Player Characteristics for a Possession-Based Style of Play

[Hans SchneiterParticipant]

On the audio interview Brian talks about “player characteristics” that they seek out to create a group of players capable of excelling at a possession-based, attacking style of play.  What are these characteristics?

I know you guys are all about context so here’s why I’m asking…

I am currently forming a U10 boys team both through recruiting and a tryout in May.  I have the opportunity to scout players in the local AYSO spring league during the next few months.

Are the desired characteristics mental?  Physical?  Both?  How do you set up a tryout situation in order to flush out these characteristics or are they conspicuous no matter what you do?

[andrew crollardParticipant]

I look for 3 primary things at tryouts for U12 and U14:

1. Do they have a good first touch?

2. Do they clearly have a desire to be part of the game, learn, and compete?

3. Do they look around and have field awareness?

The rest of it is teachable within how I structure my practice time. Obviously there are other things I look at on top of the three above items, but if you don’t have all three of those, you’re not going to make it on my team.

[Hans SchneiterParticipant]

Andrew,

Thanks for your input… of your three characteristics I tend to agree with #’s 2 & 3 the most.  Attitude is huge as is the ability (or natural tendency) to have 360 awareness.  I think #1 can be developed by good coaching where TIC is emphasized.

I try to look for players who naturally seem to want the ball, want to solve problems with the ball, try to use various techniques to solve problems vs. trying to use their physical abilities to find a solution.  However, sometimes it isn’t the fault of the player but their previous coaches who emphasized their athleticism.  Can’t a good coach retrain this mentality with enough time?

I guess I’m also  wondering about physical characteristics.  As we know, most US coaches look for the prototypical US athlete: tall, strong, fast, mature for age, etc. and therefore exclude many smaller players.  If you look at Barcelona you  have Busquets and Pique vs Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, etc.  They all excel at this style yet have different physical characteristics.  So what are the characteristics that they look for at La Masia (as mentioned by Brian in the audio interview)?  Do physical traits even matter?

[GaryKeymaster]

Hi Hans.
It’s a great, but very very very tough, question.
Ideally, I’d like to have you next to me while we go scouting … and I’d talk to you about what I see over the course of watching matches. Even that is still tough.

But for now, here’s some free-flowing thoughts …

Usually we inherit a team, so whatever players are already there, is what we work with. And even though no player knows what the heck they’re doing, that’s ok since the execution of our curriculum starts to mold them.

As we put them through the paces of the core curriculum, and as they play games throughout the season, we see who’s capable of executing at the level we want in a specific position, who’s not, and the reasons behind that.

Desired “player characteristics”?
To first order, we look for all the conventional four: Technical, Tactical, Physical, Psychological.
They’re all important, but the first 3 are what draw us to a player. We can work the 4th.
Actually, at the earlier ages such as yours, tactical may also take a back seat (as that’s our job).

So, are they sufficiently Technical & Physical for the level we’re operating at? That’s question #1.
If so, then you have our attention.

After that, it’s refinement and molding according to what we want to see in specific positions.

This is the general context of Brian’s interview; “player characteristics” specific to a position.
So what do we look for? Generally speaking, players that can express the qualities of world class players in position X, for at least the level we’re operating at.

So for example, we want Brazilian style outside backs. Players not only capable of defending 1v1, but hyper-technical and capable of effectively projecting forward in the attack. Now, everyone would say they’re looking for that (and that’s the problem with the “player characteristic” question). The difference is always in how good of an eye you have for player identification, AND in training them to fulfill the vision.

Therein lies a huge part of the benefit of the training framework we’ve released.

In it, there’s already a specific role the outside back must be able to execute. And if you’ve selected a player that’s progressing and executing that role to your standard (hopefully appropriately high), then great. If not, then either they don’t “have it”, you’re not training them well enough, or they’re better suited to another position.

And that helps drive the development of what you “look for” in player ID efforts.

I hope that offers a little help and insight. 🙂

[Hans SchneiterParticipant]

Gary,

That actually helps a lot!  What I hear you saying is that having the 3Four3 “framework” in mind as you assess players allows you to start assembling the specific positional pieces rather than just general raw characteristics.  I hadn’t thought about the positional aspect.  I also hear you saying that the recruiting/evaluating process doesn’t stop and if players aren’t cutting the mustard then new players can be brought in to replace them?  How often do you replace players?

[Author]

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