The Dream of the Fox, part 2

Before he became a coach, Pep Guardiola went to Latin America and spoke to three men: Argentina’s 1978 World Cup-winning coach César Luis Menotti, the great Marcelo Bielsa and Ricardo La Volpe, another quixotic Argentinian. While the first two remain major figures, La Volpe’s star has waned but he was an influential figure in the creation of the modern game. Last week, in part one, we looked at his career; this week, we examine his beliefs on how the game should be be played.

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Those who prefer defensive football, who look to close down space and create structures to thwart the opposition are often accused of ‘over-complicating’ the game, as though attacking football – let them play! – is somehow easier or less intense than something more cynical. La Volpe rejects that notion absolutely. “I laugh about this,” he said. “This is very simple. I’ll tell you what Menotti told us before the World Cup [in 1978], something I’ve never forgotten: order v disorder? Order wins. Order v order? The players win. Therefore, controversies like this really don’t matter. You can’t aspire to win if you aren’t organised. All the pieces must work well, as a machine. If you have great players but you don’t have structure, you could lose to a bunch of players of lesser quality that have structure. Eleven-men teams always beat eleven individuals. Estudiantes were the first surprise of Argentinian football, because they were structured. Later, Racing, Huracán, Ferro.”

La Volpe’s notion of structure, though, is a fluid one. “You must teach your players,” he said, “that the ball is a point of reference and the line the ball makes while it’s moving is a line of reference. That line tells you when and how you can press and when you cannot. The smart player knows to close in when the ball moves, because when the opposition player gets the pass, he will be marked. If you let the opposition move the ball without pressing and then, when the player receives it, try to close him in, it’s useless. As players, Menotti taught us to respect the opposition players. They think, just as you do. If they have the ball, and they are free, they have two or three seconds to decide what to do, while you are running even to reach them. You are at a disadvantage. If you press when the ball is moving, you are at an advantage. I like football that doesn’t give the opposition the chance to think. And pressing must be enjoined by at least by four or five players to have results. It’s what I call systems of football sequences. It’s not tactics, it’s not fitness training, it’s a totally different thing.”

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On It Was What It Was, the football history podcast, we remember Crystal Palace’s first FA Cup final, in 1990. Listen here.

On Libero, we look at the mess Real Madrid have got themselves into and why Brazil have just appointed a foreign coach. Listen here.

Issue 56 of The Blizzard is out now, featuring Saudi Arabia’s relationship with football, Jock Stein’s last game, Eduardo and his broken leg, Hastings United, Kerala and much, much more. Buy here.

And, ever wanted the history of football tactics explained in one gorgeous poster? Or the Premier League as Fibonacci sequence? Then you’re in luck. Buy here.

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