Jean-Marie David, former assistant coach in charge of attackers under Régis Le Bris (Sunderland) at FC Lorient (2020-2024), emphasizes one key idea to the players he coaches: the ability to manipulate the defender. To do this, the attacker has several options: he can position himself out of his opponent's field of vision, particularly during an attack in the penalty area, to gain a head start on the defender thanks to his starting position. Conversely, he can stay in the defender's field of vision to encourage him to follow him before abruptly changing direction (run-counter-run), thus gaining time. The former Paris FC player is keen to point out that the attacker must know himself perfectly. This way, he will be able to adapt to different situations and make the right decisions. “Personally, I don't lock the player into a pattern. Instead, I encourage him to reflect on his intentions. However, I systematically debrief his actions. We review together what he did: why he did it, what his intention was, why he chose this type of manipulation, and whether or not it was effective. From there, we build a new strategy so the player develops a culture of the game and a better understanding of his strengths,” says the consultant. This method bears fruit when you look at the careers of players like Terem Moffi (OGC Nice), Dango Ouattara (AFC Bournemouth), or his future teammate, Eli Kroupi Junior.
Brief
Jean-Marie David was also able to work specifically with Ligue 2's top scorer with FC Lorient, Eli Kroupi Junior, who transferred to Bournemouth this summer / © Bruno Perrel