Football is a game of skill and strategy. A side’s tactical approach goes a long way in determining which way a highly contested match will go; the personnel at one’s disposal could be the big difference between a win and a draw. But often, analysis are just over-complicated and over-exaggerated.
Football sometimes is just about pure luck. Now I’m not buying the “Champions make their own luck” phrase, because football can be a cruel sport. There have often been cases where luck and nothing more have determined the results of games. Gamblers too are keen on trying their luck when it comes to their bets on football matches and various other sports events. They might make guesses based on their idea of the game, which might not always be in their favor. Though the wager can be unpredictable, punters find it cool to place bets on teams they prefer. Sometimes, their judgment of the game can be clouded by favoritism, and this can be where they go wrong in placing their bet. The sport has sometimes been similar to a game on Castle Jackpot. But it would be unfair to say that Tactics & Strategy have no relevance in football.
For example, based on your perspective, many would say that Chelsea got lucky in their progress against Barcelona on course to winning the 2012 UEFA Champions League. However, an alternative view would be that despite implementing what some would say were “desperation tactics”, the tactics employed by Roberto Di Matteo were effective. They got the job done, they got the result, and did go on to win the prestigious tournament.
Take last season’s English domestic cups. Wigan defeated the mighty Manchester City in the FA Cup final while lowly Bradford pulled off some fantastic results to reach the final of the Capital One Cup. On any given day you’d bet your house on City defeating Wigan, and no one would dare bet on a club in the lower reaches of English football to do what Bradford did. But it happens, football, though reliant on tactical discipline and hard work from the players, that little luck factor has been established into the game.
Luck isn’t enough to sustain your club in the long run or to formulate any sort of consistency. But every club, from Bayern Munich to Bradford do require that tad bit of luck to ensure the right result. Some require it more than others.
