Yaya Toure can emulate Claude Makelele and become a ‘role’ model for the game’s tacticians

 
CLAUDE MAKELELE and YAYA TOURE
3 October 2012

Every so often a player comes along who redefines English football to the extent a position is named in his honour and Yaya Toure is threatening to join the list.

These individuals may not be the most skilled but their style revolutionises tactical thinking.

Often, they play in between the conventional lines of defence, midfield and attack. Teams up and down the land sought to emulate Chelsea’s remodelled midfield in a bid to recreate the solidity brought by a player focused solely on disciplined defending. It became known here as the ‘Claude Makelele role’.

The traditional English notion of 4-4-2 became outmoded as intelligent strikers learned the art of dropping deep to link midfield and attack, exploiting space in front of an opponent’s defence.

The ‘Teddy Sheringham role’ helped Manchester United win a remarkable Treble in 1999.

Others had adopted similar styles before but Makelele and Sheringham, in English eyes at least, perfected their disciplines to the extent top sides paid them the ultimate compliment by searching for their own versions.

And so it appears with Toure. The 29-year-old’s irrepressible combination of physicality, intelligence and skill led Manchester City to their maiden Premier League title success and forced their rivals to alter their approach.

Box-to-box midfielders are nothing new — Roy Keane, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Patrick Vieira were all fine exponents in the Premier League era. But, for the most part, all thrived in a 4-4-2 system with their midfield partner assigned a different role, usually to sit deeper (except in the case of Keane).

The modern day preference for 4-2-3-1 was based upon two deep-lying holding midfielders providing additional protection for the back four, while simultaneously allowing the attacking quartet greater licence to wreak havoc further forward.

Roberto Mancini often used Toure behind the main striker during his first year at the club in 2010-11. Last season the City boss sat Toure more as one of the two defensive players but, pivotally, with a licence to go forward as and when appropriate.

Knowing when to attack and when to defend is Toure’s greatest skill. His positional sense is masterful and it has enabled City to accommodate another attacking player yet retain Toure’s counter-attacking drive.

His physique allows him to act as an imposing shield when City are defending and then his power propels them forward on the break. Although City’s Champions League match against Real Madrid last month ended in defeat, Toure’s assist for Edin Dzeko’s goal was proof he can singlehandedly reverse the flow of a game on the biggest stages.

Switching from defence to attack is a feat few can match but other clubs are attempting to follow suit. Arsenal hope Abou Diaby can put his injury record behind him to perform the same role. Discussing his alternatives with Diaby convalescing, Arsene Wenger hinted at the desire to emulate Toure.

“We have plenty of players who are in between higher up and lower down in midfield,” said Wenger. “We can put a deeper midfielder in like Francis Coquelin and then Mikel Arteta can move forward between him and the attack.”

Tottenham are seemingly moulding Mousa Dembele to operate with the same brief. Chelsea boss Roberto di Matteo faces a dilemma as to whether Lampard has the legs (and the positional discipline) to perform the role alongside John Obi Mikel.

The Italian’s decision to deploy Ramires in that role instead of Lampard against Arsenal last weekend was perhaps a sign of the Blues’ future.

Manchester United have lacked this type of player, in truth, since Keane retired. Anderson once promised to satisfy the brief but with his talent questioned and mind wandering, United have relied on a combination of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher, none of whom can ably mirror Toure’s contribution.

This tactical tinkering is not the preserve of England’s elite. West Ham have a similar player in Mo Diame. Although operating further forward in Sam Allardyce’s 4-2-3-1, Diame has the same drive and demeanour to resemble Toure in flashes.

Mancini’s tactical adjustments at City have bemused many but perhaps in part they are designed to extract the best from Toure (so far, 3-4-1-2 has not done that). It is a remarkable compliment to a player deemed surplus to requirements at Barcelona, where he was confined to a defensive midfield role and even won the 2009 Champions League against United as a centre-back.

Spain and Italy have their ‘false nine’ position. English football is currently trending on the ‘Toure role’.

Listen to Pulis, Fergie

SIR ALEX FERGUSON reacted with apparent indifference to Sergio Aguero’s claim that foreign players were harshly treated compared to their English counterparts when getting decisions.

“As a subject it’s not worth going down because we have known for years there are lots of players diving,” said the Manchester United boss.

The opposite is true. Diving is an ugly facet of the game for any genuine fan and the only way it will be eradicated is if managers continue to highlight it and not blindly defend their players. Ferguson has admitted talking with Ashley Young about the ease with which the winger goes to ground but his defence of Nani is questionable at best. “Nani is not the type to dive,” said Ferguson. “He has never been that type of player.”

This myopia encourages fans to hide behind their club colours rather than generate a momentum to remove diving from the game. Stoke manager Tony Pulis was right . . . the authorities need to punish the offenders.

Stat’s just ridiculous, UEFA

UEFA are persevering with surely the most ludicrous statistic yet: good chances. Last night’s match between Cluj and Manchester United finished 2-1 to the visitors but apparently should have been 3-0 to United had all the “good chances” been taken.

Pantelis Kapetanos scored for Cluj from eight yards out when unmarked. Apparently it did not constitute a good chance. Those who follow me on Twitter will know I highlighted this during Arsenal’s match in Montpellier. The Gunners led 2-1 at half-time yet UEFA determined there hadn’t been a “good chance” in a match that included a penalty. Does that mean a penalty is too good a chance for the “good chance” statistic? Or have they watched too many

shoot-outs involving England? Which genius determines this? Is there a good chance committee?

Look out for it tonight. If you thought you knew what a good chance looked like, guess again.

Twitter @JamesOlley

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