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| Mexxx |
Posted - Mar 24 2003 : 3:30:18 PM
In an time when loyalty often seems a forgotten quality in football, AJ Auxerre coach Guy Roux is a refreshing change. During his 41 seasons at the Abbé Deschamps stadium, Roux has transformed the Burgundy club from a non-league outfit into one of the strongest forces in French football. This season Roux, far and away Europe’s longest-serving coach, is leading Auxerre’s challenge for European and domestic glory with as much zest and hunger as ever. On Thursday, his side faces a massive challenge in trying to overturn a 1-0 deficit in their UEFA Cup fourth round second-leg tie against Liverpool FC. uefa.com spoke to the idiosyncratic coach shortly after his 1000th professional match in charge of Auxerre.
uefa.com: How has football changed during your time in the game?
Guy Roux: The game has evolved a lot. Players these days are better prepared physically, because they have been training seriously since the age of 14. They are also technically superior, as they have more opportunity to practise with a ball. Overall I’d say that players nowadays are more complete. This is why they can play at such a fast pace. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the game is more attractive now, but the competition is certainly more intense. But the really talented players are no better than they were before. If people like Raymond Kopa, [Sir] Geoff Hurst, [Sir] Bobby Moore, [Sir] Bobby Charlton, [Johan] Cruyff, [Michel] Platini were to play in the modern game, they’d still be great. They’d be able to play at this faster pace because they’d be better prepared, and they’d still be the best players in the world.
uefa.com: Has the enormous influx of money in football complicated your job?
GR: No. The amount of money in football has always been enormous compared to everyday life. A footballer’s salary has always been much higher than that of a teacher, a doctor or a factory worker. It is true that nowadays the differential is huge, but that doesn’t change anything, at least not at Auxerre.
uefa.com: How have tactics changed?
GR: Teams used to play with ten men up front, now you play with just one! Slowly coaches have switched the emphasis from attack to defence, and now there are always more defenders and midfielders than attackers. That’s because we want our players to have space to attack in front of them, rather than the space always being behind them. Also, by moving your forwards into midfield, it makes it harder for the opposition to mark them.
Another big change has been the introduction of zonal marking.
uefa.com: How have you adapted to these changes?
GR: For much of my coaching career, I employed a 4-3-3 system with individual marking. But in the last two years, I have changed to a 4-4-2 with zonal marking. I always say the most important thing for a coach is to choose one method, and stick to it. That way the players know exactly what they have to do.
uefa.com: Do you relish pitting your wits against opposing managers?
GR: It’s not the most important thing. I believe that the most important thing is to establish a good team spirit, and to make sure that all the players want to play for each other. Organising the team and choosing good tactics is a secondary factor. If your players don’t have the heart, it does not matter how well organised they are or how brilliant your tactics are, you will lose.
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