It's getting more difficult to find the article, but Xabi Alonso on tackling (specifically in England); There is a pause as Alonso reaches, again, the crux of the issue. A single English word he returns to that, unpacked, analysed and investigated, explains much. "I don't think tackling is a quality," he says. "It is a recurso, something you have to resort to, not a characteristic of your game. At Liverpool I used to read the matchday programme and you'd read an interview with a lad from the youth team. They'd ask: age, heroes, strong points, etc. He'd reply: 'Shooting and tackling'. I can't get into my head that football development would educate tackling as a quality, something to learn, to teach, a characteristic of your play. How can that be a way of seeing the game? I just don't understand football in those terms. Tackling is a [last] resort, and you will need it, but it isn't a quality to aspire to, a definition. It's hard to change because it's so rooted in the English football culture, but I don't understand it." https://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/nov/11/xabi-alonso-spain-england-interview
Well, to be fair even last resort measures have to be practiced, otherwise you better not deploy it as then a penaltyt or free kick is most likely the result. So, no. Not a smart remark from him. In pencak silat fighting you practice everything, even last resort practices. Why? If you don't you end up dead when you needed it.
Apples and oranges and I'm sure he'd agree you need to practice it. He's saying you shouldn't plan your defense around it. Keepers need to practice stopping PKs, but you don't want to plan your defense around giving the other team PKs and trusting the keeper to stop them, right? (ridiculous example, I know, but shows the point). I agree that tackling is an aspect of the game but shouldn't be a focus- the best defense is one where you never need a tackle because the other team never gains enough of a positional advantage to force you to tackle. That's an impossible goal, but I think it would be ideal.
Nobody is going to prep a team by stressing the weakest points as the main characteristic for the team to concentrate on, so still a dumb remark of the player in question. Former Feyenoord defender Stefan de Vrij just has been named the best defender of the Serie A, but is deemed a weak tackler. Probably why he resorts to practices to prevent himself getting into those situations. Virgil van Dijk has similar stats: Data from www.infogol.net
Re: de vrij us soccer pay this guy all the money https://thecorrespondent.com/469/th...en-the-biggest-clubs-cant/1104681193-7fef448c
the times dest has said he made his decision based on youth team involvement ratio to times tab ramos gets credit is way out of wack.
Dutch young and unproven midfielders/defenders entering the CL selections of the top clubs. Ludovit Reis from FC Groningen was added to rhe Barcelona CL selection, after the same thing happened to Mitchel Bakker with PSG and the latest addition is Ian Maatsen with Chelsea.
Onana is not on the squad either. Lot's of chatter as to why on twitter but not seeing responses about Dest... just "Waar is Dest?".
Chatter about that being the reason for Onana... that and he is hurt or came back late from vacation. Nothing that I have read on twitter about Dest... but I have not looked in 10 minutes. If it isn't because he is about to be dealt then this could be bad news for his playing time at AJAX.
If Ajax lose Onana, could be a different season. I haven't looked at the stats, but watching them he just seemed to be very confident and clean last year.
I think a better analogy is to a keeper making acrobatic saves. That is certainly an excellent quality but as a keeper (and for the defense as a whole) the strategy isn’t to let offenses shoot and rely on your keeper to make a save (i.e., that is a ‘last resort’ to use Alonso’s terminology). Rather, a keeper’s (and the D as a whole) tries to maintain the proper position so as to minimize the number and quality of scoring opportunities given up so that only in rare circumstances should the keeper need to make a ridiculous save.
Was watching Tifo football today and they suggest Dest as a potential right-back for Barcelona in their "sensible transfers" video... it's just after the 7th minute mark...
Juventus have made an offer for Sergino Dest. 👀 https://t.co/NN4VJ5X8IY— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) August 12, 2020
The Juve link is interesting. The only thing that worries me about Juve is the appointment of Pirlo. He was hired as the U23 manager and 9 days later moved up to replace Sarri. Zero coaching experience. Not saying Prilo can’t be good. It just remains to be seen. I just prefer Dest to be under the wing of a solid, experienced manager of the highest quality.
I don't think Juventus is ideal at this stage, but he's going to have to put on his big boy pants at some point.