Guardiola is evolving, Mourinho is struggling, Amorin is stubborn

"Our generation of coaches, watching another group of coaches try something that simply doesn't work, and end up sacrificing it. They will say: I'm dead, but I'm dead in my philosophy. My friend, if you die for your philosophy, you're a fool!"

When Mourinho, the most maverick in football, said this, he didn't name it. But this sharp criticism, like a precisely guided missile, hit the core of modern football culture. The new clothes of the king who puts ideas and philosophy above victory or defeat, seemingly noble but actually hypocritical.

This reminds of another famous saying after leading Manchester United to defeat the gorgeous Ajax 2-0 in an ugly way to win the UEFA Cup: "There are many poets in the football world, but they don't win many championships."

In Mourinho's world, the football camp is clearly divided. On one side is a pragmatist born for the trophy, and on the other side is a poet who devotes himself to his ideas. On one side is the winner and on the other side is the dreamer.

And today, poets and idiots who were ridiculed by him are spreading all over the football world.

The persistence of martyrs

You don't need to work hard to find the martyrs that Mourinho mentioned.

Ruben Amorin: When asked why he insisted on a system that only won 8 games in the Premier League, he resolutely said: "I will not change my philosophy. If you don't want to, you have to replace me."

Ange Postkoglu: When the team performed poorly, he said: "If people want me to change their playing style, it is impossible."

Andrea Pirlo: He would rather be defeated by his opponent in one shot at a 90% possession rate than defend and counterattack.

These coaches are not idiots. Amorin once led Sporting Lisbon to create miracles. Postkoglu's resume spans four continents, with honors equally, and Pirlo was the smartest brain of his era. They are all the best in their respective fields.

But they all fell into a paranoia: ideas are above everything else.

This paranoia is encouraged and touted in today's football culture. The coaches are no longer just tacticians, but are called upon to become philosophers. They built their careers around a philosophy and attracted a loyal group of believers.

However, when ideas and reality collide with each other, this persistence seems extremely pale and contradictory. The dusk of pragmatism, Mourinho can laugh at the poets at his heart. But one unavoidable reality is that since he said the famous saying that the poet could not win the championship, he himself has only won one European Cup and was fired four times.

His league rankings in the past decade also cannot prove the superiority of pragmatism. At Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma and Fenerbahce, he all experienced a cycle of opening high and closing low and eventually being dismissed.

Facts have proved that in this rapidly iterative football world, whether it is dying for ideas or using any means to win, it seems difficult to last. Even Guardiola has made many major adjustments to his tactics in the past few years.

So, what's the problem?

Amorin's dilemma

Ruben Amorin's dilemma at Manchester United is the most typical epitome of this battle of ideas.

His 3-4-3 system is not a flashy poetry football. This system helped him achieve great success in Sporting Lisbon. But at Manchester United, in the more cruel jungle of the Premier League, the system's achievements so far are disastrous. The extreme of Amorin lies in his rigidity.

Since last season, Manchester United has made only 7 formation adjustments in 42 Premier League games, the fewest of all teams. This constant seems particularly strange considering that they often fall behind in the game.

What is even more worrying is that when asked why it is not flexible, Amorin's answer was: "I have no other ideas."

This may be the real stupidity that Mourinho said. It’s not about dying for ideas, but about the exhaustion and rigidity of thoughts that tie yourself and the team to one idea.

Survival is the only philosophy

Modern football requires flexibility. Guardiola's fundamental values ​​will not change, but within his belief system, he is willing to question and change everything as long as he can help the team win. Postkoglu eventually led Tottenham to win the UEFA Cup in a Mourinho-style and extremely pragmatic way.

Every coach should have a vision of how to play football. But it's just a vision. Under this framework, there must be a willingness to adapt and adapt.

After all, football management is about survival.

As Mourinho pointed out sharply, sacrifice for ideas may be a gesture. But true wisdom is to have the willingness to be flexible and flexible under the framework of adhering to one's own philosophy.

Because only those who survive are qualified to talk about ideas. Those who have died, no matter how tragic, will eventually become footnotes in other people's stories.