Breaking down a team that defends deep

Imagine the scenario: A promotion chasing team needs to win by two clear goals in their final game of the season, but the opposition has parked the bus and stuck 10 men behind the ball. How do they find a way through the defensive blockade?

Struggling to find a solution? Don't worry, the Nike Academy's assistant coach, Matt Wells, told FFT how to solve this tactical puzzle.

"You want your playmakers to try and suck the opposition's defensive midfielders out to press the ball," said Wells.

"If you're too safe on the ball the opposition will just sit off you and shift across. What you want them to do is lose their discipline and sprint out because then we're good enough to find bigger gaps because they've got one less player behind the ball."

In this video Wells explains the secret to drawing the opposition out of position with patient, possession football.

Then, when they break their lines, your deep-lying creators kick into gear, picking the right pass to create a goalscoring opportunity.

Teach your team this system with a specially designed drill from Wells.

You can find out more about how you can get involved with the Nike Academy by visiting facebook and NikeFootball.com.

For more football tips see:
Win your title decider
Nick a point to stay up
Score a last minute goal to make it to extra-time
Topple the favourites in the cup final