Coaching Striker Movement Like Erling Haaland – Tactical Theory

When we coach forwards, and in particular when we coach finishing, we often focus on the strikes execution itself.

Whilst there is absolutely a need to do this, this focus can lead to unrealistic shooting practices, often unopposed or from positions from which shots very rarely come.

However, we need to ensure a shared focus on using movement to create more opportunities for our forwards.

In particular, can we create chances in easier goal-scoring positions?

Erling Haaland is a prime example of a player who has consistently scored from within 10 yards of goal.

He often uses his movement to lose defenders and score unopposed from close range.

This tactical analysis will focus on coaching movement in the final third, with the aim to create more high-percentage shooting opportunities.

This article will examine the tactics of a forward’s movement and provide examples of practices that can be worked on in training to alter and fine-tune the forward runs of your attacking players inside the area.

Attacking Practise  Exercise 1

We will examine the type of chance created by a winger driving to the byline and pulling the ball back across the goal.

These types of chances are now commonplace in the modern game, with Pep Guardiola, in particular, placing a great deal of emphasis on creating these opportunities.

We can see an example of the runs a forward may make from the following image.

As the ball is played across the goal, the forward, standing on the edge of the area, looks to either hit the front post or the back post area, ideally at pace.

They should meet the pull-back cross with momentum, making it more difficult to mark them.

If they were to make the run, they should stop, wait for the cross, and then look to finish.

However, the apparent issue with the runs shown in the previous image is that they are straight runs.

There is no deviation, and therefore, should this forward be marked tightly by a defender, their run is predictable.

Not only