Pep Guardiola has 27 trophies to his name so far, and there is no doubt that we will remember him as one of the greatest coaches in the history of football ever. A disciple of the godfather Johan Cruyff, Pep is considered an essential reference point for new coaches around the world, with many of them influenced by his well-known philosophy of positional play “Positional play”.
Guardiola, according to his vision of himself, is obsessed with the game, always looking for different ways to outperform competitors. Let's find out some lessons that can be learned from one of the brightest minds in football right now.
Positional play requires patience
In Guardiola's first season with Manchester City, the team managed to take only the third place in the Premier League, failing to get any championships. Many fans of rival clubs nicknamed him the cowardly Guardiola "Fraudiola", which suggests that his previous success came only thanks to the quality of his players in the clubs he coached, and not as a result of any complex and sophisticated coaching methodology.
However, 12 months later, City were crowned champions of the league, after collecting a record number of points that reached 100 points. The football that was presented this season was worth the wait, victories with wide results and a large goal difference became normal for the team, and with collective goals in an ideal style of play.
"It's a lot easier to play with a 4-4-2 plan, defend and play on the counterattack, because that takes less time to master. But to rely on positional play, attacking in the narrowest places is very complicated, because each player has many individual roles to play". Pep Guardiola.
Managing success and failure
Besides having the ability to lift the morale of the players after failures, Guardiola believes that the coach should also keep a sense of humility inside the locker room during periods of success.
"When you win everything, your players have tremendous confidence in themselves, they think that if they can win two, three, four times, they can do it again. At the same time, there is a danger of thinking that they are better than they really are, so you should calm them down. And when you lose, you have to get closer to them, show your sympathy and make them believe that we can win next time. The advantage of managing these situations is that the players are willing to let you help them". Pep Guardiola.
Acquisition is not a goal in itself
The style in which Barcelona played, under Guardiola in the period between 2008 and 2012, was often called “Tiki-Taka”, which is defined as a style of play that involves very accurate short passes in tight spaces, with an emphasis on always retaining possession. However, Guardiola regularly stressed that the acquisition was just a tool to help them create many chances, rather than the acquisition being a goal in itself.
"If you don't do anything with the ball, what's the use?"! Everyone around the world knows when to play with a specific goal or when to play because you just like to have the ball. If your possession is not characterized by constant movement, it's like living without life, and it's dangerous to play like that. It's better to sit with my feet intertwined on the bench and wait for the opponent's counterattacks". Pep Guardiola.
The interconnection of Defense and attack
In 10 full seasons for Guardiola as a coach, his teams finished the league championship as the highest scoring on 5 occasions. Interestingly, she achieved the best defensive record 8 times. For Guardiola, maintaining a tight and organized attacking structure in the opponent's half of the field is the most effective way to avoid receiving goals. Your attack style will affect your defense style, and vice versa.
"I don't divide football into attack and defense. In football, everything depends on everything". Pep Guardiola.
Analysis of liabilities
Often praised by colleagues for his incredible work ethic, Pep is known to spend hours analyzing incoming opponents, looking for weaknesses to exploit. For him, this is one of the most important aspects of the profession.
"I sit and watch videos, take notes. It is at this moment that inspiration comes, the moment that carries meaning to my profession. At the moment I know, for sure, that I've got it, and I know how to win. It's the moment when my work becomes truly meaningful". Pep Guardiola.
Playing good football
Although he has stated on a number of occasions that there is no right or wrong way to play football, Guardiola has a clear definition of what good football is from his perspective. For some, a quick counterattack or building gameplay with an emphasis on realistic character are the most pleasant tactics to watch. However, for PEP, the emphasis on clever manipulation of the opponent is good football.
"From my point of view, good football is in studying the opponent's movements, making the right decision. If the heart of the defense has the ball, the winger moves forward to attract the opponent, then he passes the ball to the fullback, who now has more room to move. If I am the center of Defense and the opponent's attacker presses me to close the space in front of me, then my other colleague in the center of defense has more time and space, so I pass the ball to him. The process of positional play is to move the opponents, and then they make your decisions for you, and from here we will start playing". Pep Guardiola.
Marketing your vision
During the era of bilateral rivalry for titles in both Germany and England, the heated battle, between Pep Guardiola and the current Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp, is often marketed as the tactical mastermind in the face of the motivating man. In fact, Klopp also remains an intelligent tactician, and Guardiola also remains an inspiring leader. Having the ability to convince others to see you, for beb, is an essential skill that every coach should have.
"You always need to show your qualities in terms of tactics and vision, and at the same time, manage very different characters, not only the players but also the people who make up your technical apparatus, trying to convince them that the way they will play and live for 11 months is the best way. Pep Guardiola.
Adapt to your players
While many coaches will design a system specifically suited to the players on their teams, other coaches will arrive at a new club with the intention of imposing a clear tactical vision that cannot be changed. Guardiola believes in the importance of fidelity to the basic principles of play, while also creating a system that helps to get the best out of the players of his squad.
"We are adapting to the qualities of our players, trying to make our attack more suitable for their abilities. But the patterns we follow are very similar, they don't change much". Pep Guardiola.
Focus on collectivism
Although Pep has enjoyed coaching some of football's greatest players, he has always insisted that the collective is far more important than any individual. Players who do not share this vision with him are quickly sidelined, which allows a game system based on selfless moves, exceptional passes.
"I don't like when a player says: I like freedom, I want to play for myself. Because the player must understand that he is part of the team, with 10 other players. If every player plays like jazz players, it will turn into a mess. They won't be a team". Pep Guardiola.
Brave new generation
As we have known, the implementation of an acquisition-based approach is likely to take more time than a system based on a counterattack. With that in mind, more patience is needed from clubs and fans alike. Moreover, it takes great courage from the coach to move forward on this path, and Pep believes that the younger generation of coaches is more willing to take that risk.
"There is a new generation of coaches who are well prepared and very brave. The difference between good football and bad football are the brave coaches and those who didn't have that courage. I believe that the new generation of young people, starting from the grassroots, will give us good and positive football. "When both teams play and both give everything to win, we will always have a good game. Pep Guardiola.