“There is one rule in football: when you have the ball, do not to lose it. We had some simple passes that we lost. Against the top sides in Europe we would be punished." - Pep Guardiola
Continuity and flow of possession for a long duration does bring a sense of control. Possession of the ball psychologically frustrates opposition, because they cannot do what they want, players also get tired faster out of possession. Another benefit of controlling possession is the fact that opposition can't score without having the ball, it is surely the best way of defending. However, possession is merely a consequence of Positional play, not an ultimate goal. Ultimate goal is to establish control and score.
"PRINCIPLES OF THE POSITIONAL PLAY" - Complete guide to understanding and coaching positional play. Tactical theory covers 10 principles used by masters of the positional play like Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola: playing out from the back, control of possession, positioning, movement, compactness, exploiting half-spaces, combination play, counter-pressing, vertical play and overload to isolate.
With 40 tactical practices included (4 practices to coach each of the 10 principles). Read More
