Connecting Play & Advancing Field Position (Coaching Through Chaos)

In a recent interview with our director and co-founder Mike Phelan, the MPC media team discussed the realities of coaching, how when working with players to get the best you possibly can out of them, and also the importance of maintaining enjoyment and the love of the game through your sessions by keeping them relative to the game.

“Since I founded the company, I’ve looked a lot in the coaching and coach education space and I have to say a lot of what I see is just not reality, the internet and social media is, …. however long I scroll for, …. is full of sanitised and perfect scenario sessions”

Even numbers, perfect grass, solvable and expected problems, stop it correct it start it and so on, but the game doesn’t look like that, you’re not coaching in reality as the game is going to be different in so many ways

This world (digital) isn’t real, I’m telling you now, I’ve worked with some great players, world class players (Ronaldo, Rooney, Beckham, Keane) and at times it was chaos and we were winning everything in sight as well.

You’ve got to deal with it, you’ve got to see it and you’ve at times got to correct or advise within the environment as it is, you don’t want the hustle and bustle and needle to leave your session, that’s football, …. you’ve to learn to coach in chaos as its what’s required at times, footballers don’t want the stop start, they want the heat of the moment, they want the battle, they want to play and ultimately that’s what you’re going to get in your matches, that’s how it is.

That’s the reality, be it at grassroots, college or trying to win The Premier League, learn to embrace the chaos, learn to love it and learn to work with it and I believe you will become a sharper and a better coach for it.

I saw a clip recently of elite Rugby Player George Ford which prompted me to attempt to bring such a scenario to life for coach education purposes, VIEW CLIP HERE, and he, I feel encapsulates exactly what I’m trying to bring to your attention here. Sometimes players need the here and now, they need solutions in the moment.

In the following video, albeit perhaps a bit leftfield and raw compared to what’s out there this is what I am trying to capture for you. How to coach (effectively) in chaos.

There are mistakes in there, there is good football in there, there are coaching points where I step in there are questions and comments along the way, on and off the field but I never let the game dip in its intensity and raw unpredictability. Coaching is often, for me refinement of an existing picture and an existing environment to allow everyone’s best self-come to the surface.”

The film was shot with USYS https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/ on a recent coach education tour of The USA and we thank director of football Aaron Heffernan for the opportunity and collaboration.

Enjoy, subscribe, share (I’m told it helps us create more) and by all means comment.

Thanks to USYS and Aaron Heffernan for their time and hospitality 

EXPLAINER

www.mikephelancoching.com recently visited USYS https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/ and delivered a coaching masterclass and Q and A at the 2025 ODP trials.

The session involved our two vastly experienced coaches Mike Phelan and Paul McGuinness and looked at the theme of possession and progressive play. Paul giving tips from his under the microscope concept of game relative fine detail and Mike dealing with the reality of large group live coaching and making progression through chaos to produce front foot, positive and attacking football.

Overall and among other things (As the session is not staged or fixed) the session covers the following at micro and macro levels in terms of key content.

1.     Connecting play and advancing field position

2.     Timing, when to hold and entice the opponent and when to release the ball

3.     Quality (smoothness) of passing

4.     Supporting and blind side runs

5.     Creating overloads in opposition territory

In the initial stages we see McGuiness simply demonstrating a midfield player linking with a forward player to progress play. However, the microscopic detail often missing from many session plans and demonstration is, the when, the how and the why.

When (The defending player (White 6) has turned their head)

How (By making your movement blind side (Red 8 and red arrow), whichever side this may be of the opponent (White 6) who has turned their head)

Why (To dictate the flow of the game, to gain an advantage as the overload now appears in your favour Red 8,9 and 10 are now faced up against White 4 and 5 in the final third area)

This is just one example of the many details players require to be able to accumulate football intelligence and is a cornerstone of Pauls under the microscope concept delivered and pieced together into eventual gameplay by the www.mikephelancoaching.com team.

As with all good coaching, player Q and A and checks of understanding are carried out both during and post session and as we can see from our USYS ODP trialist the concept on display and new game intelligence is absolutely received and understood.

The session is then progressed to a larger scale possession based 6 v 6 where former Manchester United first team coach Phelan takes McGuinness concept into the chaotic environment of a live game scenario. Key points in the free play are how to use the space to create the best scenario for your team, when to connect and how to connect with your team mates and when sometimes to perhaps be patient and stay on the ball as the picture before you develops and changes.

Example start set up

Although the session is 6 v 6 Phelan is rotating players on and off due to the workload involved and a match being played later that day. As the footage progresses Phelan can be heard talking about timing (referring to McGuiness earlier detail) and how only the player can decide when the time is right, has the scenario prompted the connection and movement of the ball, are the conditions (details) right.

Although the play is frantic at times and to a degree with limited success in the circle (In terms of connections) Phelan is letting the game flow as opposed to stop start coaching and consistently and subtly praising all the good bits of play, decisions and technical aspects as they come out even though they may be unconnected at this point.

At 4 minutes Phelan decides to intervene with a coaching point but note the language and how he starts this particular point, “Stop, You’ve done ever so well, this is good, but it also could be better “He opens up the environment for learning instantly with his praise and positivity as he enters the field to clarify a little detail to help the grey team.

In the demonstration McGuiness concept is now appearing in the live game the grey player on the ball has been patient and brought the defending yellow onto him, he has invited the pressure (gets himself close to the fire, another ‘Under The Microscope’ detail) and the grey has then played the pass into the forward (the connection is made) however the added “good to better” detail is now the discussion in relation to the blind side run as earlier broken down by McGuinness.

As free play now resumes Phelan while allowing play to continue now engages (5 mins 30) with the players on the side with regard to the congested play and where the space may be and asks the question, how long will it take them to work it out.

Here we are seeing a coach adopting different teaching and learning styles by working with the observers as well as the participants and ensuring the best possible environment and operational culture is constant throughout the exercise while maximal learning is taking place for all.

On 5:55 minutes Phelan then engages in a Q and A with the participant player style coaching to check the understanding of what the player in possession had done (not released the ball, and why, the run wasn’t there) a different type of positive praise as he has recognised and checked the player had seen something but not been able to execute and the reasoning why. This particular educational intervention point is now bringing in extended but related details required for connections.  

The session then ends with a relaxed and informal bidirectional discussion while coaching points are still subtly placed into the learning environment. McGuiness now brings in the detail of the technical quality of the pass and once again demonstrates in a emphasises yet clear fashion the consequences of poor passing and the advantages good passing brings to a game in relation to connections for a team in possession of the football.

In summary an example of two coaches working together at micro and macro levels and taking training in to match style reality while maintaining a coaching and development focus through intensity and at times chaos.

To see more of our YouTube coach education videos click here and don’t forget to subscribe.

The Mike Phelan Coaching Team