ORTHODOXY

The original of this entry can be found in the following link:

http://www.martiperarnau.com/tactica/la-ortodoxia/

Thanks to @martiperarnau

ORTHODOXY
A few days ago, following an article by Martí Ayats (@martíayats) on "Control", he, Martí Perarnau (@martíperarnau), and myself, we had a little debate on twitter about the subject of orthodoxy in football and, if IT was well regarded . Martí Perarnau asked me if I was able  to write an article and, here.
Today it seems that, to write about whatever topic, you have to look for difficult words or award different namesto things that already have one. If you don't do so, it seems that your are "old" and that your ideas are outdated.
Many of us have been using, in Coaching Course, the books by Mariano Moreno when he was the Director of the Coaches School of the RFEF. You can liket it more or less, but the truth is that the books include a definition of Principles of Football (Offensive and Defensive) and, a Terminology, which is lacking in many countries. In England and in the United States, there are many differences between what some consider principles and for others not. This, as is often said, is neither good nor bad. This is true. From there, sure you can open a debate about if what you have there improved or renamed, and sure it can be.
Guardiola's Barça received compliments and congratulations from around the world of football by playing so showy, which obviously accompanied the results. If not, hardly, they have reached such a high degree of unanimity. Beyond the "positional play" , the "false 9", the "lavolpiana" building-up and a whole lot more, for me, in the strict sense as Coach, what characterized this team was the application stricter of the Principles of Football that we talked about before.
We saw the "delay" of Xavi , saw "uncheck" (breaking, with Villa getting behind the defense to receive a pass from Iniesta, and support, with Messi "falling" to join Xavi and Iniesta to have a 3v2) , we saw "support" with Busquets dropping between the Center Backs for playing form the back with the ball, but also what we were saying about Messi. We saw "ball conservation" (Of course!). We saw "changes of direction " (from right to left and vice versa) and "spaces" and "walls" ( hundreds of them) (N.A: wall is 1-2 combo).
And this, in attack. In defense, we saw the "pressing " (And what a pressing!), the "cover" and "swittching" between Alves and Pedro or, between Pique and Puyol, we saw the "anticipation" and, together with it, the "interception" (How many balls per game stolen?) . The "delay" (also defensive). We saw "charges" and "tackles" (Mascherano, Keita and Yaya Toure scraping balls is a "classic") .
We saw all that in that team. And much more. All this I just put are Principles of Football. Those which are explained in the textbooks of Coaching Courses in Spain .
I keep putting some stuff, literally, of these books :
- Switching between retention and accelerated ball game. The hability to change the pace is an important factor for the effectiveness of a team.- Although the game of attack must always be oriented in depth, in no way excludes lateral and backward passes, to open gaps within the opposing defense .- Pressure and speed is one of the essential principles of an effective attack .
I could spend hours putting more things from these books. I don't think it's needed. In the same way, I don't  think anyone should hide to follow, and use, these principles. You can be great or creative doing things in a "regulated" way. Does the winger comes in and the full-back overlaps him? Well, okay. Does the full-back go inside and the winger outside? Also worth. 1 central midfielder. A double pivot. A "big" center forward. A "false 9" . Three "Shorties" in midfield. A Center Back with 1.75m. Classic wingers. Wingers with "switched side". Anything goes, as long as we apply the concepts, except to have the team split in two, while we know what to do with and without the ball .
All this (which Pep did at Barca) is pure orthodoxy. It's what the books say. No more. No less. That is already a lot.
Let no one be afraid to be orthodox, to follow the canons. Cruyff said the hardest thing was to make things easy. And I think that he was quite right. Invent what we want, that creativity is always good, of course, but do not confuse the terms (N.A. literal translation is "to mix bacon with speed") or orthodoxy with immobility, which are different things.
I just hope that if one day Guardiola read these lines, he forgives me for calling him orthodox. The geniuses, geniuses are.
Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP

AND GUARDIOLA TALKS

The “thing” was relatively quiet, with the usual rumors as all summers, whether this player goes here or there, whether or not that manager will start the season, about the millions this or that club is spending when, suddenly, all went crazy.

Pep Guardiola, now Bayern’s coach, during the pre-season the team is doing in Italy answered to a question from a journalist on the statements of Vice-President of Club Santos. It seemed like it would not be a complicated answer and suddenly, Guardiola was about 5 minutes talking, breaking faces right and left, accusing the Board of Sandro Rosell of not getting him along.

Guardiola reminded us that press conference at the Bernabéu Stadium, before the Champions League match against Real Madrid, where he made famous the phrase "fucking boss". Angry, but without losing his composure, said everything that was hurting him, or at least, all he said was hurting him.

At another point, he was asked about Thiago Alcantara, and he confirmed that he had said Bayern to do everything possible to sign him. Much has been talked so far this season on Thiago’s buyout clause. Until August 1st, it is 18M€. Given what has been paid for some players, it looks like a cheap player, seeing its enormous potential. And, to be clear, I personally think that Thiago should remain at Barça.

Well, with these two things, the mess we have now is amazing. All the “usual” have come to give their opinion. And the feeling I get is that everyone is very nervous, too much nervous. Sandro Rosell plans tomorrow (Monday), to go to a TV station, which is supposed to discuss the issue and tell his.

Until now, it was that if Manchester United or Real Madrid wanted Thiago, that was fine. If Bayern (Guardiola) wants him, this is not good. Guardiola said he was not going to sign players under contract at Barça. Right. But it turns out that the player, for whatever reason, that I will not comment, as it is not my idea here, wants to leave. And it appears Guardiola, who knows him well and says he wants him. And everybody beat him from everywhere. I do not understand. What is the difference between these clubs? Those do not take advantage of circumstances and this one (Bayern) does? Depending on who do things, they are lawful and correct and, depending on who do, these are not?

At the time, a newspaper from Barcelona put in the cover that Pep Guardiola and Tito Vilanova had not seen each other in New York when the latter disease. Guardiola was very clear and explicit. Yes, they did. This same newspaper on Friday harshly criticized what Guardiola had said the day before, asking for clarity in their "accusations". Need more light? Still? Because the question and the answer were in Catalan. That is, there are no problems of bad translations and/or interpretations. And something that must be very clear: The Club is NOT the Board. Barça is a club owned by more than 160,000 people and the members elect the Directors. And, many times, if someone has disagreements with the Board (without addressing if he's right or not), seems to mean attacking the Club. And that's not true. In any way.

The most important, however, in my point of view, was when Guardiola said that if any of what he said was not true, it had to be told, but as he said, not through intermediaries or friends. Come those involved and say if it's a lie. Will it happen?

Guardiola never let one indifferent. You like more or less what he says and how he says it, but always thought provoking. And the other day I think everything was understood everything, or almost everything. Guardiola talks. The "fucking boss" is back.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP

GUARDIOLA DIDN'T INVENT ANYTHING

So written it sounds strange. And, after reading everything it's possible than more than one will curse or will  tell me that I have no idea, it can also be.

The fact is that, after seeing Guardiola many years as a player, coach and now as a lecturer, I have increasingly more clear that what he has always done the best is being a pupil. Cruyff, Capello, Lillo, Bielsa, Menotti, Van Gaal, etc.. Guardiola has learned from all of them. He has  heard, he has seen, with many of them in person, their ways of working, their methodology, their understanding of football. And having done that, it has gathered all together with his innate intelligence and leadership skills, communication and work and has made an outstanding blend.

Now, to invent, what is said to invent , I think he hasn't done it. The "1-4-3-3" is used for many years, the "1-3-4-3" was introduced by Cruyff, at the defensive rigor, Capello, rigor and control, of Van Gaal, the spirit of group by Lillo, the philosophy as a concept for working, from Bielsa or Menotti, etc.. But he has had this point to know what was the most profitable of each and then, and later, as a good student, he is best the known understanding the "Principles of the Game" and applying them. In this, I think he is the best, no doubt.

On the Web there are, in the last days, some lectures given recently in South America. Above all, one where he talks about why he changed the position of Messi, who has become a "TOP". I've seen it, as many people, and I come to the following conclusions:

1) Guardiola knows as any other coach how his players are. What "features" they have at technical, tactical level, etc.. What they know and what they can do. The strengths and weaknesses. If they are fast, explosive, patients, "diesel", if they good headers, to the right or to the left. If they run better with or without the ball, etc. This is something that all those who say we are, or want to be, coaches, should know very carefully.

2) Guardiola is a student of football. Of his team, of his opponents and, of any group of eleven guys who play football against another group of eleven dressed in different colors, whatever the place on earth. Scan everything he sees and always looks for the "why" Why do they do this move? Why they don't do that? Why do they go to the right? Why to the left? Why they do not go? Why ...?

3) And, as I said, Guardiola applies the "Principles of football" as anyone. Contrary to what people may think, Guardiola is the most orthodox of all coaches. All of him is pure orthodoxy "Rationa occupatios of space (The ball give us the order)", "Changes of orientation (start on one side, finish at the other)", "Walls (2v1)", "Free espces (winger comes in, full-back appears at the outside"), "Conservation of the ball", "Change of Pace", "support (the false "9")", etc.. and defensive principles, too: "Pressing (do you remember, don't you?)", "Cover", "Markings", "Permanent support" etc..

That is, Guardiola has not implemented anything we did not know, especially for  those who have done the Caoching Courses with the books of the Spanish Federation. What happens to us is that many times we want to be more Catholic than the Pope, and want to invent the "garlic soup" and, apply names to things that already exist and are already named. And all this is already invented. The concepts are the same for everyone. What sets us apart is how we apply and, above all, why we apply this or that way. In this, Pep it's a big "inventor", because he does what his teachers told him. He has achieved what the "Master" Johan Cruyff used to say: The hardest thing is to keep things simple. And he does.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP

THE BALL GIVE US THE ORDER

When Cruyff came to Barça as Manager, he said that so well known and simple: "If I have the ball, you don’t have it and, therefore, you have two jobs: get the ball and score a goal". Then, the "Dream Team" came.

Pep Guardiola, Cruyff’s pupil (and also of Van Gaal, Capello, Lillo, Bielsa, etc.) rewrote the sentence and said that of "The ball gives us the order" which seems silly, but that says 2 things very clear:

1)     If I attack well, that is, if I'm well positioned on the pitch, when the ball is lost you’ll have many more options to recover it quickly (the "rule of six seconds": if not stolen in 6 seconds, regain initial positions) 
2)     If my shape is good when the opponent has the ball, I have many more options to intercept, steal, cut the pass, etc.

All this is beside the point that there is much talk lately about Barça's Vilanova and further compared with Guardiola: now there isn’t this pressure that existed before, the team is less "positional" (shorter attacks) and vertically (more "stretched”, etc.). I totally agree with this, but for me this is not the problem of the current Barça.

Isn’t there high pressure? Well, if I press right at the back, I’ll catch the ball. Remember where turnovers were done by Mourinho’s Inter or by Bayern the other day. Not in defence, no: In the space between the "creation area" and "end zone", which is commonly known as ¾ of the pitch.

What happens there? Well, there are 5-6 men behind the ball and 5-6 ahead, i.e. if I steal the ball, I have plenty of room to run and few players to defend. Where Bayern pressed? At the same place. To which players? The same that Inter: Xavi and Iniesta. These could pick up the ball more or less quietly in their own half, but by the time they passed the centre circle, agonizing pressure and forcing losses.

Why here? Well, here is where teams generally tend to be more disorganized: neither the defenders are out, neither the attackers are at place to start the static attack. Consequence: disorganized team and facility for the opponents. As we have not order, problems.

If this can be done to Barça, Barça can also do it, and this is what they DID before and what they DON’T do now. We talked before about the "six seconds". If the team did not recover the ball, they recovered the position, but they CONTINUED PRESSING. Now the team "floats" on the ball holder, and press only when it comes near the box and, for me this is a problem.

Now, the team recovers the ball, generally, far from goal. This allows for, obviously, many more spaces (Barça does it when attacking static, the others do the same). As there are spaces, 3-4 players go to counterattack quickly. If the play is finished, perfect, but if not, now there are problems. Before, when the team was leaving out, was leaving ALL, the 11 players, so that, if you could not finish the play, always had support behind to begin static attack. Not now. The ones for the counter go out and the rest of the team is practically on own half, a little bit "you’ll do it" and, when they can’t finish the play, there are just 6-7 players to defend, as the others have already been overcome. It is not to attack everyone, but it is to maintain the proper gap between lines, and it seems that currently it doesn’t happen. The problem is not to be more vertical. The problem is to have the team in place. Again the same: lose the ball at ¾ of the field with space for the opponents and, with few people to stop them.

There is a third point: finish the plays. In Guardiola’s “manual”, this was a basic principle. If I finish the play, I go to place to re-start the recovery of the ball (in case the goalkeeper saves or goal kick). If you don’t finish, I'm back in the previous case: as I have separate lines, there are spaces for the opponents.

Anyway, it’s always the same: to have the team ordered, well positioned. And, always, depending on where the ball is. You can’t start static attack if you are not well placed, because if you're not well placed, you’ll not move the opponents from side to side, and you will not find the spaces. And if you do not find spaces, you lose your calm and if you lose your calm, you make mistakes and, if you make mistakes ...

And, to be well placed, you must be close the ball, because "the ball gives us the order."

EPPUR SI MUOVE

"Eppur if muove" (And yet it moves), is the statement attributed to Galileo in reference to the movement of the earth around the sun. The phrase is used nowadays and among other things, to refer to any person, entity, etc.. seem that although there isn't or not doing any business, whether it is actually doing something.

"Eppur if muove" but, can also be applied to Barça. The team of Vilanova-Roura has gone, in a few days, to be finished, tired "physically" out of ideas, out of the Cup with a foot and a half out of Europe, and the League was about to lose the (???), according to some, to get back in shape ("physically"??), by becoming the highest (almost) favorite to win the Champions League and "La Liga" at the point to solve it, since a gap of 13-point lead when they are 10 games to be played.

I do not agree with many of these theories. The last matches of Barça had been a meaningless run, with separate lines, with a lack of judgment rather large. This gave more options than usual to the opponents and Barça matched many goals.

Suddenly, the situation changed. Depor (La Coruña), has not kicked in, and Milan only had a clear one and it was an individual error rather than collective. What happened to arrive here? Well, for me, very easy. Barça returned to take the "Manual of Positional Play" and went back to the balance, to have the lines together, to find space between the lines, to everything.

"The ball give us order" said Pep Guardiola. And the ball is moving. "Eppur if muove"