A game of football is finite. It has set rules and guidelines and the ultimate aim is to win. However, football is infinite. It has unknowns, malleable rules and guidelines and the ultimate aim is not to win, but to continue. No one can win football. Yet, it occurs to us that understanding this aspect of the sport is lacking in the modern game.
An LMA (League Manager’s Association) report in May 2017 revealed that the average tenure of all managers in England’s top four divisions at the close of play of the 2016-2017 season was 1.66 years (or just shy of 606 days). Despite the notable exceptions of Gareth Ainsworth (Wycombe Wanderers), Eddie Howe (Bournemouth) and Sean Dyche (Burnley), it is clear that longevity is lacking in football and this is an issue.
This finite approach to football is done so in order to generate success. A clear example of this is Chelsea in the Roman Abramovich era, who have had eight first team managers since their Champions League win in 2012. Granted, in this period they’ve added two Europa Leagues, two Premier Leagues, an FA Cup and a League Cup to their honours list, but this high turnover of managers has failed to bring the club any stability, with the squad repeatedly having to be rebuilt as each new manager aims to put their own stamp on the squad.
The jury is still out as to whether Chelsea legend Frank Lampard will suffer the same cut-throat attitude if he fails to bring immediate success to the London club, however it would not be unreasonable to assume that he is unlikely to be awarded more than three seasons without a major trophy.
On the flip side, the most successful club in Premier League history – Manchester United – had a manager who epitomised the infinite game in Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson understood winning the Premier League every year was an unrealistic dream. Thus, instead of frantically throwing money at signings and disrupting the stability of the squad during seasons where Manchester United had fallen short of the top spot, Ferguson instead opted to nurture and develop young talents, with the belief that they would come good and return Manchester United to the pinnacle of English football. This unwavering philosophy rewarded the Scottish manager with thirteen top-flight titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups, two Champions Leagues and a Club World Cup – amounting to 25 major trophies in just 27 years at the club.
Looking forward to the future, it will be interesting to see whether Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola both show an awareness of the infinite nature of football, and stick to their guns in both style and philosophy. Whilst it is undeniable that both have invested vast sums of money in order to bring success to their respective clubs, the question is will they now look to maintain the core of their squads over the next few seasons? One could, however, argue that in Manchester City’s case their squad is in need of a revamp regardless of their potential successes this season.
In terms of players, Aston Villa are highlighting the pitfalls of a short-term view concerning squads. Currently sitting 19th in the Premier League, the Villains would appear to be losing in their fight to survive – despite being one of the Premier League’s biggest spenders in the summer. These problems are rooted in the core of their promotion-winning side being replaced and consequently the squad dynamics have faltered. Apart from the talents of Jack Grealish, Tyrone Mings, Conor Hourihane and John McGinn – the Premier League Aston Villa of this season feels worlds apart from their Championship team. There is no evidence to suggest Aston Villa would be performing any better if the side had changed relatively little over the off-season but it could well be suggested that come next season (if Aston Villa are to be relegated), they will be in a stronger place to challenge once more for promotion rather than having to spend again.
A lot in football will forever remain to be unknown and therein lies the infinite nature of the beautiful game. We do not know what is to come but we do know that the long-term aim in football is more than just winning, it is to keep going. Fans of The Big Six will want their teams to continue to be aiming for European football and beyond whilst fans of perennial League Two strugglers Morecambe will most likely be hoping to avoid the drop into Non-League. Success in football is relative and is defined not over single matches or seasons, but over years. If more boards, clubs and even players truly reflected on this, perhaps the infinite game of football would start to see the stability it so richly deserves.
An LMA (League Manager’s Association) report in May 2017 revealed that the average tenure of all managers in England’s top four divisions at the close of play of the 2016-2017 season was 1.66 years (or just shy of 606 days). Despite the notable exceptions of Gareth Ainsworth (Wycombe Wanderers), Eddie Howe (Bournemouth) and Sean Dyche (Burnley), it is clear that longevity is lacking in football and this is an issue.
This finite approach to football is done so in order to generate success. A clear example of this is Chelsea in the Roman Abramovich era, who have had eight first team managers since their Champions League win in 2012. Granted, in this period they’ve added two Europa Leagues, two Premier Leagues, an FA Cup and a League Cup to their honours list, but this high turnover of managers has failed to bring the club any stability, with the squad repeatedly having to be rebuilt as each new manager aims to put their own stamp on the squad.
The jury is still out as to whether Chelsea legend Frank Lampard will suffer the same cut-throat attitude if he fails to bring immediate success to the London club, however it would not be unreasonable to assume that he is unlikely to be awarded more than three seasons without a major trophy.
On the flip side, the most successful club in Premier League history – Manchester United – had a manager who epitomised the infinite game in Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson understood winning the Premier League every year was an unrealistic dream. Thus, instead of frantically throwing money at signings and disrupting the stability of the squad during seasons where Manchester United had fallen short of the top spot, Ferguson instead opted to nurture and develop young talents, with the belief that they would come good and return Manchester United to the pinnacle of English football. This unwavering philosophy rewarded the Scottish manager with thirteen top-flight titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups, two Champions Leagues and a Club World Cup – amounting to 25 major trophies in just 27 years at the club.
Looking forward to the future, it will be interesting to see whether Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola both show an awareness of the infinite nature of football, and stick to their guns in both style and philosophy. Whilst it is undeniable that both have invested vast sums of money in order to bring success to their respective clubs, the question is will they now look to maintain the core of their squads over the next few seasons? One could, however, argue that in Manchester City’s case their squad is in need of a revamp regardless of their potential successes this season.
In terms of players, Aston Villa are highlighting the pitfalls of a short-term view concerning squads. Currently sitting 19th in the Premier League, the Villains would appear to be losing in their fight to survive – despite being one of the Premier League’s biggest spenders in the summer. These problems are rooted in the core of their promotion-winning side being replaced and consequently the squad dynamics have faltered. Apart from the talents of Jack Grealish, Tyrone Mings, Conor Hourihane and John McGinn – the Premier League Aston Villa of this season feels worlds apart from their Championship team. There is no evidence to suggest Aston Villa would be performing any better if the side had changed relatively little over the off-season but it could well be suggested that come next season (if Aston Villa are to be relegated), they will be in a stronger place to challenge once more for promotion rather than having to spend again.
A lot in football will forever remain to be unknown and therein lies the infinite nature of the beautiful game. We do not know what is to come but we do know that the long-term aim in football is more than just winning, it is to keep going. Fans of The Big Six will want their teams to continue to be aiming for European football and beyond whilst fans of perennial League Two strugglers Morecambe will most likely be hoping to avoid the drop into Non-League. Success in football is relative and is defined not over single matches or seasons, but over years. If more boards, clubs and even players truly reflected on this, perhaps the infinite game of football would start to see the stability it so richly deserves.
Written by: James McEvoy
Edited by: 3-At-The-Back
Edited by: 3-At-The-Back