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How we plan the training microcycle - 3 things we always check
Training without a coherent tactical theme is a collection of exercises. Not a process.
Kuba has been planning microcycles for years. And he admitted that despite this, he always comes back to the same 3-4 point checklist. Below are the ones I consider most important.
1. Start with the question: what do I want to teach my players this week?
Not from exercises. Not from the fitness plan. From the tactical goal.
Kuba calls this visualization - imagine what you would like your team to do in a repeatable way. Only then do you choose the training methods that give players the chance to experience it.
Specifically: if this week you are working on third-man play - write down exactly what cooperation you want to see. For example: in a moment of medium build-up against a medium block, the player in position (5) or (4) has the ball, (6/8/10) create passing lines, (9) makes a movement to receive the ball to feet, and (7 and 11) run behind the defensive line at the moment of that movement. That is a concrete picture.
2. Repetition - not once, but throughout the whole week
This is the mistake Kuba sees most often: a coach introduces some content on Monday and it disappears. The player experiences it once - and that's it.
For something to become a habit, it must appear multiple times in different contexts throughout the microcycle. Not the same training exercise - but the same tactical content. Monday and Tuesday are usually smaller forms, individual and group. Wednesday - full pitch, large games. Friday - a reference to what we expect in the match.
Same content, different forms. That is the repetition Kuba talks about.
3. Create the environment - engage players and staff
The third thing Kuba pays a lot of attention to - it is not just about exercises.
First: players. He counts points for specific behaviors in training games - did you win a duel, did you gain the space we wanted, did you fill the penalty area. This builds intrinsic motivation and makes sure they know why they are training.
Second: staff. Every coach in the staff has their own briefing to lead. One talks about the defensive phase, another about build-up, another about the penalty area. Everyone feels it is their team. Kuba said it directly - the coach who was responsible for it was hugely engaged. Great satisfaction for the whole squad.
If you want to break down these things in a workshop with people who do this every day - the next edition of Mentoring Analiza PRO starts on 2 March 2027, with sign-ups opening in December.
Waiting list: pachelski.com/mentoring (PL)
Łukasz Pachelski