Germany coach Joachim Loew has criticised the lack of speed in the Bundesliga compared to the Premier League. Loew is concerned the lack of speed and sharpness in Germany’s top flight will hinder his team’s bid to capture the World Cup crown in South Africa. “The fact that the play is much faster in England is not ideal,” Loew told German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
Well, well, well… Since when did Loew start to explain himself? — especially, when he has absolutely no reason to do so, and especially by stating the obvious. For God’s sake, of course, British football is the fastest. Always has, always will be. Grass is green by the way.
The Nationalelf, however, is the second most successful team in the history of World Cups, having finished as either winner or runner-up seven times. Italy — Mr. Come-what-may-we-slow down-the-play attitude has 4+2. The Father of all the rush and kick boasts with 1+0.
So Joachim Loew is being irrationally critical of … the Bundesliga? What reason he may have had or what/who his target really was — I don’t know.
Come on, Bundesliga is only a cover name, a collective noun for all the 1) players 2) coaches 3) clubs 4) fans out there so as long as he actually bids to help the Germans lift the 2010 FIFA World Cup, a bit of a constructive criticism, better yet some constructive analysis, might have come handy instead of pointing the finger at technically no one.
So what I get from his complaint is that somebody should do something. Thank you, Mr. Loew for coming, you will be noticed.
Anyway, ball possession per player as an average is close, or below 1.0 sec in two leagues in Europe: the EPL and the Bundesliga, which is notoriously led by Hertha Berlin. If you take the extra effort, you will find that Hertha are the fastest playing team in Germany with their 1.1sec average. It got me thinking. Is is possible that there are a bunch of evil geniuses at the German FA?
In athletics, it is not unheard of that a pacemaker (sometimes called a rabbit) leads a running event for most of the time to ensure fast pace and possibly world record and also to avoid excessive tactical racing. Bundesliga and excessive tactical racing in the same sentence is a contradiction in terms, which leaves us with to ensure fast pace. Joachim Loew, master of puppets.
It should also be noted that while rabbits are usually not required to finish a race in front, they actually can and sometimes even try and go for it. This is exactly what happened with Steve Ovett (OBE, Olympic champion and world record holder) in 1981 at the Bislett Games, which he eventually lost.
Hertha making history in the Bundesliga — that most certainly would qualify for a world record. But the question still remains: are they the ‘rabbit’ or tucked in behind the rabbit?
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