Traditional goalkeepers were not favoured.

Keepers needed to be good with their feet and they needed to be footballers. Forwards needed to press early and hassle defenders in the build up. It needed a high defensive line and for the banks to have minimal space between them. If you haven't read the book, I suggest picking up a copy as it is a great read.ĭuring the dominant Dutch era, pressing was on of the key attributes of tactical systems. The book discusses how the likes of Cruyff and Van Gaal differed in their styles and how the Dutch produced 'Total Football'. In his book, he focusses on the dominant Dutch era between 1992-1996 where Cruyff and Van Gaal introduced their tactical philosophies. I must pay homage to Michael Cox and his book, Zonal Marking, which has given me the idea for this save.