help needed

[joyceys barmy army]

Concentration

Strength

stamina

anticipation

positioning

I'm a defensive midfielder, breaking up the play type. e.g makelele or George Boateng

any tips on how to improve any of these things?

[davieG]

Concentration

Strength

stamina

anticipation

positioning

I'm a defensive midfielder, breaking up the play type. e.g makelele or George Boateng

any tips on how to improve any of these things?

Watch some videos of experts like Junior Lewis

[samingram_uk]

Concentration

Strength

stamina

anticipation

positioning

I'm a defensive midfielder, breaking up the play type. e.g makelele or George Boateng

any tips on how to improve any of these things?

do alot of jogging

[Alexikokopops]

There's a little thing called training...

[Durnerz]

Concentration

Strength

stamina

anticipation

positioning

I'm a defensive midfielder, breaking up the play type. e.g makelele or George Boateng

any tips on how to improve any of these things?

Concentration - Keep a look around you at all times, not just at the ball, this will come with the more you play the game, the more naturally adapted you get.

Strength - Start working out, use weights and balance your workout, work all your muscles but follow a plan, say 15 reps of 8 routines with a set of dumbells/barbell.

Stamina - If you have a girlfriend, that helps, otherwise try eating light before you play, pasta salads work well, most of what keeps me going is in my mind so set a focus on something while you're on the pitch, that will help you.

Anticipation - Look and listen, look at the player with the ball and listen for any reactions he has to other players calling for the ball, that will give you some indication of where it's going, the more you play the better you will read the game.

Positioning - Play with your head up and look around you a lot more to give yourself a better idea of your position on the pitch, also if you see an opposing player free then make sure you stick with him if one of your team mates has gone to close the ball down for example.

Hope that helps.

[macbeth]

Well, Clive, it's all about the two M's - movement and positioning.

- Ron Atkinson

[Thracian]

Concentration:

a) Get a friend to monitor your game by making a series of 10 minute grids and recording how often you had thge ball during that period and how often you gave it away. Such grids can be useful for improving all sorts of aspects of your game because they offer proof of any weaknesses.

b) Resist self praise. If you dwell on something good that you did the next thing that happens is you make a mistake because you weren't fully focused. Look on what you do as tasks of a job. Try to do all your tasks well and so complete a useful days work.

c) Avoid drifting when the ball is elsewhere but always be asking, what can I do that's useful. Cover a colleague, assist the attackers, talk to your colleagues, observe what different players, particularly opponents do. It will serve you well before the end of the game.

Strength:

a) Jogging is hard on the body, far better to use something like yoga for subtlety, controlled flexibility and aiding both mental and physical strength Repetition exercises with lightish weights will increase strength and speed as will boxing training with its skipping, circuits, and fast co-ordination exercises.

Stamina: Boxing training and yoga which both inprove lung capacity. Sprint exercises with diminishing recovery times are also useful but vary the duration of the sprints.

Play and practice squash: Squash court floors are sprung and will not do so much damage as unyeilding survaces surfaces. You will constantly twist and turn as in football but muscles are unlikely to get damaged in the warm atmosphere. Stamina will develop quickly especially if you get a coach to involve you in back court/front court exercises both with and without a ball. In my time a close match might last 140-170 minutes and you can easily adapt the games to ensure longer or more demanding rallies. Another benefit of both squash and boxing is that your reaction time speeds up dramatically.

A great exercise is to stand on the tee and volley the ball into the corner so it hits one wall, then the other and returns to you on the tee where you then play the same shot into the other corner (alternative forehand and backhand). Aim for 100 repetitions and see how your reactions, strength, co-ordination, concentration and balance improve. You can, of course, do similar excersies with a football and a wall. Example, from 5-10 yards, chip onto the wall, control (keeping ball in air) chip to wall with other foot, control and chip etc. Or with friends, keep the ball off the ground for specific spells, five minutes, 10 minutes etc (two touches only) .

Anticipation:

Watch and observe good players in your position. Learn to relax (again yoga helps) and to use your peripheral vision to develop a view of the big picture. Any written or verbal mental exercises which improve decision making will help but mainly observe and assess peoples strengths, weaknesses, habits and capabilities. Then use that information to help counter those things. Make notes on opponents.

Positioning:

As a defensive midfielder you are essentially there to seek and destroy then pass and support.

Stay on your feet as much as possible and try to resist commitment until you yourself have cover. Instead use your knowledge of the opponent to chanel him into places he doesn't want to go. On to he weaker foot and away from potential support and the goal.

In possession try to use the ball quickly and safely. Defensive midfielders are not first and foremost risk players but they can help attackers enormously by resisting the temptation to dwell on the ball and instead

giving one and two touch passes which makes the counter attacks swifter.

Thereafter think of 45-degree angles and as a general rule offer your support with 15-20 yards of your colleagues in the areas behind them (and at the angle I mentioned). You then provide a constant "out" ball and one where your colleagues can escape at virtually any time.

Gradually, if you have technically instinctive colleagues, you can add selected forward runs to your game but only when you know your midfield/defensive partners will automatically provide cover.

Operating a football team has many similarities to launching a military ground offensive in that support and colleague understanding it vital together with unbreakable individual and collective self belief.

For instance, if you make a mistake (just the same as if you do something well like score) put it behind you and treat the game as if you were just starting. Everyoine else will make mistakes. If a colleague makes a mistake take time to quictly encourage him as you should do throughout, praising anything they do well and urging them to take up good positions.

Hope that helps

[Cobbo]

Watch me play.

[Daggers]

I know of a young man who seems to have a great deal of talent that has helped him escape from a life of nicking hubcaps. Unfortunately, he has a problem with his temper and can often have altercations on the pitch leading to problems for himself and his team.

What would FT members suggest to young, err, Dwayne?

[Thracian]

Write to RK for a trial. Linked in with Danny Tiatto we might have the Championship version of the Kray twins in midfield.

[macbeth]

I know of a young man who seems to have a great deal of talent that has helped him escape from a life of nicking hubcaps. Unfortunately, he has a problem with his temper and can often have altercations on the pitch leading to problems for himself and his team.

What would FT members suggest to young, err, Dwayne?

sounds like a spud faced nipper i used to know......the local community service order got him doing odd jobs for elderly widows etc he never looked back.......and the widow women seemed pleased with his work....perhaps it would help with young dwayne

[Newcastle_Fox]

Play and practice squash: Squash court floors are sprung and will not do so much damage as unyeilding survaces surfaces. You will constantly twist and turn as in football but muscles are unlikely to get damaged in the warm atmosphere. Stamina will develop quickly especially if you get a coach to involve you in back court/front court exercises both with and without a ball. In my time a close match might last 140-170 minutes and you can easily adapt the games to ensure longer or more demanding rallies. Another benefit of both squash and boxing is that your reaction time speeds up dramatically.

A great exercise is to stand on the tee and volley the ball into the corner so it hits one wall, then the other and returns to you on the tee where you then play the same shot into the other corner (alternative forehand and backhand). Aim for 100 repetitions and see how your reactions, strength, co-ordination, concentration and balance improve. You can, of course, do similar excersies with a football and a wall. Example, from 5-10 yards, chip onto the wall, control (keeping ball in air) chip to wall with other foot, control and chip etc. Or with friends, keep the ball off the ground for specific spells, five minutes, 10 minutes etc (two touches only) .

Figure of 8's will take abit of practice if ya only just starting to pick up a squash racket . Took me a while to do them when I first started many years ago aged 10. But can do them really easy now. Started my pre-season training for squash last week and doing a of 3-5 mile run every other day and playing twice a week and having a few hits on my own. Doing quite a few courts sprints aswell (sprinting 22 times lengthyways across the court and back in a minute then 30 seconds break then another set, do this 5 times.). Having a physical month for july then will start playing lots in august getting ready for the season in September where I am returning to my old stomping grounds of Leicestershire and Derbyshire leagues.

[Rincewind]

You weigh up the pros and cons and try and put them in chronological order.

Dave Bassett

[joyceys barmy army]

Thanks a lot people that was more helpfull than I ever expected!

[macbeth]

Thanks a lot people that was more helpfull than I ever expected!

there are very few problems that can't be solved by the brains trust ......aka FT

[macbeth]

Concentration

Strength

stamina

anticipation

positioning

I'm a defensive midfielder, breaking up the play type. e.g makelele or George Boateng

any tips on how to improve any of these things?

i hope that along with these advanced footballing skills you will practice the basics

spitting

stamping on groins

tantrum throwing

acrobatic diving

ref abuse

talking on mobile phone to agents during training

attending garth crooks language school

master the basics lad

[Thracian]

Figure of 8's will take abit of practice if ya only just starting to pick up a squash racket . Took me a while to do them when I first started many years ago aged 10. But can do them really easy now. Started my pre-season training for squash last week and doing a of 3-5 mile run every other day and playing twice a week and having a few hits on my own. Doing quite a few courts sprints aswell (sprinting 22 times lengthyways across the court and back in a minute then 30 seconds break then another set, do this 5 times.). Having a physical month for july then will start playing lots in august getting ready for the season in September where I am returning to my old stomping grounds of Leicestershire and Derbyshire leagues.

Good luck. Is Simon Taylor still around on the Leicestershire scene?

[Newcastle_Fox]

Good luck. Is Simon Taylor still around on the Leicestershire scene?

Yeh he still owns the Chase Hotel (Squash Leicester) but is running the place down and lots of the top players are leaving. He stopped playing Leicester League about 3 years ago to keep his unbeaten record up, then started playing last season at number 2 and won every game. Talented player who just volleys everything, good coach aswell.

[Thracian]

Yeh he still owns the Chase Hotel (Squash Leicester) but is running the place down and lots of the top players are leaving. He stopped playing Leicester League about 3 years ago to keep his unbeaten record up, then started playing last season at number 2 and won every game. Talented player who just volleys everything, good coach aswell.

I used to manage him and help him with training routines when he first won the Leicestershire title and first achieved a national ranking.

He played for my own club at a time when we had five county champions in the side and probably rated among the top 20 teams in the UK.

His presence helped inspire an outstanding period of junior development through to county, regional and in several cases, national level.

[Newcastle_Fox]

I used to manage him and help him with training routines when he first won the Leicestershire title and first achieved a national ranking.

He played for my own club at a time when we had five county champions in the side and probably rated among the top 20 teams in the UK.

His presence helped inspire an outstanding period of junior development through to county, regional and in several cases, national level.

What was his highest UK and World ranking?

He went America aswell for a few years to coach and made quite a lot of money from that.

Also he has invested in lots of property which was a shrewd move with house prices going through the roof.

How good was Taylor compared to Peter Marshall and Damian Walker when taylor won his first crown?

[Thracian]

He got into the mid to lower teens as I recall but its going back a long time and although I remember Marshall and Walker from the Leicestershire scene at the time - our club members came up against them several times - I was not much privy to Simon's Leicestershire results. Aussie Simon Rollington (Nuneaton-based) was one of the prominent Leicestershire players, and one of Simon's biggest rivals in those days.

[Newcastle_Fox]

He got into the mid to lower teens as I recall but its going back a long time and although I remember Marshall and Walker from the Leicestershire scene at the time - our club members came up against them several times - I was not much privy to Simon's Leicestershire results. Aussie Simon Rollington (Nuneaton-based) was one of the prominent Leicestershire players, and one of Simon's biggest rivals in those days.

Beat him about 3 years ago in his comeback game after not playing for 5 years, he was not chuffed and expected himself to win. Never played a Leicestershire game after that. Good scalp anyway for the mantlepiece

[Thracian]

So were the likes of Bill Harvison and Ian Turley still around in your Leicestershire days?

Another player - but out on the North Leicestershire side of the county, was Dave Hardern. I think he ended up as British Seniors Champion - which almost got me playing squash again when I passed 55 but in the end I resisted trying to turn the clock back, though that may now change.

You might also have remembered the Nottingham players of the time Chanel Islanders John and Richard LeLievre plus Jon Kingston, John Roe and Luke Gojnic (I think it was) a decent side at the time although I suspect they preceded your own zenith.

[Newcastle_Fox]

So were the likes of Bill Harvison and Ian Turley still around in your Leicestershire days?

Another player - but out on the North Leicestershire side of the county, was Dave Hardern. I think he ended up as British Seniors Champion - which almost got me playing squash again when I passed 55 but in the end I resisted trying to turn the clock back, though that may now change.

You might also have remembered the Nottingham players of the time Chanel Islanders John and Richard LeLievre plus Jon Kingston, John Roe and Luke Gojnic (I think it was) a decent side at the time although I suspect they preceded your own zenith.

Ian Turley used to own the lease on Squash Leicester before Simon Taylor.

Dave Harden I think still plays at London road and I think I played him when I first started playing division one aged 16 and think I just beat him.

Dont think I know of any of Nottingham guys, think they were before my time I am only 21.

What was your home club called, might have played there?

Did you know Adrian Wright aswell from Leicestershire he has won alot of national age group titles think he might be o60's now?

[Thracian]

My club was Overstone, Northampton. At that time it was a state-of-the-art 10 court complex with 150-seater glassback set in 180 acres of glorious parkland. The club was virtually derelict when I met my oldest son there for dinner recently.

In fact during that 70's, squash was so popular it replaced football on many occasions as back-page lead in the Northampton Chronicle and Echo and we had enough players to field some 20 senior teams and over 20 junior teams. How times have changed.

Sorry I don't remember Adrian Wright. I didn't play many old timers but was lucky enough to play some memorable characters who were household names at the time, including World Champions Jonah Barrington and Qamar Zaman plus World top 10-ranked Egyptian maestro Ahmed Safwat who turned me virtually inside out in the SRPA championships one year. Of those three matches I didn't win one!

Being relatively old (26/27) when I took up the game, and 28+ before I learned my way around, I always felt like a better doubles player than singles (cos the court didn't seem so big!).

Which club was yours?