Pat Nevin
"Managers constantly complain about the top players being overworked and playing too many games. So why do they continue to demand that high energy, high pressing, maximum tempo style?
"If the style doesn't suit your players' condition, then how about not complaining, but just adapting the method instead.
"Historically teams tried to 'take the heat out of games', by slowing them down and giving themselves recovery time.
"This was, and still can be part of the game, especially if your players aren't in the condition, for whatever reason, to chase all the time.
"This pacy style is de rigueur just now because it is successful, but it also wears players out.
"Jurgen Klopp's Gegenpressing had to be adapted after a few successful seasons because the group doing it were aging and feeling the strain.
"The answer in the short term was to press less often but more intelligently. The answer in the longer term has been to get rid of the knackered old players and replace them with the next group to run into the ground.
"It is worth underlining here, the players know this is happening and buy into it. Or you could argue they are bought into it with those huge salaries. There are however alternatives.
"I played against Liverpool when they were the best on the planet, a fabulous team, with great players and an impressive passing style.
"Our pre match mantra would always be, don’t give the ball away cheaply to them, because you will not get it back for a while and you will be chasing shadows as they pass it around you for fun.
"That Liverpool side knew how to rest in possession and let the opposition exhaust themselves chasing. Maybe this lost art should be rediscovered."
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