This is part 2 of 4 on our Individual Striker Movements Off the Shoulder Series.

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This is the usual position of the strikers, they stand alongside the defender and do not open the angle up to help them receive a pass, and these are the disadvantages to this:

Striker has their back to the defender. Defender has control.
Striker‘s body position is square on to the ball, defender and the goal, facing back.
Striker can’t see the defender clearly nor see the goal directly.
If the ball is played in behind the defender, the striker has to first turn, then run forward and probably is second best to the ball against the defender who has a yard or two starts and is probably side on already so only needs to do half a turn.
It is easy for the defender to mark the striker as he or she can see the ball and the striker at the same time and be in control of the situation.

The ball is played straight and behind the defender (A) and this player is likely to be first to the ball as the striker (10) has to turn and run after the ball and in behind the defender.
The ball is played wide into the corner, same idea the defender (B) should be first to it based on the Starting Position of the striker (9), which is back to goal, back to the direction of the ball and where it is traveling to, having to turn and chase it losing vital seconds.
It is all about the Starting Position of the striker and his or her body stance in terms of open or closed, open being half or fully turned in the direction the ball is going or closed as in their back to where the ball is going. Too often they start from a closed body stance.

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