As the new world dawns and revolution rumbles across the horizon, there will always be those who remain resistant, who cling defiantly to the old ways. For years Pep Guardiola was a revolutionary. Very few people in history have had such an influence on how football is played, but the passage of time is inevitable. Nobody can stand in the vanguard of development for ever: yesterday’s rebel is today’s reactionary.
Juego de posición and teams staffed by neat skilful midfielders are on the way out; muscularity and set plays are in. The tactical landscape Guardiola crafted is undergoing radical evolution and, as it changes, so he must seemingly change with it. On the one hand, Guardiola has stayed admirably true to his principles. As others prioritise heft and physicality, he remains wedded to technical virtues. He doesn’t mind picking a player who is under six feet tall and doesn’t have the shoulders of an Olympic rower.
