Football and Anarchy (what a beautiful thought)

The March issue of Futbolista magazine (it was either that or German GQ at the airport) features a number of articles that those of us more used to 4-4-2 and When Saturday Comes might find bemusing. I was particularly at a loss to understand their infatuation with Wayne Rooney, described as "El Pele del Liverpool" (not even a qualifying question mark here), but maybe they anticipate a move to Spain for him in the near future so that he can play for a team that wins something.

Equally unlikely was this article, "La anarquía táctica, ¿estilo o desorden?" I shall defer to my co-bloggers for an accurate translation, but you get the idea. Anarchy as a tactical approach to footie. Not a million miles away from Total Football, in fact, insofar as you allow a team of players proficient in all positions to roam pretty much at will and improvise dead-ball situations according to circumstance rather than require rigid adherence to a system that, by virtue of its rigidity, becomes susceptible to predictability. My Spanish isn't up to translating the rest of it. I'm sure others can do a better job.

The issue also features an interview with the lovable Deco (lovable since he came to Barça, I mean, and when he isn't playing against England or Ireland). In it, he's described as "El Rooney del Barça."

Is he bollocks.