How to Defend By Franco Baresi
Franco Baresi, The Great Captain of that Invincible Milan Team Speaks to FourFourTwo Magazine about the art that is Defending.
Be patient
“A defender has to be brave. He has to be prepared to throw himself
into tackles and battle with bigger players. You can improve your
tackling skills by practising man-to-man combat with one-on-one tackling
drills. As a defender you want to be aggressive and determined, but to
make your tackles without fouling. If your opponent has the ball and you
are the defender, he will try to take the ball away from you. When he
makes his move, that’s when you have to act. Wait and intervene at the
right time.”
Stay tight
“Marking is a dying art because of the emergence of zonal marking,
but I think it’s important for a defender to learn this discipline. When
you play zonal marking you’re not watching your opponent, but when a
cross comes in you have to look at him – if you don’t, it’s him who
scores! So you have to be good at covering ground when necessary. And
remember: if a player is bigger than you and good in the air, they may
not be very strong technically – so you want to control the game on the
ground if you can.”
Work as a team
“How fast you are depends on how you move – forwards, sideways and
backwards. To gain an advantage in a one-on-one situation you have to be
rapid at turning. It’s not just about being fast as an individual, but
as a team. At AC Milan we reached a level where we were one man, moving
in line, at the right time, in all directions. In training we used to
start one vs one, than two vs two, four vs six, four vs eight. Playing
four versus eight taught us how to stop the opposition and forced them
to play long ball.”
Prepare for the worst
“Concentration and confidence are fundamental for a defensive player.
The more you think as a defender, the more careful you are and the
easier it becomes. You know when it’s better to mark your opponent and
be aggressive or to take your time. Training is the secret to improving
self-belief because you simulate game situations that you will face in a
match. Prepare for the worst in training so when it comes to game day
you’re calm – you’re prepared. You know how to deal with any situation.”
Attack from the back
“Being comfortable with the ball is important for a defender, because
you can start attacks. Press forward with the ball and play short
passes into your midfielders, or go direct to your strikers. Players in a
well-organised, compact team are never more than 10-15 metres away from
each other. When the other side has the ball, you press high up the
field as a team. Watch the way Barcelona play – when they lose the ball
they immediately press high up the pitch and cause problems for the
opposition. Don’t retreat and invite pressure. Be positive.”
Prepare off the pitch
“It’s important to be in good shape. How you look after yourself
means a lot. Diet and professionalism are essential if you want to keep
playing for a long time. How you train and prepare is just as important
as what you do on the pitch. When I prepared and trained well, I was
more confident: I’d run out onto the field and I wasn’t afraid. If the
team buys into this ethos and you all believe in it, there’s harmony
between all the players and the team becomes stronger.
sumber: http://dailymilan.com/magazine-articles-interviews/how-to-defend-by-franco-baresi/
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