(c) Aggression in passing the ball

There are some players who never really think about passing the ball, they only think in terms of passing the responsibility.

The aggressive passer of the ball is the player who is looking constantly for opportunities of placing opponents in positions of severe disadvantage. This type of player will always pass the ball forward If he has the opportunity to do so. His attitude to the passing of the ball is positive.

This quality can be trained. Obviously the better a player s technique the more likely he is to be aggressive in his passing. There are players who show a high degree of aggression in winning

lack of aggression in their passing.

It is. however, not entirely a matter of technique. Players need to be educated in their passing to know in which areas of the field they should calculate on the side of safety and in which areas to calculate on the side of risk. When players are educated in. this way they balance aggression and responsibility.

, (d) Aggression in taking chances and scoring goals

There are no unselfish finishers — only bad ones. The responsibility on a player who is in a position to score a goal is to accept his responsibility and go for goal. Too often players are given credit for being unselfish when in fact

they have backed both aggression and responsibility. Tliis quality of aggressive fin- -ishing can be trained. Indeed it is the one quality which will give a big dividend for an investment of time. Players who never shoot never miss. That is a fact. It is also a fact that their percentage success in nil. Good goal scorers want to shoot so much that the fear of missing is not acceptable.

(3) Confidence.

The ultimate in confidence is knowing what is required and knowing also that one can meet those requirements. That is the confidence of the real professional and there in no mistaking it when one sees it. Confidence produces composure and authority. But. like aggression, confidence in footballers is not one factor but rather a combination of several fac-lOr?a) Confidence in meeting physical challenge

The opposite state of mind from confidence is fear. Many players are afraid of physical challenge. Small boys very often are afraid .of big boys. To put the issue iri crude terms many players are afraid of being kicked put of the game. These players are afraid that their skills will be disintegrate under the pressure of physical challenge. Players, however, must come to terms with the fact that association football is a physical contact game and that an essential part of the skill of playing is to perform skills whilst withstanding the force of physical contact. To think in terms of playing football without physical contact Is as unrealistic as thinking in terms of playing without running. Players should be subjected to this physical contact in training. If this is not " so. then they are training for a game which they will never play - a non-contact game. Referees too have an important part to play since they must ensure that fair physical challenge does not degenerate in to intimidation. If this is allowed to happen then players will literally be kicked out of the game and the game as a game of skill is finished. (To be continued)