Designing a Weekly Plan in Football
In the last few years, one of the most debatable subjects among football sport scientists and coaches is the importance of designing a weekly plan. An abundance of suggestions and tips have been recommended by experienced specialists in the football field. In this post we will outline and elaborate on the most essential key aspects that each professional has to deliberate when designing a weekly plan.
Starting off: the four most important parameters when designing the weekly plan are:
- The style of play, or Game Model of a team (formation, game plan, team tactics)
- The physical capacity or Physiological factors (effective playing time, positions, experience of the players, ESD target)
- The season planning (pre-season, competition, opponent, breaks, matches)
- Management of the squad (players’ availability, wellness, load monitoring)
At the beginning of my career as a fitness coach and physiologist in football, my approach in planning was much different than the one I now follow. After completing a series of coaching diplomas and through my interaction with other much more seasoned and brilliant coaches and strength & conditioning coaches, I realized the importance of a team’s weekly planning in respect to all the above parameters. What would be the important outcome for a team in a match? To win! How can that be achieved, one would ask? With good preparation; both tactically and physically. These two aspects have to correlate, but tactical periodization has to drive the physical aspect which, in turn, should be adjusted to our team-playing game model. It shouldn’t be expected that with just a 4-6 week preparation our players would be ready to continuously and optimally perform for the next 10 months. We have to be ready and flexible in how we adjust our planning of our players and the overall team needs. Therefore, in the end, it all comes to what our player (individually) and team (group) are missing from both tactical and physical point of views, in regards to the team’s way of playing and by also taking into consideration the way our opponents play every week.
1. Tactical target/periodization
As mentioned above, tactical planning is the most important aspect when designing a program. In recent years the principle of Tactical Periodization was introduced to football. This involves the four moments of a game (graph 1), which set the key elements for every training session. Sport Scientists suggested that the brain has to experience a certain situation, in order for it to become a habit to the player (Villanueva & Delgado, 2012). In the end, every coach and team have to build their own Game Model. Starting from simple passing exercises we could put our player actively think and not mechanically perform certain moves without critical decision making actions.
‘’To me, the most important aspect in my teams is to have a defined game model, a set of principles that provides organization. Therefore, since the first day our attention is directed to achieve that’’ (Mourinho, J. in Gaiteiro, 2006)
To sum up, we simply train as we play. This has to be in center and front in a coach’s perception of how proper training planning should be executed. The Game Model and its principles (graph 2) have to be clear and setup from the beginning. The way we expect our team to play (system), moments of the game (mentioned above), player capability (what our player can reach and not what we would like to see from them) and the club’s structure and targets are some of the sub principles of how we should build our game model (Oliveira, G. 2007). Just to clarify, there is no magic nor secrets about how that should or could be achieved, but by building a clear Game Model and explaining this to our players we provide them with confidence and reduce the uncertainty that they may experience (Villanueva & Delgado, 2012).
Graph 1, Moments of the Game (Villanueva & Delgado, 2012)
Graph 2, Game Model (Villanueva & Delgado, 2012)
Video analysis is a recent trend in football. A trend that comes to support the tactical analysis of the team. Big clubs around the world are investing a great deal in staff and technology in order to analyze and develop their team game, but also each player’s individual performance.
Furthermore, qualitative game observations are less objective and systematic and also very slow in analysis processes (up to 6 hours). On the other hand, Memmert et al (2016) showed that, using quantitative game observations, a high level of tactical competence is important for players’ effective performance in football. They demonstrated based on position data of a high level 11 vs 11 game (Bayern Munich vs Barcelona), a variety of computer science approaches that enable the teams to obtain and analyze parameters like, inter-player coordination, inter-team coordination before critical events, and team interaction. All these metrics could help coaches to adjust their training methods based on recent game results. Therefore, coaches having their own team’s game analysis as well as their opponent’s analysis can build a solid game model and can work based on that through their weekly plan to improve the tactical behavior of their players.
Video feedback, in realtime or after the completion of training is crucial for player development. A number of coaches are using different methods to do that, but it is important to understand our players’ cognitive skills and how we could possible make them understand the information we want. After a game (during the recovery session) coaches are now using video feedback and corrections on the pitch explaining to their players what they think went wrong.
2. Fitness target/periodization
How can physical fitness targets be combined with tactical targets? A seemingly easy question! But the answer is far from being simple. I personally find this to be the biggest challenge for a football fitness coach. The tactical target is changing according to our team’s needs or to our next opponent’s way of play, but the physical target could remain the same in a given day (Villanueva & Delgado, 2012). By knowing what our players did in the last match (with the help of Prozone or GPS system) and by having our players’ profiles, we can manage the load we are going to give our players for the specific period of time. Planning a periodization for more than a full week in football is not an ideal training scenario! Demonstrated in graph 3; How the energy supply systems work and in graph 4; the four essential targets when designing a plan from the physical fitness perspective.
Graph 3, Energy supply systems (Shterjovski, 2015)
Graph 4, Energy supply systems (Shterjovski, 2015)
The ideal scenario for a football team would be to work on these aspects individually. Having developed each player’s profile, we set the individual threshold and get the respective data for each player. We thus know if we actually develop each of the desired training targets. For instance, the Maximum Aerobic Speed for a player is 14 km/h and 12,5 km/h for another, so both of them will be required to train according to their threshold. Similarly, in the cases of Maximum Acceleration, Maximum Speed and Maximum Strength we have different data for each player. When implementing speed drills; do we know if we are actually developing speed? The only way to achieve that, would be to set a pair of timing systems and track players’ performance, while having each player’s maximum values. You will then know how close or far are you.
Additionally, as we build our sessions from a tactical point of view, we should build our players’ fitness according to our game model. Speed zones, accelerations or sprints covered in a game should work asreferences for us when designing the weekly plan. Similarly, moves performed in a game have to be added in our strength routine. Do not just stick to simple squats or bench presses but think what your players are doing in the game and challenge their muscles and moves with specific drills (using bands, cable machines or isoinertial technology).
It is preferable to work individually on certain physical aspects (prevention routine, strength, power) before training sessions start on the pitch. It’s all about fostering an education on such matters from younger ages until the actual professional level. If we clearly indicate to our players what the desired target is, they will most likely do the required work to achieve that target. Don’t just bear a dictator-like attitude (although at times it seems inevitable), but try to come closer to your players, educate them and help them develop.
3. Season planning
For tactical periodization what's mostly important is the game model and the team’s weaknesses. Consequently, separating blocks to just pre-season and in-season is not enough. The training procedure is something that's alive and is changes from week to week.
During the pre-season phase coaches should try to develop their game model, try setting friendly games with different objectives so when the competition starts players will be ready (tactically and physically). In season, a teams’ planning should start from the time a match finishes until the next kick-off. Therefore, using the first 3 days, Match Day plus 1,2,3 (MD+1,2,3) to recover physically but also tactically (video & pitch work), we concentrate to the next opponent during the last 3 days of the week, Match day minus 3,2,1 (MD-3,2,1). It’s crucial for our sessions to set objectives and be ready to work them according to last and next match.
Moreover, having our performance calendar in mind, we can exactly set peaks or more important dates on which we want our team to perform at a higher level (Although I am not sure how applicable this would be for most coaches!).
4. Squad Management and Load Management
Player availability is the key element of success. Managers and coaches have to choose the right personnel to treat their players. Recently, UEFA published a study showing the player availability of the UEFA Champion League’s team, where the most successful teams were those with a high number of player availability (free of injuries). Prevention routines and exercises according to player needs are performed by the clubs, reducing the possibility of future injuries. Again, profiling our player, would make our programs individualized and more specific to our player needs. Testing players (48h after or before a game), should provide us with useful information on our player’s recovery status and readiness.
Additionally, Thorpe and his colleagues (2016) in an effort to investigate the use of the perceived rating of wellness (morning ratings of fatigue, sleep quality, delayed onset muscle soreness) versus heart rate derived, they arrived to the conclusion that in-season perceived rating of wellness is reliable, valid and a simple method to use in order to track a player’s fatigue. The above rating provides coaches with useful measurements that could help in their training procedure. The most important aspect of this study is that it was conducted with professional players from Manchester United and the data taken was analyzed throughout in-season with one game per week; essentially, exactly what all of us in the sports field are looking for in our practice.
A big number of injuries that occurred in football, happened because of imbalances between recovery and training load. As you are planning your training programs, also plan your recovery period in the week, or in a mesocycle/macrocycle as well. Listen to your players, take feedback and be ready to adjust the load you have planned for them. Don’t stick in long term programs that don’t take in account your athletes’ readiness after a specific stimulus you gave them.
Training Load is a collective figure that derives from different anatomical, physiological, psychological and biochemical adaptations of a training session. Training load is divided in the internal and external load (graph 5). We can measure the external load with Global Positional Systems, (GPS, with Total Distance, High Intensity Running, Accelerations, etc) and the internal load with Heart Rate or Rating of Perceived of Exertion, RPE (Impellizzeri et al, 2004). The session RPE-based (sRPE) method for quantifying internal TL is really simple and effective. Moreover, it is essential when measuring players’ load to keep individual profiles in order to manipulate each player according to their needs and fatigue. In a recent study (Frencken et al, 2014), the researchers found that coaches and players’ perceptions of training doses were totally different, therefore coaches should listen to, and take into consideration, how their players feel and how their body adapts from the training stimuli they gave them.
Graph 5, Training Load (Internal & External Load)
Putting it all together
Considering the 4 important parameters (mentioned at the beginning), we put everything together to design a weekly plan. There is no magic or secrets, but just a correct structure and factors that we need to take into consideration. Therefore, graph 6 demonstrates the summing of it all and how it goes implemented in one normal week (one game per week).
In order to achieve the ultimate performance from our players, we have to cooperate and have team work among the staff. Coaches (with tactical periodization), fitness coaches (with fitness periodization), team managers (season planning) and sports scientists, doctors and physiotherapists (squad management) have to be aligned and work as a group. Of course, in the end, it all is driven by the head coach who functions essentially as the big boss! He takes the decisions and manages the work of everyone in the team.
The tip here –and my suggestion– is to have a solid plan and treat your players as more individually as you can. Don’t train everyone together in big groups (leave this only for tactical exercises!). Know your players’ recovery curve and when they are ready to train again. In my weekly plan, you can see how you can divide each training target and how you can start tracking your player progress and readiness.
Keep working hard and enjoy your time on the pitch!!
Graph 6, Weekly Plan
Efthymios Kyprianou
Sports Scientist / Strength & Conditioning Coach
References
Ekstrand J, Hagglund M, Walden M. (2011) Injury incidence and injury patterns in professional football – the UEFA injury study. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Impellizzeri FM, Rampinini E, Coutts AJ, Sassi A, Marcora SM. Use of RPE-based training load in soccer. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004;36:1042–1047.
Frencken W, Jordet G, Lemmink K. Coaches’s and Players’s perception about Training Dose: Not a perfect match. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 2014, 9, 497-502
Juan Luis Delgado-Bordonau & Alberto Mendez-Villanueva (2012) Tactical Periodization: Mourinho’s best-kept secret? Soccer Journal May-June 2012 (28-34).
Memmert, D., Lemmink K., & Sampaio J. (2016) Current Approaches to Tactical Performance Analyses in Soccer using position data
Thorpe R, Strudwick A, Atkinson G, Drust B, Gregson W. The tracking of monitoring fatigue status across in-season training weeks in elite soccer players. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 2016
Oliveira, J.G. (2007). F.C. Porto: Nuestro Microciclo Semanal (Morfociclo).VI Clinic Fútbol Base Fundación Osasuna.
Shterjovski Z. (2015) Small Sided Games and Integrating Physical Preparation, FIFA