Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
2nd out of 137 books
—
72 voters
Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics
For soccer fans, following, discussing, and arguing about the tactics a manager puts into play are part of what makes the sport so appealing. This fascinating study traces the history of soccer tactics back from such modern pioneers as Rinus Michels, Valeriy Lobanovskyi, Catenaccio, and Herbert Chapman. Along the way, author Jonathan Wilson, an erudite and detailed writer...more
Hardcover, 374 pages
Published
September 1st 2008
by Orion
(first published June 26th 2008)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
2,640)
Apr 13, 2010
James
marked it as to-read
One of the best, if not *the* best, soccer books I have ever read. It approaches the history of soccer through a series of tactical innovations in the game. If, like me, you grew up thinking the English 4-4-2 is soccer the way God intended it and had been played since time immemorial, this will be a real eye-opener. The title refers to the fact that, for much of the history of soccer, their has been a trend from purely attacking football (2-3-5) to more defensive, possession-oriented play (e.g....more
This book is admirable for its erudition and its focus on the evolution of tactics from the playing fields of nineteenth century public schools to the present. One really must admire a British specialist who digs into the entire global picture of football and comes up with a relatively comprehensible narrative out of what must have been reams of club histories and match reports that probably contain very little of the information the author seeks. It is readable, informative and occasionally fun...more
Summary: For soccer fans, following, discussing, and arguing about the tactics a manager puts into play are part of what makes the sport so appealing. This fascinating study traces the history of soccer tactics back from such modern pioneers as Rinus Michels, Valeriy Lobanovskyi, Catenaccio, and Herbert Chapman. Along the way, author Jonathan Wilson, an erudite and detailed writer who never loses a sense of the grand narrative sweep, takes a look at the lives of the great players and thinkers wh...more
As an American sports fan of a certain age, I understand football tactics. But as a fan of Euroleague and World Cup soccer, I understand nothing of "football" tactics -- that is, until I read "Inverting the Pyramid".
Jonathan Wilson's book is a tangled but fascinating discussion of the history of what Americans call soccer and the slow developing tactical changes that have altered the way the game is played. As one who loves both history and strategy -- and who needed to upgrade my soccer knowled...more
Jonathan Wilson's book is a tangled but fascinating discussion of the history of what Americans call soccer and the slow developing tactical changes that have altered the way the game is played. As one who loves both history and strategy -- and who needed to upgrade my soccer knowled...more
Firstly, you must love football. Secondly, you must love the finer points to football. Lastly, you must love history. This book details the progression of tactics in football from its infancy to its lucrative modern iteration. What this book really describes is how the game itself has changed amongst all the peripheral evolutions (such as money, athletes, league and cup structures). The game is still played with a ball and two goals, 22 players on the field, but beyond that and its most basic ru...more
Admittedly I was tired and travelling when I read this but I was really disappointed. There's a kernel of a great idea in every chapter (eg the evolution of a kind of 'intellectual' Austrian football in the coffee houses of Vienna) but in between those points it's largely a tedious catalogue of matches, players, coaches and results that you've never heard of and couldn't care less about.
Naturally the later chapters are a bit more interesting (the book is structured chronologically) but Wilson s...more
Naturally the later chapters are a bit more interesting (the book is structured chronologically) but Wilson s...more
3 likes · like · see review
A great discussion of the evolution of soccer tactics over the past 100+ years, perhaps unique in current soccer literature. For my taste, the exposition on the background and club histories of the influential personalities and famous club sides was a bit lengthy. The author, being English, certainly discusses what he terms 'the English pragmatism' in football and discusses notable English teams and managers in detail. This is in addition to, not to the detriment of, discussions of south america...more
Over the last couple of years I've gotten an education in tactics through websites like Zonal Marking as well as Jonathan Wilson's columns in the Guardian, and this book places those contemporary discussions in the historical context in a fascinating way. Wilson tends to focus on great teams or coaches that introduced new tactical paradigms, which probably has costs in terms of comprehensiveness, but allows him to paint a broad picture of success. It turns out, in ways that aren't necessarily su...more
Jul 24, 2010
Spiros
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone suffering World Cup withdrawal symptoms
Shelves:
new
The last time I played soccer competitively (using the word loosely) was for my junior high school team, in 8th grade. Being very slow, and relatively tall, I played left fullback, across from our best player, Ralf Venne, the right fullback. When I was fortunate enough to dispossess an opponent I would quickly pass the ball forward to the outside half, the slightly-less-hapless-than-I Kevin Ellsberry, or the left middle half back (I can't remeber if that was Brian Kehoe or John Corr); I knew, gi...more
Inverting the Pyramid offers a thorough and insightful look into the history of football tactics, specifically from the viewpoint of the development and using of different formations. Jonathan Wilson tackles the subject with authority, wide scope (although admittedly being Europe and South America centric), and clear and fluent writing, effectively creating a book that's enjoyable read for any football enthusiast.
There is one aspect, though, that I found lacking and forced me to drop one star fr...more
There is one aspect, though, that I found lacking and forced me to drop one star fr...more
This book came highly recommended by a football expert friend. It is without doubt the authoritative work on football tactics from the early days of the game, to the present day. But it's a tough read. Incredibly detailed, with information on just about every country that plays the game, and how their tactics developed. I found my concentration wandering after the hundredth name of a coach or player or team or match. My interest inevitably perked up when players I was familiar with as a child ca...more
I used this as a resource when I wrote Offside and just finished reading it a 2nd time. It's one to get the imagination going. For someone, like myself, relatively unversed in football tactics it can be difficult to parse at times due to the sheer amount of information provided and the tendency to mention a person or method at one point in the book and then bring them up again a few chapters later with no reminder of who/what is being referenced. That said, if you're willing to put some work int...more
I won't pretend that this is an easy book to read; even a football fan like myself found it very dry and occasionally difficult to continue reading. That said, there is a great deal of fascinating tactical analysis and is clearly written by someone who not only loves the game, but has a clear, and in-depth knowledge of the subject.
As a Scotland fan, Craig Levein's recent foray into an - ultimately disparaged - 4-6-0 formation left me rather deflated but it's clear that the final chapter of this...more
As a Scotland fan, Craig Levein's recent foray into an - ultimately disparaged - 4-6-0 formation left me rather deflated but it's clear that the final chapter of this...more
During my completely undistinguished schoolboy football career, I was rubbish in the air, and had mediocre ball control. My saving grace was that I had a good idea of when and where to stand and run; I was the consummate team player, usually in a decent position on the pitch. So understanding how top professionals have been playing as a unit was naturally interesting to me.
And yeah, you really have to be into this sort of stuff to get into this book. If you are, this book is ridiculously good. T...more
And yeah, you really have to be into this sort of stuff to get into this book. If you are, this book is ridiculously good. T...more
Wow I think that page count is wrong. It must be over 600... Seemed like..
This could be the most obscure thing I've finished reading. The history is pretty interesting for about half the book. Then the stream of names and numbers is just too much for me. Perhaps this history is so difficult because Football is the most global of sports. There are just too many people and places to try and put together. I suspect a book of this length could be written on any one of the countries or major clubs d...more
This could be the most obscure thing I've finished reading. The history is pretty interesting for about half the book. Then the stream of names and numbers is just too much for me. Perhaps this history is so difficult because Football is the most global of sports. There are just too many people and places to try and put together. I suspect a book of this length could be written on any one of the countries or major clubs d...more
A more accurate title for this book would be 'a history of formations', as Wilson is mostly interested in numbered formations with occasional divergences into real talk about team philosophies, movement, and actual tactics. This is most exemplified towards the end of the book when he sets 4-5-1 against 3-5-2 in an almost mathematical equation as if players were merely pieces on a chess board; there to negate/exploit their opposite number.
Nevertheless, it's still a well-researched and written his...more
Nevertheless, it's still a well-researched and written his...more
This is a must read for any soccerheads out there. It makes you rethink how the game of soccer is played. I grew up in the 1-3-3-3 system. My son plays in a 2-4-1-2-1 system where the back six are really defenders. Reading this book it became obvious why they struggle against certain teams and other they dominate. As a coach, I tweaked what my team does and will change the formation during a game to counter a team’s strengths. It made me wonder why teams don’t run multiple formations more often...more
My interest in football isn't motivated by tactics. Indeed, conversations on 'false 9s' and 'registas' usually leave me feeling a bit queasy, so it was with slight apprehension that I took this on.
But what I found was an engaging, wide-ranging account of the evolution of the way football has been played since its 19th century beginnings right through to the developing 4-6-0 formation adopted by Spain, for one, in this summer's European Championship.
There are a fair few references to obscure char...more
But what I found was an engaging, wide-ranging account of the evolution of the way football has been played since its 19th century beginnings right through to the developing 4-6-0 formation adopted by Spain, for one, in this summer's European Championship.
There are a fair few references to obscure char...more
Three stars is perhaps a bit harsh, but four would have been equally generous.
The author does an excellent job of telling the narrative. My (small, relatively unimportant) complaint is that it's very Anglocentric - virtually every development in the history of the sport, whether in Brazil, Hungary, or Cote d'Ivoire, is then placed in the context of England. I get it...the author is English and the book is intended for an English audience, but it became tiresome for me as a non-Englishman.
Also, i...more
The author does an excellent job of telling the narrative. My (small, relatively unimportant) complaint is that it's very Anglocentric - virtually every development in the history of the sport, whether in Brazil, Hungary, or Cote d'Ivoire, is then placed in the context of England. I get it...the author is English and the book is intended for an English audience, but it became tiresome for me as a non-Englishman.
Also, i...more
For soccer fans, following, discussing, and arguing about the tactics a manager puts into play are part of what makes the sport so appealing. This fascinating study traces the history of soccer tactics back from such modern pioneers as Rinus Michels, Valeriy Lobanovskyi, Catenaccio, and Herbert Chapman. Along the way, author Jonathan Wilson, an erudite and detailed writer who never loses a sense of the grand narrative sweep, takes a look at the lives of the great players and thinkers who shaped...more
An absolute epic read for all ardent football lovers, especially the ones who are fascinated by the world of tactics in the game. Who could believe that football started with the inverted formations of what we see in the modern form. Who could believe that football started as a dribbling game rather than a passing one? Who could believe that football as a tactical sport was contrived by the Scots? Jonathon Wilson takes you on an enlightening journey from the roots of the game to the game as we k...more
Describing football is difficult in the same way reviewing improvisatory music is difficult-the experience of watching the performance, the collective effort to bridle individual will and work order from chaos, is so distinctly sensory and subjective that language almost inevitably fails to convey what was essential, leaving the reader only a skeletal impression of the full-fleshed reality on the stage. Even the best match reports are poor relations of the real thing, and constructing a cogent h...more
Beyond essential for any football fan.
Inverting the Pyramid markets itself as the history of football tactics, and on the surface that's just what it is (and it does a fabulous job of recounting that history). Yet there is a line in the opening few pages that explains why it reaches beyond that with such ease; while Wilson recounts a conversation that takes place at a dinner party, he explains how, when one man (a Brit, naturally) declares boldly that tactics are largely irrelevant as long as yo...more
Inverting the Pyramid markets itself as the history of football tactics, and on the surface that's just what it is (and it does a fabulous job of recounting that history). Yet there is a line in the opening few pages that explains why it reaches beyond that with such ease; while Wilson recounts a conversation that takes place at a dinner party, he explains how, when one man (a Brit, naturally) declares boldly that tactics are largely irrelevant as long as yo...more
This is a serious book. I got into soccer after watching the 2010 World Cup and wanted to explore the game. For someone with little background in soccer (particularly someone unfamiliar with the history of the game), this is probably not a recommended book, as it is VERY thorough analysis of tactics.
Nonetheless, it's recommended to those who are a little more knowledgeable, because it is such a thorough treatment, by someone who is an expert in the subject matter, and who doesn't talk down to hi...more
Nonetheless, it's recommended to those who are a little more knowledgeable, because it is such a thorough treatment, by someone who is an expert in the subject matter, and who doesn't talk down to hi...more
Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand, evaluating on his team’s sound defeat at the hands of FC Barcelona in the 2010 Champions League Final, exclaimed that Barça had played without a forward, thus making life difficult for the Manchester defense.
Indeed, on that glorious evening, Barça played without a recognizable point-man, and yet managed to score 3 goals. Not only that, we had two wing defenders (Alves and Abidal) who spent more time in midfield than in defense; a center back who frequentl...more
Indeed, on that glorious evening, Barça played without a recognizable point-man, and yet managed to score 3 goals. Not only that, we had two wing defenders (Alves and Abidal) who spent more time in midfield than in defense; a center back who frequentl...more
Soccer is intelligible, I gather from Wilson, by analysis of tactics. Baseball fans have filtered serious thought about the game through statistics, whether traditional or sabermetric-- by numerical records of individual player performance. The fundamental tension of baseball, in the batter-pitcher encounter, can be enjoyed in real time as a contest of wills, then quantified as a conditioned response to chance. In the team sport of soccer, by contrast, individual statistics mean less (though man...more
This is nothing short of remarkable. Granted, it does, at least in principle, only appeal to a very limited target group, but if you possess any interest in football, this is absolute gold. The journalistic work, the enticing writing style and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to not only recap but to dwell into the philosophic pondering about tactics itself manage to elevate this book into a must-read for football fans.
To summarize this book, Jonathan Wilson basically takes us through the...more
To summarize this book, Jonathan Wilson basically takes us through the...more
This book was hugely informative, and I'm happy I read it. As a relative newcomer to the sport (been following only since 2003) I was quite weak on my historical knowledge of the game and this helped fill in a lot of blanks. The early part of the book was particularly strong, describing the beginnings of the sport and original tactics. I also enjoyed Wilson's in depth study of Soviet, South American and Central European football tactics and cultures which I knew next to nothing about. The overal...more
If you aren't interested in soccer you probably won't pick this book up in the first place. If such a person would read the book I doubt they would find it enjoyable. On the other hand, if you enjoy soccer this is a great book where Wilson gives an entertaining history of the sport by exploring the way the strategies and tactics have changed over the last one hundred plus years.
When soccer started teams played with five or six forwards and with not much emphasis on defense. Wilson traces the ch...more
When soccer started teams played with five or six forwards and with not much emphasis on defense. Wilson traces the ch...more
A longer version of the following review can be found at the Championship football blog: Inverting the Pyramid
Back in 2006, I wrote a slightly pernickety review of Jonathan Wilson’s Behind the Curtain, a superb overview of the history and current state of East European football. His latest offering, published in paperback earlier this year, could be contender for the best book about soccer ever written. It’s a monumental achievement; a book that leaves you thirsting for more information with eve...more
Back in 2006, I wrote a slightly pernickety review of Jonathan Wilson’s Behind the Curtain, a superb overview of the history and current state of East European football. His latest offering, published in paperback earlier this year, could be contender for the best book about soccer ever written. It’s a monumental achievement; a book that leaves you thirsting for more information with eve...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Jonathan Wilson (born in Sunderland) is a British sports journalist and author who writes for a number of publications including the Guardian, the Independent and Sports Illustrated. He also appears on the Guardian football podcast, Football Weekly.
More about Jonathan Wilson...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Consider this a rise!
Jun 09, 2010 05:49am