I missed out on a few hours this week because of a slight injury and being really busy with school and websites and stuff. But I’ve kept watching games and player highlights on youtube and I think it’s having an effect on how I play. I’m really trying to put myself in player’s positions when I’m watching videos and see how they do things then try to translate it on the pitch. I think in a few more weeks I’ll have a much more improved grasp of the game. Watching more has given me more love for football, I want to play more, I feel it’s becoming more passionate. Maybe it’s because I’m improving and getting better.. I don’t know but I’m just really starting to like the game more.

I’ve also concluded that Messi just has to be the best player in the world. I’ve watched and studied dozens of videos of him, compared him to Ronaldo and Messi is just so exciting to watch. His pace, dribbles and just how he plays is wonderful. I love this guy and I think he is probably someone I look up to now. However, I don’t think he’s an impossible player to become better than. His major strengths are pace, quick changes of direction with the ball and finding those spaces where he can go into on the pitch. His shooting isn’t amazing, In all the videos I’ve watched of him, I don’t think I’ve seen him do one tackle! To be the world’s best player, having just those 2-3 strengths can make you.

These are the top 5 things I learnt from watching this week:

• Ronaldo and Messi always dribble on their toes and with each step they move the ball with them.
• A centre-mid covers space behind opposing attacker and runs in an horizontal line. If the ball comes to attacker they are covering they must try intercept or jockey the man.
• When attacking with the ball upfield, do not turn back, just go to the right or left. Don’t stop the pace of play.
• Messi waits until defender is off balance and then makes his beating move.
• The best players are always cool, calm and confident.

So in other news. In order to free up more of my time to play football and focus on my business’, I’ve decided that my schoolwork must suffer. My goals in school were A’s and B’s before, now I think I have to downgrade that to at least C’s in my classes to at least keep my parent’s happy. Because 1 hour of working on school work, is one less hour I could be playing football.

Off to next week. It’s actually just two weeks now before I have two more trials with FootballCV. Something to focus on

Earlier this evening, my Dad saw me training in the garden. He came up to me worried and anxious for me to stop training. I had been training by myself the most part of the evening and I was determined to get something I was working on with my left foot correct which is why I was out a little longer than usual. He said that he thinks that football for me is becoming an addiction, that i’m overdoing it. I disagreed with him, I told him to become a professional footballer I need to work really hard. He said that you don’t improve if you work too much, but I feel as though I am improving every day and growing in confidence by training 3 – 4 hours a day. I won’t listen to him, after all he has never been super successful in anything so how would he know? I know who I am, what I believe in and I’m going to keep working hard until I reach my dream.

Here is what I saw of myself this week.

Tuesday (AFC Wimbledon Training):
- Awareness of players needs to be improved
- Strength

Thursday:
- One on one finishing was poor
- Passing was good

Saturday:
- Left foot is improving, I feel more confident with it
- Finishing was good this time.

Next Week

Focus: Finishing

Tuesday:
- Better awareness of other players
- Need to somehow get more power on long range shots.

Thursday:
- Shooting has improved
- Trained better than Flo, played better.
- Lost concentration sometimes

Notes:
- Don’t be afraid to take players on, you get noticed and the worst thing that can happen is a tackle and ball going out for throw.

It’s possible and I can do it. Play for the Socceroos in the World Cup and be the best, most talked about player on the team. I can’t wait!

This is what my strengths are from best to not the best:

• Slide tackling
• Speed
• Long balls/crossing
• Running with the ball
• Dribbling

(and add set pieces there somewhere)

These strengths are consistent with wingers, which do these things (from wikipedia):

• Technical skill to beat a full-back in a one-to-one situation.
• Pace, to beat the full-back one-on-one.
• Crossing ability when out wide.
• Good off-the-ball ability when reading a pass from the midfield or from fellow attackers.
• Good passing ability and composure, to retain possession while in opposition territory.
• The modern winger should also be comfortable on either wing so as to adapt to quick tactical changes required by the coach.

I’m decent now, but I have to really buckle down and get really, fantastically good at these skills if I want to be the next amazing player.

Now that I’ve confirmed what I am good at, and what position suits me. It’s time to formulate a training plan around this.. Watch out for the next post!

So the biggest problem in training for me today was keeping the ball under close control. Javier Mascherano talks about how he keeps the ball under close control, another good video from nikefootball.

• Keep on your toes.
• Be aware of the players around you before receiving.
• Take the ball away from the closest player, away from danger.