Premier League High-Tempo Style: Arguments For and Against

In the last several years, one league has stood up with its dominant philosophy on the European international stage: the English Premier League.

Why? The answer is simple: higher tempo of playing, the superior fitness that stems from it and the mentality to never give up until the final whistle is blown.

But looking into the prevailing style of this so enormously successful league, we see it has disadvantages as well as advantages.

What are they, you may ask?

Here they are:

Pros

Firstly, it must be noted playing at a higher-than-usual tempo requires almost perfect body fitness. Faced with a strenuous battle with himself, a football player must be well prepared beforehand. The importance of a successful outcome is thus placed on the preparation, or the training.

Undeniably, footballers from the English Premier League are fitter than their counterparts abroad. Constantly pushing for perfection, their bodies begin to resemble those of athletes rather than the bodies of people who simply exercise regularly.

They can’t be blamed. Modern football in England requires for a player to have a totally fat-free body with muscles well used to continuous energy-consuming work.

Alternatively, if one stops to think for a second, it makes perfect sense. The ramifications of the use of such peculiar style are beneficial, both financially and in terms of popularity, for English football.

The higher dynamics of this style will make it much more appealing to eye. Hence, the popularity worldwide will rise significantly.

Another ramification comes from the fact when people recognize this superior fitness of the footballers, they would expect them to fully fulfill that potential. Referees, as part of that group of people, do not differentiate from that opinion.

They allow a more direct, more physical style of play which will lead to less interruptions of the game. I could easily, with a hand on my heart, say that I watch more football – the quintessential meaning of it – in England than anywhere else in the world.

Apart from that, the dynamism of football that is played and the superior fitness the players develop in result of it allow a distinct advantage to English teams on the international competition stage.

How many times have we seen an English club progress to the final stages of an international competition – such as the Champions League, for example?

I am in no way saying that this is the only factor for that to happen, but it certainly is up there with the rest of the defining ones.

However, like everything else, the dynamic style of play has its disadvantages too.

Cons

It has been proven that accession of fitness is in direct ratio with the increase of testosterone in the blood. Testosterone is the hormone responsible for muscle and bone growth, but it also affects the mood.

Most often the more of the hormone someone has the more signs of aggression he will show.

Yes, better fitness, coupled with an approving nod from the referee, equals a more aggressive style of play.

This is one of the main disadvantages of the direct style of play that is worshiped in the Premier League. Not one or two ghastly injuries have we seen following a little more than usual aggressive encounter.

That exertion to the maximum is often the biggest causing factor for lighter injuries even. During every season, in England, an astounding amount of injuries are sustained by players. Especially near the end of the season when almost all have been squeezed out of the athletes and their bodies begin to crumble beneath the cumulated stress.

Despite defying all believes, the human body is not meant to take so much stress, a fact proved annually by the increasing number of injuries that occur.

Another negative effect that stems from the direct high-tempo style of play is the type of battles that occur on the field. A more dynamic game, in which the players move at all times, especially if organized pressure is applied in order to get the ball back in possession, would benefit battles in the sort of one versus two players rather than one versus one. With football being a team game, players must cover for each other, help each other.

In this way, if they have the sufficient fitness to keep burning that energy, we, the fans, would be most likely supplied with one player trying to out-battle the two or three facing him.

This, nonetheless, put the emphasis on defensive football and also restricts the usage of technique and tricks as they are rendered almost useless.

Drawing the Line

Football in England has become a huge commercial business in which rarely the health of footballers is taken into consideration. The satisfaction of the fans and customers has become more important.

High-tempo direct style of play has something tantalizing about it that lures people to enjoy its pure tension-charged atmosphere and pay more and more to watch their favorite teams exert to the maximum while they sit comfortably in their chairs.

As long as money is pouring into the kitty of the FA, they wouldn’t care if a player has sustained an open fracture, a head trauma, or anything else as ghastly.

The philosophy they had undertaken has brought the FA popularity. The English League is one of the most popular leagues in the world. Along with that, its clubs reap success in international competitions. But looking at the big picture, it’s obvious the philosophy is still a work in progress.

Ultimately, the style which the footballers will use on the field is directly influenced by what the fans want to see. Is that good or bad? It’s subjective.

Sun Tzu's Six Must-Know Rules for Every Football Manager

Sun Tzu was Chinese military commander who lived in the years before the Common Era (it is argued exactly when). He has been considered to have profoundly influenced the development of military strategy. His book The Art of War was a source of inspiration for many military commanders, and in nowadays is a must-know for any military strategist.

But what’s that got to do with football?

Football has been used, throughout the ages (as yearly as 4000 BC) as a game to serve different pagan believes and also it has been used by the Romans and Chinese as a kind of military training. It was considered to be a game that keeps the body and mind fit for the time they would be put to use—war time.

If we look into many of the tactics used by the managers around the world in nowadays football, we would probably notice a lot of striking similarities with Sun Tzu’s strategies for war.

Let’s not keep you waiting. I’ll let Mr. Tzu do the talking with his book The Art of War:

“You have to believe in yourself.”

It is probably the most obvious thing of all. No win would come to a team without a solid amount of self-confidence and belief in their own abilities. There are plenty of teams out there that have all that is needed to be a great team, but they are found wanting when it concerns those vital attributes.

That exact thought of Sun Tzu could easily replace the “You will never walk alone” slogan Liverpool’s crest. They are the team that have proved that this phrase of Sun Tzu is right recipe for victory more than once.

“Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack.”

I doubt if there is a football manager in the world that does not know this rule.

If your team has a good defence, they will concede fewer goals; if your team has a good attack, more goals will be scored by it. But it is the balance that most work to achieve. Being a good defensive team will not bring glory in modern football.

Ask the many Italian football clubs that concentrate their efforts toward defensive style of play. Ask technically-inclined teams that have plenty of attacking power, but also have failed to meet the necessary defensive requirements.

“Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy.”

The essence of football is to outplay the other team tactically. It is the path to victory in football. We have seen many times how less talented teams have taken it all and have beaten stronger teams by using the right tactics and strategy.

A football team is much like an army. The correct executions of the general’s strategy, the manager in this case, would lead to victory. The best teams know how to adapt their game to that of the opposition.

“Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.”

Rule number one when it comes to life, not only football. The surest way to defeat is by not knowing the opposition or yourself. The football team must know their own weaknesses, weak spots, thus where to attack and what to protect themselves from; they must know their strengths and apply them in the most appropriate way.

If a football team is weak in the air, then it is better for them not to cross the ball and keep it on the ground or to attempt to close in the opposition’s wingers.

If a football team lacks technical players then they should attempt to neutralise the oppositional technical players and be more physical. We have also seen this rule work to the advantage of weaker teams many times.


“To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting”

Only a selected few even attempt to try their hands at this. Even though a “fight” cannot be avoided in modern football due to its strict schedules, the resistance of the opposition can be broken even before the start of the particular match.

Sir Alex Ferguson may be considered to be the typical example of the application of this rule works. Not once we have seen him play mind games with other managers. His attempts to disrupt the opposition’s flow have worked on many occasions.

“All war is deception”

This rule is embedded into most of the tactics that the football managers use on the field. The constant swapping of positions of the players, the tricks of the players, the deceptive passes are all an inseparable part of modern football.


Six quotes from Sun Tzu; six rules; and the similarities do not end here.

Football is just a reflection of life, or of what it has been before. People like Sun Tzu and others who have found ways to improve the different aspects of life have also improved exactly that—more than one, different, aspect of life. Football has not been left behind.

Sun Tzu, with his book The Art of War, have given the world not only the basic strategies for successful warfare, but he has also given the modern football managers the formula for success. Sun Tzu would have been a great football manager.

The Battle of Britain Initiates: Arsenal gets Celtic in the Champion's League

The draw for the Champion’s League play-off round has been made. Arsenal will face the Scottish side Celtic to decide who will proceed to the group stages of the tournament.

Earlier this season, Arsenal had the chance to test themselves against another Scottish side in the Emirates Cup; this time they are facing Rangers’ fierce rivals- Celtic, but they will be playing for much higher stakes.

The sides have never met before in an official match.

Here are some statistics of both clubs:

Celtic

Domestic achievements: 42 times winner of the Scottish Premier League, 34 times winner of the Scottish Cup, 14 times winner of the Scottish League Cup

International achievements: one time winner of the European Cup – 1967

Manager: Tony Mowbray

Last season’s standings in the Scottish League: 2nd

Last season’s top goal scorer: Scott McDonald – 16 goals

Key players: Gary Caldwell, Scott Brown

Average age of the squad: 26.23 years

Arsenal

Domestic achievements: 13 times winner of the FA Premier League, 10 times winner of the FA Cup, two times winner of the League Cup, 12 times winner of the FA Community Shield.

International achievements: one time winners of European Winners’ Cup – 1994, one time winners of Inner-Cities Fair Cup – 1970.

Manager: Arsene Wenger

Last season’s standings in the FA Premier League: 4th

Last season’s top goal scorer: Robin van Persie – 11

Key players: Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie

Average age of the squad: 22.8 years


The matches will be played on August 18, when Arsenal is travelling to Glasgow, and on August 26 is hosting Celtic at the Emirates Stadium.

Why Trophies Will Follow at Arsenal

During the past four years the fans of Arsenal have become disgruntled by the way the board has behaved after not winning any trophies. The board of Arsenal has acted as they aim for something completely different than winning some much wanted by the fans trophies.

And the cold truth, and no secret to all, is that they aim for profit.

Arsenal is a business.

Even after countless statements made by the chairman Peter Hill-Wood, in which he explains how he loves the club, it is still run as a business.

Let me point out some of the things that become evident when we examine how the club has been run for the past few years.

Firstly, it has become not as important to win trophies to make a healthy profit. In a way this is an understandable tactic employed by the board since there is a global crisis going on in the world economics.

It has worked well so far and because of it Arsenal are in a stable financial position, not to mention that the club is still waiting to capitalise on its residential development of the old stadium at Highbury Square.

In addition, Arsenal has not been able to compete financially with teams like Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City of recent due to the reason that Arsenal has not received an outside influx of resources.

So the choices that were set before Arsenal were either to give in to those teams and concentrate on the long run, or allow a take-over and an influx of money from outside, which would have probably brightened the picture but only in short term.

The reason I say this is because we never know the next idea that may come to the mind of a billionaire.

Can you count on them for supporting a club forever?

Another thing that comes to mind is the sensible approach of the club in the transfer market. It has also been a trademark of Arsenal’s for the past few years.

The most notable signings that signify this approach are exemplified by those of Eduardo for the sum of 7.5m, Andrey Arshavin for around 14m, Samir Nasri – 12.7m, and Bakary Sagna – 6.1m. They are good players bought for a considerably small amount of money.

So how can that way of management of the club bring trophies to the club in the future?

If we compare the spending to teams like Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United, and others it seems like Arsenal are only aiming to preserve a stable financial position. That would certainly leave the importance of winning trophies on a lower step in the ladder of priorities.

I cannot agree with that.

If you look at the big picture the truth is that Arsenal has also been going through a change of personnel on the field.

The last trophy that it won was the F.A. Cup in 2005, when the “invincibles” have already started to fall apart.

Since then the team has undergone a deep transformation. Only Kolo Toure has remained from the side that was the “invincibles”. But the manager is the same; the financial situation is getting better despite claims that it’s bad.

So, it could be said it is completely normal for Arsenal to go through a trophy-less period after it faces a change of generations and players. The reason I called the transformation a change of generations if that when you look into Wenger’s decisions in the transfer marker you will see the only player that he didn’t want to lose from the team and still lost was Flamini. The others were above 28 years of age.

But now Arsene Wenger, with a little help from the board, has built a new team. Although there are still more holes to be filled, the transformation is looking close to completion now.

The big plus is that so far no players have left the team for this year. With one or two more “sensible” signings we will be looking at a perfectly capable team of winning the Premier League and pretty much everything else.

Even though fans will remember those years as years of famine in terms of trophies, it cannot be denied that Arsenal has made progress.

You only have to look at the results in the strongest competition in Europe, Champion’s League, to consent.

Arsenal is getting stronger and the building of the team is near completion.

So why doubt them. Trophies are coming for sure.

There is a considerable amount of truth in what Arsene Wenger said: “We have to keep the belief and the trophies will come naturally.”

At Arsenal, Robin Van Persie has Undergone a Significant Transformation

A month ago, Robin Van Perise dispersed all doubt that he was leaving Arsenal, when he signed a new five-year contract to keep him at the club until 2014.

The skilful Dutch forward turned down offers from clubs like Chelsea, Juventus, Manchester City and their city rivals Manchester United.

Before signing the contract, Robin Van Persie had set a number in his mind, that number was the wage he felt he deserved - £80k.

However, he agreed to sign a new contract with a wage of £70k per week.

Surely, this is a sign that the player does not want to leave and is fully committed and happy to stay at the London club.

The thing is that a club like Arsenal really needs a player with his skills and not only that, but it has also come to need the personality of Robin Van Persie, a personality that has gone through a significant transformation since he joined the club.

Back in 2004, he was signed from Feyenord for the convenient sum of £2.75m.

In his first season at Arsenal it became evident that Arsene Wenger has signed a player with extraordinary talent. Unfortunately, like in many other cases, his talent was accompanied with some negative sides.

One of the most obvious problems was his selfishness on the field.

In a team like Arsenal where the team effort is put first, such individual displays are not usually the best solution to maximize the effectiveness of the attack. Van Persie’s failure to comply with that rule did him no favor in the beginning of his career at Arsenal.

On top of that, it became evident that Van Persie was an injury-prone player. He suffered a number of injuries throughout his years at Arsenal which put him aside from the action for a long period of time.

He also had difficulties with keeping his discipline in tact, resulting in a dismissal against Southampton in his first season at the London club.

To make things worse, Robin also experienced difficulties outside of the football field. He was arrested in 2005 upon suspicion of rape of a Dutch beauty queen. He was eventually released from jail, with case being closed due to insufficient police evidence.

In contrast to all the problems he had, Van Persie has undoubtedly transformed for the good to become a different player and man.

It cannot be denied that he has benefited from the good influence of the people in the club, of Arsene Wenger, of ex-captain Thierry Henry, and of his countryman Dennis Bergkamp.

A solid proof for his positive development can be found in the examination of his statistics on the pitch.

Van Persie’s performances on the field last season made up his most successful season for Arsenal so far. He became the club’s leading goal scorer, winning the fan’s Player of the Season award.

He managed to score 11 goals in 28 matches, remaining uninjured for most of the season. It is a sure sign that Wenger has found an effective way to deal with Van Persie’s proneness to injuries.

Nevertheless, the most significant highlight of his transformation has to be the change of his style of play.

On the field during the last season, Van Persie was not the same selfish player who had joined the team in 2004. He combined with his teammates, did not hold the ball for unnecessary long periods of time, and contributed a lot the team’s build-up play.

Eventually, Van Persie finished the season with 11 assists, a number of assists which was only surpassed by the team’s play maker ¬– Francesc Fabregas.

Another big transformation that Van Persie has undergone was his change of attitude towards the club. He has fallen in love with Arsenal and he has had not fear of openly expressing this love.

He recently stated that he had signed the new contract because he felt he had received the respect he deserved from the club. After signing the contract, Robin spoke in the club’s website:

“My heart is with Arsenal and I just can’t picture myself in a different shirt. I just can’t see it now because I love this Club so much. If you look at the last five years, look at the steps I have made every season, if you look at the support the Boss and the whole Club gave me, the fans gave me, my team mates gave me – this is the right decision.”

Those are words spoken like a true Gunner.

Undoubtedly, there is a lot more yet to be seen from the Dutch technician but there is one thing for sure. Robin Van Persie has embarked on his long road to becoming an Arsenal legend.

The Diary of a Football Fan: Summer Contemplations

Every year the football fan dies, only to be reborn once more after a short period of time – usually two to three months.

For the ordinary man, the summer is the best season of the year - the season when one rests from every-day life.

Just think about it: mohitoes, bright sun, palms, Latino music, time off work, beautiful things everywhere you look at, and water, lots of water.
How could you not wait for times like that?

Surprisingly, a special breed of people exist that scorn this season of the year - the football fans.

These people have spent their year watching matches, discussing them with their friends, and going through the rollercoaster of emotions that the football game is. It has become a way of life for this special kind of people.

Now you understand why the football fan hates the summer. How could he not?

There is no football. What is he a fan of then?

Nothing.

He is just a man, or a woman, ordinary, like all the rest; but not quite as ordinary.
In the morning the football fan wakes up, gets out of the bed, goes to the desktop computer and switches it on, then returns to the bed to lie for a couple more minutes. Then rises up again, sits in front of the computer, and logs into his accounts on bleacher report, and his e-mail.

The next thing he does is to visit all the sites that are relevant to him: his favourite club’s site, and the newspapers’.

He browses for a couple of minutes, checking on the latest news, hoping to see a new transfer singing, just as he has seen it in his head the day before. Then he makes a coffee, which is only an excuse to keep browsing for another five minutes, dresses up, and goes to work.

Of course, at work, the football fan rarely thinks about work. He thinks about football, doing everything automatically, only focusing on the work at hand if it is really necessary.

Who is his favourite team going to sign next? Won’t that be the solution to solve the team’s problems?
He fast-forwards the remaining time to the first match of the season. He imagines the atmosphere on the stadium.

It is a bright and shiny day. People wear smiles on their faces. Everybody is talking excitedly. The teams come out of the tunnel. The crowd roars; an array of ornaments and balloons spring up in the air above the football field.

Then, he is rudely interrupted and brought back to reality. Something is not working properly. Who cares?

He goes on to repair it, smiling cryptically.

The football fan knows there is a match today, a match of his favourite team. It doesn’t matter that they play against a team that he and his mates would probably beat if they wished.

He knows he can watch it online.

He leaves work earlier than usual, says goodbyes to his colleagues and heads home. When he gets there, he murmurs a greeting under his breath while passing by his girlfriend, goes straight to the computer, and switches it on.

The morning procedure is repeated. This time without the coffee - no excuses are needed.

The match has started. He is excited – like when he was when watching the Champions League final.

He yells and gestures, falls down from his chair – his team has scored.
The football fan in him is happy. He lets his thoughts drift toward the first whistle of the new season again. A happy moment, and it’s coming – only three weeks to go.

Bloody summer!

A fan of...It is Time to Choose

What does make a man choose which club to support? People, who like football, can enjoy it without being a fan of some team. Why do we choose a team to support then? How do we make that choice?

Those are simple questions and I’m sure all of us have our own simple answers to them. Generally speaking, it is a choice made subconsciously by most of us. Has that happened to you?

You saw a team playing and you liked their kit colours, or their style of play appealed to you, or there was just something about the atmosphere on the stadium that you liked, or the team was very successful and famous. There are many different reasons that could tempt us to support a football team.

I’ve heard of many different stories as to why and how people have chosen the teams they support. A friend of mine made his first steps of becoming a fan of Manchester United while we were playing the new, at that time, game FIFA 97.

He was wondering which team to choose, and of course as the good friend that I am, I immediately suggested the Red Devils. “Pick these guys they are good.” I told him. He’s been making my life miserable, every time Manchester wins the League, since then. Why, oh, why didn’t I offer him Bolton for example, or Hull City?

And another example is my cousin who, due to the reason that I am an Arsenal fan, decided to choose the Red Devils as his favourite team for the sole reason of annoying me.

Funny as it sounds, the smallest of the reasons can drive us to make a decision that could influence out lives. Even the most insignificant of reasons which out decision was based on can have bigger consequences than the ones we thought they would have.

To tell you the truth, the reason I become a fan of Arsenal was based on my previous fondness of the Dutch side Ajax. The team had red and white kits. Needless to say that Arsenal has very similar kit colours. Once, while browsing the channels on TV in 1996, I saw a team with red and white colours on their kits and I, immediately, found them appealing. I would have never thought that such a small reason would make me the fan of that club that I am today.

Of course, that does not matter to me anymore, as I’m sure for you as well. My love for the club grows stronger every day. My perception of it is much changed, and expanded. It has become and obsession for me. Arsenal FC has become an institution with witch I identify myself with.

Isn’t that why we all have favourite teams? Maybe, we see a tiny bit of ourselves, our personalities, in those teams. Maybe, we’d like the teams that we support to remind people of us when they see them.

We all have our reasons to make the choices we have made, even if those reasons sound so insignificant now. Some decisions have the potential to change our lives.

Why do you support your team?