vital moment.
	23 SHIELDING THE BalL 'One of Gerry Francis's best qualities - " says Don Revie - England's team manager. ''is that he'd sooner get caught in possession than play a team mate into trouble." Keeping the ball is vital. Only the team with the ball can build attacks and score goals. A selfish player will run into trouble and rather than appear to lose it will risk a bad pass to a team mate. The team mate loses the ball immediately - and - wrongly - takes some of the blame. Here Francis shields or "screens" the ball from an opponent by taking up a sideways position - keeping the ball for futhest away so that the other player can reach it only by fouling Francis. Francis holds this position only for a second or two - but it's long enough for one of his own team to run into a position where Francis's pass can reach him safely.
	24 THE SHORT thrOW The short throw often requires the thrower's team mates to keep changing position until space in made for throw which ensures the team keeps possession of the ball. If the player about to receive the ball is closely marked from behind by an opponent a good move is often to feint a run up field and then - as the working opponent begins to go with him - to stop dead so that there's a brief moment unmarked. The thrower throws the ball quickly - knee high - to the receiver - the receiver volleys it straight back to the thrower with the inside of his foot; the thrower ends up with the ball back at his feet and space in which to consider what next to do. Notice how Gerry Francis has his hands at the back of the ball - giving him control and power. His feet are firmly planted on the right side of the line - and of course to make the throw legal the ball will go back behind his bead before being thrown.
	25 CHANGING PACE A good midfield player like Gerry Francis controls the speed of the game to suit his own team. If there are under pressure and rushed off their feet he attempts to slow the pace down to give them time to recover their breath and their confidence - if there's a sudden gap up field in the opponents defence he may swing a hard - sudden pass into the space to allow one of his attackers to rush onto the ball and shoot first as goal. Here Francis has been bringing the ball forward into the opponents' half of the field at little more than walking pace. Sensing the opposing defence has been lulled into a false sense of safety Francis suddenly "explodes" into a dash towards goal - bursting past the defender in front of him who's left still rooted in the ground. Immediately the defence is thrown inta a panic. with nobody quite sure whether to come across to tackle Francis in case he intends a shot at goal or whether to go on marking Francis's team mates.
	26 BANANA SHOT England have been awarded a direct free kick outside the opponents' penalty area. A defensive wall is formed quickly to block one side of the goal while the goal keeper guards the other side. Mike Channon of England comes up to take the kick and decides to go for a "banana" shot - curving the ball round the end of the defensive wall and into the top right angle of the goal. He does this by striking the ball with the inside of his right foot so shown in the diagram an opposite page. Some of the players that England come up against nowadays are so good at these swerving free kicks round the end of the defensive wall that Don Revie gets the England defensive wall to cover eighteen inches or so outside the goal posts as well an the goal itself - to cut off even this sort of sharp swerve.
	27 THE CHIP PASS If you can't get round a player you can sometimes get the ball over his head -even when you start with the ball deed on the ground. Here Mike Channon of England takes a free kick just outside the other team's penalty area and "chips" the ball over the defenders' heads towards Gerry Francis who has moved into position quickly to receive the pass. Channon makes the ball balloon into the area by getting his toe under the ball and stopping his foot dead as it strikes the ball sharply.
	28 THE VOLLEY There is nothing quite so exciting as watching a player hitting a first time ball on the volley - and as Don Revie says - "Francis is a superb volleyer of the ball". He moves his feet quickly to get behind the ball then strikes smoothly through the flight at the dropping ball - all the while perfectly balanced. The result is power and accuracy. Here the ball has been chipped over defender's heads by Mike Channon - taking an England free kick just outside the opponents' penalty box. Before be can be challenged Francis meets the ball on the volley and cracks it at goal.
	29 THE DEFENSIVE WalL The object of this wall is so deny the opposition a direct shot at goal from a free kick and the idea is that the wall covers one part of the goal and the goalkeeper the remainder. In thee illustration you see that Gerry Francis has takes up a position in the wall. This confuses the defenders. He may move suddenly and create a gap for Mike Channon to strike the ball through. In fact Channon kicks the ball diagonally across the goal for another player running to have a clear shot at goal - defeating the object of the wall with just one short pass.
	30 SAVING A HARD SHOT A goalkeeper on the receiving end of for example - the fierce volley shown on Picture Card 28 has got his work cut out to stop it hitting the back of the net! England's Ray Clemence has cat like reflexes. This enables him to move so quickly that more often than not he can get his body behind the shot. This is a basic rule for good goal keeping - since if the ball slips through the hands the body acts as a second barrier. Clemence crouches to create a hollow between his chest and arms to cradle the speeding ball. On contact the hands fold up behind the ball closing the perfect trap. If the shot is particularly fierce then he may beat it down to take the power out of it but only if there are no lurking forwards ready to knock in any uncontrolled rebound.
	31 GOalKEEPER CONtrOL Don Revie praises Ray Clemence - England goalkeeper - as "the governor of the penalty box". Clemence dominates the area around hid goal. His team mates leave well alone when be shouts a ball in "his"! When a free kick is taken against England just outside the England penalty area it's Clemence who organises the precise positioning of the defensive wall - using one of the England strikers who have dropped back to help him by marking the position of the dead ball. In this picture Clemence has darted off his goal line to gather a ball bouncing around dangerously in his penalty eras after the breakdown of an opponents' set piece attack from a free kick.
	32 THE LONG thrOW Colin Todd of England comes up field so take a long throw in that reaches into the other side's penalty area. If the throw is near the corner it is a good as a corner kick with the ball cracking the near post. The throw starts from may behind the touchline. Todd moves swiftly forward stopping short of the line and releasing the ball with a strong 'whip like' action. the arms following through. The knees are bent and added power comes from the forward thrust of the trunk from the hips. Both feet must be an the ground when the ball is released. Don Revie points out that this is a skill that you can improve only by constant practice.
	33 head FOR GOal The ball floats into the penalty urea from an attacking long throw from Colin Todd of England. Mike Channon times his jump perfectly to climb high to the ball - stretching his neck to get above the ball if he possibly can. There's no great speed on the ball so Channon has to thump the ball hard with his forehead if it's so travel fast enough to beat the goalkeeper. The power comes from a "jab knife" movement of the body as Chanon thrusts the top of his body forward from the hips at the peak of his jump - keeping his neck muscles taut and really butting the ball hard. The flight of a ball directed downwards is especially hard for a goalkeeper to judge correctly - and this is why Mike Channon is stretching so hard so get higher than the ball. Getting so high also makes sure the ball doesn't balloon off his head and over the top of the goal.
	34 DEFENSIVE headER Colin Todd of England shows how to clear high balls floating across into your own -team's penalty areas. By standing just a few yards off the attacker he is marking Todd has given himself the roam t run three or four paces before jumping for the ball - giving him an extra thrust off the ground for extra height. His aim is so reach the ball before the opposing attackers - and to get plenty of distance so his headed clearance by hitting the underside of the ball with his forehead. If under strong pressure from the other team's strikers Todd may head for the touchline for safety. If be has more time he may attempt to direct his header so any of his team further unfield. Whatever else he done Todd certainly wants is avoid heading the ball to an opponent on the edge of his own penalty
	35 DUMMYING A ball comes across fast and low from the wing. The penalty box is packed tight with defenders determined to keep out England's attacks. Mike Channon darts into meet the ball and it arrives in front of goal. The big No. 5 defender sees Channon about to take the ball in his stride and begins to move t his right to cut off Channon's route to goal. Bat Channon is feinting: instead of pushing the ball forward he instead steps over it. letting the pass from the wing go straight through so an England team mate who shoots immediately during the split second in which the defenders including the goalkeeper are still poised to meet the thrust from Channon. Mike Channon demonstrates other attacking skills throughout this series of Picture Cards.
	36 QUICK REACTIONS When the ball comes so you in a slightly packed penalty box a few yards from your opponents' goal the only object is to bundle it quickly into the back of the net! Elegant methods are not necessarily the best - and many a good goal has been scored from short range off strikers' knees and shins and chests and even backs of heads! In this picture Gerry Francis has rushed in headlong from the edge of the penalty area so meet a hard hit drive across the face of the other team's goal. The ball is too high to valley - too far ahead of Francis to bring dawn with the chest - almost out of Francis's reach altogether. He simply launches himself in a flying drive using all the forward momentum of his run and thumps it into the set off the flat of his forehead.
	37 THE ONE-TWO PASS Mike Channon and Gerry Francis demonstrate the quick one-two pass as a away of penetrating a penalty box packed with close marking defenders. Look at the illustration. Channon runs at goal and as the defender moves out to challenge - he pushes the ball to Francis. The defender hesitates. Francis pushes the ball straight back into the path of Channon who has kept running. The defender is out of the play without having had a chance to tackle. This is sometimes called the wall pass. In this instance Francis was the wall. You push a ball against a wall and it bounces back. But Francis is much more than a wall. This ball didn't just rebound - it was perfectly weighted so that it arrived at Channon's feet without him having to cheek his stride.
	38 THE BACKHEEL In a tightly packed penalty area the players attacking don't always have time for luxuries like turning with the ball so face the goal. Here Gerry Francis has moved up from midfield so help England convert strong pressure into a goal. The ball is stabbed to him quickly along the ground by a team mate - or perhaps it has just struck an opponents leg and has run free to Francis. One defender is upon him immediately and two others are about to crowd in on him. With no time to turn or in any other may improve his shooting position - Francis simply back heels the ball toward goal-only half a dozen yards behind him. It's an unexpected move - and the surprise may well earn him a goal.
	39 PENaltY KICK Channon takes the penalties for England - a big responsibility He knows exactly where he is going to place the kick before he steps op to hit the ball. He has a deceptive run often sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. By keeping the knee of the kicking leg well over the ball to keep the kick low the ball is struck firmly low and hard to the corner of the goal. Many goalkeepers commit themselves to diving to one side. This at least gives them a fifty-fifty chance of going in the right direction and if the ball has been slightly miss-hit they may he able to get to the ball. Don Revie - the England Manager - says of Channon's penalties - 'He is so posi-tive. he pots it exactly where he wants it'. Other England players will be moving in quickly as soon as the ball has been struck for if the goalkeeper does parry the ball a quick follow-up may provide a chance to knock it back in.
	40 DIVING Whenever possible Ray Clemence dives side 'towards the' ground which allows him to get his body behind the ball. If the ball arrives close to his body he does his utmost to catch the ball and pull it into his body. Diving sideways on like this also allows him to see the ball all the way. Often it has to be a quick reaction dive where there is no chance of catching the ball - Then he sips the ball away safely round the post. Diving as an opponent's feet needs courage - confidence and great skill. Coming out of goal Clemence 'reads the attackers feet' - waiting for the forward to push the ball just that fraction too far. Then he dives into smother the bail. In other Picture Cards in this series Ray Clemence demonstrates goal keeping skills such as catching high balls - punching balls clear - concentration - controlling the penalty area end narrowing the angle for raiding wingers.

"They wer quiet as a mouse there was no laughter in the house"
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