Practical Exercise: Defensive Analysis

Apply the systematic approach to your defensive footage using the same methodology as the attacking analysis, but focusing on defensive patterns and breakdowns.

Track defensive actions in sample footage:

Select a 10-minute segment from your match footage and focus specifically on defensive phases. Use the Individual Performance Tracker template for one defender and the Pattern Recognition Template for unit defending.

Individual Defending Focus:

Track one defender through the segment using these categories:

• 1v1 Duels: Win possession, force backwards, beaten outside, beaten inside
• Positioning: Correct position, slightly out of position, significantly out of position
• Communication: Clear instructions to teammates, limited communication, no communication
• Recovery: Quick recovery after being beaten, slow recovery, no recovery attempt

Unit Defending Focus:

Track your team’s defensive unit using these patterns:

• Pressing Triggers: Appropriate trigger, inappropriate trigger, missed opportunity
• Defensive Shape: Maintained compactness, lost compactness, restored quickly
• Transition Defence: Quick reaction, slow reaction, disorganised reaction

Identify breakdown patterns:

Look for recurring themes in defensive breakdowns:

• Do breakdowns happen more in specific areas of the pitch?
• Are the same players consistently involved in defensive mistakes?
• Do certain types of opposition attacks consistently cause problems?
• Is there a time pattern to when defensive discipline deteriorates?

Rate defensive effectiveness:

Using the 1-5 scale from your analysis templates:

Pressing Effectiveness (1-5):

• 5: Press triggered correctly, possession won quickly, created immediate chance
• 4: Press triggered correctly, possession won, maintained control
• 3: Press triggered correctly, delayed opposition attack, maintained shape
• 2: Press triggered poorly, didn’t win ball but didn’t expose team
• 1: Press triggered poorly, opposition broke through easily

Defensive Shape (1-5):

• 5: Perfect compactness, no gaps between lines, switched as unit
• 4: Good shape, minor gaps, mostly coordinated movement
• 3: Adequate shape, some gaps but quickly corrected
• 2: Poor shape, significant gaps, uncoordinated movement
• 1: No shape, major gaps, individual defending only

Transition Defence (1-5):

• 5: Immediate pressure, quick recovery, prevented counter-attack
• 4: Quick pressure, good recovery, limited counter-attack threat
• 3: Delayed pressure, adequate recovery, managed counter-attack
• 2: Slow pressure, poor recovery, dangerous counter-attack created
• 1: No pressure, no recovery, counter-attack led to clear chance

Connect to training focus:

Based on your analysis, identify the top 2 defensive priorities for your next training block:

Technical Priorities:

• Individual defending technique
• Communication under pressure
• Recovery positioning
• Pressing technique

Tactical Priorities:

• Pressing trigger recognition
• Defensive shape maintenance
• Transition defending coordination
• Balance during attacks

Each priority should connect to specific sessions from your 328 session collection. The defensive techniques sessions and pressing & defending elements from your tactical understanding sessions provide the training tools to address the patterns you’ve identified.

Remember: defensive analysis isn’t about finding fault with players. It’s about identifying the systematic improvements that will make your team harder to score against.