Premier League
Pragmatic vs Progressive: Which is the Future of Football?
Kevin Friend blows the final whistle at the Etihad Stadium pitting Pep Guardiola’s progressive-attacking Manchester City and Rafael Benitez’s pragmatic-defensive Newcastle United. Goals from Raheem Sterling and Kyle Walker for City. While a strike from DeAndre Yedlin’s left Newcastle with a third defeat in four games. On the other hand, City records its third victory of the season. This also leaves City with 10 points and two places from the top. The Magpies have recorded only a single point and are two places from the bottom.
The striking part about this game was not the score line per se. But the fact that even before the lineups announcement, one expected to see an attacking lineup from Pep and a defensive approach from Benitez. Both managers did not disappoint, Pep went for a 4-3-3 team while Benitez lined up in a 5-4-1 formation. As expected, City dominated possession 78-22%, and created 17 chances, compared to Newcastle’s three. The contrast between both styles of play was glaring during the entirety of the 90 minutes. Even though Newcastle lost, they walked back to their team bus proud of their efforts knowing that on a different day and with more luck, they would have stolen a draw.
This match which pitted two successful managers who have both won the Champions League, albeit with contrasting styles, reopens an age-old contradictory debate in football. Is pragmatism vs progressiveness, results vs aesthetics, functionality vs beauty better? For as long as the game keeps using tactics, these two opposing styles of football have been at loggerheads.
Two Contrasting Styles?
While some argue that pragmatism in football should be adopting realistic practical considerations which focus solely on the end result of the game, and as such not necessarily defensive. Others, and this is the modern trend, argue that pragmatism should be simply as defensive or anti-football. Managers such as Benitez, Jose Mourihno, Diego Simeone, and Antonio Conte are put under this category, and are all thought of disciples of Victorio Spinetto’s school of anti-football.
Progressive football on its part is understood as beautiful, eye-pleasing, possession-based, tiki-taka or ‘total football’ as Johan Cryuff would have described it. This unique style of play depends more on creativity, ball retention and movement, positional changes, and technique. This is best epitomized by the likes of Pep Guardiola, Maurizio Sarri, Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino, and Quique Setien among others.
Change in Footballing Attitudes?
Although these contrasting styles of football have proven to be successful by their respective practitioners, still, the debate rages on as to which style is more successful and is more likely to be the way forward. Perhaps, Sky Sports pundit, Gary Neville provided the best response when he said:
“There is definitely an attitude change, an attitude change from fans, fans are paying more and demand more progressive football…”
He went ahead to explain that fans now realize following the exploits of Swansea and Bournemouth that their teams can play progressive football and remain in the premier league rather than playing defensively.
This attitude change in fans and some will argue the journalistic world has also been evident in the way Mourihno has been lambasted for playing unattractive football at Manchester United. This, while the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino who play a more attractive style of football have been less criticized. This, despite the fact that Mourihno since joining United has won 2 major trophies (Europa and Carling cups) Klopp and Pochettino are yet to win a trophy for their respective clubs. Mourihno also finished second last season with Pochettino and Klopp finishing third and fourth respectively.
One would wonder, is football about winning or about playing beautifully? Pragmatic vs progressive? Well, to answer that question one might not need to look very far from Manchester. A few miles away from Mourihno’s United, Guardiola’s City does not only play aesthetically, but they have the EPL trophy to back that up with. In his defense, Mourihno would tell you that he has 3 EPL titles while Guardiola just the one.
Future of Football?
No matter where one stands, there is no denying that the dichotomy between pragmatic and progressive football is still real today. It is as real as it was during the times of Argentinian coaches Cesar Luis Menotti and Carlos Bilardo. Both guided Argentina to World cup victory in 1978 and 1986 respectively. However, both with two opposing styles. Menotti, the erudite one and Bilardo, the rigid one. Even though winning should be the end result of every tactic, one can also not deny that there should be more to football than just victory at all costs. After all, football is an entertainment sports. For this, fans deserve some entertainment.
While the debate rages on, one can notice that younger managers tend to prefer a more attractive style of play. Perhaps, the young will decide the future of football.
Photo credit to ดูบอลย้อนหลัง ไฮไลท์ฟุตบอล via Flickr
