Soccer fans love to argue about the tactics a manager puts into play, and this fascinating study traces the world history of tactics, from modern pioneers right back to the beginning, where chaos reigned. Along the way, author Jonathan Wilson, an erudite and detailed writer who never loses a sense of the grand narrative sweep, takes a look at the lives of the great players and thinkers who shaped the game, and discovers why the English in particular have proved themselves so “unwilling to grapple with the abstract.” This is a modern classic of soccer writing that followers of the game will dip into again and again.

"An outstanding work the [soccer] book of the decade." -- Sunday Business PostInverting the Pyramid is a pioneering soccer book that chronicles the evolution of soccer tactics and the lives of the itinerant coaching geniuses who have spread their distinctive styles across the globe.Through Jonathan Wilson's brilliant historical detective work we learn how the South Americans shrugged off the British colonial order to add their own finesse to the game; how the Europeans harnessed individual technique and built it into a team structure; how the game once featured five forwards up front, while now a lone striker is not uncommon.Inverting the Pyramid provides a definitive understanding of the tactical genius of modern-day Barcelona, for the first time showing how their style of play developed from Dutch "Total Football," which itself was an evolution of the Scottish passing game invented by Queens Park in the 1870s and taken on by Tottenham Hotspur in the 1930s. Inverting the Pyramid has been called the "Big Daddy" (Zonal Marking) of soccer tactics books; it is essential for any coach, fan, player, or fantasy manager of the beautiful game.

People talk about sports from a technical and tactical standpoint, but it's only a tiny part of coaching. The best sports coaches get their success because of their ability to connect and relate to their athletes. The experiences athletes have generally come from the environment created by the coach. As a coach, you can help optimise this environment by the way you connect with your athletes, and how you communicate to them.‘Gold Dust: How To Become A More Effective Coach, Quickly’ delves deeper into the importance of building connections in sporting environments, and how you can do it. The foundations, skills, techniques and behaviours within the book will enable you to create an environment that makes for a better experience for you and your athletes.This book has got stories and experiences from coaches at the top of their game across different sports, including First Team Managers, Head Coaches, Academy Managers and Elite Youth Coaches.You will learn techniques around:•How you can optimise your athletes learning•How you can optimise your athletes performance•How you can optimise the environment you coach in•How you can make your athletes feel better about what it is they doJust imagine if you could become a more highly effective coach through the use of connection and communication.This book is dedicated to Dick Bate. The footballing circle lost a pioneer, a maverick and one of the finest coach educators the World has seen when Dick passed away in April 2018. The thousands of coaches that had the pleasure to observe his captivating sessions were in the presence of greatness. His sessions were constantly filled with unparalleled technical detail that always ignited the imagination of those present. In dedication to Dick, 10% of profits from this book will be donated to The Giles’ Trust, the brain tumour fund within the University Hospital Birmingham Charity.

An essential guide for female soccer players, and their coachesProviding those coaches of female teams with important information that is directly relevant to the specific needs of their players, this overview is aimed at the experience and inexperienced alike. It is full of practical ideas for establishing an effective environment for female players. It covers all the technical foundations: ball mastery, passing, running and dribbling, heading, shooting and finishing, the principles of defense and attack, goalkeeping, footwork and movement, shot stopping, saving the ball, distribution, and dealing with crosses and high balls. Coaches will learn how the game should be taught, how the coaching environment can be adjusted to fit the needs of female players, the strategies and tactics that best suit female players, physical fitness, medical issues, nutrition, and the mental game.

An absolutely essential book for every modern football fan, about the development of Premier League tactics, published to coincide with 25 years of the competition.Back in 1992, English football was stuck in the dark ages, emerging from a five-year ban from European competition. The game was physical, bruising and attritional, based on strength over speed, aggression over finesse. It was the era of the midfield general, reducers, big men up front and getting it in the mixer; 4-4-2 was the order of the day. Few teams experimented tactically.And then, almost overnight, it all changed. The creation of the Premier League coincided with one of the most seismic rule changes in football history: the abolition of the back-pass. Suddenly defenders had no-get-out-of-jail-free card, goalkeepers had to be able to field and play the ball and the pace of the game quickened immeasurably. Tactics evolved dramatically, helped by an increased foreign influence.The Mixer is the first book to delve deep into the tactical story of the Premier League, and take a long view of how the game has developed over the last quarter century. From Ferguson’s directness to Keegan’s relentlessly attacking Newcastle outfit, to Mourinho’s cagey, reactive Chelsea, all the way to Ranieri’s counter-attacking champions, The Mixer is one of the most entertaining, rich and knowledgeable football books ever written.

Martí Perarnau was given total access to Bayern Munich during season 2013–14, and this book represents the first time in the modern era that a writer has got this close to one of the elite teams of world football. At the invitation of Pep Guardiola, he shadowed the Catalan, his staff, and his superstar players during training and on match days. Bayern smashed domestic records on their way to the double, but were humiliated by Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinal. Martí was with them every step of the way. Perarnau is with Guardiola as he is courted by the world’s greatest clubs during his sabbatical in New York. We hear Guardiola explain in detail the radical tactical moves which transform Bayern’s season and reprogram the players who will win the World Cup with Germany. Perarnau talks exclusively and in fascinating detail with an array of players, including Arjen Robben, Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm, Thiago Alcântara, and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Pep Confidential is much more than the story of a season—it is also a lasting portrait of one of the greatest coaches in sport.

Through 1996 and 1997 bestselling author Joe Mc Ginniss followed the Italian football season from Castel di Sangro, a small town nestled in the Abruzzi region of Italy. The motley crew that comprised the di Sangro soccer team in the early 90s masked an unparalleled prowess for playing soccer. This is the story of a team and a town with no aspirations, just a passion for the game, and how that passion allowed this team to rise to the top of the professional Italian soccer league. With the lust for life of Robert Crichton's THE SECRET OF SANTA VITTORIA and the sporting dreams of modern movie classic FIELDS OF DREAMS, THE MIRACLE OF CASTEL DI SANGRO is an ebullient story of how a two-hour game transformed a dot on the map into a place of magic, miracles and wonder.

Soccer is the most mathematical of sports--riddled with numbers, patterns, and shapes. How to make sense of them? The answer lies in mathematical modeling, a science with applications in a host of biological systems. Soccermatics brings the two together in a fascinating, mind-bending synthesis.What's the similarity between an ant colony and Total Football, Dutch style? How is the Barcelona midfield linked geometrically? And how can we relate the mechanics of a Mexican Wave to the singing of cicadas in an Australian valley? Welcome to the world of mathematical modeling, expressed brilliantly by David Sumpter through the prism of soccer. Soccer is indeed more than a game and this book is packed with game theory. After reading it, you will forever watch the game with new eyes.

The #1 international bestseller... Named the #1 Soccer Book by Football.com... Named a Top 5 Book of the Year by the NSCAA Soccer Journal. Soccer iQ is the first book for soccer PLAYERS!"If we could recommend only one book for players, parents and coaches, Soccer iQ would be that book." ~Football.com"If you have a child involved with soccer, Soccer iQ is a must-read." ~ModernDadTopics.com"An excellent World Cup companion" ~Scott Arnold"Exceptional book for all ages!" ~Coach Mark"This book helped us win the Missouri State Championship." ~Coach RyanIn a world saturated with books about how to coach soccer, Dan Blank finally gives players a book on how to think it. Standing on two decades of collegiate coaching experience, Blank has catalogued soccer’s most common mistakes and provides simple, connect-the-dots solutions to help players solve their soccer problems. Soccer IQ is soccer’s first text book for players; an almanac of smarter soccer decisions intended to flatten out the learning curve. It covers everything from hunting rebounds to the value of the toe-ball; from playing in the rain to the world’s dumbest foul. Blank tells his story from the familiar and humorous voice of a coach who has endured years of stress at the hands of his players. Written in plain-spoken language, Soccer IQ is an easy read and a quick-fix to the most common yet critically important soccer problems. Includes a bonus chapter on the college recruiting process.If you dream of being the next Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, the next Alex Morgan or Sophia Smith, of playing for Manchester United or Real Madrid, of playing in the MLS, the Premier League or for a World Cup - then Soccer iQ is the book for you.“Finally someone wrote this book! If every soccer player read Soccer IQ, every coach would be a lot happier.” Mark Francis – Head Coach University of Kansas“Dan Blank has just written soccer’s first definitive text book.” Colin Carmichael – Head Coach Oklahoma State University“This book has immediately become required reading for my team. I’ll take 30 copies.” Steve Nugent – Head Coach UNC-Greensboro“Soccer IQ may the best practical soccer book I have ever read. There’s no fluff. Just nuts and bolts principles that we teach every day. It’ll solve a lot of your soccer problems.” Steve Holeman – Head Coach University of Georgia

Aimed primarily at intermediate and advanced coaches, this book examines the principle formations used in modern soccer and the need to fully understand them all if one is to adapt to game situations using counter-active tactics. The authors discuss such offensive topics as support, width, penetration, mobility and improvisation. Defensively, they provide insight into depth, delay, concentration, team balance, cover and restraint. Chapters include: Three Man Defense Four Man Defense One Forward System Two Forward System Three Forward System Well organized and clearly written, this is an outstanding coaching book.

An absolutely essential book for every modern football fan, about the development of Premier League tactics, published to coincide with 25 years of the competition.Back in 1992, English football was stuck in the dark ages, emerging from a five-year ban from European competition. The game was physical, bruising and attritional, based on strength over speed, aggression over finesse. It was the era of the midfield general, reducers, big men up front and getting it in the mixer; 4-4-2 was the order of the day. Few teams experimented tactically.And then, almost overnight, it all changed. The creation of the Premier League coincided with one of the most seismic rule changes in football history: the abolition of the back-pass. Suddenly defenders had no-get-out-of-jail-free card, goalkeepers had to be able to field and play the ball and the pace of the game quickened immeasurably. Tactics evolved dramatically, helped by an increased foreign influence.The Mixer is the first book to delve deep into the tactical story of the Premier League, and take a long view of how the game has developed over the last quarter century. From Ferguson’s directness to Keegan’s relentlessly attacking Newcastle outfit, to Mourinho’s cagey, reactive Chelsea, all the way to Ranieri’s counter-attacking champions, The Mixer is one of the most entertaining, rich and knowledgeable football books ever written.

English writer Phil Ball has put the history of Spanish football into the context of the epomymous Morbo. Hard to pin down in translation (though the author manfully spends a chapter trying to explain the term in its fullest sense), "morbo" encapsulates the fierce rivalry across a club scene fragmented by history, language and politics. The bitter feeling between Barcelona and Real Madrid has, of course, been well-documented elsewhere. Here that famous rivalry is only one component of a landscape of antagonism. In particular, the Basque country in the north-west and Seville in the south both provide breeding grounds for a healthy portion of "morbo", and receive Ball's attention accordingly. The narrative captures the essence of that feeling perfectly, without failing to inform on a historical basis. A splendid chapter traces the ancestry of football in Spain back to the labourers in the English-owned copper mines in Huelva, Andalucia. While Spanish club football has always had its stars, from Di Stefano to Cruyff and Butragueno through to Raul and Luis Figo today, Ball shows that there is a greater force running in its lifeblood. Yet still there remains a paradox; he analyses the historical under-achievement of the Spanish national side in major international tournaments.The new millennium has seen excellent books focusing on football culture in Holland and France--namely Brilliant Orange and Le Foot. At a time when the stock of Spanish club football has perhaps not been higher since the heyday of Real Madrid in the late 50s and early 60s, Morbo, a triumph in the same vein, thankfully allows us to add Spain to the list. --Trevor Crowe

A mazy dribble through the recent history of European soccer, showing how shifting styles and influence have shaped the game.In the early 1990s, the Dutch footballing philosophy was worshipped across the continent. Then the baton passed to the Italians, who clearly boasted Europe's strongest league. But when France started winning everything at the international level its national academy became the template for others, until suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Europe's most revered player and manager both hailed from Portugal. Next, Barcelona and Spain won everything during a very obvious four-year period of dominance, before tiki-taka's decline meant Bayern and Germany took control. Finally, Europe's most successful coaches found themselves competing in England, introducing a brilliant cacophony of styles to the Premier League.Zonal Marking is a glorious travelogue through soccer's triumphant styles and characters.

A comprehensive look at modern zone formations through the eyes of the author and ten high level professional Italian coaches. Arrigo Sacchi (Milan, Italian National Team), Marcello Lippi (Napoli, Inter, Juventus), Walter Novellino (Venezia, Napoli, Piacenza), Carlo Ancelotti (Parma, Juventus) and Renzo Ulivieri (Parma) are among the impressive list of contributors to this valuable coaching reference. Formations covered: 4:4:2 3:4:2:1 4:3:3 3:4:1:2 4:3:1:2 3:3:4 4:2:3:1 3:4:3

Diego Armando Maradona: hero or villain?One thing is certain: he was the greatest footballer of his generation - and perhaps of all time. A poor boy from a Buenos Aires shanty-town, his genius with a ball took him to the heights of European and world football, and his struggle with the pressures of life inside and outside the game pulled him right back down again. Never before has Maradona given us his extraordinary story in his own words. Until now.

Insightful, enlightening and thought-provoking, leading Premier League lawyer Daniel Geey lifts the lid on the inner workings of modern football.Whether it is a manager being sacked, the signing of a new star player, television rights negotiations, player misconduct or multi-million-pound club takeovers, lawyers remain at the heart of all football business dealings. Written by leading Premier League lawyer Daniel Geey, who has dealt with all these incidents first hand, this highly accessible book explores the issues – from pitch to boardroom – that shape the modern game and how these impact leagues, clubs, players and fans.Featuring insider anecdotes and expert contributions, Done Deal provides football fans with a fresh and authoritative perspective on all off-field football matters.

After an astonishing career-first in Scotland, and then over 27 years with Manchester United Football Club- Sir Alex Ferguson delivers Leading, in which the greatest soccer coach of all time will analyze the pivotal leadership decisions of his 38 years as a manager and, with his friend and collaborator Sir Michael Moritz, draw out lessons anyone can use in business and life to generate long-term transformational success.From hiring practices to firing decisions, from dealing with transition to teamwork, from mastering the boardroom to responding to failure and adversity, Leading is as inspiring as it is practical, and a go-to reference for any leader in business, sports, and life.

The first history of Italian football to be written in English, 'Calcio' is a mix of serious analysis and comic storytelling, with vivid descriptions of games, goals, dives, missed penalties, riots and scandals in the richest and toughest league in the world. 'Calcio' tells the story of Italian football from its origins in the 1890's to the present day. It takes us through a history of great players and teams, of style, passion and success, but also of violence, cynicism, catenaccio tactics and corruption. We meet the personalities that have shaped this history -- from the Italian heroes to the foreigners that failed, the model professionals to the mavericks. 'Calcio' evokes the triumphs (the 1982 World Cup victory) and the tragedies (Meroni, the 'Italian George Best', killed by his number one fan), set against a backdrop of paranoia and intrigue, in a country where the referee is seen as corrupt until proven otherwise. Calcio is no longer a game. It is sometimes difficult to define it as a sport. It is certainly big business and a fanatical civic religion. There is no moral code here. Winners are always right, losers always wrong. This history of Italian football reveals all about the richest and toughest league in the world.

Niemiecki futbol to synonim potęgi. Reprezentacja gra dziś najnowocześniejszą piłkę świata, Bundesliga od zawsze utrzymuje się w czołówce, a dziś, z wszechmocnym Bayernem Monachium i innowacyjną Borussią Dortmund, ma szansę stać się najlepszą ligą świata. System szkolenia jest niedoścignionym wzorem dla większości europejskich krajów. Niemcy masowo produkują uniwersalnych, znakomitych technicznie piłkarzy, którzy są czołowymi postaciami w najlepszych klubach świata. Ten obraz to jednak ledwie wycinek z pasjonującej historii piłki w kraju naszych zachodnich sąsiadów. Ulrich Hesse, dziennikarz o międzynarodowej sławie, współpracujący z serwisem ESPN, pokazuje jak ciężką drogę przeszli Niemcy by osiągnąć dzisiejszy poziom. Zanim trzy razy sięgnęli po mistrzostwo świata, zanim wychowali całe pokolenia fantastycznych piłkarzy, musieli zmagać się ze złowrogimi Gimnastykami i zatrutymi piórami publicystów, którzy pisali o piłce jako sporcie absurdalnym i brzydkim.Hesse z wielką dozą ironii i dystansu pokazuje jak bardzo niezorganizowany i nie niemiecki bywał niemiecki futbol. Jak daleko było mu do Ordnungu i jak ten Ordnung wprowadzano, gdy stawało się to wyższą koniecznością. Autor z niesamowitą wnikliwością odkrywa mroczne tajemnice futbolu, opisuje triumfy, dramaty, wielkie rywalizacje, złożone osobowości. W tej historii pojawiają się z zadziwiającą regularnością piłkarze o polsko brzmiących nazwiskach.

The future of football is now. Football's data revolution has only just begun. The arrival of advanced metrics and detailed analysis is already reshaping the modern game. We can now fully assess player performance, analyse the role of luck and measure what really leads to victory. There is no turning back. Now the race is on between football's wealthiest clubs and a group of outsiders, nerds and rule-breakers, who are turning the game on its head with their staggering innovations. Winning is no longer just about what happens out on the pitch, it's now a battle taking place in boardrooms and on screens across international borders with the world's brightest minds driving for an edge over their fiercest rivals. Christoph Biermann has moved in the midst of these disruptive upheavals, talking to scientists, coaches, managers, scouts and psychologists in the world's major clubs, traveling across Europe and the US and revealing the hidden - and often jaw-dropping - truths behind the beautiful game. 'A book full of exciting ideas and inside views on modern football. The most exciting book in an exciting time for football.' Thomas Hitzlsperger

The mark of a great coach is a constant desire to learn and grow. A hunger to use whatever can make them better. The best-selling author of Teach Like a Champion and Reading Reconsidered brings his considerable knowledge about the science of classroom teaching to the sports coaching world to create championship caliber coaches on the court and field. What great classroom teachers do is relevant to coaches in profound ways. After all, coaches are at their core teachers. Lemov knows that coaches face many of the same challenges found in the classroom, so the science of learning applies equally to them. Unfortunately, coaches and organizations have a mixed level of understanding of the research and study of the science of learning. Sometimes coaches and organizations build their teaching on myths and platitudes more than science. Sometime there isn’t any science applied at all. While there are thousands of books and websites a coach can consult to better understand technical and tactical aspects of the game, there is nothing for a coach to consult that explicitly examines the teaching problems on the field, the court, the rink, and the diamond. Until now. Intended to offer lessons and guidance that are applicable to coaches of any sporting endeavor including everyone from parent volunteers to professional coaches and private trainers, Lemov brings the powerful science of learning to the arena of sports coaching to create the next generation of championship caliber coaches.

'I love Tifo' Ian Wright'Tifo are great' Alan Shearer'Tifo have changed the game when it comes to football analysis' Elis JamesRULE #1: DON'T WATCH THE BALLYes, football is about stars, goals and glory. But it's also about the intense calculations and movements being made by the twenty-one other players on the pitch. It's about the ticking clock, and the bellowing fans, and their impact on player psychology. It's about the coach, the club owner, and the director of football, who are watching, scouting and scheming from the side-lines. It's about money and data, about geopolitics and architecture, and even about climate change.Football is the most popular sport in the world, and Tifo Football is one of the world's most popular football channels. In this short, illustrated guide, its creators share fifty-two simple 'rules' for understanding and enjoying the beautiful game-both on and off the pitch.Covering the key concepts, tactics and philosophies that are shaping the sport today, How to Watch Football reveals surprising new perspectives on familiar elements of gameplay, while highlighting lesser-known aspects of the industry and its history.

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From the world’s reigning expert on expertise comes a powerful new approach to mastering almost any skill.Have you ever wanted to learn a language or pick up an instrument, only to become too daunted by the task at hand? Expert performance guru Anders Ericsson has made a career studying chess champions, violin virtuosos, star athletes, and memory mavens. Peak condenses three decades of original research to introduce an incredibly powerful approach to learning that is fundamentally different from the way people traditionally think about acquiring a skill. Ericsson’s findings have been lauded and debated, but never properly explained. So the idea of expertise still intimidates us — we believe we need innate talent to excel, or think excelling seems prohibitively difficult. Peak belies both of these notions, proving that almost all of us have the seeds of excellence within us — it’s just a question of nurturing them by reducing expertise to a discrete series of attainable practices. Peak offers invaluable, often counterintuitive, advice on setting goals, getting feedback, identifying patterns, and motivating yourself. Whether you want to stand out at work, or help your kid achieve academic goals, Ericsson’s revolutionary methods will show you how to master nearly anything.