Did Pep Guardiola have anything to do with Germany’s World Cup triumph?

To confuse you further in the debate of the success of Germany in the 2014 Fifa World Cup, I throw doubts in your beliefs about the greatness of one Pep Guardiola. Sunday Oliseh even says that Tiki Taka is alive and sound., a point I greatly dispute. Few claim Die Mannshcaft went through the back door to have Beyern Munich hire Guardiola so he can coach the nine players in their squad to play the Barcelona way.  The theory is noble given that 2010 Fifa World Cup champions, Spain had Pep’s nine players from Barcelona. To the preachers of that gospel, that is not coincidence.

I will take you to the days before the Backlays English Premier League. Nottingham Forest was coached by Brian Clough. Many dubbed him useless as a coach and manager. His team ran on a shoestring budget. He relegated and promoted that team perpetually for over half a decade. He built a team and destroyed it. Built it up and destroyed over and over.

Pepe inherited a Frank Rikjaard Barcelona that was already playing a philosophy set up by Johan Cryuff of Holland. Cryuff introduced the system earlier, the Dutch football that Ruud Gullit tried to employ at Chelsea when he prescribed it as ‘sexy football’. Guardiola did a great job in maintaining a legacy that had lived and will live for many years longer. Those players had been doing the same thing, with a few more foreign contingent than they did with Pep. Rikjaard and Guardiola both played for Barcelona previously.

The former Barca captain took over treble winning Jupp Henynckes Bayern Munich side. The later coached a team left by both Andreas Jonker and Loius van Gaal. The influence of Pep was visible in many Munich matches, and some Germany matches. Prior to Guardiola’s arrival, Bayern dismembered the Spanish giants in the UEFA Champions League, proving their superiority and fluidity. How easy it is to say he brought a wholesome change to the squad and to Germany national as a whole. Both these clubs, Barca and Munich, had funds to buy anyone they wanted, anyone who played the way they loved.

Without much need to compare Jose Mourinho, who won the Portuguese championship and UEFA Champions League with little known Porto, Brian Clough who yo-yoed Nottingham Forest, Harry Redknapp who saved Tottenham Hotspur from relegation and took them to UEFA Champions League pinnacle in a couple seasons, one has to look at the margins of success and the resources. Keeping firm on what is there is a lot easier than building anything from the ground.

As for Germany playing Tiki Taka football, I am not yet converted. The Chileans put to death Spain. If Spain come back anytime soon, it could be a different story, but to say Germany Tiki Taka-ed, is a little bit over the top. They moved and passed the ball well. They had a plan in place before Pep arrived. Their game revolved around the quick recovery and long retention of the ball. The crisp one touch passing to open defences was never their strength. The biggest weapon in their arsenal was the mentality of stay strong and focused. The aggression in combats and transition was complemented by the precision passing and efficient goal scoring.

The table below will illustrate how playing too many needless passes was almost fatal for Germany. The Germany struggled against Ghana, only benefitting from the Africans’ naïve play. They survived the Algerian scare as the fasting Arabs succumbed to their nutritional demands of extra time. As for Italy and Spain, we all know their fate. They were not so fortunate.

GROUPS STAGE TEAM STATISTICS

#	NUMBER OF PASSES BY TEAMS	TOTAL	AVERAGE
1	Germany	1934	645
2	Spain	1913	638
3	Italy	1735	578
4	Argentina	1694	565
5	France	1576	525

 

Given these first-round statistics, France, Argentina and Germany benefited by going through to the next round. At a later stage, one can guess the champions had a field day of passing against a pedestrian Brazilian side. If one uses that data to claim Tiki Taka is alive, there can never be a misleading statistic. For the propagation and perpetuation of the name, and not concept, what Germany played can be accepted as a positive variant of Tiki Taka, the game both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund played to reach the 2013 UEFA Champions League final.

Remember that Tiki-Taka is football characterised by short passing and movement, working the ball through various channels and, most importantly, maintaining possession. Germany maintained possession well without moving the ball with short quick passes through various channels. They made efficient use of that possession and made it count, sometimes against all odds.

The Barcelona type of football would equal to walking the ball into the net as they intrinsically weaved the passes in the 12-yard box until the goal-line. Save for corner-kicks and goal melee scrambles, that did not characterise the Germany goals in the 2014 Brazil Fifa World Cup. A little more similar aspect of their game was winning the ball as high as possible, especially where they lost it. This made them dangerously pounce vehemently and attack simultaneously before the opposition defence organised themselves.

Many coaches and managers find teams like Barcelona and Bayern Munich and take them to the doldrums. The genius of Guardiola made sure such never happened. To credit Spanish and Germany titles to the man is a little too generous. If there are coaches worthy of Fifa World Cup praise, can’t we look at Joachim Loew, Alejandro Pasella, Louis van Gaal and Jurgen Klinsman? also in their successful 2012/2013 treble run. There could be some truth in that but then they were more defensive-conscious and played most of the passes in their own half.

It his analysis, Oliseh noted that German goalkeeper ‘Manuel Neuer and central defenders Hummels and Boateng were the initiators of most attacks and a passing game that averaged 645 passes in a game’, scoring 17 goals in six games (a goal every 34 minutes), with 64 attempts at goal. All Germany reaped was fruits of a work that began with the squad which campaigned in 2010 South Africa Fifa World Cup, when Diego Maradona asked Muller if he was a ball boy. It was their grand plan after the failure to deliver in 24 years, not the mastermind of the great Pep Guardiola.

As for Tiki Taka, until its revival in the future, it is gone. We welcome the trend of the new world order in football, a fast paced forward moving game based on quick transition by fore-checking and crossing into the prime target areas. The Spanish football has proved it passed its usefulness, being nothing more that romance in the child-bearing process.

Messi will be number 4 for a long time.

Lionel Messi has a very long way to go to be the best footballer of all time, even number 3. Messi of Argentina, won the highest individual footballing honour for the 3rd consecutive time last week, a feat achieved by fewer that 5 players and at this rate, one he may achieve once more, as long as his team stays tops and Cristiano Ronaldo remains arrogant, (I seem to be the only person admiring the Portuguese's attitude and that is his undoing to many.) but it will take his take him far more effort to get in touch with the Top 3 Footballers of the all time.

Barcelona are the team of the decade by far, domestically and in the UEFA Champions League, out doing themselves over and over and I am not about to praise them any further. After all, it is not so long ago that I told you about the beginning of their end. Many took it that I meant that Real Madrid are a better team in comparison. Madrid have been better, of course, after the arrival of Jose Mourinho. 

The protracted verbal war and psychological warfare that boardrooms and racial slurs characterised The Special One's arrival in Spain but things calmed down as teams went into business. Now, Barca are wilting and Lionel Messi is proving to be human.

There was a time that I think he has measuring up to Zinedine Zidane, because I think Zizou is the greatest thing that happened to the game after Pele and Diego Maradona in that order. A few more seasons may see him getting there but he is running out of time. With what he has done and achieved, Argentina should have been FIFA World Cup champions. You may want to argue that World Cups are not a measure of everything and you are wrong.

Players like Pele, Maradona and Zidane had tremendous club success and their World Cups were cherries on top. No matter the glitter of any career from thence forth, if anyone can collect everything at once and fails at the World Cup, no one will remember their name.

The last generation of great footballers had one particular player, Eusebio. The Mozambican born Portuguese would have rated well alongside Pele, had he won a World Cup with Portugal. World Cups provide a platform for football patterns and evolution as well as player character.

Maybe also not so great in their clubs but so charismatic at the game were characters like Romanian George Hagi, a size 5 Number 10 who made football look so simple and had a tremendous shot. Hristo Stoichkov of Bulgaria is yet another great player of the World Cup. 

Why I bring these names forth, Messi has not mad much impact for Argentina as these have made for their countries during their prime. In that mix you could add Davor Suker of Croatia and Michel Platini of France. These players made huge impacts on the game for both the tournament and their countries.

As of now, Messi is so ordinary and by passion, is ranked amongst these. As for the actual influence of results, there is just so much ground to cover and I think he is running out if World Cups. Since 2014 FIFA World Cup is in South America, it may be his time t come out of the closet and be counted, but there will be Neymar of Brazil to compete with.  

Messi may not need to really win the FIFA World Cup, but at least to set it alight, to make his presence felt at least may be enough to secure a and seal a Top 4 position, but as for the actual Top 3, he needs to do what Pele did in 1958 in Sweden, Maradona in Mexico '86 and Zidane's France '98 at least. These men had to deliver the magic even in the actual final, and it was not the finals that made them great. They were already tops and the wizardry of the last games of the World Cups became the seal of approval. 

Something very wrong about Carlos Tevez

I am tempted to express my great disappointment about one of the finest footballers on the planet. Carlos Tevez was almost winning my heart soon after his departure from Manchester United to City. He represented something I believe a player should be.

Tevez always came to me as someone with a big heart and ambition. He reflected great workmanship and work-rate. The Argentinian captain scored fantastic goals and seemed an inspiration to many. He projected an intelligent outlook and was set for successes.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup did not do him much favours and he was an ordinary players despite his toil. The failure by his national team that included Lionel Messi under the guidance of Diego Maradona, took a lot out of him as it knocked his football down, they say. He cried of leaving football altogether, or even going back to Argentina.

Tevez was reported to be unhappy with the coach and he was quoted as missing his 2 daughters. Reports went further to say he had a depression problem to deal with. Whatever the reasons came by, each one of them ate away any respect I had for the talented man I now feel guilty to call talented.

Someone though, is not telling us the truth. Tevez cannot be missing his daughters. The guy earns so much money that he can either have them move in or they can visit him every weekend. The sheiks give him enough money that it cannot be an issue at any day. It could be the agent takes all the money and leaves him with peanuts, but I do not buy it. Still, the guy throws tantrums like confetti. For him to be under 28 and say he is tired of football, he must think we are as childish to believe it. 

Diego Maradona was seen at the Craven Cottage when Manchester City decided to run riot over Fulham. Could it be that Tevez is sabotaging Roberto Mancini to pave way for Diego? Someone must tell us the truth here. We saw how much performance the presence of Maradona drew out of both Tevez and country man, Zabaletta on the day.

Maybe, it could be that he married a wife who will neither get along the English and their European weather, or the Spanish lady is just allergic to the language and cannot stand the disgust of her children speaking and learning English. The Abu Dhabi billionaires can build an insulated house with the cheap reject crude oil to give warmth for the family 24/7. They can hire home school Spanish teachers for his children. This can benefit a lot of other Spanish footballers' children if they can pay for the services as well to reduce expenses.

At the end of the day, I am not the only one who now mistrusts Carlos Tevez. His potential employers will be wary of him. He is a far less professional than the world thought. For his exploits and talent, what a waste. If comes round and tells us he is now sorted out, you will believe him at your own risk. In the meantime, let's all seek the truth and if you find it, please feel free to share. For now, we leave it that we are conned.

Capello for City or Maradona for Villa? This is Interesting!

I told you so. Manchester City are flirting with Fabio Capello. I think David Beckham has the news. I will be tracking this guy all over LA until he opens his mouth. You will remember he snubbed Capello's call to resign from international football.

The Abu Dhabi Man City owners are trying to seduce Capello with "an England escape route if Roberto Mancini does not get off to a Premier League flier". How do you arrange a date with some else's wife on the assumption they may be divorced by the said day? Juicy stuff.

How long has Roberto Mancini been at City? Less than a year or something like that. Any way, his £106 million summer spending will be enjoyed by a fellow Italiano, so no sweat. By now, Tevez and Adebayour can sing a few Luciano Pavarotti and the 3 Tenors songs, so Capello won't struggle as he did with David Beckham, who didn't want to let go of the Spicy Girls' dancing style.



More weird and frightening is Diego Maradona's desire to succeed Martin O’Neill who resigned as Aston Villa manager just a few days back. Like a monkey that plays up in trees with its back exposed, Maradona was due for a deserved holiday after a dismal World Cup failure and unwanted exposure of his inability.

Diego's coaching qualities came under scrutiny when he froze when Argentina were being fried 0-4 by the Germans in a World Cup quarter-final. He can function well in the Argentinian league were sentiment will keep him buoyed until he moves on just because of the weight of his name. He has more chance with the Manchester City job than Aston Villa. At City, it's always stunt after stunt.

Villa must be waiting on Bob Bradley's divorce settlement with USA football authorities over his departure. He is looking for new challenges and there is no better destination. While there is a mention of Martin Jol of Ajax, who almost ended at Fulham, Villa's American shareholders may prefer their own.

I am a great fan of this guy. Bradley comes to me as very raw and shrewd. He is so much aware and focused. He loves detail. He likes fair play and is committed to the game. He reminds of one coach I used to know a very long time ago. This French guy's name was Arsene Wenger. The English game will benefit from his services. 

Meanwhile, Diego is said to be sending his CV all over Europe and the World. It is not clear he has applied for the advertised vacancy in Zimbabwe for the Warriors' job.

Do you suppose David Beckham can be a better coach than Diego Maradona?

Capello for City or Maradona for Villa? This is Interesting!

I told you so. Manchester City are flirting with Fabio Capello. I think David Beckham has the news. I will be tracking this guy all over LA until he opens his mouth. You will remember he snubbed Capello's call to resign from international football.

The Abu Dhabi Man City owners are trying to seduce Capello with "an England escape route if Roberto Mancini does not get off to a Premier League flier". How do you arrange a date with some else's wife on the assumption they may be divorced by the said day? Juicy stuff.

How long has Roberto Mancini been at City? Less than a year or something like that. Any way, his £106 million summer spending will be enjoyed by a fellow Italiano, so no sweat. By now, Tevez and Adebayour can sing a few Luciano Pavarotti and the 3 Tenors songs, so Capello won't struggle as he did with David Beckham, who didn't want to let go of the Spicy Girls' dancing style.



More weird and frightening is Diego Maradona's desire to succeed Martin O’Neill who resigned as Aston Villa manager just a few days back. Like a monkey that plays up in trees with its back exposed, Maradona was due for a deserved holiday after a dismal World Cup failure and unwanted exposure of his inability.

Diego's coaching qualities came under scrutiny when he froze when Argentina were being fried 0-4 by the Germans in a World Cup quarter-final. He can function well in the Argentinian league were sentiment will keep him buoyed until he moves on just because of the weight of his name. He has more chance with the Manchester City job than Aston Villa. At City, it's always stunt after stunt.

Villa must be waiting on Bob Bradley's divorce settlement with USA football authorities over his departure. He is looking for new challenges and there is no better destination. While there is a mention of Martin Jol of Ajax, who almost ended at Fulham, Villa's American shareholders may prefer their own.

I am a great fan of this guy. Bradley comes to me as very raw and shrewd. He is so much aware and focused. He loves detail. He likes fair play and is committed to the game. He reminds of one coach I used to know a very long time ago. This French guy's name was Arsene Wenger. The English game will benefit from his services. 

Meanwhile, Diego is said to be sending his CV all over Europe and the World. It is not clear he has applied for the advertised vacancy in Zimbabwe for the Warriors' job.

Do you suppose David Beckham can be a better coach than Diego Maradona?

Capello for City or Maradona for Villa? This is Interesting!

I told you so. Manchester City are flirting with Fabio Capello. I think David Beckham has the news. I will be tracking this guy all over LA until he opens his mouth. You will remember he snubbed Capello's call to resign from international football.

The Abu Dhabi Man City owners are trying to seduce Capello with "an England escape route if Roberto Mancini does not get off to a Premier League flier". How do you arrange a date with some else's wife on the assumption they may be divorced by the said day? Juicy stuff.

How long has Roberto Mancini been at City? Less than a year or something like that. Any way, his £106 million summer spending will be enjoyed by a fellow Italiano, so no sweat. By now, Tevez and Adebayour can sing a few Luciano Pavarotti and the 3 Tenors songs, so Capello won't struggle as he did with David Beckham, who didn't want to let go of the Spicy Girls' dancing style.



More weird and frightening is Diego Maradona's desire to succeed Martin O’Neill who resigned as Aston Villa manager just a few days back. Like a monkey that plays up in trees with its back exposed, Maradona was due for a deserved holiday after a dismal World Cup failure and unwanted exposure of his inability.

Diego's coaching qualities came under scrutiny when he froze when Argentina were being fried 0-4 by the Germans in a World Cup quarter-final. He can function well in the Argentinian league were sentiment will keep him buoyed until he moves on just because of the weight of his name. He has more chance with the Manchester City job than Aston Villa. At City, it's always stunt after stunt.

Villa must be waiting on Bob Bradley's divorce settlement with USA football authorities over his departure. He is looking for new challenges and there is no better destination. While there is a mention of Martin Jol of Ajax, who almost ended at Fulham, Villa's American shareholders may prefer their own.

I am a great fan of this guy. Bradley comes to me as very raw and shrewd. He is so much aware and focused. He loves detail. He likes fair play and is committed to the game. He reminds of one coach I used to know a very long time ago. This French guy's name was Arsene Wenger. The English game will benefit from his services. 

Meanwhile, Diego is said to be sending his CV all over Europe and the World. It is not clear he has applied for the advertised vacancy in Zimbabwe for the Warriors' job.

Do you suppose David Beckham can be a better coach than Diego Maradona?

Spurs'Come Back To Win.

(Pic from Reuters)

Thierry Henry's debut in the USA's Red Bulls was a personal success as he scored the only goal in a 1-2 loss to Tottenham Hotspurs of England. Robbie Keane and Gary Baille scored in the other half for a well deserved victory.

It has always been a personal opinion that Henry deserved a better deal than the Barcelona bench. Most big names make moves to places they are not idolised like in their usual comfort zones. At the Emirates King Henry was the one and only. He cherished that he played to his billing. The US will give him the opportunity to stamp his authority and make him retire in dignity.

The American game will do will the likes of Raul of Madrid. The rumour of his move to Spurs must just remain a rumour. He needs to fly to Italy, pick up Alexandro Del Piero and Fabio Cannavaro and cross the ocean to the MSL. The huge ex-larger than life stars need to light up the USA atmosphere as they retire and fade off the limelight.

On the same note, Landon Donovan has no business in the LA Galaxy. His place is in the Premiership. He may as well go to Spain, either to Real Madrid or along his 'twin', Iniesta at Barcelona. Italy would kill his game.

Lastly, Maradona. Argentina are in a mess. They think Maradona is a coach. They thought he was a coach. I am fond of the guy my self, but when I need surgery, I need a surgeon. If anyone offers a taxi driver a million bucks and a screw driver, for sure, I will be operated upon the next day. I rest my case.

Spurs'Come Back To Win.

(Pic from Reuters)

Thierry Henry's debut in the USA's Red Bulls was a personal success as he scored the only goal in a 1-2 loss to Tottenham Hotspurs of England. Robbie Keane and Gary Baille scored in the other half for a well deserved victory.

It has always been a personal opinion that Henry deserved a better deal than the Barcelona bench. Most big names make moves to places they are not idolised like in their usual comfort zones. At the Emirates King Henry was the one and only. He cherished that he played to his billing. The US will give him the opportunity to stamp his authority and make him retire in dignity.

The American game will do will the likes of Raul of Madrid. The rumour of his move to Spurs must just remain a rumour. He needs to fly to Italy, pick up Alexandro Del Piero and Fabio Cannavaro and cross the ocean to the MSL. The huge ex-larger than life stars need to light up the USA atmosphere as they retire and fade off the limelight.

On the same note, Landon Donovan has no business in the LA Galaxy. His place is in the Premiership. He may as well go to Spain, either to Real Madrid or along his 'twin', Iniesta at Barcelona. Italy would kill his game.

Lastly, Maradona. Argentina are in a mess. They think Maradona is a coach. They thought he was a coach. I am fond of the guy my self, but when I need surgery, I need a surgeon. If anyone offers a taxi driver a million bucks and a screw driver, for sure, I will be operated upon the next day. I rest my case.