A hero of mine.
Lest we forget, he's a bit of an ego maniac and a control freak (calmed after his heart operation though). But he was that good a player/coach, you forgive that...
What he's implemented at Ajax, along with a handful of ex Ajax pro'd is admirable and I'd love similar dynamic at Arsenal.
He's the sole reason why Barca are so damn good right now. He laid the foundations, the others followed.
He basically did what Bill Shankly did to Liverpool but a lot more.
Johan Cruyff on Ruud van Nistelrooy....
....“He is a great goalscorer. But a poor footballer.”
Wtf does he know
People go on about pele but Johan Cruyff is the greatest football man ever to be associated with the name. I say football man because he has influenced club football and international football as a player and manager alike.
Pele was overrated where as Cruyff was a pioneer and genius that has really put his mark on the sport of football/soccer.
Total footballer that had the philosophy and vision on how the sport should be played.
No mention of Bob Paisley ?
Football League First Division (6): 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83
League Cup (3): 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83
FA Charity Shield (6): 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982
European Cup (3): 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81
UEFA Cup (1): 1975–76
UEFA Super Cup (1): 1977
===============================
All in around 9 years.
Bossman
You could add Brian Clough to that too.
Paisley was a good manager but the foundations were already set by shankly. Clough was one of a kind. A real man that was respected throughout but Cruyff is on another level.
Football philosopher from player to manager to just an ambassador. The best football man in history. I choose the words football man meaning in all levels of the game.
Fair point OP. Never really thought of it like that.
Statistically paisley was the best manager in England of all time.
jlou1978 and Fred Bassett
This article isn't about statistics, in fact pretty much the point of the article is to look beyond that.
I'll happily include Paisley in the little section of great managers in British football but please try to understand the whole point of this article
RSC...
So Cruyff criticised RVN for being a striker that scores goals? In other news, Johan Cruyff was seen at the Emirates today sporting a shirt bearing Wilshere's on the back! A source reported Cruyff as saying "I've been a lifelong Arsenal fan, all of our players are world class! Our strikers might not score much but they're great at passing the ball around the edge of the 18 yard box!"
What he's implemented at Ajax, along with a handful of ex Ajax pro'd is admirable and I'd love similar dynamic at Arsenal.
--------------
Agreed Moist
It would be great but I'd actually rather see him take a role at the FA. Grass roots football across the whole of the country needs serious change.
Personally I think that FFP isn't going to work but what would be great is that any spend by a club is matched in a donation towards local and youth football development. Obviously a fair system would have to be worked out but that's not for me to decide. With the crazy amount of money going into the professional game it seems criminal that it's the lottery fund that often supports local football rather than the super wealthy within the game itself.
Football philosopher from player to manager to just an ambassador. The best football man in history. I choose the words football man meaning in all levels of the game.
----------
Bossman
good article
Total trophy count or trophies/season overlooks so many things.
====
Johan Cruyff on Ruud van Nistelrooy........“He is a great goalscorer. But a poor footballer.”
he's not wrong. People say the same about Hernandez.
Johan Cruyff on Ruud van Nistelrooy........“He is a great goalscorer. But a poor footballer.”
he's not wrong. People say the same about Hernandez.
---------------------
Agreed, don't know why so many United fans can't seem to comprehend the notion to be honest
Yep, strikers that score goals.. who'd possibly want oneof those?
management can't be measured in just trophies there are other factors.
Busby at United totally and Cruyff to a large extent (with Nunez) at Barca 'created' those clubs in leaner times into models that have stood the test of time, that have become a blueprint for other future managers to follow and yielded success from i.e.a model that was achievable, sustainable and successful under the structure, finances and expectations of those involved in the clubs for the future.
I would put Shankley in that mold. He created Liverpool as we know it today; Paisley was a great manger but it was all in place for him when he took over, so yes, he gets credit for winning things but not for been the 'architect'. A bit like Pep.
I would also put Fergie in there too, who had to basically reinvent the club from scratch to get United back to winning ways by going back to the drawing board by following Busby's blueprint that previous managers didn't do too well.
Clough created an unsustainable model at Derby and Forest based on his magic dust, that yielded immediate success but was never sustainable with other people in charge. On the down side for Forest he created an expectation at the club, of which successive managers have been suffering from up to the present.
Don't worry your pretty little head FTS
no one expects you to understand
Very well put RedBlackandWhiteside
I agree in many ways but what you've alluded to is what sets Cruyff apart IMO.
Managers such as Busby, Ferguson and Shankly changed their clubs in ways unrivaled by the peers but Cruyff (for me anyway) is changing/has changed football as we know it - that's the difference.
Rinus michels deserves a mention. The man that brought total football to the world.
Bossman
I saw a program ages ago on the origins of total football. There was also an Englishman involved, think he was an ex Arsenal manager... you ever heard anything about this?
It wasn't Cruyff's philosophy, it was Rinus Michels' who implemented it with Ajax during the late 60s and 70s. Michels is the true master, as well as laying the foundations for Ajax and Cruyff he also won the Euros as manager with Holland in the 80s.
Btw Cruyff also said on Ivra that he's a brilliant footballer with awful technique. Now that makes no sense to me?
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Johan Cruyff
Page 1 of 2
posted on 20/1/13
A hero of mine.
Lest we forget, he's a bit of an ego maniac and a control freak (calmed after his heart operation though). But he was that good a player/coach, you forgive that...
What he's implemented at Ajax, along with a handful of ex Ajax pro'd is admirable and I'd love similar dynamic at Arsenal.
posted on 20/1/13
He's the sole reason why Barca are so damn good right now. He laid the foundations, the others followed.
He basically did what Bill Shankly did to Liverpool but a lot more.
posted on 20/1/13
Johan Cruyff on Ruud van Nistelrooy....
....“He is a great goalscorer. But a poor footballer.”
Wtf does he know
posted on 20/1/13
People go on about pele but Johan Cruyff is the greatest football man ever to be associated with the name. I say football man because he has influenced club football and international football as a player and manager alike.
Pele was overrated where as Cruyff was a pioneer and genius that has really put his mark on the sport of football/soccer.
posted on 20/1/13
Total footballer that had the philosophy and vision on how the sport should be played.
posted on 20/1/13
No mention of Bob Paisley ?
Football League First Division (6): 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83
League Cup (3): 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83
FA Charity Shield (6): 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982
European Cup (3): 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81
UEFA Cup (1): 1975–76
UEFA Super Cup (1): 1977
===============================
All in around 9 years.
posted on 20/1/13
Bossman
You could add Brian Clough to that too.
posted on 20/1/13
Paisley was a good manager but the foundations were already set by shankly. Clough was one of a kind. A real man that was respected throughout but Cruyff is on another level.
Football philosopher from player to manager to just an ambassador. The best football man in history. I choose the words football man meaning in all levels of the game.
posted on 20/1/13
Fair point OP. Never really thought of it like that.
posted on 20/1/13
Statistically paisley was the best manager in England of all time.
posted on 20/1/13
jlou1978 and Fred Bassett
This article isn't about statistics, in fact pretty much the point of the article is to look beyond that.
I'll happily include Paisley in the little section of great managers in British football but please try to understand the whole point of this article
posted on 20/1/13
Thisnis a joke, yes?
posted on 20/1/13
RSC...
So Cruyff criticised RVN for being a striker that scores goals? In other news, Johan Cruyff was seen at the Emirates today sporting a shirt bearing Wilshere's on the back! A source reported Cruyff as saying "I've been a lifelong Arsenal fan, all of our players are world class! Our strikers might not score much but they're great at passing the ball around the edge of the 18 yard box!"
posted on 20/1/13
What he's implemented at Ajax, along with a handful of ex Ajax pro'd is admirable and I'd love similar dynamic at Arsenal.
--------------
Agreed Moist
It would be great but I'd actually rather see him take a role at the FA. Grass roots football across the whole of the country needs serious change.
Personally I think that FFP isn't going to work but what would be great is that any spend by a club is matched in a donation towards local and youth football development. Obviously a fair system would have to be worked out but that's not for me to decide. With the crazy amount of money going into the professional game it seems criminal that it's the lottery fund that often supports local football rather than the super wealthy within the game itself.
posted on 20/1/13
Football philosopher from player to manager to just an ambassador. The best football man in history. I choose the words football man meaning in all levels of the game.
----------
Bossman
posted on 20/1/13
good article
Total trophy count or trophies/season overlooks so many things.
====
Johan Cruyff on Ruud van Nistelrooy........“He is a great goalscorer. But a poor footballer.”
he's not wrong. People say the same about Hernandez.
posted on 20/1/13
Johan Cruyff on Ruud van Nistelrooy........“He is a great goalscorer. But a poor footballer.”
he's not wrong. People say the same about Hernandez.
---------------------
Agreed, don't know why so many United fans can't seem to comprehend the notion to be honest
posted on 20/1/13
Yep, strikers that score goals.. who'd possibly want oneof those?
posted on 20/1/13
management can't be measured in just trophies there are other factors.
Busby at United totally and Cruyff to a large extent (with Nunez) at Barca 'created' those clubs in leaner times into models that have stood the test of time, that have become a blueprint for other future managers to follow and yielded success from i.e.a model that was achievable, sustainable and successful under the structure, finances and expectations of those involved in the clubs for the future.
I would put Shankley in that mold. He created Liverpool as we know it today; Paisley was a great manger but it was all in place for him when he took over, so yes, he gets credit for winning things but not for been the 'architect'. A bit like Pep.
I would also put Fergie in there too, who had to basically reinvent the club from scratch to get United back to winning ways by going back to the drawing board by following Busby's blueprint that previous managers didn't do too well.
Clough created an unsustainable model at Derby and Forest based on his magic dust, that yielded immediate success but was never sustainable with other people in charge. On the down side for Forest he created an expectation at the club, of which successive managers have been suffering from up to the present.
posted on 20/1/13
Don't worry your pretty little head FTS
no one expects you to understand
posted on 20/1/13
Very well put RedBlackandWhiteside
I agree in many ways but what you've alluded to is what sets Cruyff apart IMO.
Managers such as Busby, Ferguson and Shankly changed their clubs in ways unrivaled by the peers but Cruyff (for me anyway) is changing/has changed football as we know it - that's the difference.
posted on 20/1/13
Rinus michels deserves a mention. The man that brought total football to the world.
posted on 20/1/13
Bossman
I saw a program ages ago on the origins of total football. There was also an Englishman involved, think he was an ex Arsenal manager... you ever heard anything about this?
posted on 20/1/13
It wasn't Cruyff's philosophy, it was Rinus Michels' who implemented it with Ajax during the late 60s and 70s. Michels is the true master, as well as laying the foundations for Ajax and Cruyff he also won the Euros as manager with Holland in the 80s.
posted on 20/1/13
Btw Cruyff also said on Ivra that he's a brilliant footballer with awful technique. Now that makes no sense to me?
Page 1 of 2