This denigration is also extended to managers who eschew a tactics-heavy approach too. Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is frequently belittled for his approach to management and coaching.
Prior to the start of their inaugural Champions League campaign, many had predicted that Redknapp’s side would face several humiliations at the hands of ‘tactically-superior’ teams. However, Tottenham defied the naysayers and produced a string of superb performances, including a 3-1 victory over Inter Milan, a side then managed by celebrated tactician Rafael Benitez.
Describing his approach, Redknapp stressed the importance of the players, not the system or tactics used:
“Whether it is 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, the numbers game is not the beautiful game in my opinion. It’s 10 per cent about the formation and 90 per cent about the players. If you have the best ones and they do their jobs, then they can pretty much play any way you want them to.”
At the end of the day the object of professional football is to win; trophies are not handed out for aesthetics or for the use of meticulous tactics. Managers and players are not obliged to entertain spectators.
Winning is the ultimate aim, and it doesn’t really matter how this is achieved. There are of course, many ways to skin a cat, and each one is as valid and acceptable as the other. After all, how many Chelsea fans were complaining about aesthetics after 2004/05 and 2005/06, and how many Inter Milan fans were miffed with Mourinho after their treble-winning season of 2009/10?
The article was written by Zarif Rasul for FootballFancast.com. Make sure to check out the latest news, blogs and podcasts at FFC – ed.
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This week it is LFC fan and tennis player Caroline Wozniacki!
I understand the intent of your article but I do have to agree with Xavi about Carra because it has bothered me for some time how many times Carra gives the ball away because he is not willing to get the ball up field to another of our players. He could learn from Agger but perhaps it is too late for him. Not all English football is boot it to the stands and you will never find me clapping and yelling for Carra when he boots to the stands. NEVER! ENOUGH NOW CARRA! Look how many chances we lose each match to score goals! And, how many more chances the opposition has to score on us.
hey man that is liverpool way and carra way and its best for us liver fan for barca player its bad luck so pole (sorry) xavi and all fan like so called beutiful pass pass pass style
i am a liverpool supporter but before that, i am a football lover and the reason i started following football was not to see players hoofing the ball up the field.. there’s a reason why its called “the beautiful game”…
if it was just about which team wins the most, then all people in the world wud support manure or chelski..
Yes. Carra has been a great servant for the club, but he’s a liability when he gets the ball. For a thinking player, when is he going to realise that his long hoof forward usually results in giving the ball away.