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RedRob · 17-11-2009, 04:35 AM

pandangan yang menarik dari bung Anlov....

silakan ditanggapi

============================

THE ANLOV MATHIESEN COLUMN

MANCHESTER UNITED, LIVERPOOL
AND WHY THE ENGLISH GAME IS ABOUT TO BE OUTSMARTED

Anlov Mathiesen, 16 Nov 2009 | sportingpreview.com

Barcelona's outplaying of Manchester United in last year's Champions League final might have been the forewarning of a new and entertaining football.

In that game, Barcelona combined smartness with a passing game and artistry. As a result, the team pressed high up the field and dominated United.

Is the tide turning?

The Premier League has every reason to be proud of itself and its successes in Europe. The English teams have dominated the European stage for years.

However, we should be clear on the foundation on which this has been made possible: Defensive strategy.

To be honest, let's call it ultra-defensive - with Arsene Wenger's Arsenal the odd exception. But then again, let's not forget, they haven't had the successes of the defensive teams in recent seasons.

The key elements of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United's best displays in Europe have all been based on away games with every man behind the ball, and every man chasing the ball at home, all the time.

Sir Alex Ferguson's best results came about in this way in a 4-5-1 formation.

Rafael Benitez's best moment was produced in attacking frenzy against AC Milan but this was due to absolute need, not on pre-planned chosen tactics. Benitez is still one of the most defensive managers around.

There is nothing wrong with winning by defence. Being Norwegian, I know this better than anyone. Obviously a victory is a victory, and a trophy is a trophy. But there are signs that English teams in general are having problems renewing themselves tactically.

Today, only Arsenal and Manchester City show signs of a willingness to attack. All the other top ten Premier League teams specialise in counter attacks.

This is all well and good but nowadays we have an emerging Spanish league, and Italian self confidence is growing by the week.

The free flowing, attacking football is obviously not going to come from Italy, but they might just resort back to their defensive expertise. If they do, they will do it better than the English.

But this is not about Serie A, it's about Spain. Or namely, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The last Champions League final showed the world how to outsmart even the most cynical and experienced teams and managers - by passing, passing, thinking and passing.

This is exactly the same thing that Spain taught us in the European Championships.

Give Real Madrid's new team a year or two and they will be right up there - with passing, thinking and attacking.

English supporters will no doubt point to the money that Madrid have spent on the likes of Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso. But this is not fair. This is exactly what Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and now Manchester City have been doing for a while.

Yes, they spent an obscene amount of money, but this doesn't change the fact that there are around ten megalomaniacal teams competing in the galactic transfer market for the same players.

Sometimes Madrid is the top dollar dog, sometimes Liverpool or Chelsea. Or, like two years ago, United. This evens itself out over time.

The main point is that the English teams have been able to strangle even the most artistic of opponents for years with a high intensity game based on the odd (and preferably smart and fast) counter attack.

People might look upon Chelsea or Liverpool when pinpointing the most defensive teams, but do not forget that some of Ferguson's best games (versus Barcelona in 2008 for example) were some of the most defensive displays ever seen on the European stage.

But there are no rules against defensive tactics, only counter moves.

The beauty of the game is the dynamics of tactical dominance. English dominance is forcing other teams to try new tactics, new fomations and new strategies.

The world of football does not only copy what works, it always tries to counter with the opposite.

In the coming years we will witness this in a new variety of attacking formations, and a new variety of tactical displays tailor-made to confront the English teams. This is just like how the teams had to counter Italian clubs in the Nineties, Arsenal in the same decade, Germany in the Eighties and the English teams of the Noughties.

Right now there are few others than Real Madrid and Barcelona strong enough to challenge, but this will change. Ferguson's defeat at the hands of Guardiola might have been the turning of the tide.

17-11-2009, 04:35 AM	#21
RedRob first team Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: right there between Giggsy and Scholesy Posts: 2,709 Thanks: 963 Thanked 658 Times in 277 Posts Mentioned: 1 Post(s)	Dominasi Inggris di Eropa Segera Berakhir..?? pandangan yang menarik dari bung Anlov.... silakan ditanggapi ============================ THE ANLOV MATHIESEN COLUMN MANCHESTER UNITED, LIVERPOOL AND WHY THE ENGLISH GAME IS ABOUT TO BE OUTSMARTED Anlov Mathiesen, 16 Nov 2009 \| sportingpreview.com Barcelona's outplaying of Manchester United in last year's Champions League final might have been the forewarning of a new and entertaining football. In that game, Barcelona combined smartness with a passing game and artistry. As a result, the team pressed high up the field and dominated United. Is the tide turning? The Premier League has every reason to be proud of itself and its successes in Europe. The English teams have dominated the European stage for years. However, we should be clear on the foundation on which this has been made possible: Defensive strategy. To be honest, let's call it ultra-defensive - with Arsene Wenger's Arsenal the odd exception. But then again, let's not forget, they haven't had the successes of the defensive teams in recent seasons. The key elements of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United's best displays in Europe have all been based on away games with every man behind the ball, and every man chasing the ball at home, all the time. Sir Alex Ferguson's best results came about in this way in a 4-5-1 formation. Rafael Benitez's best moment was produced in attacking frenzy against AC Milan but this was due to absolute need, not on pre-planned chosen tactics. Benitez is still one of the most defensive managers around. There is nothing wrong with winning by defence. Being Norwegian, I know this better than anyone. Obviously a victory is a victory, and a trophy is a trophy. But there are signs that English teams in general are having problems renewing themselves tactically. Today, only Arsenal and Manchester City show signs of a willingness to attack. All the other top ten Premier League teams specialise in counter attacks. This is all well and good but nowadays we have an emerging Spanish league, and Italian self confidence is growing by the week. The free flowing, attacking football is obviously not going to come from Italy, but they might just resort back to their defensive expertise. If they do, they will do it better than the English. But this is not about Serie A, it's about Spain. Or namely, Barcelona and Real Madrid. The last Champions League final showed the world how to outsmart even the most cynical and experienced teams and managers - by passing, passing, thinking and passing. This is exactly the same thing that Spain taught us in the European Championships. Give Real Madrid's new team a year or two and they will be right up there - with passing, thinking and attacking. English supporters will no doubt point to the money that Madrid have spent on the likes of Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso. But this is not fair. This is exactly what Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and now Manchester City have been doing for a while. Yes, they spent an obscene amount of money, but this doesn't change the fact that there are around ten megalomaniacal teams competing in the galactic transfer market for the same players. Sometimes Madrid is the top dollar dog, sometimes Liverpool or Chelsea. Or, like two years ago, United. This evens itself out over time. The main point is that the English teams have been able to strangle even the most artistic of opponents for years with a high intensity game based on the odd (and preferably smart and fast) counter attack. People might look upon Chelsea or Liverpool when pinpointing the most defensive teams, but do not forget that some of Ferguson's best games (versus Barcelona in 2008 for example) were some of the most defensive displays ever seen on the European stage. But there are no rules against defensive tactics, only counter moves. The beauty of the game is the dynamics of tactical dominance. English dominance is forcing other teams to try new tactics, new fomations and new strategies. The world of football does not only copy what works, it always tries to counter with the opposite. In the coming years we will witness this in a new variety of attacking formations, and a new variety of tactical displays tailor-made to confront the English teams. This is just like how the teams had to counter Italian clubs in the Nineties, Arsenal in the same decade, Germany in the Eighties and the English teams of the Noughties. Right now there are few others than Real Madrid and Barcelona strong enough to challenge, but this will change. Ferguson's defeat at the hands of Guardiola might have been the turning of the tide.