Sports admin October 18, 2024 0 Comments

THE EVOLVING FOOTBALL WORLD

18th October 2024

Brighton werukha wawire

Change is inevitable in any social set up. We’ve seen technological advancements, behaviour changes among individuals and other more changes in the society. Football as well being a form of social interaction is not excluded from experiencing change either . Changes experienced over the years have been mega right from management of football teams , how officiating has evolved over time , playing styles and patterns of these teams up to recruitment techniques of different positions related to a football team be it from management itself right down to the type of players that fit those systems . This article will focus on how the footballing world has evolved in relation to how young and old players are fitted into teams and how this aspect has changed from time to time.

Johann Cruyff was regarded the father of modern football. That was a period between 1980s to 1990s . However , the modern football itself was well felt between the late 1990s and early 2000s when managers opted to go for more experienced players over the less experienced ones . Only those outstanding youngsters would get a chance to play in the first team with their seniors . Some of the notable youngsters during this period include Patrick Vieira who joined Arsenal from AC Milan in 1996 ,the 2004 Golden Boy Award winner that is Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi who was tipped to be Ronaldinho’s successor and later the 2005 Golden Boy Award winner and the likes of Cesc Fabregas who was part of the famous 2003/2004 premier league winning invincibles. Fabregas lived to the hype and won the 2006 Golden Boy Award. Other notable talents include Steven Gerrard who was named captain of Liverpool F.C at just 23 years old , something rare at that time , Cristiano Ronaldo and more others on the list.

To drive the point home , football managers at that time only picked such outstanding talents . Moreover, there was a stereotype saying at that time that ‘you can’t win anything with kids’ and the football world lived with it . Teams opted to sign experienced players and the youngsters who didn’t live up to the expectations were sent on loan to gain more experience or were sold permanently to lower level teams.

In the period between early and mid 2010s , youngsters started being integrated to the first team gradually so that they could develop along their seniors. However , patience was key for these youngsters as they weren’t guaranteed a start spot in their teams , therefore , some like Oscar Dos Santos grabbed opportunities whenever they were given a chance .Oscar was given his first senior call-up as a substitute in a 0–0 draw against Argentina due to injuries to attacking midfielder Ganso, he saw his national team opportunities increase and was even preferred over more experienced playmakers on a number of occasions.By this time, Oscar was only 20 years old. Other examples of outstanding youngsters like Oscar were Sergio Aguero, the young exciting Thomas Mullër , the 2013 and 2014 Golden Boy Award winner that is Paul Pogba and Raheem Sterling respectively.

Pep Guardiola needs to be thanked for what he did when he was appointed Manchester City manager in 2016 . He assembled young talented players and built the team around them. These players include John Stones , Bernardo Silva and Leroy Sane. These signings proved to be fruitful as they ended finishing the league as champions and again in quite a unique manner, hitting 100 points , a feat that had not been achieved before. This also marked the start of his dominance in England. Interestingly, managers have adopted that format of signing young players and building the team around them with experienced ones . A good example is Mikel Arteta has built his team around the likes of Bukayo Saka , Ben White , Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Ødegaard . Consequently, his team has since turned a corner and the improvements are visible . The likes of Enzo Fernandez, Wesley Fofana, Cole Palmer at Chelsea are another project to watch out . Teams around the world now do that way as they try to restructure their teams as they aim for long term projects. Notable teams include Real Madrid with the likes of Velverde and Camavinga , Barcelona building their team around Pedri , Gavi and Balde and P.S.G with the likes of Bradley Barcola.

Teams now value these youngsters as they see them ideal for long term projects. However , the experienced players can’t be underestimated because it is their experience that is need in critical times like during title run-ins when these youngsters need guidance. This is a recent trend and has been welcomed wholeheartedly. However, there are certain managers who prefer the experienced core like Antonio Conte who is motivated by quick success as noted in the teams he has managed.

To drive the point home , football managers at that time only picked such outstanding talents . Moreover, there was a stereotype saying at that time that ‘you can’t win anything with kids’ and the football world lived with it . Teams opted to sign experienced players and the youngsters who didn’t live up to the expectations were sent on loan to gain more experience or were sold permanently to lower level teams.

Even as the value of these youngsters is high , management of respective teams should put into consideration the status of their teams and not just sign anyone who would take the progress of the club back. A correct mix of the young and experienced players should be put in mind for the sake of short and long term well being of these clubs .