Individual development is the key to team development.
This isn’t just philosophy - it’s common sense. Improving individuals makes your team stronger, more focused, and motivated in parts, which strengthens the whole.
Send players onto the pitch who are confident in their ability and have clarity on their role, and you’ve given the team every opportunity to perform.
Why the Obsession With Individual Development?
When you look at the 11v11 game, it’s actually divided into small games - 1v1, 2v1, 3v2 situations happening across the pitch.
Try this: Next time you watch a match on TV, press pause and look at the 20x20 yard area around the ball.
That small area is where the game is being decided. Coaching players to act, make decisions, and dominate these small games within the 11v11 is essential to success.
The 1v1 Foundation, The 2v1 Mindset
Players need to be comfortable in 1v1 situations across all aspects of the game. Not just in attacking moments, but in every facet - defending, pressing, receiving under pressure, everything.
But here’s the crucial addition: they should always be thinking in 2v1.
How to combine with a teammate. How to support someone else. How to create numerical advantages through connection.
In all facets of the game - not just possession.
Breaking Down the Opposition
Once you’re aware of the opponent’s formation, you can break down the game for your players.
Start simple: Win your 1v1. Make it personal.
Then add complexity:
- 2v1 combinations
- Unit battles (your midfield vs theirs)
- Side-of-pitch dominance
Different formations create different problems to solve. Your job is helping players see and solve them.
The Midfield Question
It’s often said that winning the midfield is key to dominating any game.
Questions to consider:
- How do your midfielders complement each other?
- What problems does the opponent’s midfield shape create?
- How can you create overload situations in possession?
- How do you gain an extra player in the centre of the field?
Finding Your Match-Winners
How obsessed is your team with finding your match-winners and goal scorers?
Not all 1v1s are 50/50 situations. Any defender going 1v1 against elite attackers is not in a coin-flip - the attacker has huge advantages due to their brilliance.
So where are your team’s 70/30 situations?
Identify where your team has clear advantages. How often can you get the ball to these players so they can create?
This is strategic individual development - knowing who your difference-makers are and building paths to get them involved.
Building From the Back
Do you enjoy building attacks from the goalkeeper or defence?
Consider what you’re facing:
- How many forwards does the opponent have?
- How can you play out in this situation?
Critical distinction: There’s a difference between PLAYING from the back and PLAYING at the back.
Your team must be progressive - looking to play forward and through the pitch. Building from the back that doesn’t progress is just passing with no purpose.
The Practical Application
Understanding how the 11v11 breaks down into small games gives you a framework for development:
- Individual sessions: Focus on 1v1 qualities in all aspects
- Small group sessions: Work on 2v1, 3v2 rules and combinations
- Unit sessions: Develop how groups work together
- Team sessions: Apply everything in 11v11 context
Each layer builds on the previous. Players who can win 1v1s and think in 2v1s become units that dominate areas of the pitch. Units that work together become teams that control games.
The Identity Connection
This approach connects directly to developing each player’s football identity - understanding their strengths, their best 1v1 situations, and how they combine with teammates.
For each player, consider:
- Where are their 1v1 situations on the pitch?
- What types of opponents do they dominate?
- How do they combine best with nearby teammates?
- What positional battles must they win for the team to succeed?
This specificity transforms generic training into purposeful development.
The Simple Truth
Eleven players working together intelligently, each winning their individual battles while supporting teammates, is unstoppable.
But it doesn’t happen automatically. It requires developing individuals who understand their role in the small games that make up the big picture.
Focus on the 20x20 yard area around the ball. That’s where matches are won.
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