Individual Training: Another Path to Develop the 'Blue Team' Players

Individual training sessions for football players are among the key factors coaches prioritize, as they are closely linked to the methodology a coach seeks to implement during matches. Consequently, the technical aspect is inextricably linked to the tactical approach the coach intends to adopt. In our local clubs, the technical dimension is often lacking, and some club coaches rarely focus on this aspect. In past decades, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s, several coaches—especially those from the Eastern European school, such as Yugoslavia, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia—dedicated part of their training sessions to subjecting certain players to specialized drills aimed at refining and developing their technical skills. These drills covered ball control and possession, dribbling, passing, close control while moving, movement in space, heading, and set-piece execution, among other technical elements.

This approach was also emphasized by some coaches who managed the national team in earlier years. For instance, Yugoslav coach Branko Ivanković, Brazilian coaches Mário Zagallo and Carlos Alberto Parreira, and Ukrainian coach Valeriy Lobanovskyi did not limit their focus to the preparation period before tournaments; they allocated specific days for national team camps with the explicit goal of concentrating on players’ technical development. This practice yielded significant benefits for many former stars.

Observers and analysts have noted that many members of the current national team possess high technical and artistic abilities and are of similar ages, yet they urgently need to elevate their potential. This improvement cannot be achieved through tactics alone; if there is a deficiency in the technical component, the coach’s intended methodology will face difficulties. Therefore, the Development Committee of the Kuwait Football Association should consider incorporating such initiatives into its plans, designating specific training days for all national team players, not just the senior squad. However, given that coach Hélio Sousa is currently focusing on a group of young players with the aim of building a future national team in line with the association’s plans, there is no reason not to experiment with individual training sessions. Several players, such as Youssef Al-Haqan, Jasem Al-Mutairi, Nasser Al-Fahad, Mohammed Daham, Eid Al-Rashidi, and Shuaib Al-Khalidi, possess considerable potential but require additional technical work to enhance their artistic levels.

If implemented, this process would be beneficial and would not cause significant harm or negative effects to the players. On the contrary, it would serve as a supportive factor, adding artistic value for those players who possess untapped technical potential.