Eye for goal with a need to track back

You join us here at the Retail Arena for what promises to be a compelling game between Sporting Fresh Produce and the Food Industry Giants. Bit of a mis-match, of course, given the big names playing for the Giants; with Ronald McDonald offering quick distribution up front and Pepsi Cola giving the team its fluidity, this expensive outfit is likely to provide a tough test for the fresh faces in the Produce team. Huge sums of money have been pumped into the Giants, and if it was simply a question of how large their marketing budgets were then this competition would be over before it even started.

The fresh team may have to make one or two changes to its line-up in order to prevail. Up front, we’ve witnessed the emergence of several attack-minded players with an eye for goal. Sometimes tricky to deal with, these players have to be kept on side even when off-field issues like contracts are causing friction. Just look at that Dutch centre-forward: the way he got it on the deck, controlled it and got it past the opposing shopkeeper was superb.

In defence, you’ve got plenty of players who start things off with a simple pass, sending it through the air or keeping things on the ground. But midfield is where most of the action still takes place. Here, the team needs dynamic players who know exactly where the goal is but who are also excellent at tracking back. These players can set up a move and get the ball rolling, but are also able to deliver the telling pass and hit the target when it matters.

Finding the winning combination has a lot to do with getting the balance of the team just right. Local, home-grown talent is key, naturally, and many of these will have been nurtured from an early age through the youth academy, but there is also a lot to be said for throwing a number of foreign imports into the mix. In many cases, these guys offer big-match experience and are aware of things like having the right kit and how to keep the referees on side.

Ultimately, it’s all about pleasing the people who will pay good money for a high-quality product, provided they go home happy. If this team works well together, then the players can still emerge as winners.