Readers Question: Back post defending

Why Spurs have problems defending the far post

Poor Communication

The first thing to say is we score plenty of goals at the far post, it's a tactic we actively work on.

Today I'll answer a readers question about a recurring problem we have and a solution Spurs could adopt. In fact it's a solution I have talked about for 10 years but we don't appear to have adopted it yet.

"Can you give a coach's eye to the following...

"The far post cover when the back line is drawn across goal towards the attacking winger and his impen.ding cross.

"Should the retreating midfielder or winger be more reactive than our players seem to have been?

"And...

"Both in defence and in the attacking third our players seem to attack and defend the six yard line in unison, should there be a staggered or second wave around the penalty spot?"

Thanks for the question Les, I'll tackle this through the Man City goal, although Brighton scored a goal that should never have been a cross and Brennan Johnson arrived late for another goal recently.

That's a hint where I'm going with this.

The masses have of course blamed Archie Gray, he was the right-back and the right winger scored therefore his responsibility.

That's the basic thinking, it's not mine.

You could argue there are more, but three issues arise, communication, tracking responsibility and roles in staggered defending.

Tracking Responsibility

Tracking Responsibility


Basically, the defenders have to move across.

Archie Gray on this occasion, Pedro Porro in others has to take any man who is behind the centre-back (Romero), who is also marking a player.

That leaves a wide player space to exploit if he is aware, which is something both City and Tottenham work on.

Staggered Defending

Staggered Defending


The important player is the player who should be around the penalty spot, which on this and unfortunately on other occasions, should be Brennan Johnson.

An attacker should be in this position, Harry Kane would take it up a lot, who can then attack (runs toward) the six-yard box, committing a defender to mark them. 

This is what the City player did.

He, in my opinion, is the player who should be aware of the situation around him and what duries he might have to perform, but I think both he and Gray were wrapped up in their own game, this there was no communication.

For me, I'm not sure Johnson either understands his role defensively, although he should, or mentally is switched on to it.

He is caught up in ball-watching and reacting.

He isn't spotting danger quickly enough, he isn't reading the play, he is reacting to events.

I have talked about proactive and reactive football before,

Johnson is learning his trade and has improved with confidence going forward, but he is still a bystander when defending as opposed to being an active defender, if you know what I mean.

Like a startled rabbit, oh I must move. 

He doesn't have a defensive mind.

How do you cure it?

How to cure it


There is more than one way to affect a cure, but I'd take a twofold approach, video analysis and vision training.

Johnson will know what he is supposed to do, he just needs something to trigger him into action sooner.

A coach needs to show him clips of these incidents and how/when he reacts to raise awareness, otherwise, he might not appreciate it himself and a verbal explanation might not be enough.

I go back to vision training, which fits in with the foundation blocks I'd want to be instilling.

If you have players doing vision training, then it is natural for them to do that in all aspects of the game instead of ball-watching.

That would alert them/him to a potential problem that he would then register he has to do something about.?


COYS