Is There Still a Future for Possession Football?

With Barcelona's dominance under Pep for those years, it seemed we were seeing a whole new age of football. A team could tire out and frustrate an opponent by not allowing them the ball, and could completely dominate a match from start to finish. It seemed that there really was no remedy to beating a team that refused to give you the ball. Well, then there was that Portuguese chap...

All "good" things must come to an end, and ultimately, the philosophy got found out. With the destruction of Barcelona and Spain by Bayern and Brazil, that invincibility that the world once paid homage to now seemed pretty pale. I for one believed it would be the end to that kind of play, but it seems that with Pep's arrival at Bayern and the departures and arrivals he is getting involved with, that is an element he still wants to maintain.

Focusing on the question at hand, I believe that there is a place for EVERY type of football. That is what makes the sport so amazing to watch. The clash of styles and the battle to see which style wins out. That is why the Brazil/Italy matches were so fascinating, because it was the finest art of attacking against the finest art of defending. So yes, there is and there should be a future of Spain's possession football. But will it still be as rewarding as it has been for the last five or so years?

The key to a winning team is the ability to adapt. That means having a plan B to Z. The problem with Pep's philosophy is that it was just the one way. Once Jose figured it out, there was no reply to it. That is the real danger. Once a team know how to close down the spaces, offer no runs for the players without the ball and can break QUICKLY and EFFECTIVELY....then what?

I really can't wait to see how Pep does in the German league and especially when he comes up against their rivals in yellow and black. Pep may surprise us all and really take Bayern to a whole new level of dominance not seen before. I am sceptical, but I am more than happy to be proved wrong....

HH