We better watch this man
The technical committee, according to Tim Kee, is meant to oversee and support the national coaching staff as well as assist in the implementation of a style of play for local teams.
"As if the idea of joint coaches was not radical enough, the “Soca Warriors” seem set to appoint six technical men, exclusive of technical director Anton Corneal, trying to map the team’s path in the near future.
“I want to have those fellows working with the (present) coaches,” he said. “Our coaches will not just be able to do what they want unless they discuss it with the technical committee first."
I agree.
Raymond "Idi Ah mean" Tiny Tim, the ability to adjust your style of play is of the utmost importance in this day and age. Emphasising on a brand of football that accomplishes the goals of winning over and satisfying both the public's appetite for exciting football and simultaneously winning football tournaments should be the objective of your administration, allowing the coaches the flexibility to bring their own winning style to the table. If those are your goals, then by all means entertain different ideas and perspectives on the technical and strategic aspects of the game that recognize a broader spectrum of styles, concepts and possibilities. I know that I am oversimplifying things and yes, I know that it will take time, but these objectives require considerable planning and initiatives that must be cautiously appproached, developed overtime, and implemented by a team of individuals that know how to be successful for it to become a reality. Is it possible? Yes, it is. As I said before, it is going to take time. Those minds belong to people who must be paid. No if's, and's, or but's.
I am guessing that you, Tiny Tim, are fixated on the Dutch style of play but I beg the question. Why? One could argue that they revolutionized the game in a sense, and maybe rightfully so, but that moment has passed and you should take a look at your own development program and the skills and talent level you are producing or not producing and ascertain what style of play matches the type of players being developed. With flexibility being one of the keys. Let's take a look at the teams that actually won the World Cup and their playing style, before and since the Dutch made it to the finals. Almost everyone of these winning teams adjusted their style of play going forward.
Don't get me wrong, I think Johan Cruff was one of the best midfield generals to ever play the game but for some reason it just wasn't enough to win a championship.
Uruguay, a Latin nation, is by far the smallest nation (in terms of population size) to win a World Cup, twice, Brazil, which won the Cup five times, as well as Argentina, which won the Cup twice, are known for playing a very skillful, creative, free-flowing, fast-paced style. Because Brazilians, Uruguayans, and Argentines, are often not as big and physically strong as many Europeans, technical ability is very important. For example, dribbling is an essential part of their style. Latin players are confident with the ball, good dribblers, creative.
Characteristics of the Latin game are very distinctive because of its possession-oriented character. Attacks are developed using possession. The ball is moved spontaneously with a lot of individual-based plays. Latin teams from Spain, Uruguay, Portugal, Brazil and Argentina are typical examples. Brazil takes it to the extreme with their improvisational and free-flowing style.
Efficient and highly organized, the Germans play a disciplined, hard-working style that sees them become contenders in almost every international tournament they take part in. Making use of the considerable physical stature of the players, German soccer often relies on raw physicality. Crosses are often swung in to tall target-men, who can gain aerial control using their height, or using their stature to hold off opponents. The team is disciplined which is to say, each player has a specific role and adheres to this role strictly. Players are rarely out of position, with ranks within formations almost always rigidly kept. Improvisation is rarely seen, with direct attacks at goal the usual method of going forward. The style is not particularly attractive, but the fact that it is brutally effective cannot be denied. Strategically, the last World Cup won by the German's saw them play the counter attack game to absolute perfection. With strength at every position, the German’s were able to soak up pressure from opposing teams and counter-attack quickly with fast, highly skilled players leading the charge.
And finishing.
Without a doubt, the strength of Italian soccer has always been its stellar defence. The Italian's are perhaps best known for their "catenaccio" strategy. Catenaccio literally means "door-bolt" in Italian, which is to say that the Italians meant to literally lock up their opponent attack. There are two real important aspects of the catenaccio strategy:
1. Man-to-man marking
2. The sweeper or libero in Italian
The original styles of catenaccio evolved in the 1970's when the Dutch Total Football revolution began to take hold. This free flowing system where players were not fixed in any one role made man-to-man marking impossible.
While some of the original aspects of the strategy became outdated, it evolved into something the Italians called "Zona Mista" (Mixed Zone). Zone Mista strategy basically brought the catenaccio formation to a kind of more modern, fluid zone defence. The big difference versus regular zone defence is that the catenaccio strategy allowed for the double marking of stronger players using the sweeper.
The Italians played this Zone Mista strategy to perfection in the 1982 World Cup Tournament, eventually leading them to their third title.
Known for its positive, attack oriented philosophy and constant stream of world class players, Dutch soccer is responsible for essentially revolutionizing the game with the spread of its total football style developed in the 1970's. Known as the greatest team to have never won a World Cup. In the early 1970's, the Italian catenaccio was getting much success in international play, leading the Dutch to develop a style of play that would neutralize this defensive wall. Because of its emphasis on man-to-man marking, the Dutch needed something that would confuse the opposition. Total football relies on each player being able to play at every position and its success is determined by how well each player's ability to adapt to each position. Every player on the field would rotate in and out of position across the field, throwing any man-to-man marking schemes into disarray and creating a very fluid looking game in the process. At its heart, total football is all about space. Players must be able to create, organize, and utilize the space on the field to stretch and confuse opposition defenses.
Even though they were outclassed and subsequently outplayed by Holland in 1974, Argentina were one pretty good football team in 1978. Strong in defence, where the rugged Daniel Passarella ruled the roost, they were flamboyant in attack, Leopoldo Luque leading the line as well as any centre-forward in the tournament, and formidable in midfield, where they not only boasted one of the world's all-time greatest ball players in Osvaldo Ardiles but also the prodigiously talented Mario Kempes, surely the star of the 1978 World Cup, against the team that embarrassed them in the previous tournament.
Bottom line. Gotta have the players and the program to enter that stratasphere.
TTFF and Tiny Tim, you are on the clock.