Jonathan WILSON
The game is more systematised, less about individuals – a paradox, given it is more celebrity-driven than ever before
Why can’t Europe’s best teams defend?
In 2008, Pep Guardiola became coach of Barcelona and football changed. It became apparent that technique was enough to control a game; that if you passed and moved well enough you could stifle an opponent, denying them the ball. Top-level football began to take on the dynamic of a five-a-side game, and possession became more important than position.
The tangible impact of that has been a leap in
