GoalPost #9: Transformation

Prateek Vasisht
Nov 5 · 2 min read

Total Football brings the Goal Post series which features 3 articles scoured from the web, that make for interesting and informative reading.

“crowd watching football game inside stadium” by Mitch Rosen on Unsplash

Transformational Ownership

Synopsis

The article takes a ‘business’ view of City’s success showing how UAE royals’ massive investment coincided perfectly with their rise on the pitch, which is now starting to pay dividends, both financially and non-financially.

My view

City is a success story both on and off the pitch. Their emergence in this decade makes shaky Premier League past, which includes two relegations, seem like a ‘lie’ almost now. In some ways, they took the Chelsea model as a blueprint and moved it up a few notches. Through a combination of audacity, systematic thinking and patience, City built it’s empire — on and off the pitch.

Read the article:


Transformational Tactics

Synopsis

The article shows how Pochettino’s turnaround for Spurs has centred on his concept of energía universal, and in employing a style which is fluid and holistic. His transformation has relied on psychology and tactics.

My view

Poch and Spurs have brought together many elements in a coherent framework. On the field, they use a tactically flexible and physical playing style. Behind the scenes, this is driven by a coaching approach that explicitly focusses on energy, emotions and psychology. Off the pitch, it’s backed up by smart transfer moves which have seen exceptional talent procured early and (relatively) cheap. Poch has kept tactics flexible but taken a philosophical approach to human development. This is a useful blueprint for Top 6 sides wanting to rejuvenate into a title-challenging elite.

Read the article:


Transformational Brilliance

Synopsis

The article looks back at when Napoli (and Maradona) won their highest European trophy to date — the UEFA Cup.

My view

The mere mention of Maradona is now synonymous with individual brilliance. Nowhere was this more pronounced than at Napoli, whose fortunes were correlated directly with Maradona tenure in Naples. Transformation is often seen as a function of finances or tactics. Once in a while, a player emerges who can single-handedly change a game. Thirty years on, no one player has had a more transformational impact on a club than Maradona.

Read the article:

https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/04/29/the-diego-maradona-magic-that-helped-napoli-lift-the-1989-uefa-cup/

TotalFootball

TotalFootball - a thinker's guide to the Beautiful Game

Prateek Vasisht

Written by

Write about reality with a splash of the abstract. Topic focus: Business, Design, Football. Subscribe to my newsletter: https://tinyletter.com/vrateek

TotalFootball

TotalFootball - a thinker's guide to the Beautiful Game

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