BBC's Pat Nevin has an interesting theory on why Britain doesn't produce many creative footballers. He claims, it's rugby's fault. On his internet show, Pat Nevin's Football Insight, Nevin investigates potential reasons why Britain doesn't produce creative no. 10s that "get between the lines".
Nevin identifies two reasons. The first reason is cultural. Latin American players, particularly in Argentina and Brazil, have grown up playing as no.10s all their lives. They are used to moving and learning with the ball, playing a more "sophisticated and intricate brand of football". This is in contrast to Brits, who learn "4-4-2, and working in straight lines and knowing exact positions."
The second reason, Nevin says, is also cultural. It's to do with the country's second sport. In Britain, he claims, is rugby.
Have a look at what's important in rugby - a lot of strong physical tackling, and a lot of big hoofs into areas, getting space to chase into, not making space, and getting yards. And it's a thump again and so if you do the thump, tackle, thump, tackle, there's not a lot of intricacies.
Compare that to Spain's second sport - basketball.
Look at the movement, they're not just skillful and intricate in their movements but they are creating space for other people by the way they move out of it.
Nevin says that they way basketball is played reminds him of the tiki taka movement of Spain and Barcelona.
While there is some benefit of learning different sports as kids grow up (see Tommy Bowe or Rob Kearney in rugby and GAA), his derogatory comments about rugby either show how little he knows about the world game, or is a bleary picture of English rugby. He picks out a 5 second clip of rugby to support his claims, but a random 5 second clip can be used to support anything. A 5 second clip of defenders playing the ball across the backline doesn't mean that soccer is boring, or a 5 second clip of a fight in GAA doesn't mean GAA is violent.
You can see the full video here (if you happen to be in UK)
