Over 20,000 professional players deemed not one footballer from the
English Premier League
worthy of starring in the FIFA/FIFPro World XI 2015, as was revealed at
the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich's Kongresshaus.
Barring England, all European hotbeds – Spain, France, Italy and
Germany – found representation in a team comprising football’s crème de
la crème from the continent.
This has been a recurring theme at the gala in recent years.
Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic in 2012 was the last player, having
played a full season for an English club, to make the cut.
Premier League’s elite clubs continue to struggle against
their contemporaries from the La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A on the
grand stage of the world’s biggest club competition year on year.
The Football Association’s flagship brand is the oldest and most
watched football league in the world. Sadly, it isn’t the best league in
the world. While squad depths of all 20 clubs make for an exciting
league, the gap between the best in England and Spain is only growing.
The Premier League’s top dogs come up a cropper against the likes of
Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the Champions League. If a list of the
world’s top 20 players is compiled, not more than two players from
England will be part of it at the moment.
From Cristiano Ronaldo to Gareth Bale, Premier League stars continue
to be seduced by the prospect of playing in Madrid and Barcelona.
Despite a gigantic television rights deal, English top-flight football
has fallen out of favor with the very best in the business.
Barring Sergio Aguero, no players of genuine game-changing repute
have moved the other way. Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Angel di Maria
did, only because they were surplus to requirements at their respective
La Liga clubs.
From the perspective of Premier League football fans, a heartening
new trend has taken shape of late that could gradually help England
regain its position as the ultimate club football destination.
Managers of pedigree – Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal and Jurgen Klopp
– have jumped on the Premier League caravan in the last two years. This
clearly is a positive development for the league’s brand. The best
players want to work with the game’s best minds, which is why
influential managers are pivotal. High-profile figures like these help
elevate the stature of a league.
Come June 30, another name will join England’s managerial
heavyweights. Manchester City gatecrashed transfer deadline day,
announcing Manuel Pellegrini’s summer replacement as the irrepressible
Pep Guardiola.
Pep’s credentials are mighty but not spotless. While he ticked all
the boxes with the Catalan giants, the missing Champions League trophy
with the Bavarians should count as a major miss.
Sheik Mansour has signed the best-paid manager in world football with
the singular motive of winning a Champions League. Some believe the
Spaniard will make City serial winners, while other feel he could build a
dynasty rivaling Sir Alex Ferguson.
Guardiola inherited winning teams at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
This City side is not on the same level as both of Pep’s previous
employers. Hence whether Pep can bring transformational
change to the blue half of Manchester remains debatable at this juncture.
However, what is not a matter of debate is the value the 45-year-old brings to City and the Premier League in general.
Pulling power
While Lionel Messi, may still be out of bounds for City, Pep will use
his pulling power to sign some of the best players in the world. With
him in charge, the club will automatically become a popular destination
for all the big names. Considering the resources at his disposal,
Guardiola will inject City’s already formidable squad with more
world-class talent. The opportunity of working under him will be hard
for any player to resist.
Play, possession and position
With the Spaniard at the helm, City fans can expect their team to
play way better next season. As the great Thierry Henry revealed on Sky
Sports’ Monday Night Football, Pep orders his players to stick to a
rigid positional system, allowing ‘freedom’ in the final third. No
player from the right can move over to the left and vice-versa in Pep’s
system. His obsessive approach will help City operate at an extremely
high level of efficiency.
Added focus on youth
There is no doubt Pep’s arrival will lead to a rejig of City’s squad.
The club’s new youth academy will be the biggest beneficiary of life
under the new manager. Guardiola is known to spend considerable time in
supervising the development of young players. From nurturing La Masia’s
golden generation, to ushering Kingsley Coman and Joshua Kimmich into
Bayern’s first team, Pep pays special attention to young talent.
Extraordinary style
Guardiola’s teams play with a distinct style. His system is a cross
between thrilling attacking football and organizational discipline in
defense. Pep’s drills his philosophy of fierce pressing and speedy
attack into the entire squad. He is no advocate of one particular style.
The intelligence of his plan lies in its flexibility. At heart, Pep is a
pragmatist, which is why his approach will be wedded to City’s
strengths.
With 19 trophies in six-and-a-half seasons, Pep’s arrival at the
Etihad Stadium marks a definitive moment in Premier League’s history.
His unrelenting pursuit of perfection and meticulous attention to detail
will not just bolster City but also raise the benchmark of excellence
in the league. More importantly, the hallmark of brand Pep, its
credibility, will help England’s top-flight football regain its
importance and influence in Europe.
Source- zeenews.india
