In this coaching piece, we will look at how you can develop your teams ability to create and exploit the opponents weak side. First, we will break it down in a tactical analysis of what is meant by a weak-side.
Secondly, with the support of a comprehensive analysis into the tactics used by the teams that get success through creating and exploiting the weak side, we can take an evidence-based approach into what can and will determine your ability to get success.
Finally, we give you a four-part training session that offers a logical progression from a technical and principle-based practice that develops into a tactical and realistic game practice.
What is the weak-side
Very simply, the weak-side refers to the side of the field the defending team has offered more space and fewer players to temporarily, such that they are compact and well organised to defend on the other side of the field.
In order to be horizontally compact to deny the attacking team any gaps to play passes through as well as to deny the attacking team numerical superiority in wide areas, the defensive team has to shift across to be compact to the side of the play. As a result, they will temporarily offer up space on the opposite side, the weak-side.
The famed weak-side is a problem area for many teams that have to defend against high-quality possession-based teams. Such teams like Manchester City, Liverpool FC and Real Madrid have all achieved a high degree of success this past season by unlocking a teams defence from a quick switch of play to the weak-side.
Above, is a tactical annotation to highlight the weak-side of a defensive team. We can easily identify the trade-off in having wider gaps between players horizontally that would stretch across to the weak-side. Three problem areas that arise for the defensive team are wider gaps for penetrating passes to come through. Secondly, the attacking team may play through the defence in wide areas by creating overloads. Third and finally, there is also more space for the attacking team to create and succeed in one-versus-ones.
How teams create and exploit the weak-side
Here is but one pattern we commonly see proficient possession-based attacking teams develop to exploit the weak-side. below, the attacking team at this moment has created a dangerous attack with an overlapping full-back supporting the attack on the left. As the defending team has shifted across to be compact, the blue team play an out-ball into midfield before the centre-midfielder plays an attacking pass to meet the run of the advancing right-back.
