Reading the game

After spending a playing career "reading the game", I am now reading the game in a seemingly different way: football news, websites, magazines, books, blogs, boards (message boards). Reading, reading, reading. And yet it may all be the same for me now as a reader (and writer) as it was for me as a player.

It's all simply a matter of intellect.

An interesting little story appeared on Yahoo! Soccer yesterday: "Terry honoured by Moore link as Robson warns Chelsea."

Terry is being compared to Bobby Moore by some. I think this comparison is more accurate than the one to Tony Adams that some are making. Adams, while a good emotional leader, spent too much of his developmental time playing George Graham football. As a result he was not sophisticated enough to be the world class centerback England needed.

But back to John Terry who is getting more and more attention for his play with Chelsea. To my mind he is the most effective of all of England's defenders. Campbell and Ferdinand are prone to critical errors. And the mercurial Ferdinand in particular is too much of a free-spirit to anchor a defense. I don't know if there is a position on the field where Rio really belongs. Perhaps a deep midfield role? But Terry is a rock back there and gets forward well.

Interestingly, both Terry and Moore have been described as not being fleet of foot. Neither was I when I played the central defensive position. I completely agree with Terry when he says, "They tell me he (Moore) was never quick. I wouldn't say I'm slow but I'm not lightning. I like to think I read the game really well and they say he was the same. My dad used to say if you can be two yards in front of people in your head, even lacking a yard of pace you'll get to the ball before them. That's where I think we relate a little."

But I'm not sure I agree when he says, "I honestly don't think that reading the game is something you can learn. If you're born with that knowledge you can add to it but if you're not, I really don't think you can."

From what I've experienced, "reading" and thinking does come out of learning and wanting to learn. And it also comes out of basic survival. If you consciously or subconsciously know that you are slow and you want to keep playing (survive) or winning (thrive), then you adapt; you develop an edge in another area. In Terry's case it's a mental edge.

And I think that the mental area has much, much more room for improvement than the physical. If you're fast and strong already (particularly if you are already a professional), how much faster or stronger could you possibly get?

But mentally? Well, the improvement scale can be exponential because the big factors in playing the most beautiful and winningest football are: problem-solving, creativity, organizational ability, discipline and desire. If you work on those areas, speed and strength become lesser factors. Particularly in the centreback position where positioning and focus and timing is everything. And those are elements that can be learned and developed, if you want to survive and thrive.

I think that if John Terry examined his own development he might better understand where his ability to read the game comes from.

And rememeber the term exponential. That "reading" is the basis of Terry's success provides him with the possibilty of ever more improvement in his game. If he continues to have the will to keep learning, he will get better and better.

And he will be far more useful to an England defense than Adams was with his George Graham-head and Rio now is with his lack of head.