The abject failure of the English national team is perhaps not purely down to, or as simple as, poor management – as impulsive and patriotic as it may sound to blame Sven-Goran Erikkson for squeezing Scholes in at left midfield – no, the issue within our proud nation is just that, too much pride.
Pride; an emotion that when managed correctly can be manifested into overwhelming feelings of growth, wisdom and, more importantly, success. However, as we all eventually become aware of it through our life experiences, there is a very thin line between pride and stubbornness, something which I believe our academy and scouting systems are unequivocally found guilty of crossing the line with.
Prevailing attitudes within English academy football have adapted minimally to the changing nature of world football – where other European nations have adopted methods of sport and footballing science that brought them closer to the 21st century – and the old, tired and fundamentally flawed English retort of valuing physicality and athleticism in the sport seem to endure.
Johan Cruyff, a man that needs no introduction – and if he does, I’m not quite so sure how you’ve got here – had been fundamental in the first ‘popular’ shift in the evolution of the beautiful game on foreign soil.
Johan had been a disciple from the first class of ‘total football’ architects – a fluid tactical system that suggests any outfield player can take over the role of any other player in a team – such as Rinus Michels, Ajax manager from 1965-71, who led the team to four league titles and the first (1971) of their three consecutive European Cups.
‘The General’, as he was known, would depart to manage Barcelona where, in 1973, he would break the world transfer record fee to bring in Johan to the distinguished Spanish side, going on to manage Cruyff in the Dutch national side at the 1974 World Cup, falling at the last hurdle to West Germany after a dominant tournament run.
Rinus’ guidance instilled this mentality into the three-time Ballon d’Or winner, becoming obsessed with developing the system first paved out by his coach and intellectual equal, implementing the finished article of captivating ‘total football’ during his introduction to coaching at Ajax and, just like ‘General’ Michels, later at Barcelona.
La Masia, an old Catalonian farmhouse first erected in 1702 which was later transformed on the 20th October 1979 into a dormitory for Barcelona’s youth academy, combined Johan’s new slick ideology with the innovative Spanish ‘Tiki-Taka’ (one-touch) methodology. It would be within this building where the philosophy of football changed forever. Rory Smith reported in The Daily Telegraph that La Masia “has replaced the fabled Ajax Academy as football’s foremost production line.”
A golden generation of footballing excellence had been manufactured from the ground up, producing graduates that can only be characterised as god given gifts to the game. Any other descriptive amounts an insult to these illustrious names: Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Puyol, Pique and of course, the greatest talent of all time, Lionel Messi.
The dominance of both Barcelona and Spain at this time cannot be overlooked, as a child in the late 2000’s it was inconceivable to even consider the notion that Spain wouldn’t dominate any international or club competition, especially against English opposition. Ironically in 2009 I held out a glimmer of, admittedly biased, hope that Manchester United could overcome the Spanish juggernauts in the Champions League Final – a silly thought quickly put to bed by Messi and Pep Guardiola. Spain sauntered through the 2008 Euros and finally at South Africa’s 2010 World Cup they were crowned the best nation in the world.
These dynamic dynasties were founded solely by the engrained philosophy that had been put in place in 1979, fuelled by the direct focus on raw technical ability – no matter the size or strength of any particular player.
Size, strength, and athleticism – possess two thirds of these attributes and you could very well be on your way through the ranks of the English game – have all three? Well, you’re a scout’s dream. This misguided take on what makes a young player a promising prospect, a take that only holds any sort of validity in the way us ‘Great’ Brits view our homegrown talent, has been an enduring opinion that needs to be done away with, for good.
Amusingly the seeds for our nation’s academy reform had already started to be planted in early 2016, coming from one La Masia graduate and the mastermind behind the whole operation during Barcelona’s mythical like dominance, the aforementioned Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola joined Manchester City in February 2016, leaving behind his position at Bayern Munich after a three-year stint. His spell with the Germans had many pundits questioning his ability to succeed in Europe, but the style of play which he encouraged and his immense ability to produce world-class youth prospects was already well established. City’s owners developed a staggering piece of architectural design in preparation for his arrival, resulting in a spectacular 80-acre site that cost £150 million to realise.
Fast-forward five years later and Manchester United’s ‘noisy neighbours’ are now unquestionably the best team in England, with the fruits of their labour blossoming in the form of 20-year-old, ‘Stockport’s Iniesta’, Phil Foden.
Foden, standing at just 5’6”, has been the main beneficiary of Guardiola’s tutelage, and within one season has revolutionised how many Premiership viewers look at those of a smaller stature. With Foden more than able to handle the apparent immense physicality of the league, it begs the question- how many more ‘undersized’ talents are to come?
Jarrod Bowen, part of the first Premier League influx of smaller built players, has had an immediate impact during his time at West Ham following a move from Hull City in 2020’s January window. The Hammers handed the 24-year-old a five-year deal, and it’s starting to look like a phenomenal business decision for the European contending East-London club- who many tipped for relegation to begin the season.
Bowen, who is certainly no teenager, should symbolise just how many hidden gems can be found lower down the hierarchy in English football. It’s difficult to watch the performances produced by the former Hereford winger and not conclude that our system is flawed, but we appear to be trending in the right direction.
Undoubtedly, we are still lightyears behind witnessing the likes of Burnley implementing the Catalonian style of play. That’s simply down to the prehistoric scouting networks we have in place, ones that seem to persist with scouts of an older generation who are adamant that their way is the right way.
Evolution in football is inevitable; there will always be those who appear to have absurd opinions on how the game should be played, but many of those who have pioneered in their field will have faced accusations of insanity – and we need brave voices to trigger much needed change in the game.
Innovation isn’t something that should be frowned upon, it’s something that should be embraced with open arms by those of us willing to accept change, and once that door is opened there will be no turning back.
Embracing this change starts as low as Sunday league level. If you feel like you have ideas that could instil a more technical style of play and mentality at your club, instead of just hoofing the ball up the pitch to your 6 foot striker, then do it.
Challenge viewpoints from your manager in a calm and cordial manner, introduce them to a new way of thinking and you’ll be able to say you had a direct impact on hopefully a successful evolution of the English game across all levels.
Featured Image Credit: Anthony Devlin Photography
