Football is team game, agreed. You need talented players to win the game, also agreed. Then how come clubs like PSG or Manchester City or Borussia Dortmund haven't won the champions league yet? They always entertain us with so much talent on show. You see, there is a fine line between what looks to be important to win a football game, and what's needed to win a football game. A lot of people might think that a set of the most skillful players in the world working under a very coherent tactic, can win everywhere. If that were the case then Manchester City wouldn't have been a laughing stock today. So what does it take to win a football game? Answer is the most poetic ever, your brain.
The average expectation from a football player is to have exceptional speed, good physique, great technical ability, skills and consistency. All that is good. But if you're ship doesn't have a rudder, what's the point of building the best ship ever? I'm sure, many of you here are fans of Barcelona, or Leonel Messi in particular. You must have watched him play, if you have noticed, you might have seen he doesn't run the length of the pitch at all times. He's mostly walking in his usual position. The left wing or a bit central. He walks way more than he does running. Now why would he do that. You will see he is constantly moving his head, left right front and back. Always looking where the ball is, where the teammates are, where the opponents are, and where the space is. Then when he gets the ball, he does what he does. Ever wondered how he always knows? Well this how. Football is a mind game. Pirlo and Cruyff would agree.
Especially in today's world, with all that fancy technology, technically and physically the players are very much like for like. Nothing much to separate them, other than some aliens. So in this stiff competition, the brain makes the difference. Iniesta for example. He wasn't the most speedy or physically buffed. Yet he is one of the greats. Because he used his mind all the time. He always was present in the right place, in the right time, passing in the right direction. This explains how smart he was compared to other players. Now take a look at Thiago Silva. The guy is 36 years old. Barely has any speed left in him. But is he caught out of position?
No. Rather the other Chelsea players are often caught out of position. What does this prove? Silva is more intelligent and obviously more experienced than the others. That is the single reason why a new manager fields the experienced players first because they are reliable. And the champions league is only won by those who have character of their own. And not part of a system.
Football has become more fast now. The old style which involved less speed is long gone. But players like Silva, Messi and Iniesta will always be there and teach us that speed and talent is always everything. Rather experience, and brainwork is the main thing. If you have them, see you at the podium.