Former England U19 coach Noel Blake: the role of the modern central defender in possession
Game | Positions | Noel Blake | 04.06.2021
Former England U19 coach, Noel Blake, outlines the role of the modern central defender whilst in possession.
Learning:
• How the modern game challenges central defenders to be multi-functional players
• The psychological and technical skills required to play out from the back
• The importance of ‘searching for space’ whilst in possession
Receiving from the goalkeeper
Since the change to the goal-kick rule, the majority of teams at the highest level play out from the back from inside the penalty area.
Central defenders are receiving the ball in their own penalty area - which means they’ve got to be able to deal with the ball at their feet and stay composed, because they're going to get put under pressure.
It requires a mental skill as well as the technical ability to recognise when and where to play under pressure.
