It seems to me that modern football is rarely graced with the talents of exceptional playmakers in the way that it once was. The game today is dominated by and large by pace and power whilst the ability to read the game and pick a precise pass, once the most prized qualities, are no longer revered in the same tones.
This summer Manchester United signed Dimitar Berbatov for over thirty million pounds. Within weeks the gifted technician came under criticism for his languid, slow paced style with many fans blaming him for the team's loss of form. Statistically Berbatov has covered more ground in some games than many of his more vaunted team mates, he leads the team in interceptions and steals (an alien term to many football fans) and is light years aheads in terms of assists. Meanwhile his team mate Carlos Tevez, a man who has contributed very little in terms of goals and even less in ways of assists, remains a popular figure with the Old Trafford faithful. So much so in fact that many insist the Bulgarian should be dropped to the bench in favour of the Argentinian. So why do fans identify so much more with Tevez than they do with Berbatov?
It takes a keen eye, a student of the game, an artist or an intelligent individual to identify the nuances, touches, movement and vision that makes one player better than another, whereas the average fan (usually fairly low on the evolutionary ladder) tends to identify more readily with old fashioned and obvious virtues such as work rate, passion and pace. I was fascinated to once read an article about a discussion Johan Cryuff had with several of the Dutch greats from the total football era such as Johan Neeskens. When asked who they thought was the most gifted dutch player of all time, they answered almost unanimously; Dennis Bergkamp. To the vast majority of football followers that might sound like an outrageous claim but consider the source. Who better to judge than the icons of Dutch football themselves. Here is a player who had a level of technical ability that most professionals can only ever dream of.
Of course pace and power are indispensable assets in this day and age but it is surely a shame that they are slowly making technical playmaking an endangered species. A footballing brain, when it is truely masterful of the game is a fabulous thing and can overcome many apparent physical limitations. Many years ago the youth team coaches at Atletico de Madrid released a young player called Raul because he was too weak. Real Madrid picked him up and you may think you know the rest of the story but the truth is that the Real coaches didn't think he had what it took to really make it in the first team. Whilst they acknowledged that he had exceptional technical ability and a fabulous reading of the game, they were concerned by his lack of pace, average shooting power and lack of physical strength. Yet years later despite not having any really outstanding physical qualities (a reason for which many people think he is over rated without ever understanding why he was actually so good) he is in many respects and in many peoples eyes a legend. Sir Alex Ferguson once described him as the perfect player and the player he would most love to sign in world football. Given his love of the technician (Cantona, Sheringham, Berbatov) this is high praise indeed.
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