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Chapter 1: Vision, Mission & Coaching Identity Football has always been more than a game to me. It is a constant challenge to solve problems, improve people, and create an identity that can be recognised every time my team steps onto the pitch. This handbook is the foundation of my coaching journey. It documents what I currently believe about football and how I want my teams to play. It is not intended to be perfect. Instead, it is a reference point that I can always return to whenever I need to remind myself who I am as a coach. Every training session, every match, every success, and every setback will teach me something new. Rather than replacing this philosophy, I will continue to build upon it through future versions of this handbook. My goal is for every new version to reflect growth while remaining true to the principles established here. Version 1.0 represents the beginning of my journey. 2
MY VISIONThe Lerato Way is my football philosophy and the foundation of every team I coach. My objective is not only to win matches, but to build a team with a clear, recognisable style of play. I believe football should be proactive. My teams aim to control matches through purposeful possession, intelligent positioning, and collective movement. When attacking, my players play with patience when necessary and speed when the opportunity appears. When possession is lost, we react immediately. If we can counter-press, we do so aggressively. If not, we recover our defensive shape and protect the central areas. Every player has responsibilities in both attack and defence. My goal is to create an intelligent, disciplined, and courageous style of football. Win, lose, or draw, people should recognise our identity immediately. This chapter can be followed by Chapter2, which then goes into your coaching identity and non-negotiables.3
Your mission to cultivate a clear football philosophy is both inspiring and ambitious. By emphasizing technical intelligence, tactical discipline, and mental strength, you are setting the foundation for a cohesive and resilient team. This philosophy ensures that players are not only skilled in their individual roles but also understand the broader strategic objectives, allowing them to adapt and excel in various match situations. Every training session becomes an opportunity to reinforce these core values, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and unity. With every match and decision aligning with this vision, your team is poised to develop a robust identity that stands out on the field. Emphasizing these principles will undoubtedly lead to success, as players are molded into well-rounded athletes capable of navigating the complexities of the game with confidence and poise.My Mission4
Creating a cohesive coaching identity is crucial for guiding your team towards success. Your vision emphasizes a proactive and commanding style of play, where the team takes charge of matches rather than responding to their opponents’ actions. By focusing on dominating possession with purpose, your teams aim to maintain control, dictating the pace and flow of the game. The emphasis on quickly regaining possession underscores a relentless pursuit of the ball, ensuring that any loss of it is swiftly countered. Your teams are expected to be formidable in transition, capitalizing on opportunities with speed and precision. The emphasis on teamwork and unity reinforces the idea that success is a collective effort, where every player knows their role and contributes to the team’s goals. Playing with courage and discipline further highlights your commitment to fostering an environment where players are encouraged to take risks while maintaining structure and focus. This comprehensive approach not only builds a strong team identity but also instills a winning mentality among your players. My Coaching identity 5
THE LERATO WAY BASIC / REGULAR IN-POSSESSION PLAY Purpose When we have the ball and are not yet in our full attacking structure, the team must remain balanced, connected and patient. Every player must understand their position, their responsibility and the space they are responsible for. GOALKEEPER — GK Start the build-up calmly. Look for the safest progressive pass. Become an extra passing option for the centre-backs. Do not force the ball forward when there is no advantage. Help the team maintain possession and control. Communicate constantly with the defenders. LEFT BACK — LB Provide width when required. Give the left-sided players a safe passing option. Support the attack without abandoning defensive responsibility. Recognise when to move forward and when to stay. Help create passing angles around the left side. Be ready to recover immediately when possession is lost. LEFT CENTRE-BACK — LCB Remain composed when receiving the ball. Progress the ball when a clear opportunity is available. Maintain the defensive structure. Do not enter midfield unnecessarily. Look for the number 6, full-back or winger when progressing play. Protect the space behind the left side. RIGHT CENTRE-BACK — RCB Provide the same stability on the right side.
Circulate possession patiently. Break a line when the opportunity is clear. Maintain the defensive balance. Do not abandon the centre-back position without a clear reason. Communicate with the goalkeeper, full-back and number 6. RIGHT BACK — RB Provide width when required. Create a passing option for the right side. Support the right winger without occupying the same space. Recognise when to advance and when to remain deeper. Recover quickly when possession is lost. NUMBER 6 — CDM The stabiliser and connection point of the team. Always scan before receiving. Make yourself available between or in front of the opposition's midfield. Control the tempo when necessary. Offer a passing option to the centre-backs. Turn and play forward when the space is available. If the opposition presses, remain calm and help play through it. Move into spaces where you can receive and influence the game. Protect the team against counter-attacks. Keep the team balanced while others move forward. NUMBER 8 — CM The connector and progressive midfielder. Support the number 6 during build-up. Find spaces between opposition players. Receive and turn when possible. Carry the ball forward when space opens. Combine with the winger, AMF and striker. Arrive into attacking areas when appropriate.
Immediately help the team counter-press after losing possession. ATTACKING MIDFIELDER — AMF The creative link between midfield and attack. Find pockets of space between the opposition's midfield and defence. Constantly scan for space. Receive between the lines. Connect the midfield with the front three. Combine with the striker and wingers. Do not become predictable by always passing to the same player. If the left side is free, use it. If the right side is free, use it. If the middle is open, play through the middle. Move to create space for teammates, not only to receive the ball. LEFT WINGER — LW Start wide to stretch the opposition. Recognise when to stay wide and when to move inside. Attack space behind the full-back. Combine with the left-back and AMF. Make diagonal movements when appropriate. Be ready to counter-press after losing possession. Do not remain in one position simply because it is your starting position. RIGHT WINGER — RW Start wide and maintain width when necessary. Attack the space behind the opposition full-back. Move inside when the situation requires it. Combine with the right-back, AMF and striker. Make movements away from the ball to create space for teammates. Be ready to press immediately after losing possession. STRIKER — ST The reference point of the attack.
Occupy the centre-backs and create uncertainty. Be willing to come short when the space is available. Connect play with the AMF and wingers. Make runs behind the defensive line. Press the opposition centre-backs when instructed. When dropping short, create space for the wingers or AMF to attack. When the ball goes wide, attack the appropriate space in the box. Always be ready to turn possession into a threat. THE PRINCIPLE OF INVITING THE PRESS We do not always run away from pressure. Sometimes, we invite it. When the opposition presses us, we remain calm. If the opposition commits players toward the ball, this can create space somewhere else. Our objective is to recognise that space and exploit it. Example CB → 6 → 8 Instead of automatically playing: CB → RB → RW we can sometimes draw the opposition toward one side and then use the 6 or 8 through the middle. The number 6 and number 8 must therefore be comfortable receiving under pressure. The Question Every Player Should Ask “Where is the space?” And then: “Who is free?” Being free is not enough. The free player must be found. That is one of the fundamental principles of The Lerato Way. The Lerato Way — Basic / Regular In-Possession Play BASIC / REGULAR IN-POSSESSION PLAY
THE LERATO WAY DEFENSIVE PLAY PURPOSE Defending for The Lerato Way is not simply about sitting behind the ball and waiting for the opposition to attack. Defending is an active part of our identity. We want to defend with organisation, aggression, intelligence and togetherness. Our first objective after losing the ball is to ask: “Can we win it back immediately?” If the answer is yes, we counter-press. If the answer is no, we recover quickly, protect the centre and rebuild our defensive structure. We do not allow one player to press while the rest of the team watches. We defend as a unit. GOALKEEPER — GK The goalkeeper is the last defender and the organiser behind the defensive line. Stay alert to balls played behind the defence. Communicate constantly with the centre-backs and full-backs. Maintain a suitable starting position rather than staying permanently on the goal line. Be ready to come out and clear dangerous balls. Organise the defensive line. Communicate when the team needs to drop, step up or hold. After winning possession, immediately look to restart our attack calmly. The goalkeeper must see the game before the danger arrives. CENTRE-BACKS — CB The centre-backs are responsible for protecting the heart of the team. Protect the central area first. Maintain the correct distance between each other. Communicate constantly. Track the striker's movement without being unnecessarily dragged out of position. Be aggressive when stepping into challenges. Cover each other when one centre-back steps forward.
Protect the space behind the full-backs. Stay connected to the midfield. Do not follow an opponent into areas that create unnecessary gaps. The centre-backs must understand: Defend the space first. Defend the player second. LEFT BACK — LB The left-back must balance aggression with defensive awareness. Protect the outside channel. Stay connected to the nearest centre-back. Track the opposition winger. Do not allow the winger to receive easily behind you. Recognise when to press and when to hold. Protect the space inside if the winger moves outside. Recover immediately if we lose the ball while attacking. Communicate with the left centre-back and left winger. RIGHT BACK — RB The right-back follows the same principles. Protect the outside channel. Stay connected with the centre-backs. Track the opposition winger. Recognise when to step out and when to remain compact. Protect the space behind. Recover immediately during transitions. Communicate with the right centre-back and winger. NUMBER 6 — CDM The 6 is the defensive balance of the team. When we defend, the number 6 becomes extremely important. Protect the space directly in front of the centre-backs. Block passes into the opposition's attacking midfielders. Screen the centre of the pitch.
Track dangerous midfield runners. Move across to cover when a full-back or midfielder leaves their position. Win second balls. Be ready to counter-press immediately after possession is lost. Do not chase the ball unnecessarily and leave the centre open. The 6 must constantly scan. Where is the ball? Where is the danger? Who is free? What space needs protecting? NUMBER 8 — CM The 8 contributes to both pressing and compactness. Stay connected to the 6. Close passing lanes into the opposition midfield. Press when the trigger is clear. Track runners entering the midfield or attacking spaces. Support the winger when defending wide. Recover quickly if caught ahead of the ball. Help create numerical superiority around the ball. Be ready to join the counter-press immediately after losing possession. The 8 must not press simply because they can. Press with a reason. ATTACKING MIDFIELDER — AMF The AMF becomes an important part of our first defensive line. Help prevent easy passes into the opposition midfield. Stay close enough to the striker to maintain pressing connection. Force the opposition toward the areas we want them to play into. Track dangerous midfielders when required. Help close central passing lanes. Counter-press immediately when the ball is lost nearby.
Recover into midfield when the press is broken. The AMF should not defend alone. The striker, AMF and midfield must move together. LEFT WINGER — LW The winger's defensive responsibility begins immediately when possession is lost. Press the opposition full-back when the trigger is clear. Track the full-back if they advance. Help protect the wide area. Recover quickly into the defensive structure. Prevent easy passes around the outside. Support the left-back when necessary. Counter-press when the ball is lost close enough to win it back. The winger cannot simply say: “I'm an attacker.” In The Lerato Way, every player defends. RIGHT WINGER — RW Press the opposition full-back when appropriate. Track the full-back's movement. Protect the wide channel. Recover quickly. Help the right-back. Close passing options toward the middle when required. Counter-press when the opportunity is there. The winger must understand that their defensive positioning can determine whether the whole team remains compact. STRIKER — ST The striker is the first line of our defensive pressure. Initiate the press when the trigger appears. Force the opposition centre-backs toward the area we want them to play. Prevent easy passes into the opposition's 6 when possible. Curve pressing runs rather than simply running straight at the ball.
Stay connected with the AMF. Be ready to attack the next pass if the opposition plays sideways. If the press is broken, recover and reconnect with the team. The striker does not press simply to look aggressive. The striker presses to create a specific outcome. OUR PRESSING PRINCIPLES We do not press every single pass. We look for pressing triggers. A poor first touch. A backwards pass. A slow pass. A pass toward the touchline. A player receiving with their back to goal. An isolated full-back. A centre-back receiving under pressure. A loose ball. When the trigger appears: ONE PRESSES. THE TEAM SUPPORTS. The nearest players must close the available passing options. IF THE PRESS IS BEATEN This is extremely important. We do not allow one failed press to destroy our entire structure. If the opposition successfully plays through us: Recover. Protect the centre. Get compact. Reconnect with teammates. Prepare for the next pressing opportunity. We do not chase blindly.
Our aggression must have structure. COUNTER-PRESSING The moment we lose possession, the nearest players should immediately assess whether the ball can be won back. If the opposition is vulnerable: PRESS. If the opposition has escaped the immediate pressure: RECOVER. The counter-press is not about everyone sprinting toward the ball. It is about: Closing the ball. Closing nearby passing options. Protecting the centre. Giving teammates time to recover. Trying to win the ball before the opposition can establish their attack. OUR DEFENSIVE IDENTITY The Lerato Way should be difficult to play against. Not because we simply defend deep. But because the opposition should feel that every pass has a consequence. We want to be: COMPACT. AGGRESSIVE. INTELLIGENT. CONNECTED. DISCIPLINED. And above everything: WE DEFEND TOGETHER. When we lose the ball: Can we win it back? If yes — counter-press. If no — recover.
Then: protect the centre, regain our shape, and prepare to attack again.
THE LERATO WAY ATTACKING PLAY PURPOSE When we enter the attacking phase, our structure changes from simply keeping possession to creating and attacking space. The objective is to stretch the opposition horizontally and vertically, create overloads where necessary, isolate defenders where possible, and have players occupying different attacking spaces. We do not attack as eleven individuals. We attack as a structure. Our attacking structure should give the player on the ball multiple options: A player to play through. A player to play around. A player to play over. A player who can provide support behind the ball. The team should remain balanced enough to attack aggressively without becoming vulnerable to the counter- attack. ATTACKING STRUCTURE When we establish possession in the opposition half, we aim to create a three-at-the-back / two-in-midfield base with five attacking lanes. The exact movement can change depending on the position of the ball, but the principle remains: SECURE THE BALL → CREATE WIDTH → OCCUPY THE SPACES → CREATE THE ADVANTAGE → ATTACK The five attacking spaces should generally be occupied by: LEFT WING — LEFT/INTERIOR SPACE — CENTRE — RIGHT/INTERIOR SPACE — RIGHT WING The important part is not that players stand permanently in these positions. The spaces must be occupied, but the players can rotate. GOALKEEPER — GK The goalkeeper becomes part of our attacking security. Stay available behind the defensive line. Provide a safe passing option if the opposition presses. Help us recycle possession. Recognise when the opposition's pressure creates space elsewhere.
Do not force a forward pass simply because we are attacking. Communicate with the defenders and help maintain our structure. The goalkeeper helps us attack without losing control. CENTRE-BACKS — CB The centre-backs provide the foundation of the attack. Maintain our security behind the ball. Circulate possession patiently. Step forward when there is space to carry or pass. Look for opportunities to break the opposition's first line. Maintain awareness of opposition attackers waiting for the transition. Do not both abandon the defensive structure at the same time. Be ready to immediately defend if possession is lost. One of the centre-backs can become more aggressive with their positioning when the situation allows, but our attacking ambition must never remove our defensive security. FULL-BACKS — LB / RB The full-backs have flexible roles. Depending on the side of the pitch and the position of the ball, a full-back can: Provide width. Move inside. Support midfield. Overlap the winger. Underlap into an attacking lane. Remain deeper to protect against transition. The full-back must understand: “Where is the space that my movement creates?” NUMBER 6 — CDM The number 6 remains one of the most important players in the attacking structure. Even when we attack, the 6 must think about what happens if we lose the ball. Stay available behind the attack. Circulate possession. Switch play when the opposition becomes too narrow. Provide support underneath the ball.
Help connect the defenders with the attacking players. Recognise when to move into a better position to receive. Protect the central area during attacks. Be ready for the counter-press when possession is lost. The 6 gives the team control behind the attack. NUMBER 8 — CM The number 8 is given more freedom to influence the attacking phase. Move into spaces between the opposition's lines. Support the AMF. Make forward runs when the space opens. Arrive late into the penalty area. Combine with the winger and striker. Carry the ball forward when appropriate. Create overloads around the ball. Attack the space created by the striker or AMF. The 8 should not simply stand beside the 6. The 8 must recognise when the attack needs another player higher up the pitch. ATTACKING MIDFIELDER — AMF The AMF is one of our primary creators. Find pockets between the opposition's midfield and defence. Receive between the lines. Turn when possible. Connect the midfield with the front three. Create combinations around the striker. Move into whichever attacking space is available. Draw defenders out of position. Create opportunities for the wingers to attack inside. Look for through balls, combinations and final passes. The AMF must constantly ask: “Where can I receive that will hurt the opposition?” Not simply: “Where can I receive?” LEFT WINGER — LW
The left winger is responsible for stretching and attacking the opposition. Maintain width when the team needs to stretch the defence. Attack the opposition full-back. Attack the space behind the defence. Move inside when the situation demands it. Make diagonal runs toward goal. Combine with the AMF, 8 and left-back. Attack the far post when the ball is on the opposite side. Be ready to counter-press after losing possession. The winger should constantly change the defender's problem. Stay wide. Move inside. Run behind. Receive to feet. Attack space. RIGHT WINGER — RW The right winger has the same principles on the opposite side. Provide width. Isolate the full-back when possible. Attack the space behind. Move inside when another player provides width. Make diagonal runs. Combine with the AMF, 8 and right-back. Attack the far post when appropriate. Counter-press immediately after losing the ball when the situation allows. The right winger must not become disconnected from the rest of the attack. STRIKER — ST The striker is the reference point of the attack. The striker must constantly manipulate the opposition's centre-backs. Stay connected with the AMF. Threaten the space behind the defence. Drop toward the ball when appropriate. Make runs behind when defenders step forward. Create space for the AMF and wingers. Attack the penalty area aggressively.
Attack the near post when appropriate. Attack the far post when appropriate. Be the first attacking player to initiate the press when possession is lost. The striker's movement is not only about getting the ball. Sometimes the striker moves to create space for somebody else. THE FIVE ATTACKING SPACES When we establish our attacking structure, we want to occupy the opposition's defensive line and midfield with purpose. Think of the attack as five spaces: 1. LEFT WIDE SPACE — Occupied primarily by the LW or an overlapping LB. 2. LEFT INTERIOR SPACE — Attacked by the AMF, 8, winger or another rotating player. 3. CENTRAL SPACE — Occupied primarily by the ST, but can be attacked by the AMF or 8 through rotation. 4. RIGHT INTERIOR SPACE — Attacked by the AMF, 8, winger or another rotating player. 5. RIGHT WIDE SPACE — Occupied primarily by the RW or an overlapping RB. The players can rotate. The spaces cannot be left empty. THE BOX BEHIND THE ATTACK When we push players forward, we still need a stable structure behind the ball. This is where the influence of positional football comes into The Lerato Way. We want a secure base behind the attack so that: We can recycle possession. We can switch the play. We can counter-press. We can defend against long transitions. We can attack again if the first attack does not succeed. The exact players forming this structure can change according to the position of the ball. The principle is more important than the formation on paper. OUR ATTACKING PRINCIPLE When we attack, we do not simply ask: “How do we get the ball forward?” We ask:
“Where is the space?” Then: “Who is occupying it?” Then: “How do we get the ball there?” And finally: “What happens when the opposition reacts?” That is the attacking mindset of The Lerato Way. Create the space.Occupy the space.Move the opposition.Attack the space.Create the next space.