uRRRs blogPossession is 9/10ths of the game... QPR 0 Watford 0 |
Posted: January 7th 2009
Click here to feedback
As I sat through our mind-numbing draw with Watford on the Saturday after Christmas my mind, inevitably, began to wander. Initial thoughts were football-related, primarily how can the team that took part in such a cracker with Preston only a week previously now be so devoid of ideas? Gradually I got distracted by the perimeter advertising. Flavio has decreed that he won’t allow the kind of cheap deals that the previous board happily entertained, so a number of local businesses have now been priced out of doing their bit to support the local team. Instead, any space where top dollar hasn’t been paid has been given over to the club’s (ahem) “official partners”.
Anyway, this means a number of ads for our “financial partner” – I know, I know, what exactly do we need one of them for? Well, for whatever reason, Flav & the boys have cosied up with Santander, better known to us Brits as Abbey. And what struck me most about their ad, a simple name & logo affair was...that their logo resembles nothing less than a steaming dog turd (and I speak as a proud dog owner). Take a look for yourself:
I was dragged back to the game when those around me suddenly got very agitated. Especially the ‘father and two grown up sons’ (I think) combo who sit behind me every week...mind you, they’re in a permanent state of agitation with someone or something...which wouldn’t be so bad were it not for their nasally, whining voices. But I digress. The cause of the agitation was the decision of Radek Cerny & Fitz Hall to indulge in a game of one-two’s on the edge of our box, almost as if daring a Watford attacker to come and nab the ball off them. Eventually one did try, and we got away with it by the skin of our proverbial.
It’s clear what’s happening. Just as when Gigi De Canio arrived last year, Paulo Sousa, dastardly continental that he is, wants his ‘keeper to roll the ball out where possible, and his defenders’ priority is then to keep possession. Midfielders, even strikers, drop deep, and the ball is worked around the pitch, backwards as well as forwards if necessary, until suddenly a gap opens, a run is made...and a chance is created. Here’s that famous Argentina goal from the 2006 World Cup to remind us all how it works when done properly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0O7KkZn4rk
This continental way has been adopted by most of the better Prem teams to some extent over the last decade or so, and despite the “they don’t like it up ‘em” attempts of Big Sam’s Bolton and latterly Pulis’s Stoke to disrupt them, for the most part it works, even if the anglicised version is often played at a higher tempo.
The problem with trying this in the Championship isn’t the fans – we Rs reckon we’re a knowledgeable lot, brought up on Dave Sexton’s total football, and for every fan that boos or shouts for a forward hoof, I reckon you’ll find three who see what’s happening and why.
No, the problem lies with the playing personnel. It just doesn’t come naturally to the English. Think Terry or Carragher. Exactly. It’s why Rio is frequently held up as a shining example of the ‘comfortable on the ball’ defender...yeah, well not being John Terry doesn’t make you the new Franz Beckenbauer...
As for our mob? Well this is the Championship, so Paulo, like Gigi before him, has his work cut out. The aforementioned Fitz isn’t too bad, in a trainee Rio kind of a way. Kaspars Gorkks, being continental ‘n’ all, at least doesn’t treat the ball like a suspect device. Damion Stewart? Lord knows he tries, gawd bless ‘im. In the classic words of Ringo Starr, it don’t come easy...but he is studiously avoiding the aimless hoof (though some of his attempted “30 yard pinpoint crossfield passes” have been a tad ambitious).
Then there’s the full backs. Oh dear. Damien Delaney is fast becoming an enigma, one step forward two steps back as he rapidly falls out of favour with the W12 faithful. He actually ain’t half bad on the ball. Thing is, a mere 4 or 5 passes into one of Paulo’s keep ball moves and you can all but hear him saying “sod this for a game of soldiers” as he smacks an aimless hoof down the channel.
And Peter Ramage...oh Peter, Peter, Peter. Looking like the 8 year old who’s scared of the ball at the best of times, a style of play which sees the flippin’ thing constantly being returned to him when he’s just done his damndest to get rid of it is clearly messing with the poor lad’s head. Arms constantly waving, team mates forever being berated for his own mistakes, tackles being mistimed for fun...and of course the piece de resistance: the clearance sliced into touch. Whatever he was bought for, being part of a pass & move masterclass it was not. Gigi managed to make Zesh Rehman & Bob Malcolm look like half decent footballers for a few games last season. I doubt Paulo can pull off the same trick with the man memorably dubbed “the Geordie Cafu” by QPRnet.com.
My own 14 year old son has recently converted from midfielder to defender. I swell with pride every time I see him earnestly follow his instinct and try to pass the ball to feet out of defence. His coach has praised this, but has said he needs to know there’s a time & place for an ‘escape ball’ down the channels. Deep down I know he’s right, but, whether it’s called escape ball or hoof, I don’t like to watch it in a u15s game...and certainly not at Loftus Road.
So long live the continental approach, Paulo, and good luck – I think you know you’ll need it...