Girona and its Evolving Brand of Football.
Football is evolving, each year there are new aspirations, yet the outcome and result at end of the season is what matter as clubs look forward to where it will end.
Each season come with something new, fresh and ideal but the interpretation is likely on what the manager is trying to bring to the team.
We see new arrival coming into the team, we see a new tactical setup and a brand new system and logistics to enhance the league.
Despite the success and failure, we ask if the Bordalas at Valencia will remain the Bordalas of Getafe or the Guardiola at Man City will be the same Guardiola of Bayern Munich pending on what the setup and the tactical system teams will implore.
Clubs like Manchester City, Barcelona and Atletico add new touch to the team dynamics. Despite being aware of their style of play, we have seen the team inculcate their team culture to new players, do they remain to be change or adapted to is left to the players. Yet it is not the case of Girona.
It is on this note i will touch on the Girona Football Club and their ideology and what it means to them. Clubs in the Catalonia region of Barcelona are viewed as the club for the people.
Football is a means of expression and each touch has an identity it envisage. It is about being simple, just as Cruyff stated here
It’s like everything in football - and life. You need to look, you need to think, you need to move, you need to find space, you need to help others. It’s very simple in the end.
But is it really being simple;Football in this region is an ideology of simplicity, a culture, a belief and a philosophy of the fundamental but what is a team like Girona adding to the team to increase its intensity. For Girona, Football is intensity, control and precision, it is what Michel instill in his players.
Girona is a club with a great history who had their first taste of Laliga football in the 2016 /2017 season finishing as runner with Levante.
On 23 August 2017, Girona was announced as City Football Group (CFG), a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi United Group, had purchased 44.3% ownership in Girona. Another 44.3% was held by Girona Football Group, led by Pere Guardiola, the brother of CFG-owned Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.[14] On 29 October 2017, Girona recorded a memorable victory, defeating reigning European Cup winners Real Madrid 2–1.
On the last match day of the 2018–19 La Liga season, Girona were relegated to Segunda Division, ending their two-year spell in the Spanish top tier. In the 2021–22 season, Girona finished sixth in the league but managed to promote to La Liga after winning the play-offs 3–1 on aggregate against Tenerife.
Since the return of the club in 2022 to Laliga, the club has grown and has improved on its tactical and technical approach.
Though it finished Tenth in the 2022–2023 season the club has proved its capability thanks to the impression, dexterity and tactical astuteness of Michel but above this how do they approach football. After watching their brilliant performance against Sevilla, this is what i have discovered about Girona.
Girona has been one of the most evolving team in Laliga since they got promoted to the league. What is the secret Michel.
Michel had his flaws, at the time he left Rayo Vallecanno and Huesca, he went on to learn from his mistakes and error and he became that manager we all admire in the league.
Girona had survived some relegation battles so they knew what to expect in Laliga. What changed the playing style. The playing style became more fluid with more of possessing the ball, pushing and pressing for the ball, recovering the ball quick and pushing it again. With this tactical perception Girona game changed drastically.
Girona is a team that love to play direct likewise in an asymmetrical structure, having a double width on the left with a full back and winger while on the opposite flank.
But as seen in Michel water break talk against Sevilla, He stated that dont play it backward which an ideology that has pushed his game as a manager pushing a pass forward not loosing the possession.
When Girona is playing the aim is always to occupy the wide areas of the opposition flank. Their aim is to occupy the wide areas and see where it can float its crosses.
As seen against Barcelona, they switch play from right to left charging the area with crosses.
It is also a side that love thread passes to open up and attack spaces.
It has one of the most composed and organized defence in the league with the composition of Yangel and Daley Blind. With the aim of minimizing space like wise beat down the high press.
It is one of the team with a high recovery rate this season with the capability to tame the tempo of the opposing team
Despite Romeu transfer, they have being able to retain the playing style with Daley Blind, Tshyhankov,Dovbyk, Miguel Gutirrez permanent deal, Ivan Martin, Pablo Torre and Savio add more flavor to the team structure and style. Against Sociedad and Sevilla they have proven their dexterity.
It remain a question of how long as it work hard to improve his style.
