PHASE ONE
Receive, Release
“Position yourself on the edge of the box. Have two feeders on the byline, in line with where the perimeter of the six-yard box meets the byline. Have the feeders fire the ball into your feet at speed. You have to take a touch, get the ball out of your feet and fire off a shot. As soon as you’ve hit one shot, the next pass should be released so you have to react quickly. Mix this up by receiving the ball from different positions and at different speeds.”
PHASE TWO
Fire faster
“Progress the drill by adding pressure. Once one feeder has passed the ball to you, have the other charge you down. This will work on your first touch, reaction time and shooting. The quicker you get it out of your feet, the more time you’ll have to pick a shot. The top players always have a picture in their mind of what they want to do before getting the ball. Try to put yourself under as much pressure as possible to recreate a match situation.
PHASE THREE
Work as a team
“For the third phase add three more feeders, so you have five in total. Position one 10 yards from the 18-yard box (in line with the penalty spot), with the other two 10 yards from penalty box, in line with the edge of the perimeter. Once the drill is underway have a team-mate and a charger join the game. Have your coach direct the drill. It will be his job to instruct which players to pass the ball into play, join the attack and work as a defender. You can work 2 vs 1; 2 vs 2; 3 vs 3 and so on.”
Frank’s top five tips on scoring as a midfielder
Get in the mind of a goalscorer
“Work like a striker, think like a striker and train like a striker. After the team training session, practise shooting some more.”
Timing is key
“The key element is arriving in the right place at the right time. You need stamina, talent and natural timing. I used to watch and learn from people like David Platt and Bryan Robson.”
Stay composed
“Composure is the most important thing. If you can stay calm you will finish with quality. The best finishers are very relaxed when they get a scoring opportunity.”
Talk to your team
“Communication is crucial. Work with your midfield partners to forge an understanding. Once you can rely on your team-mates in that way, you’ve got the freedom to do what you want.”
Aim low
“Work on technique. Practise striking through the ball and keeping your head over it so that your shot stays low.
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