Innovating an Age-Old Game
Pep Guardiola’s Total Football
Steve Jobs is viewed as one of the greatest CEOs of all time. He changed and created new industries through his approach to building Apple.
First, it was how he revolutionized personal computing through successful mass production for the everyday consumer. Then it was the transformation of the music industry through the iPod and iTunes. The iPhone redefined the phone market as a whole in terms of functionality, aesthetics, and a new ecosystem for mobile apps. And the list goes on.
But disrupting sports isn’t as straightforward as disrupting the business world. A game doesn’t change in the same way industries or technologies do, so it’s not as obvious how to innovate. Disrupting sports means looking for inefficiencies and seeking ways in which people think about the game in the wrong way.
Take Billy Beane, for example. He found that the way baseball measured player success was flawed. He found advantages for the Oakland Athletics to compete with teams with much bigger payrolls. It can be argued that Beane didn’t just help transform baseball, but all sports by utilizing analytics in new ways.
However, Beane wasn’t able to exploit his innovative approach to player evaluation long enough to win a World Series because every other team caught on and started utilizing statistics in the same way.
Pep’s Greatness
Just as Beane was able to innovate and change the game of baseball forever, Pep Guardiola is doing the same for football (soccer). He’s been able to innovate by creating numerical advantages in small areas all around the football field, which I’ll get to shortly.
But some who may not follow football closely may be wondering, “Who is Pep Guardiola?” Currently the manager for Manchester City, he has won 39 trophies in 16 seasons, second all-time only to Sir Alex Ferguson, who has 49 trophies in over twice as many years pacing the sideline.
Guardiola just won his fourth Premier League title in a row, the first team to ever do it in England’s top division. Last year, he won the historic treble, meaning he won the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup all in the same year.
Guardiola is considered one of the best football managers of all time. The word on the street is that he’s even giving the Boston Celtics advice. Said Joe Mazzulla after winning the NBA championship:
“Dallas has one of the smartest defenses. We had to be creative. Pep helped me in transitions and how to move the guys.”
It’s impossible to talk about Guardiola and Manchester City without mentioning the 115 charges against the club for breaking Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, which prevent teams from spending more than they earn. If Manchester City is found guilty of fabricating how much they have earned to spend more on players, there are three possible outcomes:
A huge fine and small points deduction
A huge points deduction
Relegation from the Premier League
Guardiola has always maintained his innocence about any knowledge on the matter. He has said in the past that if he finds out that team officials have lied to him, he will leave the club the next day.
Having these accusations cloud the success of the club can do a lot to ruin one’s reputation. But many have acknowledged that no matter the outcome of the charges, Guardiola has still proven he is one of the best football minds ever.
Jürgen Klopp, a great manager himself, recently said:
“Everybody knows about the 115 charges, but I have no clue what that means. No matter what has transpired at Man City, Pep Guardiola is the best manager in the world. If you put any other manager in that club, they don’t win the league four times in a row.”
Unlike Beane, one reason Guardiola’s innovative approaches come to fruition is because he has all the talent he needs. Lionel Messi, Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Agüero, Thierry Henry, Gerard Piqué, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, and many other world-class players all answered to Guardiola.
One could argue that much of Guardioloa’s success is due to the massive clubs and players he’s had the privilege of inheriting and buying with all the money he could ask for. Those arguing this would be right—partially, at least.
However, no one can overlook his masterful tactics that elevate the talent he puts on the field. Though Guardiola is nowhere near the field during this summer’s Euros, at least one talking point is about the struggles of Manchester City players, particularly Phil Foden. City players are being accused of being ‘system players’ because of some of their struggles. While I tend to strongly disagree with these statements, it is a compliment to Guardiola’s tactics.
The High Press
The high press isn’t something that Guardiola invented, but something that he innovated further and mastered. Like any innovation, the newest and best version is taken from past iterations. Pressuring teams in their defensive third was first inspired by other sports—basketball and hockey.
Initially, pressing high into an opponent's half to win the ball back was thought of as reckless. Unlike hockey or basketball, football is played on a much bigger field with more room to escape pressure and find a release valve down the field. With a much larger playing surface, there is also the issue of stamina. Chasing and trapping opponents all over the field can expend a lot of energy.
It was during the 1960s and 1970s that a few coaches started to introduce the high press into the game. In 1970, Ernst Happel guided Feyenoord to a European Cup victory with a focus on pressing. However, it was the 1974 Dutch team and Johan Cruyff’s Total Football in the World Cup that made the pressing game a sight to see. Some consider it the most influential team in modern football today. Just look at this YouTube clip—it looks a little like modern-day grade schoolers chasing the ball.
Since the famous Dutch side, the press has been used off and on (though not in the same way as the clip above) and has gained popularity again with the adoption from Klopp and Guardiola. Nowadays, most top teams employ some sort of variation of the press to disrupt early and win the ball back.
Guardiola has said, “Defensive organization is the cornerstone of everything else I want to achieve in my football.” This can be seen in the way he chooses to press. Guardiola teams press patiently, cutting off passing lanes in a way that forces opponents to play 50/50 balls long up the field. This allows his teams to keep defensive shape and transition to the attack when they win the ball.
Playing Out of the Back
Guardiola has become used to making adjustments, having coached in Spain, Germany, and England with their different styles of play. His former assistant, Domenec Torrent, told The Athletic:
“He always finds new ways to play. When it seems they always play the same way, it’s not true. There are always little nuances that he does; in every game, he’ll change a couple of things to make sure it’s different. People don’t appreciate that, because you have to be so into football to see the variations that Pep makes.”
As the high press has become more prominent, Guadiola’s opponents now use the tactic against him. He countered with modern-day goalkeepers and defenders who are just as comfortable with the ball at their feet as a midfielder.
Guardiola’s goalkeepers, such as Manuel Neuer and Ederson, act as sweepers when in possession of the ball and play simply out of the back instead of booting the ball downfield praying their teammates can recover possession. Having a goalkeeper that can act as another field player creates an additional man advantage in the team’s build-up from the back.
However, as teams adjusted to Guardiola’s build-up from the back, he had to adjust his approach once again. Oftentimes, teams started man-marking his centerbacks and defensive midfielder, which reduced the amount of space Guardiola’s teams could work with to break down defensive pressure.
To break this pressure and create more room for his players, Guardiola would oftentimes bring one of his defensive players (often an inverted full-back) into the midfield to again create a numerical advantage. This YouTube video is a great analysis of Manchester City’s build-up play.
Guardiola’s philosophy and playing style of winning possession, keeping possession, and attacking with all 11 players shows his admiration for Luis Aragones, La Volpe, and Arrigo Sacchi. You can see the influence of coaching legends throughout Guardiola’s tactics.
Constantly Innovating
As a player in Mexico, Guardiola picked up tidbits from his manager, Juan Manuel Lillo. He also sought the mentorship of Marcelo Bielsa, a legendary South American coach who is best known for his ability to transition quickly from defense to offense.
Bernardo Silva, who currently plays under Guardiola, said:
“He doesn’t stop. He knows that the game is evolving, so he doesn’t let the other teams adapt to us. Every year, he tries to create something different so that the other teams don’t get used to the way we play.”
Guardiola has adopted a century-old tactic known as the WM and modernized it for today’s game. This past year, he overloaded players in the attacking third with a more direct style of play. This YouTube clip breaks down Guardiola’s attacking tactics this past year.
Guardiola has been praised for his ability to change and adjust to the talent on his team. He has used a handful of different formations throughout his time as a manager depending on the talent at his disposal and his opponent.
Just as Guardiola has been influenced by managers before him, he is also influencing others. For example, Mikel Arteta and Xavi were both mentored under Guardiola and are now using many of his tactics as managers at their clubs, Arsenal and Barcelona (Xavi has since left Barcelona).
Pep’s Obsession
Guardiola is a student of the game. In the book Herr Pep, it is reported that Guardiola was analyzing a team for so long that he injured his back and needed to pay a visit to the doctor. Everyone knows not to talk to him about anything other than football when preparing for a match.
Similarly, you may want to stay away after a match. A former coach who went head-to-head against Guardiola called him a terrible loser who is graceless in defeat.
His perfectionism doesn’t stop with his analysis of the game. He is also as meticulous as they come when it comes to the length of the grass. He has blamed losses on unacceptably long grass and has had run-ins with the grounds crews at both Bayern Munich and Manchester City. It’s been said that he’s been on the field with a ruler, demanding the grass be three millimeters shorter.
Guardiola can be ruthless when it comes to who is and is not on his team. When Guardiola got his first job coaching in a top division for Barcelona, he announced that club legends Ronaldinho and Deco no longer had a place at the club.
Similarly, in 2022, João Cancelo, a key piece of Manchester City’s title runs, was reportedly causing trouble in the locker room. Guardiola sent him out on loan without hesitation, despite having no key player to replace him. To Guardiola, it was more important to restore order in the locker room than to have his prized left-back stay at the club.
Ederson, Manchester City’s goalkeeper, has said of Guardiola:
“His mind is constantly filled with thoughts, but it’s normal; we know him. When it’s time to criticize you, he criticizes you; when it’s time to swear at you, he swears at you on the field; when it’s time to praise you, he praises you. So, he’s that kind of good coach who says whatever he has to say to you to your face.”
Guardiola’s approach to players sets the tone for how they behave. He rewards players who work hard on the training ground and have good attitudes. Said Guardiola in 2017, as told in The Athletic:
“You cannot create something when people who are not playing regularly are creating problems. Bad faces, bad behavior from those guys—when that happens, forget about it.”
Pep’s Total Football
Guardiola’s constant tactical innovations is the modern-day Total Football. With his approach on the field and his culture building off it, he is the gold standard for managers. His influence extends beyond trophies and accolades and shapes the way the game is played.
If you haven't read it, Brilliant Orange is a great look at Dutch soccer in the 70s.
Enjoyed this - been writing my own piece on Guardiola the last couple weeks so it was cool to see the different angle you took.