Why the Forgotten Art of Simplicity Is Essential in Football — The Soccer Mentor

Today, we are digging into why the forgotten art of simplicity is essential in football. Simplicity is something which is often overlooked in life and in football. With all the information available to us, and all of the options we have in terms of training advice and tips, what used to be straightforward concepts are often overcomplicated.

‘Football is simple, but the hardest thing is to play simple football’

Why is simplicity important at youth level?

When watching amateur football, you can tell who the good players are because they get the simple things right, every time. They nail the fundamentals — passing, tackling, shooting, heading — and don’t overdo it. Scouts watching U12/13/14/15 games are not necessarily looking for the player who can play one forty-yard pass cross-field, but rather the player who gets the basics right every time; this is the sort of player who they can then develop.

A good example of this is watching ex-professionals play. Take the Star Sixes competition a few years back; it was interesting to watch how these retired stars played with immense simplicity. Sure, you’ll see the odd audacious attempt, but give it a watch and note how many touches they take, their priorities when in possession, and how they make the fundamentals look easy.

When you see someone trying multiple step-overs, taking extra touches, doing unnecessary Cruyff turns and the like, they stick out as a bad player like a sore thumb. Yet, those trying these moves think they are impressing. If you are Neymar, you can pull these off and look good, but if you are not, you will struggle to impress. Even Cristiano Ronaldo improved immensely when he dialled his game down to the basics as a youngster at Manchester United.

When I worked in the Sports Science department at a club, the players would often complain about the S&C routines they would go through in the gym. And honestly, I don’t blame them.

They were often so complex and weird. The complexity led to boredom and reduced effort. This is the same for S&C workouts published online. A quick scroll through Instagram and you will find someone using five pieces of equipment for a push-up variation, or displaying a workout with 12 different, attractive looking exercises, when four would have sufficed.

At The Soccer Mentor, I am striving to deliver a simple approach to football, sports science, psychology, and nutrition which can be followed by amateur players. Simple does not mean easy. You need to commit to hard work for any noticeable results. But, simple concepts are easier to digest, and easier to implement, and should result in the consistency required to see things through and reap the rewards.

The same theory often applies to actually playing football.

In youth football today, there is an unhealthy dog-eats-dog culture emerging. Far too many Saturday and Sunday league coaches are treating amateur football like it’s the Premier League, and this can often be reflected in training drills and match demands. Complicated passing drills often fall to this fate, with training sessions at U14 level looking like a Barcelona training set up, but one where the players have had one too many drinks the night before.

Whilst complex drills can be useful in the professional game and in older age groups (helping to condition the footballing mind to think faster), it’s amazing how many times the same objective of the drill could be achieved in simpler steps. Similarly, are these sorts of drills actually realistic? Will there necessarily be an opportunity to play such a precise passing move on a horrible pitch on a cold January morning?

However, it isn’t only in amateur football where this ‘issue’, so to speak, arises. At the very top level, shooting drills in the warm-up are often played off three or four one touch passes, when a simple one-touch set up would suffice. These sorts of things can also place unnecessary expectations upon young players, who most likely aren’t going to find themselves through on goal after a silky four touch transition move from the halfway line through, but ‘because the pros do it, I have to, too’.

So, we know that simplicity is an overlooked part of football. But how do we keep things simple?

It’s infuriating when some of the best players we see in the top leagues cause the break-down of attacks, try too much in midfield and get dispossessed, or play risky passes from defence for the sake of playing out from the back. But this usually doesn’t happen because they haven’t the technical ability. It’s because they’re thinking beyond the next move.

The morale of this? Don’t try to do too many things at once.

When you’re playing and training — whether that’s actual football or S&C — try and answer this question: what is the ONE thing which will move the needle for you? What ONE thing will make the biggest difference?

The key is to not overwhelm yourself. Focus on the stand-out thing to work on. Things can have a knock-on effect and you can improve more than the one thing which you are focussing on. Stop trying to juggle so many things. Complexity can kill growth, whether that’s on a personal or team level. So, can you achieve the same thing in fewer steps?

For example:

If you’re receiving the ball out wide inside your half and you want to get on the attack, how can you avoid ‘having’ to do a Cruyff turn?

• Hold the ball up and wait for support to arrive, which in turn will create space elsewhere on the pitch.
• Set the ball back to the full back, which allows you to make a run past the defender whilst the full back then plays the ball over the top to you.

In either case, you’re less likely to make a mistake, which will keep the team solid. Now, it’s not good either to play football purely to minimise the mistakes you’re making, and risks are a necessary part of the game.

However, these risks need to be calculated. In the above example, given the attacker is in his own half, trying to turn the defender is more likely to lead to the ball being lost which could lead to a counter-attack down that wing with only the full back covering. In that situation, it was more beneficial to the team to play simple.

This is partly why direct football is more effective in lower divisions — the players are less technically able meaning that direct, pacey football is more suited to the physical nature of the game. Simplicity is key here, and these players are focusing on their strengths, and as a result have made it further than those who ignore the art of simplicity.

Which players exemplify the effectiveness of simple football?

Pre-2000, Roy Keane.

Post-2000, Sergio Busquets.

Whilst Roy Keane — a hard-hitting, tough tackling central midfielder with a sharp tongue to match — is a somewhat obvious example, his reputation has somewhat overshadowed his actual ability on the pitch. Keane did what was necessary to make his part in a move effective and productive to the outcome; either a goal, tackle, or win, ultimately. He has often spoken of his overbearing desire to get the job done, no matter how that was.

Busquets, however, may be a little more of a surprise. People often overlook the role he has played in Barcelona’s star-studded side. Whilst Barca are famed for their intricate, complex tika-taka system, the principles behind it are quite simple. Often, it’s the end product that makes the moves look so precise.

Busquets does a stunning job of playing ‘the necessity man’. The Spaniard has a clear purpose behind everything he does and underpins this with his outstanding technical mastery of the basics — an excellent first touch, a range of passing, physical stamina, and a will to put himself about, so to speak.

There’s a time and a place to take risks in football, but ultimately, the reliable, solid player will stand out more than the player who scores an overhead kick once every 25 games.

Originally published at https://thesoccermentor.com on January 20, 2021.