My colleague Matttew Whitehouse
(@The_W_Adress)
has asked me to do a review of his latest book: "Universality/The Blueprint for Soccer
's New Era". This has taken me almost
40 years ago when I received as a gift "Tinker,
Taylor, Soldier, Spy" by John Le Carré.
It was the first book I read by this author and I enjoyed it. So much so that I've read it maybe 20 times and
it made that I bought almost every book by
this author.
Beyond the story told by Le Carré (fascinating), which I liked and still like
what is his way of
linking the past with the present circumstances and possible
future events. This is what
Matt has done. He
explains what was, what is
and where we are going.
Curiously, or maybe not, is that, coming from cultures (both general and football) as different as the Anglo-Saxon and Latin, I agree almost entirely what Matt says. While it is true that the
paths followed are not the same, so
perhaps cultures, which makes
the arguments employed are different, I subscribe the conclusions he
reaches.
As Le Carré makes in the book there
is a main protagonist George
Smiley-Pep Guardiola. But, in the same way, there
are plenty of supporting actors to
help understand what is, and what
happens: Ferguson, Mourinho, Queiroz,
Benitez, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo,
Ronaldinho, Beckham, Scholes, Xavi, Iniesta,
Busquets Alonso, Drogba,
Laporta, Florentino Pérez ... all play
some more or less important roles
to help understand what happened in football in the last
15 years and, what it seems to come.
But there are more similarities: Smiley is not the
classic spy, nor is a classic coach Guardiola.
Both are looking for something that does not exist: perfection. And, this
means innovating and daring. And of course, sometimes
you're wrong and, when done, is very
sound way.
Matt, as Le Carré, makes us an
analysis that starts in the past,
in the late 90's. Based on his knowledge of
English football, he explains why the English dominate European football, at club's levle, appearing again and again in the Champions League finals, until, suddenly,
it's over. What happened? Well, very simple and very
complicated at the same time.
The players have changed, because the game and so
requests, and England
has not seen it.
Today's players are (should be) much more universal (polyvalent). No longer are useful the wingers who can only focus
on running and crossing or
center backs that only reject the ball or
central midfielders that only stop balls.
Now, the wingers have to cross, open field and finish. The center
backs must know how to go out with the ball under control and the central midfielder has to cut, keep the ball and
distribute the play.
And while there are players which by their nature will never be play some roles, the fact is that the more "records"
are mastered, more options to play.
If today I don't play here, I play there.
Simple.
Matt also puts in
evidence, clearly, one of the "myths"
of football: the systems (formations).
As said by I
do not remember who, 1-4-3-3, 1-4-4-2, 1-3-5-2, etc. they
are nothing more than "Telephone
Numbers". What matters today are
the movements of the players, but
especially of the
ball. This is who sets everything. And
players need to adapt and change position constantly. Universality. Mobility.
The book makes an exhaustive review of English football and its "evolution?" in recent years,
but, as Le Carré does, he tells us what Brazilian, German or Spanish have done. All environments must be understood to know what
to do with yours. New ideas,
new concepts, new ways of understanding
football. Everyone appears
because everyone has a contribution to make. The pressing, the
zonal marking, superiority in midfield, keeper-players ... all things bring something. And everything becomes more universal, more functional, more versatile. And the
word "team" dominates. Teams
work for the stars, but the stars
work for the teams. Before, no.
It is explained the importance of
the wingers with "wrong-footed
leg". Robben or Messi playing
from right to left. Ronaldinho and Cristiano Ronaldo, from
left to right. Of a wingers
that are non-wingers in the sense of
making crosses to be finished. But wingers that
give a lot of width to the team. And
a center forwards
who are not static expecting a cross to
finish, that come to midfield to
create superiority, scoring goals,
but also assisting. And the
"box-to-box" midfielders,
that were a players which only used to run. Now,
a "box-to-box"
has to do many things. If not, you are lost.
As John Le Carré, Matt Whitehouse teaches
us that you can only anticipate
or think about what will be
in the future if you know and analyze what
happened in the past and what is
happening today. As I said before,
different cultures lead to different interpretations,
but at very similar conclusions.
And football is universal.
Everywhere you play with a ball. The want who knows what to do with it has
many (all, probably) chance of
winning.
Buy the book. You'll
love it.
Jordi Pascual
You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP
