The Individual vs The Team

We all enjoyed Samir Nasri’s brilliant goal against Porto this week, but what’s better a skillful individual goal or a beautiful team passing goal? We relish that bit of skill that a pacy Portuguese winger or a lanky Swedish forward brings to a side, but it’s the collective effort that we support at the weekend.

Individual:

“If you’re in the penalty area and don’t know what to do with the ball, put it in the net and we’ll discuss the options later.”

- Bob Paisley

Teamwork: 1≠11

“For me the basis of football is technique and possession. I always want to have the ball, dominate and do what I want on the pitch. I never adapt to others. This is the most difficult football to play. There are no stars that shine more than the others. They’re all stars and everyone has to carry out their obligations. Somebody will be better on one day and somebody else the next, but it all has to come together in a single team, never in a team of individuals. I’ve always put the team above the individual. If the team works , the star is on top of all.”

- Johan Cruyff

“Players taught to watch the man with the ball leaves them totally unprepared for the next move, which is always dictated by a player without the ball.”

-Tommy Docherty

(Argentina’s 2006 World Cup team goal, George Weah’s goal-to-goal sprint & some Zlatan magic below)