In this coaching course filmed exclusively for CV Academy, Darragh Tuffy, assistant professional development phase coach at Blackburn Rovers, takes his players through a series of practices to prepare them for a specific fixture – against Nottingham Forest in the FA Youth Cup.

The session begins with a pressing-box game that the coaches use as an arrival activity. That is followed by an attacking phase of play, in which players run through different attacking patterns against mannequins set up in the upcoming opposition’s expected shape. Practice three is a series of small themed games to work on the team’s attacking use of their wing-backs, before the session ends on an 11v11 walkthrough that trains the players in their out-of-possession roles for the match ahead.

We hope you enjoy what is a fascinating insight into match preparation at one of the country’s most highly rated academies! Please also click on the Resources tab to access the accompanying session plan in PDF form.