The Underdog Blueprint And How This Proving A Success

The modern game has shown that the underdog can win as long as they have a clear vision and embrace the importance of teamwork and defensive strength. Wales have all the components needed to succeed

Four years ago it seemed that Wales, under their coach Chris Coleman, were in a terrible state. After succeeding Gary Speed at the start of 2012, he oversaw five straight defeats, including a 6-1 loss in Serbia. In that moment the pressure was on Coleman. This was a coach who apart from a decent start at Fulham after finishing his playing days at the club, had experienced a difficult and at times disastrous moments as a manager. Off field issues and perhaps a complacency or arrogance in his role contributed to poor performances on the pitch and ultimately perceived failure. Coleman looked set to be another failed manager. And yet he is now on the verge of reaching the European Championship final. What a journey, for both him as a coach and the Wales national team. 

When Coleman was appointed as the Wales coach it seemed far too lucrative a role for a man whose managerial career up to that point had been one of disappointments. And so it proved at first. It didn’t seem a good fit, the players didn’t seem receptive to him, and of course with Gary Speed’s death it didn’t help the squad’s mentality. Coleman was perhaps the wrong man at the wrong time. 

And then all of sudden things started to change. As Gareth Bale says, Coleman started to impart his own ideas more, sought to move away from seeking to simply replicate what Speed had done. “He had a difficult start but since he's put his own stamp on the team he's been absolutely incredible. He initially wanted to try and not change too much, too soon. Obviously results did not go the right way. He changed it and it has paid massive dividends.” 

The qualification campaign for Euro 2016 became this incredible story for both Coleman and Welsh football. Coleman embraced a style which brought out the best in his star player Bale, while embracing the strength’s of the team as a whole. And Welsh football was propelled on a journey of jubilation culminating in qualification for their first major tournament since 1958. 

Perhaps Platini’s expansion idea paid dividends. It had given a sense of hope and possibility to sides who in the past had probably felt inconsequential within the make up of the qualifying groups. This raised possibility therefore increased the sense of belief and realism that qualification was possible. 

Two 1-0 wins over Belgium highlighted the impressive work of Coleman, showing tactical intelligence and a clear strategy for success. Aspects which have been taken into the tournament itself. We now see Wales on the brink of reaching the final, with Coleman being only the fourth British manager to reach a semi-final of an international tournament. That alone is a great achievement. They now they have a great chance to actually reach the final and win the tournament. And after watching Wales in this tournament, it is no fluke, this is an excellent ‘team’ who are well coached, organised and focused on their task.

The blueprint for success in the modern game

There is no doubt that in the past decade of football that the possession based approach, the ‘beautiful’ football played by Pep Guardiola and his respective sides, as well as the influence his style has had on Spanish and German football, has dominated football. Consistent success through this style has shown that dominating the ball can win trophies. 

In the international game it is evident that Germany have superseded Spain as the best side 

in world football. While Spain had near domination of the ball and killed teams by great positional play and incisive football, Germany have found a greater blend of counter-attack and possession. Creating a potent attacking force who are wonderfully balanced and who have variety in their attacking play has brought a World Cup and they look favourites to win this week too. There’s no doubt Germany would be deserving winners. 

However across the past decade there has been the rise, in teams and coaches seeking to stifle and offer up a counter strategy to possession football, which has seen the development of very strong, defensively organised sides. The Mourinho style of football shall we say. A compact defensive block, very organised, allowing very little room between the units or behind the defence, allowing the opposition a lot of possession, and seeking to use the counter attack or set pieces to score goals and win games. 

It has been a fascinating battle of contrasting styles and to be honest and it has produced much smarter, tactically intelligent and tougher teams. In the Champions League particularly, the best knock-out tournament in world football, it has brought success for perceived 'underdogs'. Inter in 2010, Chelsea in 2012 and even Real and Atletico in 2014 and 2016 respectively who both played a form of counter attack football to win games. Remember Mourinho’s fingerprints were all over Madrid even in 2016, and Simeone is the new (and perhaps improved) Mourinho. 

There’s no doubt that the expansive possession game is not the most commonly used approach in the modern game. It’s been proven to succeed yet only a few teams seem capable, or have the right players, to make this approach work. For other coaches and teams it has been easier (on the pitch that is – developing this style effectively takes a lot of work on the training pitch) for coaches to use and succeed with. 

Call it defensive football, call it functional or negative even, but it has been a style proven to bring results. Atletico’s rise to be serious challengers to Real and Barca, as well as becoming a consistent challenger in the Champions League highlights the incredible work of Simeone and how he has transformed the team in his image and developed a full ‘buy-in’ to his style. And we only need to look at Leicester last season, who defied incredible odds to win the Premier League. They played a 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 type system, defended deep and compact, were extremely organised, hard working and were ruthless and incisive on the counter attack. It worked perfectly for them. Mourinho is the coach who made this approach a genuine success in the 21^st century. It is now a blueprint for other sides to go from underdogs to winners.

The rise of the underdogs

2004 was the year of the underdogs without question. Mourinho would win the Champions League with Porto, while Otto Rehhagel would win the 2004 Euro’s with Greece. In fairness to Mourinho he played a positive 4-3-3 which worked on pressing high and retaining possession to rest (similar ideas to Guardiola when at Barca), yet Greece won solely through being extremely strong and organised defensively. The Greek team won the championship, conceding no goals in the knockout stage. Rehhagel, having a policy of defending in numbers to curtail opposition's attacks stifled better sides beating France and Portugal 1-0 respectively along the way. When asked about playing boring football, he replied, "No one should forget that a coach adapts the tactics to the characteristics of the available players."

12 years on and we see more teams adopting this style of football then perhaps we have ever before. Louis Van Gaal received endless praise for his sides ultra-defensive approach in the 2014 World Cup, ultimately coming third in the tournament. Using a 3-5-2 formation he embraced defensive strength and quick counter attacking football. This was a Dutch coach with a Dutch side, playing defensive football. And he was praised for it! It’s clear that defensive football is en vogue.

Defensive football has been the highlight of this tournament. The blueprint is simple; well coached, organised teams, utilising (most often) a compact 4-4-2 is now almost expected. One only needs to see an underdog in Iceland using this style and see what they’ve achieved. And Portugal, who have certainly embraced a more functional form of football, switching between a 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 in games, have reached the semi-finals without winning a game in any of their games within 90 mins.

Italy received endless praise for their tactics and quality of defending while Belgium’s attacking football was branded as naïve and their coach Marc Wilmots described by many as tactically inept. In fact Belgium faced both Italy and Wales in this tournament and both times were out played, with Wilmots out-coached in both games. Interestingly both sides used a 3-5-2 system, were extremely organised and compact, and Belgium (who were guilty of being profligate when chances did come) were often left searching for answers in how to overcome these strong defensive sides. 

Amazingly England chose not to embrace this strategy evne though they had a coach ideally suited to this ‘modern’ trend and whose key (in-form) players had been used to playing in this way more so than a slower possession game (see this article about how Hodgson got it wrong tactically with England).

A great team

Chris Coleman realized that while he has a world class player in Gareth Bale in his side, and a very impressive Aaron Ramsey working from midfield to support the attack, the squad of players he has as a whole are, as individuals, were 'average’. Yet he made them, as a collective, a lot stronger than its parts. This is a proper team. It’s evident. The bond between the players and staff, the sense of commitment and desire, the energy and work rate all the players put in. Their adherence and discipline to the tactics and strategy and ultimately this has led to a belief in themselves. As Coleman says, “When it is time to defend we’ll do it for our lives. When it is time to attack we’ll do it with our lives.” Simple. 

Yet it’s not always easy to motivate a group of players to do these things properly. Especially when it comes to defending. Perhaps at international level, with players representing their country, the pride makes you do more. But even then it still takes an inspirational coach to bring out the best in these players (take Hodgson as an example). It takes leaders on the pitch to keep others focused (Williams, Bale and Allen have been excellent in this respect).

The win over Belgium proved that they can come back from 1-0 if required, that they have the commitment and belief to overcome difficult moments in games. And their goals highlighted that there is quality within this team, that it is not just Bale who Portugal should be worried about. I have been just so impressed by Wales, how they’ve played, how organised and commited they are and how well the staff and players have conducted themselves off the pitch in what they’ve said and how they’ve acted. As an Englishmen I’m envious of what Wales are, this a far better ‘team’ than England have been for sometime.  

Wales have shown all these characteristics, they've shown them all the way through their qualifying campaign and through the tournament. This is no fluke or lucky run. This is the culmination of the foundaitons laid by Gary Speed and the Welsh FA several years ago and the continuation and evolution of the plan by Coleman to push that idea and vision on further. 

I also have no no doubt that the players and staff have that sense of 'higher purpose' due to the passing of Gary Speed. Often you see people achieve far greater things due to their desire and motivation to succeed in the memory of a loved one passing. Speed touched almost every player, staff member and Welsh fan, and while this team is certainly Coleman’s, the motivation to ‘do it for Speed’ will have major motivational purposes to help Wales achieve above their level. 

Out of the ashes

Coleman has risen out of the ashes of near collapse and failure to become a coach who is now respected and valued, with the world asking questions wanting to know more about his tactical ideas and approaches. He has turned his reputation completely around. It shows the strength of his own mentality, his mindset to overcome adversity and failures, to learn, adapt and improve. Lessons he gives to his players as well as himself. 

Coleman is a great example of why young managers fail, because they go into management too quickly and don’t have the experience or know-how required to perform. This often results in many young managers failing and then being disregarded. Some never get the chance again, the chance to learn from their mistakes, to improve next time. Coleman has had more chances than many others, but he finally seems in a position now where he has matured and now understands himself and his role. The role of a coach/manager isn’t easy, and too many think just because they’ve played they can do it. Coleman learnt the hard way and was given the chance to redeem himself.

As Wales get ready to play the biggest game in their nation’s history, Coleman should be commended for showing the courage to improve and accept he could do better. Wales have a lot of components working for them, yet it is Coleman who deserves the credit for bringing out the best in this squad and creating an environment which clearly has produced a team who are committed to each other and willing to do everything necessary to succeed.

The underdog has proven they can succeed in the modern game, as long as the understanding and organisation of the team is in place, teams need not fear the ‘best’ anymore. Wales have as good a chance of any of the final four to win this tournament. If Leicester can win the Premier League, surely anything is possible as long as you have great coaching, leadership and a gameplay.

The Whitehouse Address @The_W_Address