Anti-Football the Truth

Anti Football. Not the wife of your dad's brother. The much used buzz word since Arsene Wenger used it to describe Man Utd's physical approach to his team of pirouetting perfectionists. The phrase has of course has been around for some time now. Most famously when Lionel Messi accused Rangers of "Anti-futbol" at Ibrox after a 0-0 encounter.

As the great wise Wikipedia declares it "a robust style of play."

Now I know the co author of this blog, Nando disagrees with me completely on this subject but as he is not writing it you will have to deal with my thoughts, (hopefully he will write a peice in response)

Anti-Football doesn't exist. There I have said it. Simple.

Not simple I hear you cry, ok well let me explain. Nowhere in the rules of the game does it state that you to come out and win the game by playing attractive, free flowing, orgasm to the eyes football. We ALL would love to see the game played that way, where teams just come out and have a go at each other and someone wins 11-9. But that is like saying wouldn't it be nice if all guns were used as flower pots. Nice thought but nonsense.

Teams who are physical and who break the laws of the game are punished. That is what referees are for. The referee can not stop the game and say" Hey, you guys had 10 men behind the ball, how is Van Persie supposed to score if you pesky kids keep defending? Tsk Tsk Fre Kick to Arsenal"But he can book and send people off who break the rules of the game. You following?

"Anti-Football" is the complete opposite of what is the common perception of it . To look at it properly you need to think of it as "Total Football" not the Dutch affair but from a deconstructionalist point of view. It is a mere tactic of the game. Not popular, not entertaining, but it IS part of the game. For Wenger, Messi and co, there ideals will always be that of minimal contact, and attacking as the only option, as romantic as this is it is also ignorant. The imagination and guile that it takes to break down an "Anti Football" defence or the long ball bombardment, whatever it takes to overcome- this IS the game. How you and your players deal with different situations that are put infront of you. It has provided countless incredible memories like this (not exactly an Anti Football defence but you get the 'whatever it takes" mentality)

Physical football is still football. Defensive football is still football. It can not always be the poster boys having there way. As a pro I have waked off the field happier with a scrappy 0-0 where we had to defend with our lives for 90 mins, than times when we won 5-0. You play to your strengths. Rangers did it against Barca, Celtic have done it for years at Celtic Park in Champions League. Man Utd got stuck into Arsenal because they knew that they couldn't handle it. Fergie is not the manager he is without being acutely aware of his oppositions weaknesses. Arsenal have flair, panache, amazing skill, yet they lack a little grit. Why wouldn't an opposition manager test that. If he didn't then he would be going into battle not fully prepared and therefore doing his ream and fans a disservice.

So for me "Football" is Football, whether you use the prefix anti, defensive or eye poppingly stunning. It is ALL football.