Evolution Of Total Football

“Total Football” - The Revolution “tiki-taka” -The Evolution!

There is a saying that football is a game played as much on the field as in the mind. Over the years, many philosophies developed regarding football; be it possession football, counter attacking football, tiki-taka or the Catenaccio.

However, it is not so simple to say that the “correct” way of playing is the one that wins most often, because only the dourest of Gradgrinds would claim that success is measured merely in points and trophies; there must also be room for romance. That tension between beauty and cynicism, between what Brazilians call futebol d’arte and futebol de resultados is a constant, perhaps because it is so fundamental not only to sports, but also to life; to

In theory it means that any player can take over the role of any other player in the team. A player can be an attacker, a midfielder and defender. There are no fixed positions, except for the goalkeeper. Though looked with suspicion in the beginning, 'Total Football ' proved its point with the highly successful Ajax and Dutch teams of 70’s. But, then every system of football has its own requirements. Total Football requires highly fit players, both physically and mentally. But it is widely accepted fact that once a person becomes an expert at 'Total Football ', he becomes a 'Total Footballer.

They usually take a place between the Centre backs, attempting to stop passing between the CBs and press the CBs not allowing them an easy pass to the midfielders. The attacking midfielder and the deep lying playmaker push up and cut off passing lanes to midfielders. The wingers, in turn, stay just a touch away from the fullbacks. What this does is that the moment they touch the ball, there is a winger pressing them. The attacking midfielder or the fullback can charge towards this side to create a 2 vs. 1 overload and win the ball. If the striker is positioned perfectly, the CB will either have to hit a long ball to the striker, a pass to the nearby fullback or will have to play it back to the keeper. If he attempts to switch play to the other side, usually he will not have the time to look up and measure his pass, which can lead to a misplaced pass. Thus, just by cutting off passing lanes, the strikers and midfielders have ensured that the ball goes to the fullbacks. Once the ball goes to the fullback, the side aims to overload that side of the pitch. Then, he will have a few seconds to think about where to pass before the winger breathes down his neck. The attacking midfielder will look to have a 2 on 1 against him to force him into a mistake. To fill this vacated space, the deep lying playmaker and the right winger tuck inside. The defence pushes up to minimize space for the midfielders and thus the