Football is big business these days and the pressure is on but is win-at-all-costs-football ruining the game?
We all suffered at the hands of Gareth Southgate’s brand of possession football against a Slovakia team ranked just 3 places above footballing heavyweights, Canada.
It was a touch of sheer class that finally gave us hope after nearly 90 minutes of organised possession with no apparent intention of a shot on goal.
Jude Bellingham’s spectacular overhead kick and Captain Kane’s header saved England from their most miserable performance in history, earning comparisons to Graham Taylor’s squad of ineptitude in the early 90’s.
World Cup 2006
Many signal the 2006 World Cup as the time when football reached its peak. England’s golden generation played alongside gifted entertainers such as Riquelme, Ronaldhino, Cannavaro, Del Piero, Deco, Ibrahimović, Iniesta, Deco, Nedvĕd and Zidane.
If you recall, 2006 included the battle of Nuremberg when Portugal played Holland in a viciously contested game in which a young Cristiano Ronaldo was kicked off the pitch. A record 20 yellow cards were shown that night and four players were sent off by the Russian referee.
The tournament had excitement, flair and chaos, culminating in a France versus Italy crescendo in which Zidane was sent off for his infamous headbutt, 4 minutes or so after missing the opportunity of putting France ahead.
Spain ‘82
I believe that 1982 was the year when it all went downhill. Brazil were exciting, skilful and the most attack-minded team of the tournament, and yet they lost to a defensive Italian side that was so dull they were lucky to qualify from their group.
After three draws which included only 2 goals, Italy finished on the same points as 3rd placed Cameroon. Similarly, Brazil finished top of their group with a goal difference of +8, scoring five times as many goals as uninspiring Italy.
You could argue that Brazil had a relatively easier group but the deciding game from a three-teamed group that included the South American rivalry of Argentina, finished 3-2 to Italy after Brazil refused to play less attacking and adopt a more defensive approach after coming from behind twice.
Of course, Italy went on to win the tournament, winning the World Cup for the first time since 1938, and it was decided that you didn’t have to utilise a team of skilful individuals, you just needed to win, even if that meant winning ugly with defensive solidity and opportunism.
At the same time, questions were asked about the creative Brazilian side which included the midfield of Zico, Éder, Sócrates and Falcáo. They were considered to be the greatest team that never won the World Cup and subsequently adopted a more defensive style of play, not dissimilar to Italian sides, and win the World Cup at any cost. It took them twelve years, but in 1994 Brazil eventually won the World Cup again in the USA, defeating Italy on penalties, in the most boring World Cup final ever witnessed.
The game finished 0-0 after extra time but it didn’t matter anymore because Brazil had finally won the World Cup once again, albeit with less creative, defensively-minded players.
Play win-at-all-costs football to win ugly.
And there you have it. It was decided that it didn’t matter about the entertainment value anymore, it’s just about the winning, regardless of how it looked to the fans.
However, many still believe that the game’s reputation picked up upon the establishment of the English Premier League, at the beginning of the 21st Century. Personally, I can’t help thinking that this was as delusional as billionaire David Sullivan believing that Birmingham City could sign Diego Maradona.
Football became more about business and wealth than the game itself, and the community surrounding a club that had helped to build its status and reputation disappeared like England’s hope of winning a major tournament.
It’s Jack’s round.
One example of how a player’s creativity can be thwarted with technical intervention is Jack Grealish. Once the creative maestro of Aston Villa, orchestrating attacks and virtually winning games by himself with control and skilful prowess, Jack is now more creative at the cocktail bar than on the wing for Manchester City.
His Villa heatmap is a display of warmth across nearly every inch of the pitch. Now, his heatmap is a drop of lava, smudged on one section of the left wing.
However, Jack has now won it all under the technical guidance of Pep Guardiola, and he is, by all accounts, a multiple winner by being part of a corrupt club that plays a very controlled style of attacking football.
What do you think?
Is win-at-all-costs football ruining the game? Is football just a game played by athletes who are provided with a plan of action and instructed to adhere to a strict measure of possessional play, forced to uphold the precision and not become embroiled with creative flicks and tricks like Morgan Gibbs-White?
Or, perhaps it’s just me and the game is actually better than ever but the defenders are just too good these days, making it ultimately more difficult for players like Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, George Best and Garrincha to exist.
Is the game as exciting as ever and are players still entertaining us with a new, improved brand of creative chaos and spontaneity?
If they are, what am I witnessing because I’m not seeing it that often…? For me, this win-at-all-costs football is a bland version of the game and appears to be shrouded in wealth, power and nonsensical media silk.
