English teams are robbing game of skill, says Valdano

Sid Lowe in Madrid
Tuesday May 8, 2007

Guardian

The former Real Madrid coach and World Cup winner Jorge Valdano has attacked Rafael Benítez and Jose Mourinho, insisting that they are ushering in a bleak future for football and likening the Champions League semi-final between Liverpool and Chelsea to "a shit hanging from a stick".

The Argentinian, who scored in the 1986 World Cup final and has a respected reputation as a football intellectual, claimed that Mourinho and Benítez mistrust talent because of their own failure to make it as players and said their approach is bad news for the game.

Writing in Spain's best-selling newspaper, Marca, Valdano insisted: "Football is made up of subjective feeling, of suggestion - and, in that, Anfield is unbeatable. Put a shit hanging from a stick in the middle of this passionate, crazy stadium and there are people who will tell you it's a work of art. It's not: it's a shit hanging from a stick.

"Chelsea and Liverpool are the clearest, most exaggerated example of the way football is going: very intense, very collective, very tactical, very physical, and very direct," he added. "But, a short pass? Noooo. A feint? Noooo. A change of pace? Noooo. A one-two? A nutmeg? A backheel? Don't be ridiculous. None of that. The extreme control and seriousness with which both teams played the semi-final neutralised any creative licence, any moments of exquisite skill.

"If Didier Drogba was the best player in the first match it was purely because he was the one who ran the fastest, jumped the highest and crashed into people the hardest. Such extreme intensity wipes away talent, even leaving a player of Joe Cole's class disoriented. If football is going the way Chelsea and Liverpool are taking it, we had better be ready to wave goodbye to any expression of the cleverness and talent we have enjoyed for a century."

Valdano explained why Benítez and Mourinho were to blame for the demise of flair and creativity. "The lives of Mourinho and Benítez have crossed in a world that is ever more scrutinised and exposed by the media, which is why they look at each other with such distrust," he wrote, "but they have two things in common: a previously denied, hitherto unsatisfied hunger for glory, and a desire to have everything under control.

"Both of those things stem from one key factor: neither Mourinho nor Benítez made it as a player. That has made them channel all their vanity into coaching. Those who did not have the talent to make it as players do not believe in the talent of players, they do not believe in the ability to improvise in order to win football matches. In short, Benítez and Mourinho are exactly the kind of coaches that Benítez and Mourinho would have needed to have made it as players."

good piece, but doesnt tell us nowt we dont already know

He's spot on. Those two games were amongst the worst "football" matches I've seen since...2005, when the same two sides faced each other. Dire.

You see Real at the weekend? Best I've seen them play in quite a while. Seville's first was an absolute cracker!

Originally Posted by The Watcher

You see Real at the weekend? Best I've seen them play in quite a while. Seville's first was an absolute cracker!

Yeah, fantastic match wasn't it?

It's incredible that Madrid are still in the title race, they've played like shit for the majority of the season and yet have still somehow managed to hang in there. And now they seem to be hitting form at just the right time. It's just bizarre.

I still fancy Barca to win the title, but their away record is so poor that you never know.

would love madrid to win it this season for ruud .... 30 goals already not bad for a finished player

Originally Posted by puressence

would love madrid to win it this season for ruud .... 30 goals already not bad for a finished player

Stop it

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

Yeah, fantastic match wasn't it?

It's incredible that Madrid are still in the title race, they've played like shit for the majority of the season and yet have still somehow managed to hang in there. And now they seem to be hitting form at just the right time. It's just bizarre.

I still fancy Barca to win the title, but their away record is so poor that you never know.

Great game of football. At 1-1, Sevilla missed two good chances to go ahead. Always had a feeling Francos boys would nick it!

I thought Robinho played very well, which was good to see. Excellent move for his goal. Poor decision to give him the 2nd yellow - but the ref was good enough to even it up after a few minutes

I think they might go all the way. Just can't tell with Barca at the moment. Been very poor away from home this year.

Originally Posted by puressence

would love madrid to win it this season for ruud .... 30 goals already not bad for a finished player

Have you watched Madrid this season? The football they've played has generally been of a very poor standard. They've struggled to break teams down at home and have only really played at a decent level away from the Bernabeu where they're able to to counterattack.

Besides which, Ruud was what the Italians call a "gatto di marmo" (marble cat) in his latter days at United and his attitude was generally poor.

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Great game of football. At 1-1, Sevilla missed two good chances to go ahead. Always had a feeling Francos boys would nick it!

I thought Robinho played very well, which was good to see. Excellent move for his goal. Poor decision to give him the 2nd yellow - but the ref was good enough to even it up after a few minutes

I think they might go all the way. Just can't tell with Barca at the moment. Been very poor away from home this year.

Robinho has actually been excellent of late. I've never been a big fan, even when he was earning all the plaudits at Santos, but it seems he might finally be starting to live up to some of the hype.

The standout for me though was Guti. It's amazing how good he can be when he's actually arsed. When you consider the amount of talent he has, his attitude must surely one of the worst of any player in the history of the game! Like Giggs on a bad day times one hundred

Originally Posted by puressence

would love madrid to win it this season for ruud .... 30 goals already not bad for a finished player

Yep, and Madrid are only in the title race, played pretty poor football and have hung in the title race on a string. Get Ruud back.

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

Robinho has actually been excellent of late. I've never been a big fan, even when he was earning all the plaudits at Santos, but it seems he might finally be starting to live up to some of the hype.

The standout for me though was Guti. It's amazing how good he can be when he's actually arsed. When you consider the amount of talent he has, his attitude must surely one of the worst of any player in the history of the game! Like Giggs on a bad day times one hundred

Came on or Raul, didn't he? Yea, he played very well. Always been a fan, even though he is a very hot or cold player.

No need for the guardian to put the valdano slams english teams slant on it though. Obviously both of them are english teams, but he was and is specifically referring to the dirties and chelsea, not english teams as a whole as the headline infers.

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

[Put a shit hanging from a stick in the middle of this passionate, crazy stadium and there are people who will tell you it's a work of art. It's not: it's a shit hanging from a stick.

So are described liverpoo and chelski
http://www.caughtoffside.com/2007/05...tick/2094.html

i like this guy!

Originally Posted by Gypsum Fantastic

No need for the guardian to put the valdano slams english teams slant on it though. Obviously both of them are english teams, but he was and is specifically referring to the dirties and chelsea, not english teams as a whole as the headline infers.

You're probably right, although this kind of thing is really about par for the course for a newspaper, even one of the broadsheets.

Having said that, Valdano is not exactly a fan of English football and has previously criticised the lack of variation in tempo.

Originally Posted by puressence

would love madrid to win it this season for ruud .... 30 goals already not bad for a finished player

Here's something you'll like then....

Meanwhile, the Real Madrid camp could not have been any giddier - especially Ruud van Nistelrooy, a man who faced two reasons to celebrate on Sunday night. After the match, the striker rushed up to David Beckham, who was holding court with the press, to yell "Manchester United!" and disappear just as quickly, sporting the biggest of grins.

Linkage

For all their perceived @#%&!ishness, Beckham & Ruud love United I'm sure, was just their time. Not everyone can be Giggsy or Scholesy

is one of the funniest Ive read in ages.

Fail to see how he could have scored in the 86 WC Final though

hard to argue with much of that, though it's interesting that the managers involved are spanish and portuguese. what they have in common is that they both enjoyed success in the champions league; i wouldn't be so sure that it's the 'english teams' who are ruining football so much as the desire to succeed in that competition, and the resulting tactics. we saw it with fergie for the last few years and with maureen's porto and chelsea sides, and benitez's liverpool. the old knockout format rewarded enterprise and adventure much more and there was less pressure to be tight at the back, not take risks etc.

Originally Posted by borsuk

the old knockout format rewarded enterprise and adventure much more and there was less pressure to be tight at the back, not take risks etc.

Can't agree. Over the last few years, it's been the knock-out stage that produces the most defensive, cagey games. Even Barca last season were far less adventurous during the knock-out stage of the European Cup, then they were in La Liga or the group stages. The desire to not concede away goals leads to a more defensive approach for most sides, imo.

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Can't agree. Over the last few years, it's been the knock-out stage that produces the most defensive, cagey games. Even Barca last season were far less adventurous during the knock-out stage of the European Cup, then they were in La Liga or the group stages. The desire to not concede away goals leads to a more defensive approach for most sides, imo.

i'd agree with that, but that's almost inevitable with the late stages of any competition, whatever the format. the league bit has made the early matches very dull, though. look at how teams approach them: we need 9 points to go through...a draw away in europe is always a good result...

i agree about the effects of the away goals rule - personally i'd like to see the end of it. i don't think it makes teams more adventurous in the slightest. two legs, home and away. most goals wins.