uit: The Best of Charles Buchan's “Football Monthly”



The truth about England
Once again the Hungary national team showed, by the 7-1 thrashing they gave the England side in Budapest on May 23, how low is the standard of British Soccer at the present time.
It is no use blinking at facts. The plain truth is that we are many years behind Hungary, and other Continental teams, in all the essential points, speed, ball control, distribution and teamwork.
We persist in methods that were very effective when introduced by Arsenal immediately after the change in the offside law was made in 1925.
Except for occasional teams like Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Wolves and Portsmouth, we have plodded along in the same old way, preening ourselves that we were the best in the world.

We took little heed of the amazing progress made by Continental and South American teams. We complacently said: “Yes, they play pretty midfield football but it does not bring goals.”
Well, now, the pretty football is bringing goals. The Hungarians have scored 13 against us in the games at Wembley and Budapest.
Something must be done about it pretty soon, before we are written off as a second-class Soccer nation.
There is nothing supernatural about the Hungarians' play. They are just quick-thinking, fast-moving and clever players working together for the interests of the side.

The methods that beat England so decisively were simple and carried through by wonderfully fit and receptive players. The ball was cleared by a Hungarian defender to an inside-forward positioned intelligently in midfield clear of the opposition, just like Alex James in his palmly Arsenal days.
Forwards quickly moved into position to receive the ball. A few passes interchanged between the inside-forwards lured England's defenders upfield. Once that had been done, a well-placed through pass gave their even-time wing-forwards, Toth and Czibor, a clear path to goal.
The only variation to this method was the quick, low pass on the “blind” side of the full-back, made as he was moving forward to tackle. The Hungarians had the speed off the mark to take full advantage of this very effective move, one rarely seen nowadays in our League games.

Opinion by Charles Buchan
(n.a.v. Hongarije-Engeland 7-1, 23 mei 1953)



Simon Inglis (red.)
(uitg. English Heritage)
isbn: 1905624042
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gebonden 148 pagina's
verschenen: 31 oktober 2006
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