Alonso: Tackling is not a quality for a footballer

by Guest Sat Nov 12, 2011 7:49 am

"I don't think tackling is a quality," he says. "It is a recurso, something you have to resort to, not a characteristic of your game. At Liverpool I used to read the matchday programme and you'd read an interview with a lad from the youth team. They'd ask: age, heroes, strong points, etc. He'd reply: 'Shooting and tackling'. I can't get into my head that football development would educate tackling as a quality, something to learn, to teach, a characteristic of your play. How can that be a way of seeing the game? I just don't understand football in those terms. Tackling is a [last] resort, and you will need it, but it isn't a quality to aspire to, a definition. It's hard to change because it's so rooted in the English football culture, but I don't understand it."

by RuthlesGangstaDef:villin Sat Nov 12, 2011 8:26 am

by Kick Sat Nov 12, 2011 8:29 am

Disagree. A good tackler can keep a match even.

by Adit Sat Nov 12, 2011 8:30 am

Interestingly best team in the world is barca and they doesnt use slide tackling to win the ball back.

by julias Sat Nov 12, 2011 8:31 am

lmao what...so how do you get the ball back without tackling

go and tell that to Gattuso, Maldini, Nesta, Tony Adams, Sol Campbell etc...

Tackling is an art that can be admired just as much as a great pass

by Lord Awesome Sat Nov 12, 2011 8:31 am

What the flip is he smoking?!

I'm guessing Gattuso and Albelda are flawed in his book.

by dostoevsky Sat Nov 12, 2011 8:34 am

Tackling is a skill and might I add it's not necessarily a common one.

by Art Morte Sat Nov 12, 2011 9:19 am

Have to disagree, even if I understand where he's coming from with that.

But sometimes a well-timed tackle is the best way to stop a dribble or a shot.
And, for instance, Puyol is a very very good and quick slide tackler in his own penalty area, can really make some last-second blocks with those tackles.

by Kick Sat Nov 12, 2011 9:22 am

Also, poor tackler = booked often.
Great tackler = booked rarely.

by Omniscient Sat Nov 12, 2011 9:23 am

kick mars wrote:Also, poor tackler = booked often.
Great tackler = booked rarely.

By your logic, Mascherano is a poor tackler.

by Kick Sat Nov 12, 2011 9:25 am

Omniscient wrote:
kick mars wrote:Also, poor tackler = booked often.
Great tackler = booked rarely.

By your logic, Mascherano is a poor tackler.

Yes. I never liked him, he is good but too rash for me.

by The Franchise Sat Nov 12, 2011 11:11 am

No surprise he thinks this, seeing as he cant tackle at all.

Anyway, I understand what he is saying. Young players shouldnt be thinking tackling is one of their strong points. But its niave to think that you dont need to tackle and being able to tackle can be a huge plus.

by Grande_Milano Sat Nov 12, 2011 11:30 am

alonso isnt a pure dm so he jelly :dance:

by daneq Sat Nov 12, 2011 11:41 am

Is Alonso right?

When isn't Alonso right?

by Le Samourai Sat Nov 12, 2011 11:50 am

I have to disagree with Alonso here

Tackling is a huge part of the game.

Not only can good taclers be a huge plus but good tacklers can also prevent unneccesary injury to oposition players.

It's clear where his disagreement with it comes from, it's obviously from the Spanish football education he received where tackling isn't as ingrained as Italian or English schools of football.

I think he's wrong in saying that it isn't a quality to aspire to.

by Zealous Sat Nov 12, 2011 11:58 am

Alonso has one of the most tackles won on the Real Madrid squad so childish "he just jelly he can't tackle" is pretty LOL worthy.

Anyway he makes a very interesting point, youth development should focus on different skills that define the modern footballer of today. Tackle is in fact a last resort because if you read your opponent you can take the ball with out having to leave the ground.

It's not like he said you don't need to tackle ever, he actually says it IS something you'll need but he's right in saying that it shouldn't be something that youth coaches focus on when teaching young players.

I agree.

by Iceman Sat Nov 12, 2011 12:05 pm

You "can" take the ball without tackling, but it's not always possible. It should not be a "last resort", but rather a part of the game, just like intercepting and pressing. I don't see why you'd put it down the pecking order; they're all very important.

And you don't always have to go to ground to tackle. Standing tackles do exist you know Rolling Eyes

And Barca never go to ground? Take Barca vs Arsenal. Bendtner was through on goal, and if it weren't for Mascherano's super tackle, then Arsenal would have gone through. It's not a last resort, it's part of the game.
And Barca tackle a lot, but they don't always slide. You can tackle while you're standing, it's not impossible. It's definitely something to aspire to. There aren't many great tackles around, because tackling is actually a very hard skill to master.

Also, if Alonso does indeed have one of the most tackles won amongst the Madrid squad, then he just disproved his own point. He uses tackling often in his game, so it's no surprise that some players actually work on it.

by lenear1030 Sat Nov 12, 2011 12:53 pm

intercepting>>>>>tackling

by Mamad Sat Nov 12, 2011 12:59 pm

The Franchise wrote:No surprise he thinks this, seeing as he cant tackle at all.

What? Alonso can't tackle? you are completely wrong.

by che Sat Nov 12, 2011 1:04 pm

Zealous wrote:Alonso has one of the most tackles won on the Real Madrid squad so childish "he just jelly he can't tackle" is pretty LOL worthy.

alonso having the second most fouls in madrid (after ramos of course) is pretty lol worthy too i imagine...

by Adit Sat Nov 12, 2011 1:05 pm

People need to realize he isnt talking about last ditch tackle or tackling inside a penalty area.He is saying slide tackling used in EPL to win the ball is unnecessary by his experience...

by Freeza Sat Nov 12, 2011 1:07 pm

che wrote:
Zealous wrote:Alonso has one of the most tackles won on the Real Madrid squad so childish "he just jelly he can't tackle" is pretty LOL worthy.

alonso having the second most fouls in madrid (after ramos of course) is pretty lol worthy too i imagine...

Well TBH, you can't even tackle in La Liga without it ending in a free kick

by che Sat Nov 12, 2011 1:09 pm

pepe's got like 8 fouls, alonso 21... and pepe is insane...

by Adit Sat Nov 12, 2011 1:12 pm

and what about steals??

Xabi is third behind sergio and pepe

by Zealous Sat Nov 12, 2011 1:20 pm

che wrote:
Zealous wrote:Alonso has one of the most tackles won on the Real Madrid squad so childish "he just jelly he can't tackle" is pretty LOL worthy.

alonso having the second most fouls in madrid (after ramos of course) is pretty lol worthy too i imagine...

You and I both know that what constitutes a foul in Spain is not much. The point is that he is capable of making a successful tackle.

Besides how does that even disprove his point at all? He's saying that youth players shouldn't be focused on learning how to tackle because there are more important skills a player should learn. Especially in midfield.

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