Mikel Arteta's Simple Exercise on the Importance of Understanding the Game Space (Patreon)

Mikel Arteta, with a simple exercise, demonstrated to his footballers the importance of understanding the game space. The exercise involved showing the players two images of the field: one where the players' numbers were in their usual positions, and another where the numbers were swapped. The players had 45 seconds to memorize each image. As expected, they found it much easier to memorize the image with the numbers in their correct positions, those they work with daily.

Arteta highlighted that during a match, players have very little time to make decisions. His message to the team was the crucial importance of everyone understanding what is happening on the field in a similar manner. This shared understanding simplifies decision-making. When every player knows and can visually grasp what is happening without thinking, all actions, with or without the ball, become more intuitive. For instance, if one player moves into a space, the others will know what to do next, understanding how the units work and interact with each other.