Carlton Fairweather enjoyed a professional playing career at the highest levels of the game. He is the current manager of FA Super League club Sunderland Ladies.  During his playing days he was part of the extremely successful Wimbledon team that became known as the ‘Crazy Gang’ – their most notable moment being the FA Cup Final win over Liverpool in the ‘87/’88 season.

After retirement, Fairweather returned to Wimbledon as a full-time coach in the club’s youth academy and managed both the Under-17 and Under-18 teams before being promoted to Reserve team manager. He left Wimbledon to take over as Reserve team manager at Crystal Palace before taking up a position as a community coach with Sunderland A.F.C. In addition he has also coached as part of the US Olympic Development Program in the USA. Prior to his current role with the Ladies team he worked at the Sunderland AFC Academy for over a decade – he was lead coach of the Under-12s to U16s during that time.

The following 2 Activities work on the general theme of ‘ball possession’. Within ball-possession players must understand that the target is still to move the ball to the opponents goal to score; the aim is not possession in-itself.

Activity #1 emphasizes maintaining possession through creating advantages in areas of the pitch in order to advance the ball to target players.

Activity #2 is a more general activity that emphasizes patience while in possession of the ball – look to score / penetrate + if not possible, move the ball to another area of the pitch.

1.

Setup:

A 6v6 + 1 is organised as shown. Players are assigned to specific zones; the ‘floater’ (green) can move freely between zones.

Instructions:

POSSESSION – DEVELOPING THE BUILDUP:

Play starts each time with either (A) player positioned in the central end-zone. Teams must build / maintain possession through the central zones and pass to their teammates in the opposite end zones.

The Central zones consist of a 3v3 + 1 ‘Floater’ – teams must use this numerical advantage to maintain possession.

Play is continuous – teams can continue to score points by working the ball from end-to-end.

Coaching Points:

• Angles of support
• Movement
• Awareness
• Body shape to receive
• Looking over shoulder
• Spatial awareness
• Decision-making + Execution of passes

2.

Setup:

A 7v7 is organised across 3 zones as shown.  A small 3mx3m central grid with a high cone (red) is created in the centre of each zone.

Instructions:

PATIENCE IN POSSESSION:

Teams score by knocking over the central high-cone; Defending team must position themselves to protect the cone – players are not allowed to enter the 3x3m coned area.
Two players (max) can move between zones – this creates a 3v3 as the ball moves through each zone.

Play is continuous.

Coaching Points:

• Patience in possession – if not possible to score then move the ball to teammates in other zones
• Awareness
• Body shape
• Movement
• Creating space
• Decision making
• Quality of pass
• Team work
• Switching play