Art, Italian style

By Sunshine
March 8 2004

Fans of Premiership teams should be urging their clubs to buy a videotape of the Champions League final and make it compulsory viewing for the entire first team squad at least once a day.

Leaving the dirty tricks on display at Old Trafford aside for a moment (not that I thought they were used to excess), it was a marvel to watch the way in which four of the best strikers on the planet were hardly allowed to get a look in. Marking was tight, tackles were immaculately timed (especially on the edge of the penalty boxes) and the reading of the game by the defenders of both teams (the out-of-position Montero providing the sole exception, and even then only for the first 30 minutes) was simply awesome.

It really is time for us to stop being snobs when it comes to the art of defending. I’d also contest the assertion which states that everyone likes to see goals: I HATE seeing other teams score against my team and had to put up with it over SIXTY times during the 02/03 season. The only goals I’m really interested in are the ones that my team get to score. An own goal by the opposition gives me infinitely more pleasure than seeing another team score a thirty-yard screamer, even if they aren’t playing against my favourite team. The only reason I wish to see goals in other games is because I’m an impartial observer. To put this last sentence into perspective, if you gave me the choice of spending an evening in to watch, say, Aston Villa versus Man City or go out and have a few games of pool with some mates, I’d be stretching for my coat before you could finish the question. THAT is how important goals in the game, in general, are to me.

Goalkeeper
The single, biggest subconscious insult you could hand a keeper would be to refer to him as a shot-stopper. While undeniably of fundamental importance, blocking the ball before it crosses the white line is only PART of the job.
First and foremost, a goalie has to be a good coach and know how to organise his defence. This can be considered ‘prevention’ and is, as always, better than the uncertainty of a cure (making the save). Schmeichel excelled in this area, as did Clemence. Can you imagine the Great Dane letting Carr find himself out of position or Brown turn in performances as if his mind was still mulling over what to do next in his Harry Potter PlayStation2 game? A keeper needs presence, charisma.
Another attribute is the ability to deal with crosses, taking the pressure off the defence.
Next up, decisions. Decisions, decisions. Should I race out of my six yard box to confront the striker who has broken through, or should I dither?
Concentration. Some keepers look brilliant because they keep the score down with a string of wonderful saves and ‘only’ let in one or two goals a game. Massimo Taibi was bought by Man Utd a few years ago for exactly that reason. Unfortunately for Ferguson, he soon found out that Taibi was also prone to losses of concentration which, once playing for a team which only allows a limited number of shots on goal in any one game, can (and did) make him look quite stupid.
In the Champions League final, Buffon had one main save to make, the stunning one handed stop from Inzaghi’s perfect close-range diving header: That is precisely why Juventus paid 32 million pounds for him (even now still only 25) two years ago. Dida at AC Milan is proving to be just as good as Buffon, if not better.

Defence
Did you spot the difference between the Milan and Juventus defences during the final? Shame on you if you didn’t. Both were extremely effective, disciplined and focussed, but played quite differently. The rossoneri had culture and style (in particular Maldini and Nesta), allowing them to pass their way out of trouble, whilst the bianconeri had raw power (Thuram and Ferrara) which resulted in them taking a cruder approach to sweeping their final third of the pitch.
Horses for courses. If you suddenly asked the average Premiership defender to try all that back heeling fancy stuff that the boys in white (Milan) did to great effect the other night, impartial spectators would be provided with even more enjoyment next term.
Hands up anyone who remembers the mid-‘70s/early ‘80s Liverpool team? They had a great tactic: They’d foul the opposition whilst the ball was still in the middle of the park, killing off most dangerous attacks before they even started. Petty fouls in midfield also attract far fewer bookings than equivalent challenges in the danger zone of the final third of the pitch.
Over the years, the game has changed. It is now much quicker and, thanks to the Dutch teams of the ‘70s, decent teams now attack in waves and threats to goal can come from almost any outfield player. This has had a massive impact on the way defences need to play. In the good old days, forwards attacked and more or less everyone else stuck to their task, meaning that when a striker received the ball, usually back to the goal, the defender had all the time in the world to settle himself and jockey the man with the ball: He wasn’t going anywhere and had few options ahead of him. This is no longer the case. Watch almost any AFC game you care to mention: If you give forwards like Henry or Bergkamp time to think on the ball, they’ll provide exquisite final balls for the likes of Ljungberg, Pires, Wiltord or Cole.

Three words
Focus, intensity and concentration.
Serie A defenders have learned to live by them, how long will it take before Premiership teams take a leaf out of their book? One thing you can bet on: The first teams to do so will reap enormous benefits.