Missing chances frustrates coaches and players equally. But 'they need to be more clinical' is not a coaching intervention — it's an observation. The useful question is: which moment in the finishing sequence is breaking down?
Technique diagnosis
Watch the miss and identify: is the ball going over? (kicking foot under the ball, follow-through upward) Is it going wide consistently in one direction? (contact point off-centre) Is it hit with the toe? (positioning error, non-kicking foot placement wrong) Each has a specific technical fix.
For the most common miss — shooting over — use the Shooting With Pressure drill with specific coaching on the follow-through. "Through the ball, not over it."
Composure diagnosis
If the player is technically sound in training but misses in matches, it's composure. Use the Composure 1v1 With GK drill — the explicit decision framework (three options, call it aloud before striking) builds composure as a skill, not as an attitude.
Decision-making diagnosis
If the player is shooting from poor angles when a pass was available, or not shooting when they should be: use the One-Two and Shoot drill and add a rule — the striker must shoot on their first or second touch in the penalty area. No exceptions. This removes the over-thinking that delays the shot.
The volume approach
Most importantly: give the striker more finishing reps per session. A striker who gets 5 shots in a 60-minute session will develop more slowly than one who gets 40. Dedicate 15 minutes of every session to finishing drills where the striker is at the centre of the activity.