Roy of the Rovers Total FootballPart 2

* * *

Rocky! I did not know that you embraced the Total Football philosophy. Your team it is very good at the system. My players, they are not up to it yet. Tell me, after so many years at Alkhoven, I have somewhat forgotten how long it will take them to adapt. Please share with me your ideas.

Well, Johan, it was Dad really who helped me with the tactics, he got them ticking when I was suspended. What Dad noticed was that the players suited the system. I had them playing the Melchester Rovers way, in a 4-3-3, but it just did not work. Since weve moved to 3-4-3 and Total Football, were unbeaten and completely dominating teams. Our opponents have no answer to our fluidity, our movement, our gear-shifts. We can overrun teams who, on paper, are technically superior to us! But the key, was getting the right man in the deep-lying playmaker position. I wanted Carlos Figueroa to play in the Number 10 role, but Dad saw he was perfect as our midfield general. Carlos is our captain and leader, once he was happy and controlling our tempo, the others just followed.

Rocky Race, the manager of MLS Champions Baltimore Bullets and Johan Seegrun the new manager of Melchester Rovers were sharing a bottle of Californian Red, in the executive lounge of Bullets Stadium. Although only a friendly and Rovers first of the pre-season, the Bullets had comprehensively dismantled a confused Melchester side. Humbled 3-0, the Dutchman was impressed with the young Races tactics and the way his athletic side had mastered Total Football, the system originally built for Seegrun the player at Alkhoven in the mid-70s. The greats, like Roy Race or Seegrun, always sought out new information or advice from any source they deemed worthy. Rocky Races record as a manager in the MLS was exceptional and his side played in a style so similar to Seegrun the players Alkhoven and Seegrun the managers Netherlands. Although a young and inexperienced manager, Johan could see just from the way Baltimore played that he was certainly a source of information worth exploring.I see, who in the Rovers team do you think can be my Figueroa? Drew Powell? Danny Luik? Jake Cheetham? No-one else has the range of passing. Perhaps I will have to go into the transfer market. Rocky believed that only Powell or Cheetham had the ability to control the game from deep, Luiks passing game was too limited and he was not as mobile. Playing Cheetham so deep would be a waste, hes added goals to his game now. But Powell could certainly play there. He can pass, both long and short, can run with the ball and he doesnt mind getting stuck in. In fact, when he first came into the side he was seen as a defensive midfielder. It was only when Cheetham was injured towards the end of the 13/14 season that he added some attacking flair to his game.Johan Seegrun had made up his mind, Drew Powell would be the lynch pin of his Total Football system. He knew he had the wide forwards in Harry Jacobs and new signing Marco De Loon to stretch even the tightest of defences. Richie Lyons and Jake Cheetham would rotate in the false nine and attacking midfield position. The string of friendlies that followed the Bullets defeat would be used to drill the players in their new system. But Seegrun knew already that it would be the end of the road for some of the players he had inherited. Nick Batty for example was far too limited to fit into any of the midfield slots, every player had to be able to play with adventure. He would be allowed to find a new club, as would Steve Daley, the veteran centre-back. In training the big defender had struggled with expectations. He was an old-fashioned defender, he could tackle and head, but would never be effective in a system where he had to get his head up and make intelligent decisions. As a one-club man (bar two season-long loans at Redstoke as a youngster) and former captain, his transfer would not be popular with fans, but Seegrun had no qualms about tackling the history of Melchester Rovers. He was in charge now and it was his club. It was not Roy Races, it was not the Basranians, he had control and he was going to change the very heart of the biggest football club in Europe. The Rovers way or Roy of the Rovers stuff would be no more, hanging onto the past had seen the club stagnate and fail. Only wholesale changes from top down and bottom up could see Rovers return to the top of English football. Seegrun would let go of the past, focus on a future planned by him, it may take time. A transitional period, as so many television commentators and journalists would say, was not in the plan. It was be mass change, a complete rewrite, a clear-out, whatever term that would best fit.

Revolution, Rocky! I have begun the Melchester Rovers revolution. I can promise to you and your father; I will do whatever it takes to take Rovers back to the top. I will learn to love the club that you love, my plans will work, I am confident of that. But I think that I may upset many people along the way. In many ways Melchester Rovers are a relic of history, to be great again they must be reformed and take a new path. But they have never been successful without Roy Race, I must be the man to take them forward. I have the determination and the strong mind, see, I will win, Rocky, I am sure!Thats great to hear Johan! Both me and Dad have been saying for years that Rovers have to move on from the Races. Yes Dad saved them last season, but he didnt do it the Rovers way. He went direct, long-ball, kept it simple. Sounds like youre gonna do it the opposite way. Thats right too, Dads team last year couldnt ever challenge, he set a low goal and found a way to achieve that. Johan was pleased with Rockys analysis, And I am setting big goals and I think I have found a way to achieve those. Johan took out a folder from his briefcase, Look, my friend; my ProZone print-outs for the early season. I had Valker, my performance analyst, prepare it. What do you think?Johan passed the folder to Rocky, who examined it closely. It was a very detailed chart of his proposed formation (3-4-3), the front pages contained the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the team as a whole, in a scenario based upon them playing the new system. Rocky was intrigued, The weaknesses look spot on, the wing-backs and the left and right centre-backs will be the most challenging positions. I think Cleary will adapt to left wing-back pretty well, but he is very young and it may take a few matches. Piedra, hes not so strong going forward, but is a great defender, but as a wing-back, Im not so sure; theres nothing winger about him. Like, youve got written, Mike Burgess is a big worry. Hes slow and his passing is poor. Positionally hes strong, but he will never have played in this position. But to be honest if these are the only weaknesses you and Valker foresee then thats great! But Ive a big concern with Carruthers as the sweeper. Vernon Eliot signed him on my recommendation, Id been following him for years, trying to convince him to focus on professional football. You know, hes a clever lad, could have gone to Oxbridge, thats why he wasnt at a Premier League academy. Its one of those, his strength could be his biggest weakness. Yes, hes great on the ball, has excellent vision and reads the game brilliantly for someone so young. But he can be casual in possession. If you give him the freedom to drift forward, tell him to keep possession, he could get caught out more times than he starts any meaningful attacks.

Johan was nodding away, I agree, I see it now. At the back, even in Total Football, it is the defenders main duty to defend. An error there can cost a goal a lot more easily than a nice pass create one! There is one man, who I played against who had this great skill to balance being a stopper and an extra midfielder: Kurt Gruber. You know him, he played for West Germany and in England for Carford City? Rocky knew who Gruber was, he had marked his father in the early 80s during a brief stay at Carford, Rocky was only young, but he could always remember great players. Kurt Gruber was great, but what about Karl Bruckner? Hes one of my heroes, he helped me so much when I first got into the Rovers team. Again Seegrun agreed, Bruckner yes, was a great player. But, and you may not like this, he became worse playing in England. He replaced a lot of his technical skill with brute force. In Germany he was the libero, as soon as he went to Rovers, he became the stopper. In England there has never been room for flair and defence. I hope to change that.Do you think James Carruthers can be that man, the first Englishman to play sweeper in the continental style? I think hes got the natural talent for it, but youll be changing his whole approach to football!

But he has developed so much in just one year. You say you found him in non-league football, an amateur and now he is playing for England! That is what the press here call Roy of the Rovers stuff, no?

The two managers laughed away, for both, a simple chat over a glass of wine had been so productive. Football men love nothing more than talking football, it was when this passion fades that it is time to walk away from the game. Roy Race had done so on two occasions, once after Pennys death in 1995 and again in 2002 after Rovers narrowly missed out on the Premier League title. At this stage of his career Johan Seegrun still had the desire to make a difference to the football world and he wondered about his old friend, Rocky, tell me, how is your father? I feel so bad that I have not had the chance to meet with him since I have been at Melchester. Tell me he is in good spirits and that he will still be in the stands at Mel Park this year!Rocky really did not know how to answer, but thought to humour the Dutchman, Dads great, you know him, always talking football and nothing else! Hes so excited that youre the Rovers new boss, he knows that youll do a great job and get Rovers back where they belong! But the reality was somewhat different. Roy Race was still angry and bitter at the way he had been treated by the Basranian owners of Melchester Rovers. Their public refusal of his job application after Vernon Eliot had been sacked and the constant reminders once he had been made manager, that his role was only temporary, that he would be replaced no matter what he achieved. Roy felt let down by his club, by David Roth, the chairman and by his friend Johan. All he wanted was a simple statement, just once, from Johan stating that he supported his position and wanted success for the team. Johan had not shown this support for his long-term friend, his responses to questions on his forthcoming job, were met with no comment at this time or a series of excuses saying he was fully focused on his job as manager of the Netherlands. Although seemingly simple and not important, to Roy it was a small betrayal. Seegrun had not once sought his advice or opinion on taking over at the club that Roy Race had built, the club where his legacy ran deep. Rocky now knew that Johan had every intention of ignoring the great Race dominated history of the great club, while Roy Race firmly believed that to be successful at such a club it was of extreme importance to become a part of the history. But as Johan had made clear, he intended for a revolution to take place behind the doors at Mel Park and on the famous pitch. He wanted to change the very fabric of what made Melchester Rovers the biggest and most successful club in the land in order to make them successful again. I know I am taking some big risks coming here to Melchester, Rocky, but I need one last challenge. I know it will be hard and that many Melchester men will not like my plans. But Rovers are not that great now, before your father, they were not that great either. He made big changes and Im sure he upset some of the old men, but it worked, and I will make sure that what I do, I do for the right reasons and that the end result will be Melchester Rovers winning the Premier League and being a force in Europe!* * *

The little white house at the top of the hill where former Eastgate forward John Rogers had made his hideout was beginning to look more like the home of an elite English footballer. A framed white and green hooped Eastgate shirt from 1977 hung alongside a team photo from the start of the 1976/77 season when Rogers had made his debut as a raw sixteen year-old. Rogers was adding to his football memorabilia collection - the printer whirred and chugged as it spat out an old newspaper article. John read it again, perhaps for the hundredth time.SUNDAY GAZETTE, April 24, 1977

ROGERS LATE GOAL EARNS REPLAY

Eastgate .......... 2Carford City .......... 2

JOHN ROGERS couldn't have timed his first goal for Eastgate more perfectly five minutes from the end of one of the most pulsating and exciting semi-finals of modern times.Nor was it more desperately needed for it gave Eastgate a replay chance that was really scant reward for their magnificent performance.Carford, who had hardly played at all to the pattern we had come to expect were incredibly in front, scoring twice from only three shots.

But Eastgate, a new and exciting Eastgate full of spirit and character, were hitting back. They pulled off Rankin who had injured his groin and on came Greaves and they immediately equalised.

Williams, chief tormentor of an uncertain Carford defence, went wide to the right and although he miscued his shot, the ball deceived Jackson and rolled to Rogers, who tapped it home from two yards.The white and green colours that suddenly turned Burnham Park into a carnival also seemed to be a colourful shroud to Carfords hopes of silverware.

And still Eastgate werent finished. A Telford cross was headed goalwards by Williams and Greaves rushed it in off his hip. But it was disallowed by Welsh referee Dai Jenkins, presumably for offside.

So they go back to Burnham Park on Wednesday for a second chance to settle it.

A torrential rainstorm turned the pitch into a watersheet and it robbed Foulkes of a goal after a 40-yard run past four defenders until he completely missed his kick in a puddle of water.CommandEastgate, in almost total command, went behind to a magnificent goal from Hunt. But they battled on with Knott, playing his first full game of the season dominating midfield.

And the action was all among the Carford goalmouth. As Archie Miller said later: We didnt play in the first half. When the superb Williams scored from one of the many chances Eastgate had, it seemed they would win.

But Carford City, built up over the years to live with such pressure did not cave in. Instead Weston, the man whose goals won City the Cup Winners Cup in 74, headed them into the lead and an almost certain place at Wembley.But young Rogers, in his debut season, denied Carford late on to earn Eastgate the replay, which was the least they deserved.FORM REPORTEASTGATE: Bowker 7 Barnes 7, Buchanan 7, Gregson 7, Jeffords 7 Knott 8, Rankin (inj) 7, Merrit 7 Telford 7, WILLIAMS 9, Rogers 8. Sub: Greaves.CARFORD CITY: Jackson 7 Turner 7, Johnson 7, Gladwin 6, Foster 6 - HUNT 8, Daley 7, Harrison 6 Weston 7, Lewis 6, Foulkes 7. Sub: Henderson.REF: D Jenkins (Barmouth) 9.As the report said, it was Johns first senior goal and what an important one. It was the moment of his career that all Eastgate fans remembered. He would score better goals, but for a small club, over-shadowed by the more successful London sides, it had become part of folklore. Eastgate would lose the replay, a one-nil win for Carford earning them the right to face Gatesfield at Wembley. But the semi-final is still recalled as one of the very best.Rogers fixed a cheap frame around the newspaper article and placed it on the wall to the left of the shirt. His display was now symmetrical, the shirt in the centre, team photograph on the right and article on the left. Anyone who entered would have no doubt as to the resident of this small white-washed house. It felt more like home and if the news from England was anything to go by, Rogers would be calling this place home indefinitely.Storky KnightNEXT Rovers kick-off the 2015/16 season!