England legend Wayne Rooney commented on the tactical shift in the 2024 European Championship, particularly pointing fingers at renowned manager Pep Guardiola.
“The tournament is showing a growing emphasis on tactical planning and positional play. Every team wants to score that perfect goal, and this trend, I think, can be ‘attributed’ to Guardiola,” Rooney said while analyzing the Ukraine vs. Belgium match on June 26.
Rooney continued, “We see this not only with Belgium, but many other strong teams like England and the Netherlands, adopting similar tactical ideas. For example, Jeremy Doku is active on the flanks, but rarely manages to find teammates inside the box with his crosses.”
Rooney joked, “This is Guardiola’s fault.” He added, “He’s spread this style across global football. Guardiola is undoubtedly the master of this tactic, but other teams, in pursuit of this aesthetic, often struggle to create clear scoring opportunities.”
Rooney pointed out that Guardiola should “take responsibility” for the trend of teams chasing the “perfect goal.”
Since taking over Manchester City, Guardiola has profoundly impacted the landscape of English football, leading the team to six Premier League titles and one Champions League trophy. Previously, the 53-year-old tactical mastermind achieved similar triumphs with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Guardiola’s Manchester City is known for its absolute control of possession and precise control over the pace of the game. Rooney noted that many teams try to imitate “The Sky Blues” model, but few can truly replicate Guardiola’s successful strategies.
In the group stage of this European Championship, England only managed to score two goals. Belgium blanked in two of their three matches. The Netherlands, despite scoring four goals, drew 0-0 with France. Portugal, in a major upset, lost 0-2 to Georgia in the final group stage match.
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