Luis Enrique, Nuno Mendes and why versatility is football's new superpower
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Everyone except the goalkeeper, that would be my dream.Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔Download the Sky Sports app | Get Sky Sports on WhatsApp Image: Nuno Mendes has become a key player for Luis Enrique at PSG "You can imagine the opposition manager when he sees the line-up saying, 'But he plays everywhere…!' "It's a dream. My dream is to have 20 players who can play everywhere "When you see the tactical formations on television at the start of the match, it's sometimes completely different, because actually, the defensive midfielder and the No 10 drift wide, the centre-backs and full-backs make runs into the centre..."I believe true specialists who can only do one thing will become increasingly rare, simply because the game is becoming much more dynamic and variable."The player who best typifies Bayern's Munich flexibility is Konrad Laimer, who joined from RB Leipzig as a midfielder but has since excelled at both right and left-back.
He also joined us as a midfielder, but now he is playing as a full-back, in the way Vinny envisions a full-back."Laimer's modest status does not match his importance to Bayern Munich. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Gary Neville was left in awe at Nico O'Reilly's audacious touchline skill against Arsenal Arsenal have Declan Rice, who is comfortable at No 6 or No 8 and can fill in at centre-back, while his team-mate Kai Havertz can play in midfield or up front and has even been used as a marauding left-back by Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann.The best example might be Real Madrid's Federico Valverde, who can play anywhere in midfield or up and down the right flank, always adapting seamlessly to what is required.His team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold called him "the most underrated player on the planet" after his hat-trick against Manchester City last month.
"It's about session design where the constraints of the exercises force players into different positions, and about using a playing style which is more Total Football-based where you play a shape not a position."There's also a volleyball-style approach where players move around throughout a game and get exposed to different positions, particularly when substitutions are made."The benefits can be immense, he adds, both for the players and their clubs. But even as his quest for "20 players who can play everywhere" continues, PSG, like Bayern Munich, are showing the value of versatility, and the crucial role it could play in football's future.Follow the Champions League semi-final first leg between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich live in our blog on the Sky Sports website and app on Tuesday; kick-off 8pm