Sunderland 0 – Newcastle 3
Dreams of a potential FA Cup upset in the first Tyne-Wear derby in almost 8 years were dashed yesterday on the 46th minute, when Newcastle stretched their lead to two goals via some kamikaze defending by Sunderland.
The more passive football fan may be forgiven for pointing to the obvious financial and resource disparity between Sunderland and Newcastle as the primary reason for the damning final scoreline. Those who took the time to take in the match will know that the Black Cats threw the tie away by foolishly attempting to play the ball out from the back, when they (like so many other sides) simply don’t have the technical ability in the side to execute such a move proficiently. This begs the question: why attempt it at all then?
With the game finely poised at 1-0, and a raucous atmosphere in a packed out Stadium of Light, the FA Cup 3rd round tie was far from a foregone conclusion in the first half. That is until a moment of madness from Pierre Ekwah consigned The Black Cats to their fate.
Under pressure from the Newcastle high press, Sunderland goalkeeper, Anthony Patterson, received the ball in to his feet, and executed a short pass to Ekwah on the edge of his own penalty area. Instead of clearing the obvious danger, and with no defensive players behind him to reinforce, he attempted to dribble around Aleksander Isak. He was caught in possession, which presented the striker with the simplest of finishes.
Like the Panenka penalty, the flip-flap, or the rabona flick; attempting to pass the ball out from the back can look incredible when it’s executed to perfection. However, these elaborate maneuvers require a high degree of technical skill. When you factor this on top of the fact that a poorly executed pass out from the back sequence often presents the opposition with a clear goal scoring opportunity, the stakes are raised even further.
The famous tiki-taka style bequeathed to us by the Spanish national sides of Luis Aragones and Vincente del Bosque, and subsequently adapted by the club sides of Pep Guardiola, have been a joy to behold. They harness a combination of fast-paced football executed by master technicians of the game, distilled down to simple short passes, and movement which can seldom be matched by an often bewildered opposition.
However, attempting a pass in the style of a Manchester City player does not actually grant you the powers of one of Pep’s starting XI. Not every boxer is Muhammed Ali, and not every sprinter is Usain Bolt. Some players are just, well, Sunderland, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Football is a simple game. 11 players executing the simple responsibilities of their position on the pitch efficiently can make a good side. It’s unclear how this notion that every player in a side must have the technical ability of Andreas Iniesta has hemorrhaged into the modern game.
At its most basic level, goalkeepers and defenders are required to keep the ball out of their own net. Midfielders are nuanced in that they can be asked to win or keep possession, or create goalscoring opportunities. Forwards are expected to score, or contribute to their side’s goal scoring efforts. It really is that simple. Anything over and above that is a bonus.
Some positions and responsibilities are undoubtedly more glamorous than others, it still takes most if not all of the 11 on the pitch to be executing their roles well to result in a win on the day.
Those who truly enjoy the game see beauty in all aspects of it. The last ditch header off the line, the long ball to the striker knocking it down for a tap in, and the bullish kicky Sean Dyche 1-0 away win all spark joy in their own way. Of course it looks great when a series of sharp passing interchanges from goalkeepers and defenders result in an attacking move, but I’d argue that the euphoria from an unexpected long ball counter attack goal from a side under sustained pressure has as much beauty and joy emanating from it as the contrasting modern short passing style, despite the latter being the one you’re now told to pay homage to.
Football is wonderful because of the sheer variety of it. The game resonates with people across the world because it’s forever in flux. Styles change, players come and go, sides will boom and bust. For coaches to be so stubborn and myopic as to think there’s one way of playing the game will ultimately see them hoist on their own petard. There’s always another way, and no team is infallible.
The fluidity and adaptability of football tactics is what makes the game beautiful. Play with the hand you’re dealt, utilise your strengths, and innovate past the incumbent broadly accepted ‘way of playing’. There are no points in football for artistic impression; win the match any way you can, and give the fans the moments of joy they deserve.
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