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After the 29th anniversary of our triumph in Rotterdam, it is time for Europe’s finest to test their nerves to win the ultimate prize. Saturday will see Manchester United line up against Barcelona at Wembley, with the likes of Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, lining up against Rooney, Hernandez, and Ferdinand.
In reality, the final is likely to be a one sided affair, with Barcelona making swift progress through the competition, with their game against Arsenal displaying just how good they are. To make an Arsenal team that prides itself on the passing game look so ordinary takes some doing. In fact, when it comes to football, there are few who would argue against Barcelona being the best example of high quality football. After all, how many teams can make United underdogs?
So where does this lead me to? After all, neither team is Aston Villa and, to many, it doesn’t really have any impact on the club. However, there are lessons that can be learned from both teams.
A view of how football can be played
All through the time that Gerard Houllier has been at the club, the attempt to transform how Aston Villa runs has been sustained. Looking at our play, there have been improvements in looking at the passing game. However, sadly, a lot of the players who played for the club last year were just not up to it. Richard Dunne might play with passion at times, but Carles Puyol he isn’t.
Some, strangely, argued that the football was getting better last year. Whilst I see the point I think they were trying to make, it was clearly evident the attempt to play the passing game was failing. Miserably. When your number of passes increase, but the last ball is a hoof up field, then it makes no odds. You can’t turn journeymen into South American style flair players. Passing like Barcelona is great, but that isn’t what makes Barcelona the team they are.
You see – if you watch Barcelona play, there is far more to them than showboating and high numbers of passing moves. Barcelona’s success is no accident. It is the product of a setup that, I believe, Houllier was trying to implement. The flaw it would seem, is that he tried far too much, far too quickly.
Look at Barcelona as a club. They pride themselves on youth, and on developing talent in house, from a young age, and to a high standard. I’ve mentioned many times in the past about my view on coaching in the English game, and how we stunt our kids’ growth when they go from 10 to 11. All we teach them when we change the pitch size is to run, run, run. Running only gets you so far. It certainly doesn’t provide skill.
Barcelona have their youth playing on smaller pitches, with smaller balls. They don’t look at the development of players and youth as something that starts when they are in their late teens, they look at it as something that starts from as soon as they join the club. If that is 13, 14, or even younger, the Barcelona way is put into them. Focus on skill, focus on close control, remember you are part of a unit.
The last part of that sentence says it all. Barcelona operate as a team. They play as a team, they attack as a team, they defend as a team. You don’t see defending being left with just Puyol or Pique, you see Xavi there, Iniesta there, Messi there. They all see the game as being played together. In a world where, just yesterday, we were talking about players who seek moves to make money, and to glorify the self, Barcelona appear a total opposite.
Speak to a Premier League footballer and, for the most part, there is a certain arrogance and swagger about them. Speak to a player like Lionel Messi, and you will see a totally different person. Humble, a team player, and still, in his own words, learning. The way Messi becomes and stays at the top of his game is that his efforts are consistent. He doesn’t view himself as the finished article, and he continues to work, to improve, to do more for his team as well as himself.
Villa – a more solid core than some realise
If we look at Villa, that togetherness, that team effort, that work ethic is often seen in the reserves. In part, this is why Kevin MacDonald was considered to take over at the club. Randy Lerner hasn’t seen his success with reserves and let it go unnoticed. However, Villa’s first team are far from the same in attitude.
The reserves are much like Barcelona. They are used to winning, and they work as a team. The first team? Not so much.
So I see what Gerard Houllier was trying to implement at the club, and we can look at the European Cup final to see where our future may be headed. The only issue is whether we will see the development continue either via Gerard or, if he doesn’t come back after his absence, his successor.
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