Legends of the game part 4: Johan Cruyff part 8
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Article part 8 of 10
"Everybody could use the money, but you don't play for it - you play with your heart - and that's a big difference you see in Barcelona. Everybody wants to play there; everybody wants to enjoy themselves. It's maybe a small percentage, but maybe it's the difference." - Johan Cruyff
Cruyff immediately set about a squad revamp, selling fifteen (15!) players, including first team favourite (and principal mutineers) Victor Munoz, Ramon Caldere and, shockingly, Bernd Schuster to bitter rivals Real Madrid. Even more of a shock and much to Nunez's chagrin, Cruyff elected to keep hold of club captain Alexanko, despite the 32 year old being booed by a packed Nou Camp at the club's pre-season unveiling. Cruyff explained his decision by saying, "Alexanko did nothing except what was his duty as captain. He was the spokesman - he didn't let his players down. That's character. The messenger often gets killed. Not with me. Although not a regular, he's a leader and there was a unity."
Twelve new signings arrived, four of which were to become key members of what became known as 'The Dream Team', named after the US Olympic basketball team from the Barcelona Olympics. Those four were winger Txiki Begiristain, attacking midfielder Jose Mari Bakero, centre forward Julio Salinas and defensive midfielder Eusebio. Nunez's chagrin deepened when Cruyff made it plain he would not tolerate the meddling in team affairs that had characterised Nunez's presidency. Cruyff told him: "If you want to talk to me, I'll come to your office. You don't come to my dressing room."
The youth academy was overhauled to complete the changes Cruyff had begun at La Masia back in 1979 as he scrapped the 'prueba de la muneca' or 'doll's trial'. That was held at the age of 15 and only players who were to reach over 5ft 9inches would be kept on with the academy under the old system. Cruyff also had the whole set up, from the youngest age group upwards, play using his new system, which he gathered the first team together to explain to them in early July 1988.
Eusebio told 4-4-2 magazine: "He got a blackboard and drew three defenders, four midfielders, two out-and-out wingers and a centre forward. We looked at each other and said, 'what the hell is this?!' This was the era of 4-4-2 or 3-5-2. We couldn't believe how many attackers were in the team, and how few defenders. He single-handedly introduced a new way of playing football in Spain. It was a revolution." It was an updated version of the Ajax style, with a high defensive line, high press and interchanging players on the field and became known as the 'Barcajax School'.
Cruyff explained his thinking, saying, "if you have four men defending two strikers, you only have six against eight in the middle of the field; there's no way you can win that battle. We had to put a defender further forward. I was criticised for playing three at the back, but that's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard. What we needed was to fill the middle of the pitch with players where we needed it most. I much prefer to win 5-4 than 1-0."
Rondos were introduced to training sessions, Cruyff would take time out to give individual training sessions to work on players' weaknesses and a 6 v 4 training routine was introduced, in an area half the size of the penalty area. "In a small area, the movement is necessarily and the passes must be pinpoint," Cruyff explained. "Two of the six play wide and change team whenever the other four gain possession. It is always six with the ball against four trying to retrieve it. This possession principle should operate in any area of the normal field of play, so our training is intense and it is the basis of our game. You can close down space more effectively by accurate passing when you have the ball, forcing opponents into certain positions, then you can by man-marking without the ball."
Cruyff wanted the player receiving the pass to turn away from his marker saying: "this ability is controlled not by the receiver but by the passer. The passer can see the field in a way the receiver cannot. If the receiver has his back to goal, the passer should send the ball to the feet on the side where the receiver should turn, reducing the arc through which he must control the ball to move." It is an ideology that still runs through Barca today and is followed by 'Cruyffian' disciples, such as Pep Guardiola, still.
Written by Ed001