Mon. Dec 23rd, 2024
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The way so many teams play out from the back now is an example of the evolution in football. It has become so synchronised, and some of is so intricate, it is almost majestically planned.

Pep Guardiola takes a lot of credit for that, and so he should. He has done an awful lot of things which people have looked at and said ‘we need to follow’.

We have to be fair though, and remember that people like Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson were playing out from the back 40 years ago.

They were two excellent footballers so we mustn’t think all this is a completely new idea.

I also think we are maybe seeing it being done to extremes, when sometimes it probably deserves more criticism.

Again, with my manager’s head on, we are seeing too many goals scored from poor play or mistakes when teams bring the ball out from the back.

There is a generation of coaches that says that is not correct, because we are not used to giving up easy goals… and there is a new generation coming through that is almost saying don’t worry about it, we will keep doing it.

But when it comes to European tournaments, or the Premier League, those sort of decisions will cost you trophies and games and, as a manager they could ultimately cost you your job.

That’s why I am not sure about people being so willing to let it keep happening even if it is going wrong.

There is a part of football, whatever else you say about it, where I think you want your club or team to win.

I have always sort of focused on that because I have always thought that winning was the be-all and end-all for most supporters at any club.

For me, that is one thing that won’t ever change.

David Moyes was speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan in Berlin.

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