Chelsea gaffer Mauricio Pochettino feels British football has lost its essence
Mauricio Pochettino feels English football has lost its importance and claims many managers are copying Johan Cruyff’s or Marcelo Bielsa’s philosophy. Plenty of Premier League managers who are managing top Premier League clubs have worked under the above-mentioned head coaches.
Bournemouth’s new boss, Andoni Iraola, played under Bielsa, while Pochettino played at Newell’s Old Boys in his native Argentina and Iraola at Athletic Bilbao.
Pep Guardiola embraced Bielsa’s methods as the manager of Manchester City, while Mikel Arteta used them at Arsenal, and Burnley head coach Vincent Kompany did the same at his new team.
English football and its core have been impacted by this significant change in football thinking. Only a small number of managers have maintained their British football heritage. In our opinion, Sam Allardyce, Roy Hodgson and Sean Dyche would be some of the examples.
The Argentine manager said before the game against Bournemouth (h/t Mirror):
“Has it improved? Yes, every season, because the potential for the Premier League to sign players from everywhere makes the teams stronger. But it’s true that it has lost a little bit of the identity of British football, or English football, and being honest, I like it, of course, because as a coaching staff, we love to play in this way, but the league was more attractive in the past.”
It’s true what Pochettino said—there aren’t many successful British managers right now. The majority of head coaches in the league follow various philosophies that have been inspired by the greats of the game from around the world.
Jurgen Klopp’s high-pressing style of football and the possession-based total football from the Netherlands and Spain have come to define eras in this sport. There isn’t any objective meaning of what the true English style of football means.
But there is a lack of local identity in the league. La Liga has, for long, been known for its passing-based style of play while Italy’s Catenaccio system has been there for decades. The Premier League, however, has become one of the world’s very best leagues in terms of finances, viewership and clout.
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Hence, it is only natural that the best players and managers from around the world come here and exercise their influence. Pochettino himself hasn’t nailed down a specific identity in west London but he is largely known for his attacking style of play with emphasis on widemen.