The end of total football?

Written by James Beckett Wednesday, 07 July 2010 11:54

England World Cup Blog

As Holland storm in the World Cup final for the first time since 1978, the brand of football the Dutch play still remains a talking point. But has total football died forever, and this a trend that other nations need to follow, and be efficient but not entertaining?

At Euro 2008 Holland were a superb side to watch, it really was like watching a Dutch side from yesteryear. But ultimately they suffered for their stylish ways and lack of substance, coming unstuck in the quarter finals.


Two years on and under new coach Bert van Marwijk, the Dutch aren't so easy on the eye, something which has caught many by surprise this summer. In their first game against Denmark many tuned in expecting Holland to play their usual free flowing football. But this simply wasn't the case, as Holland stuttered to a 2-0 win.


The same can be said for pretty much all of the games that Holland have played so far in South Africa, but the wild celebrations that followed their 3-2 win over Uruguay in the semi final, shows that the Dutch have accepted their new method.


In an era of football where winning is everything, Holland were one of the few sides that insisted on playing in a stylish brand, but this no more, and they have certinaly benefited as a result. It must be remembered that you can't always play the incredible football, and at times you have to dig in and do the dirty stuff, this is what Holland have done, and this is why Holland are in the final.


Germany are another side that play in a similar way, and we have all seen how well they have done in South Africa, they are more then content to sit in, soaking up pressure, and then launch devastating counter blows that produce the big wins.


This is a new brand of football, but it does seem to be the way forward. It almost resembles what Jose Mourinho did at Chelsea, as he built a side that won games, but didn't necessarily entertain. Ask Chelsea fans what they preffered, the winning ways of Mourinho, or the stylish way of Luis Felipe Scolari that didn't always bring results. You can guarantee they would pick Mourinho's way.


Argentina were the only side that insisted on playing stylish football at this summers World Cup, and while it worked early on they came unstuck against Germany in dramatic fashion, and this shows that we are in an era where substance is a lot more important then style.


But in a way it is a sad thing, because we may never see free flowing football on a regular basis again, but you tell me who wouldn't sacrifice style, for a World Cup trophy? 

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