Most Coaches Ask for Work Rate, But who Trains it?

From Keep it on the Deck

How You Train is How You Play

Almost every single football coach will at some point discuss with their players about their work rate or intensity with or without possession from games. But consider this question 'how many coaches out their train it or demand the same from their training'?

Demanding Within and Structuring The Training

You possibly read the first paragraph and thought to yourself how can you coach work rate? The truth is that you can. At all levels of the game, it is in fact the standards and structure of training that impacts this most, yet many coaches fail to give the energy required to demand work rate, and also fail in their creativity of a training session that forces players to demand it from one another.

Best Case Examples

Two of the current base case examples in the English Premier League who prioritize work rate and intensity in all their training sessions are Thomas Tuchel and Marcelo Bielsa. For years Bielsa has been applauded for the physical conditioning and work ethic of his teams. But how does Bielsa get his teams to work so hard?

Many Factors But One Key Take Away

In studying the training sessions of Marcelo Bielsa it would seem that there is many factors that promote a good, hard working team who play at a high intensity. Fitness of course, demanding standards and many other basics. But beyond all those it appears that timing is key. When closely studying Bielsa sessions always he will limit the time of high intensity practices. Players are not robots, so limiting the time of each practice allows them to realistically work at a high intensity for set time periods before some recovery time is of course required. The now famous Murderball practice is a classic example of this. Murderball is a game that involves non stop running and open play for set time periods, played in sets of 3 or 5 often. For example, each set 6 minutes of non stop play, with a two minute break between sets. Instead of playing nonstop for a prolonged set time, the break between sets allow for adequate recovery and thus maximal effort both in and out of possession from the players. And it’s not just Murderball, timing is key for all practices that involve a demand for high intensity.

Leaving With A Question

Do the things you demand from players in games happen in your training? Is the structure of your sessions set up in such a way that it challenges players to reach the demands expected of them in games?